(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) A local Fairfax resident and golf professional has qualified for the 2024 PGA Golf Professional Championship.

Larkin Gross, an assistant professional at Vienna’s Westwood Country Club, is among 13 mid-Atlantic golf professionals to qualify for the championship, which will be held from Saturday, April 28, to May 1 at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas.

The top 20 finishers in the 312-player field will advance to the 2024 PGA Championship, scheduled for May 13-19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. There, they will face off against the world’s premier golfers at the second major championship of the year.

The PGA Professional Championship, the country’s largest all-professional tournament, represents all 41 PGA Sections of the PGA of America.

“The MAPGA is very proud of our 13 PGA Members who qualified for this year’s PGA Professional Championship,” Middle Atlantic PGA President Lynne Hunter stated in the press release. “This prestigious event gathers the finest from our 30,000 members to vie for a spot in the PGA Championship and to compete alongside top international players.”

Among those participating in the tournament will be the top 20 from last year’s championship and qualifiers from section championships.

The tournament, which offers a purse of $715,000, will conduct the first round cuts for those outside the low 90 scorers and ties after 36 holes on Monday, and again after 54 holes on Tuesday to those those outside the 70 scores and ties.

The winner will receive a $715,000 prize, and the top 20 finishers will join the Corebridge Financial Team, qualifying for the PGA Championship at Valhalla. There, they will compete against the world’s elite in one of golf’s most prestigious events.

Here in Fairfax County, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the smallest and largest homes sold last month (March 2024).

Largest homes sold

1. 2400 Oakmont Ct — Reston — $2,625,000 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 12,034 sq. ft.)
2. 7022 Green Oak Dr — McLean — $3,050,000 (4 beds | 6.5 baths | 11,508 sq. ft.)
3. 836 Whann Ave — McLean — $4,865,000 (7 beds | 9 baths | 10,213 sq. ft.)

Smallest homes sold*

1. 15301 Surrey House Way — Pleasant Valley — $1,090,000 (4 beds | 4.5 baths | 5,240 sq. ft.)
2. 8705 Flowering Dogwood Ln — Laurel Hill — $1,150,000 (6 beds | 4.5 baths | 5,256 sq. ft.)
3. 1811 Franklin Ave — McLean — $2,450,000 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 5,287 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

Profs and Pints, a program that mixes casual bar atmosphere with collegiate discussions, is coming to Fairfax next month.

The program is based out of D.C. but, since 2017, has organized talks across the country. The Fairfax one will be held at the NoVa Bar & Grill in the Hilton Fairfax at 12777 Fair Lakes Circle.

The Fairfax debut of Profs and Pints will feature Richard Bell, a historian from the University of Maryland, discussing the legacy of Hamilton.

“Delivering a talk that has wowed audiences in several other cities, Professor Bell will critically examine the Hamilton musical in terms of its historical accuracy and its impact on Broadway and American culture,” a release said.

The release said the goal is to make the program accessible to Fairfax residents and to recruit speakers from nearby George Mason University.

“People who come to Profs and Pints talks at the Hilton Fairfax will be able to learn from outstanding professors for the price of an inexpensive ticket and whatever they want to order off the menu — or about as much as they would pay to go to the movies.” founder Peter Schmidt said. “They’ll truly come to see the truth in the Profs and Pints motto: No tuition or tests — just lectures you’ll love.”

Advance tickets are $14 with a $3 fee. Tickets are $17 at the door or $15 with a student ID.

Photo via Profs and Pints/Facebook

The proposed Tommy’s Express Car Wash at Fairfax Blvd and Lion Run in Fairfax City passed its first hurdle last week and will advance to the planning commission next.

The Fairfax City Board of Architectural Review has unanimously recommended that the city council approve a proposal for a 4,553-square-foot car wash at 9917 Fairfax Blvd. The site was formerly home to The Espositos, a 40-plus-year-old Italian restaurant that closed permanently last month.

Behind the project is D.C.-based private equity firm Olympus Pines, which submitted an application for a special-use permit to repurpose the 1.15-acre site earlier this year.

According to a city council staff report, the car wash is designed to process up to 200 vehicles per hour, anticipates serving a “peak volume” of 50-75 cars per hour with a maximum staff of four to five. The site, which currently features a one-way entrance and exit on Fairfax Blvd, would also include three “stacking lanes” to prevent backups.

During a January work session, city council members expressed concerns that the high volume of traffic at the site might lead to congestion. However, at their April 17 meeting, the developer’s attorneys informed the architectural review board that no changes have been made to the design.

The city planning commission must review the application before it makes its way to the city council.

Man fires gun at dog, Fairfax County police say — “Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said they received a report of a man firing a gun at a dog in Annandale on Thursday morning.” [DC News Now]

Fairfax County libraries hosting used book sales this spring — “There’s no need to spend a fortune on brand-new books — various Friends of the Library groups throughout Fairfax County are holding used book sales this spring that can help you stock your bookshelves for a lower price, all while supporting the library.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Footwear retailer New Balance opens in Mosaic District — “Specializing in one-on-one service, New Balance Mosaic District offers a wide variety of footwear and apparel.” [Patch]

All Virginia drivers required to have insurance by July 1 — “All Virginia drivers will be required to have vehicle insurance starting on July 1, ending the Uninsured Motorists Fund.” [WAVY]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 64 accompanied by a northwest wind at 7 to 9 mph during the day. The night will be mostly clear with the temperature dropping to around 40. The northwest wind will decrease to around 5 mph and become calm as evening approaches. [NWS]

Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 19, 2024.

• 8:50 am: Morning Notes | 🗣️ Comments
• 9:15 am: Lorton man charged with murder after allegedly shooting girlfriend | 🗣️ Comments
• 10:30 am: Fairfax School Board to review initial draft of new boundary adjustment policy next month | 🗣️ Comments
• 11:30 am: Realty company buys cluster warehouses in Franconia for $84.3 million | 🗣️ Comments
• 1:30 pm: Workhouse Arts Center to host annual beer and arts festival next month in Lorton | 🗣️ Comments

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

1. New Fairfax County ordinance requires drivers to stop, rather than yield, for pedestrians (18973 views)
2. FCPS hopes to alleviate school overcrowding with new boundary adjustment policy (16533 views)
3. Taim Mediterranean Kitchen in Reston permanently shutters four months after opening (6986 views)
4. Manassas Man arrested after road rage shooting incident in Centreville (5319 views)
5. Juvenile arrested for alleged rape and abduction in Reston apartment building (5091 views)
6. JUST IN: Two injured in rooftop fire in Tysons (3069 views)
7. Halal hot chicken restaurant opens in Reston’s South Lakes Village Center (2621 views)
8. Firefighters say they ‘Wiehle Like’ new pedestrian bridge at Wiehle Avenue (2265 views)
9. Fairfax driver charged with felony hit and run in Vienna (1841 views)
10. NEW: Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Fairfax (1674 views)
11. Reston au pair indicted on second degree murder in fatal shooting case (1560 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

• 👉 8:00 am: The Van Metre 5K Run
• 10:00 am: Historic Walking Tour
• 10:00 am: eARTh Day with Tephra ICA
• 10:30 am: Story time with Leah Moser
• 2:00 pm: Family Fun Day
• 8:00 pm: Small Island Big Song
• 8:00 pm: The Prom: a Musical

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

• 8:00 am: 5th Annual Bands on the Run 5K will be held on Sunday, April 21 at 8am
• 10:30 am: The Okee Dokee Brothers
• 1:00 pm: The Okee Dokee Brothers
• 3:00 pm: Burke Historical Society Meeting

🌤️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect clouds to clear gradually by mid-morning, leading to a high near 68 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 10-15 mph, with gusts reaching up to 26 mph. For Saturday night, skies will be partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 43 degrees. The north wind will blow at 5-11 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

Pints and palettes will collide next month at the Workhouse Arts Center’s annual BrewWorks beer and arts festival in Lorton.

On Saturday, May 18, from noon to 5 p.m., attendees can enjoy craft beer tastings and watch artists compete in fast-paced painting and drawing competitions, according to a press release.

Roughly a dozen local breweries plan to participate in the festival, including Bunnyman Brewing, which is slated to open its second brewery location at the Lorton campus this summer. Other notable participants are Ono Brewing Company, Fair Winds Brewing Company, and Heritage Brewing Company. Various local food truck vendors will also be on-site to satisfy diverse palates.

Eight artists from the DMV area plan to compete in quick-fire rounds of painting and drawing. The art battle will unfold over three rounds, per the release.

Round 1 – 12:30 – 1:15 pm
Round 2 – 1:35 – 2:20 pm
Final Round – 2:40 – 3:35 pm

Festival attendees can also bid on the artwork during a silent auction from 3:45 – 4:50 p.m. following the battle.

General admission for attendees over 21 is $50, while tickets for non-alcoholic participants are $10.

Realty company Terreno Realty Corporation may have plans for a cluster of warehouses called the Fleet Industrial Park in Franconia.

The company recently announced that it purchased 6584-6674 Fleet Drive, a group of four industrial distribution buildings, for $84.3 million.

The buildings are approximately 357,000 square feet on a 19.1-acre lot.

In the release, Terreno Realty Corporation noted that the leases at the lot all expire by 2031:

The property is at 6584-6674 Fleet Drive approximately two miles from the intersection of I-95/395 and I-495 (Capital Beltway), provides 67 dock-high and 38 grade-level loading positions and parking for 580 cars. The property is 100% leased to 21 tenants, with all leases expiring by 2031, and the estimated stabilized cap rate is 5.3%.

Photo via Google Maps
H/t Ryan Belmore

Fairfax County Public School Board members have finalized a first draft of the division’s new boundary adjustment policy, which is scheduled for a full board review next month.

The major updates to the new policy mandate that the superintendent adhere to a specific set of criteria when drawing school boundary lines and require a county-wide review of school boundaries every five years.

The new draft policy, still subject to revisions, follows several months of discussion among school board members on the best approach to address overcrowding throughout the division.

The revised policy retains elements of the existing one, such as assigning students to schools based on proximity to their homes. However, under the proposed changes, when establishing new boundaries, the superintendent must ensure that schools have sufficient capacity for future students; avoid splitting students from the same neighborhood among different schools; minimize student travel times; and provide equal access to programming.

The superintendent may also consider additional factors when setting school boundaries, including the following.

• Minimizing disruptions to teaching
• Reducing reliance on temporary classrooms
• Cutting future budget costs
• Ensuring easy access to nearby neighborhoods
• Enhancing family involvement
• Maintaining long-term stability in school attendance zones

While these additional criteria are optional, At-large school board member Kyle McDaniel emphasized the superintendent must prioritize the first four.

“The biggest difference between the current policy and the new policy is this “may”/”shall” language,” he told FFXnow. “The old policy just had 14 criteria that had no priority or no ranking or no real intentional guidance to staff in terms of what the board would prioritize over other items.”

School board members have also updated the language in the old policy concerning the superintendent’s authority to make emergency boundary adjustments.

In cases of a “catastrophic event” or emergency, the superintendent has the authority to temporarily adjust school attendance areas without school board approval, provided the affected student population is less than 15%.

The superintendent must notify the school board of any adjustments, but a vote is not required unless the changes are expected to be permanent.

Board members also revised the section on expedited boundary adjustments, adding language that authorizes the superintendent to recommend such adjustments after consulting with the school board and conducting publicly-noticed meetings, should the following situations occur.

• New unoccupied housing requires to students to be reassigned to prevent overcrowding
• Adjust for transportation needs
• Manage excess enrollment
• Respond to program changes
• Address school openings and closings
• Address unexpected construction issues or delays

The policy also ensures that future boundary adjustments will be phased in, meaning high school students currently enrolled would not be forced to transfer.

If the board adopts the new policy, expected by June or July, it would likely not take effect until the next school year, according to McDaniel.