Commuters might want to think twice before braving Old Dominion Drive in McLean this afternoon (Thursday).
The road is undergoing paving work today, requiring alternating lane closures for both west and eastbound traffic from Briar Ridge Road near the Chesterbrook Shopping Center past Little Falls Road in Arlington County.
The City of Fairfax is starting to fill some key vacant positions, announcing the hiring of a new police chief and a human resources director this week.
As first reported yesterday (Wednesday) by ALXnow, Alexandria Assistant Police Chief Raul Pedroso has been selected to lead the City of Fairfax Police Department after a national search that drew “many qualified candidates,” according to the city.
Incredibly excited to wrap up an awesome first summer. I’ve learned a lot, and I thought I’d share some of those lessons with you.
1. Hiring a JMU intern is a great idea.
This summer we were lucky enough to hire a young man from Woodbridge named Owen, who is a rising senior at JMU. He was exactly the spark we needed to help us push through our first busy summer season. We’ve already made him a job offer for next summer when he graduates, and we’re hopeful he’ll join us full-time.
2. People are generally helpful and want to see you succeed when you’re first starting out.
Over the summer, I was amazed by how many people wanted to help me get a strong start in my business. There were definitely times when I knew folks might not need a new roof, but they were still kind enough to let me come by, take a look, and give them a free estimate just in case. It was inspiring and motivating to know that there are strangers out there who don’t even know me but still want to see me win.
3. Hard work solves most problems.
From the beginning, I’ve been honest about having a lot to learn in this industry. What I’ve come to find is that even when I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, hard work will still often get me to the right result. When in doubt, just keep pushing. This is something I’ll remember as more hard times come and as we get ready to go through the cold winter season.
4. Working with property managers and realtors can be a win-win for everyone.
This year, we’ve built some great relationships with property managers and realtors. These folks are hardworking and busy, and the last thing they have time to worry about is a roof for their clients. We’ve worked with them to install new roofs, windows, gutters, doors, and siding on multiple occasions.
5. Some folks will slam the door in your face without thinking twice.
Things aren’t always easy in this game, and I don’t want to paint an overly rosy picture without talking about some of the hard stuff too. As a new person working hard to get your name out there, it can definitely be a little daunting when someone yells at you or slams the door in your face. Luckily, most people are warm and will at least talk to you, and we’ve appreciated that as we navigate these bumps along the way.
6. Most homeowners just want transparency and great customer service.
It’s wild how many contractors out there really can’t be trusted. We’ve come to learn quickly that homeowners just want fantastic customer service and transparency throughout the process. If you can honestly show someone how the process is going to take place and hold their hand a little along the way, you can make almost all of your customers pretty happy.
7. Homeowners taught me more than any training could have.
Sweetgreen is officially cruising into Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean, and it’s bringing a beach-inspired Mexican restaurant from D.C. along for the ride.
The fast-casual health food chain anticipates opening at 6220 Old Dominion Drive this fall. The 2,571-square-foot restaurant will be joined in the free-standing, former Truist Bank building by Surfside, which is expanding into Virginia for the first time.
The Virginia Hurricanes Girls Basketball program is holding tryouts for its 3rd Grade and 5th Grade travel teams, competing in a full schedule this Fall and Winter season. Join a competitive, supportive program built to develop skilled, confident players on and off the court.
Registration is required at: https://www.virginiahurricanes.net/basketball/aau-teams
Fairfax County is getting ready to make significant and much needed repairs to George Mason Regional Library in Annandale.
Like the Crossroads rehab facility similarly receiving an upgrade, the library at 7001 Little River Turnpike hasn’t received a renovation since the 1990s. Built in 1960, the facility received an addition in 1998.
Event location
Bluemont Park
329 N Manchester St.
arlington, Virginia 22203
Join us for the LLT 5K Run/Walk, a community-powered fundraiser supporting Empower Latina and our mission to uplift, empower, and create opportunities for Latina women and girls. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps make a meaningful impact. Lace up, show up, and empower Latina!
Though Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) won’t leave its Reston Technology Center for a couple more years, the office building’s owner is already planning for a very different future.
JB Properties, an affiliate of the Tysons-based company Bognet Construction, has proposed redeveloping the four-story office building at 1821 Michael Faraday Drive with housing, bringing the property in line with the increasingly residential neighborhood surrounding it.
Two months after the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, voters will begin casting ballots to determine his successor.
The early voting period for the 11th Congressional District special election begins tomorrow (Friday). It will run through 5 p.m. on Sept. 6, ending three days before the scheduled election day on Sept. 9.
D.C. Leads Nation in Traffic — A new report from Consumer Affairs has ranked D.C. as the city with the worst traffic in the U.S., putting it above Los Angeles, which previously held the no. 1 spot. “The average commute to work in DC is 33.4 minutes — the longest in the U.S. On an average weekday, traffic congestion lasts more than 6.5 hours. That’s the equivalent of spending 71 days in traffic each year.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
GMU Professors Criticize Board — “A group of George Mason University professors declared that the Board of Visitors had failed to defend President Gregory Washington and the institution from political attacks in a vote of no confidence.” The vote was “overwhelmingly approved” by the GMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (GMU-AAUP) as the university faces a series of investigations launched by the Trump administration. [Virginia Mercury]
More Data on ICE Arrests — “Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions have jumped in D.C., Virginia and Maryland … In Virginia and D.C., people without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 60% of daily ICE arrests in early June, per agency data obtained by the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Deportation Data Project.” [Axios DC]
Man Wanted for Hit-and-Run Arrested — According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, a 29-year-old man was pulled over by deputies on Tuesday (July 22) after he was seen drifting out of his lane on I-95, forcing another driver to swerve to avoid a collision. Showing signs of intoxication, the man is wanted by Fairfax County on a felony hit-and-run charge and was previously convicted of a DUI in 2018, the sheriff’s office says. [DC News Now]
Metro Investigates Duplicate Charges — “It’s been about two months since Metro gave riders the option to pay by simply tapping a contactless credit card or using Apple Pay at the gates, but rider Tanya Lervik — who commutes from College Park to Gallery Place — recently noticed some strange charges on her credit card account … She quickly started wondering how she could have been charged on the credit card even though she only uses her SmarTrip to pay.” [NBC4]
Stream Restoration Underway — “A stream restoration project underway in Seven Corners is aimed at reducing erosion in the Long Branch stream within the Hollybrooke community, between Patrick Henry Drive and Arlington Boulevard … Work on the $1.3 million Patrick Henry Outfall Restoration Project started in June and is expected to be completed in September.” [Annandale Today]
Drug Maker Plans Va. Facility — “In a vote of confidence for Virginia’s growing life sciences sector, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced plans to build its largest drug manufacturing facility in the world somewhere in the commonwealth — marking the company’s single biggest investment ever.” The facility will be part of a planned $50 billion expansion in the U.S. for the U.K.-based company [Virginia Mercury]
Temporary Library Open in Vienna — A temporary Patrick Henry Library opened Monday (July 21) at the Cedar Park Shopping Center in Vienna, offering limited services with construction on a permanent library expected to begin this fall. Local officials welcomed the facility at 262C Cedar Lane SE with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (Wednesday) that included free samples from nearby Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream and an open house. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Free Trees Available for Planting — “Community-based organizations in Fairfax County can apply to receive free trees for planting on private properties, through a program by Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.” The program aims to increase tree coverage “in economically disadvantaged communities.” [DPWES]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 90 degrees, accompanied by a south wind of 3 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 74 degrees, and the south wind continuing at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]
NOTICE OF ABC LICENSE APPLICATION
LW STAR INC
Trade Name as Szechuan Star
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a wine and beer on and off premises and mixed beverages type license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
Szechuan Star
Good Wednesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Jul 23, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
The weather will be sunny with a high near 91 degrees, accompanied by a south wind at 5 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 73 degrees, and a south wind of 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
