Work is about to begin on some brand-new recreational facilities at Mount Vernon Woods Park.
The contractor DeBorn Construction is set to begin active construction Monday (June 10) on a first phase of renovations at the neighborhood park. Depending on the weather, this phase is expected to finish early next year, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.
The Town of Herndon is angling to obtain funds for a project it hopes will make Sunset Business Park easier and safer to visit, even as construction continues on a different side of the commercial complex.
The Herndon Town Council authorized staff on Tuesday (June 4) to apply for up to $6 million in federal funds for access and safety improvements at the Herndon Parkway and Sunset Park Drive intersection.
Traffic Shift to New I-495 Bridge Coming — “If you plan on traveling through the Tysons area in Northern Virginia this weekend, be prepared for a major traffic shift on the Capital Beltway. It starts Friday night when crews shift traffic onto a new Interstate 495 North bridge over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) ramp.” [WTOP]
Clean-up of Fort Belvoir Fuel Spill Continues — “Two months after the jet fuel spill near Fort Belvoir’s Davison Army Airfield, the garrison is continuing to address the environmental impacts. According to Fort Belvoir’s Public Affairs Office (PAO), the seven to 10 inches of contaminated topsoil at the spill site has yet to be removed.” [On the MoVe]
D.C. Area Sees Exodus for Rural Communities — “Residents moving from D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are relocating further away than they have in the past, part of a national trend of remote workers leaving metropolitan cities for small rural communities,” according to a new analysis by University of Virginia researchers. [WTOP]
Speed Cameras Lead to 36K Citations — “Since all of the speed cameras went live in eight school zones in Fairfax County last year, 36,234 citations have been mailed. New data obtained by WUSA9 from the Fairfax Co. Police Department showed a wide range in the number of fines, but one camera stood out the most.” [WUSA9]
Students Unveil New Art for Lake Thoreau — “A new piece of public art will soon find its home on Reston’s Lake Thoreau. This towering, angular tree sculpture is called Arboris, and it’s the work of the South Lakes High School STEAM Team, which designed and built the concept from scratch.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Dulles Airport Hits 2M Silver Line Riders — “Since the grand opening in November 2022, the Dulles Airport Metro station has served over two million passengers! We were proud to cut the ribbon alongside @wmata, @MWAAHQ and other regional partners, celebrating our investment in Silver Line Phase II and better connectivity for our community.” [Northern Virginia Transportation Authority/Twitter]
Free Composting Bins at Farmers Markets — “Don’t miss out on our free countertop compost bin giveaway June 12-16! During this time, farmers market customers who dispose of food scraps at any of our 10 Farmers Markets may receive a free compost bin. Supplies are limited and open to shoppers who have not received a bin in previous years.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]
As the use of chatbots and other types of “artificial intelligence” continues to grow, Fairfax County is working to ensure its government employees are educated on the opportunities and risks associated with the technology.
During an information technology committee meeting on Tuesday (June 4), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors received an update on the use of generative AI within the county government — including how to “deliver improved business outcomes” while maintaining the county’s “rigorous security standards.”
It remains unclear how the Herndon Police Department (HPD) will obtain and train new officers after the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy cut off the department over a disagreement with Police Chief Maggie DeBoard.
Fairfax Deputy County Executive for Safety and Security Thomas Arnold told HPD on March 18 that the criminal justice academy would terminate its affiliation with the town’s department, effective June 1, after DeBoard reportedly complained about the academy’s director, Major Wilson Lee, signing his name in Chinese on graduation certificates.
Early voting in the upcoming Virginia primaries will expand this weekend, with Fairfax County opening additional in-person sites starting this Saturday (June 8).
Voters will determine representatives for Virginia’s 10th and 11th Congressional districts, as well as the Republican who will challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine this fall. Early voting for the June 18 primary began on May 3 and will continue in-person through June 15.
Three people were killed last night (Wednesday) after being hit by a cargo train near Lake Accotink, police say.
Two adults and a child appear to have been walking on the train tracks above Accotink Creek near the Accotink Park Road crossing, according to the police and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Company, which operates the tracks.
“All were declared deceased on scene,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
A Norfolk Southern spokesperson confirmed that a crash involving a northbound train occurred around 8:20 p.m. yesterday on the bridge over Accotink Creek. There were no reported injuries to the train crew, they told FFXnow.
Per scanner traffic on Open MHz, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched for a “medical emergency” on the train tracks at 8:25 p.m. By 8:38 p.m., responders reported that they had located all three victims on the creek banks under the railroad bridge.
The train tracks were shut down by Norfolk Southern, a dispatcher said at 8:38 p.m.
The FCPD initially described the victims as one adult and two children, but after further investigation, officers and detectives have identified the victims as 28-year-old Annandale resident Diego Arriaza, 28-year-old Lincolnia resident Yeraldin Pardo, and Pardo’s 8-year-old child.
Police believe the three people were walking on the northbound elevated train tracks when they “encountered a travelling freight train.”
“Detectives believe Arriaza was struck by the train, and Pardo and the child fell from the bridge,” the FCPD said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police don’t believe speed or alcohol factored into the crash for the train engineer, but detectives are still determining whether alcohol may have been “a factor” for the pedestrians.
Norfolk Southern operates about 19,500 miles of cargo railroads in the eastern U.S. that transport fuel, agriculture, construction equipment, and other goods. In April, the company reached a $600 million settlement with residents affected by a toxic chemical spill that resulted from a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023.
Screenshot via Google Maps
Plea Deal Rejected in Annandale Abduction Case — “A Fairfax County judge rejected a plea deal for a suspected child sex offender, saying it would put the community in danger. A man broke into an apartment in Annandale June 15 [2023], grabbed a 4-year-old girl from her bed and dragged her to the living room before her screams woke her mother, police said.” [NBC4]
Culmore 7-Eleven Focus of Police Crackdown — “The Mason Police District is cracking down on public drinking, drug abuse, and shoplifting at the 7-Eleven in Culmore, said station commander Maj. Erin Weeks. The police will be meeting with 7-Eleven officials to strengthen security and ban trespassing at the store at 3337 Glen Carlyn Drive.” [Annandale Today]
Fairfax City Council Considers Pay Raises — “Mayor Catherine Read and members of the Fairfax City Council met at Historic Blenheim Tuesday night for their annual retreat. They discussed a variety of issues, including whether to enact raises for elected officials and to extend the terms of councilmembers from two to four years.” [Patch]
Capital Bikeshare Sets Monthly Ridership Record — “Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) broke the all-time monthly ridership record in May 2024, recording 515,394 trips across the Washington, DC, metro area. Annual ridership is up 31.3% through May 2024…The CaBi system has now seen year-over-year monthly increases in ridership for 29 consecutive months.” [Greater Greater Washington]
County Sets Mosquito Traps — “From May to October, Fairfax County’s Health Department is conducting mosquito surveillance, with 75 traps set all across the county weekly…So far the county hasn’t found anything unusual, but the species that typically transmit West Nile Virus will come later in the summer in August and September.” [WJLA]
Real Estate Company to Boost Tysons Office — “Divaris Real Estate has recruited a team of veteran brokers from Long & Foster Commercial as it seeks to beef up its retail and office brokerage business in Northern Virginia.” The Virginia Beach-based firm says the eight additional brokers will double the staffing at its office in Tysons (8150 Leesburg Pike, Suite 501). [Washington Business Journal]
Dulles Airport Has U.S.’s Most Expensive Domestic Flights — “For the third year in a row, it’s been named as the domestic airport with the highest average fares. Flights on average cost $488.40 out of Dulles, according to FinanceBuzz, which looked at 2023 U.S. Department of Transportation data on domestic airfares from the nation’s 45 busiest airports.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Public Art Reston Redesigns Website — Public Art Reston has launched a revamped website that highlights the nonprofit’s programs and a “catalogue of 90+ temporary and permanent public artworks around Reston, complete with images, detailed information, and maps so visitors can easily find them.” [Tysons Today]
It’s Thursday — Storms are expected throughout the day, especially between 11am and 5pm, and a high temperature near 84°F. There is a 70% chance of precipitation. At night, the chance of rain decreases to 30%, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 65°F. [NWS]
More than 150 applicants applied the the award
The achievements of area graduating high-school seniors were announced and celebrated the morning of May 21 in the grand ballroom at Springfield Golf & Country Club. There, the Northern Virginia Athletic Directors Administrators and Coaches Association (NVADACA) held its annual awards scholarship breakfast banquet.
A former deputy with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) has pleaded guilty in connection to a scheme involving bribes and smuggling contraband, including drugs, into the county jail.
Robert Theodore Sanford Jr., 37, brought cocaine, fentanyl and the opioid addiction-treatment medication Suboxone to an inmate in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center from December 2022 through May 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
