News | FFXnow - Part 635

Morning Notes

Published August 30, 2022 at 7:30AM

Construction continues on the "Block A" mixed-use tower at Capital One Center in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

IRS Data Shows Exodus in Northern Virginia — “Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County all saw more people move out in 2020 than move in — basically everything in Northern Virginia except for Loudoun County and outlying areas such as Fauquier County and Stafford County.” [Cardinal News]

Lake Accotink Celebrates Past, Prepares for Future — “The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27…The next big thing to happen at Lake Accotink Park will be a major dredging operation to prevent the lake from filling up with sediment.” [Annandale Today]

Vienna Courts duplex plan prioritizes accessibility, but lack of green space a concern

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 29, 2022 at 3:00PM

A rendering of the duplexes proposed to replace the Vienna Courts condos (via Town of Vienna)

The Town of Vienna has another development plan on the table that promises to help diversify its housing stock.

Developer Steve Bukont, president of contractor BFR Construction, is seeking to rezone Vienna Courts (127-133 Park Street NE) from transitional to low-density, multifamily uses so the four buildings of office condominiums could be replaced with 28 residential units in 14 two-story duplexes.

Fairfax County Covid cases continue decline, as free at-home test program winds down

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 29, 2022 at 2:15PM

An at-home rapid COVID-19 test (via Steve Nomax/Unsplash)

Put in your final requests for free at-home COVID-19 tests now, because once Labor Day weekend arrives, that will no longer be an option.

The federal government’s offer of free, at-home test kits to all households will be put on hold Friday (Sept. 2) after Congress failed to renew funding for the program, which launched in January during the pandemic’s biggest surge so far.

VDOT to lift HOV and toll restrictions over Labor Day weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published August 29, 2022 at 11:45AM

I-66 construction in Fairfax County (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

To help ease congestion, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said it will suspend work on many highway projects and lift lane restrictions on interstates and other major roads.

VDOT said in a release that Labor Day is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Past traffic data suggested the congestion is heaviest from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and intermittently throughout the holiday weekend, Monday included.

Vienna Police cite pickleball players for making racket at Glyndon Park

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 29, 2022 at 11:00AM

The gate is open to the Glyndon Park tennis and pickleball courts in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Pickleball has evidently become a hot nighttime activity in the Town of Vienna.

Vienna police have issued six noise violations this year for players hitting the courts at Glyndon Park (300 Glyndon Street) after hours, according to the department.

Fairfax medical cannabis dispensary will open this week near GMU

By Matt Blitz

Published August 29, 2022 at 10:15AM

Beyond/Hello medical cannabis dispensary in Fairfax (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Another medical cannabis dispensary is opening this week in Fairfax.

Beyond/Hello will open its second local dispensary at 10521 Fairfax Blvd in the City of Fairfax. The new location will begin serving patients on Wednesday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m.

Naked man accosts woman on W&OD Trail in Reston, may be involved in other exposure incidents

By Fatimah Waseem

Published August 29, 2022 at 9:30AM

Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

A naked man grabbed a woman at the Washington & Old Dominion Trail between Town Center Parkway and the Fairfax County Parkway in Reston on Friday (Aug. 26), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The suspect may be connected to other indecent exposure incidents in the area, police say. Later that day, police officers in the Town of Herndon investigated an indecent exposure on the trail near Ferndale Avenue.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published August 29, 2022 at 7:30AM

A monarch butterfly spotted by the W&OD Trail (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Superintendent Addresses Handling of Former Glasgow Counselor — “Fairfax County parent Staci Ali-Ibrahim sat at the end of a long table at Glasgow Middle School Thursday night, and asked Superintendent Michelle Reid why Virginia’s largest school system doesn’t have a clear plan in place to ensure they are notified by law enforcement when a staff member is arrested and charged with a crime.” [WTOP]

Springfield Students Upbeat After First Week of School — “Everyone at Forestdale seems to be having plenty of feelings this week. The prevailing one is joy at being back together again, and hope that this year — the second one back full time after pandemic lockdowns — will be even less disrupted by COVID-19 than the last one.” [DCist]

Data storage company Iron Mountain signs lease at Worldgate Metro Plaza

By Fatimah Waseem

Published August 26, 2022 at 2:15PM

A new tenant has signed on in the four-story-building (Photo via Moore & Associates)

Another big name in enterprise information technology is coming soon to Herndon.

Iron Mountain, a Boston-based company that provides records management, data backup and recovery, document management and data centers, plans to open a location at Worldgate Metro Plaza, according to Fairfax County permits.

JUST IN: Man convicted of sexual abuse at Annandale day care given life in prison

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 26, 2022 at 12:10PM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A man who sexually abused children for years at a home day care in Annandale has been sentenced to life in prison, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today (Friday).

Elwood Lewis Thomas, a 38-year-old man from Alexandria, will serve four life sentences and an additional 36 years in prison after being convicted last year on multiple counts of rape, aggravated sexual battery, and sexual penetration with an object, according to Descano’s office.