Around Town

The closure of a bank in McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping Center could be a gain for a national chain of salad restaurants.

Sweetgreen has asked Fairfax County’s Zoning Office to clarify how a potential restaurant could take advantage of a drive-thru lane previously installed during a property’s last life as a bank.


Countywide

Fairfax County School Board members and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid took formal steps last week to address the alleged athletic recruiting irregularities at Hayfield Secondary School that have roiled the entire community.

At the school board meeting on Thursday (Dec. 5), Reid offered her first public mea culpa for the crisis of confidence in Fairfax County Public Schools leadership sparked by its handling of the controversy around Hayfield’s football program.


News

The driver of a vehicle reported as stolen was arrested this morning (Monday) following a brief police pursuit on Richmond Highway in the Huntington area.

According to the Virginia State Police, troopers tried to stop the driver of a vehicle that turned out to be stolen at the intersection of Richmond Highway (Route 1) and Quander Road around 3 a.m. Instead of stopping, the driver fled north in Route 1’s southbound lanes.


News

After getting boxed in by the Mosaic District, the owners of Merrifield’s Alliance Center condominiums are looking to revitalize the half-century-old commercial property so it’s more in line with its neighbor.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval last Wednesday (Dec. 4) of a comprehensive plan amendment that will set parameters for more intense mixed-use, residential development on the 3.2-acre parcel at 2929 Eskridge Road.


Event

Local author and Fairfax County Public Library librarian Luis D. Aponte invites parents and community leaders to an empowering discussion inspired by his book “A Safe Place: How to Prevent the Next School Shooting.” Drawing on seven years of research into more than 1,200 U.S. school shooting incidents, he shares practical, nonpartisan, research‑based steps families and schools can use to strengthen safety and emotional well‑being. Discover hopeful, community‑building solutions that help every child feel supported and able to thrive. Attendees receive two free ebooks, with a paperback signing to follow.

Adults. No registration required. Free event. For more information, visit ASafePlaceBook.com.


News

Inova Health System will soon expand its Reston footprint with a new medical office at Reston Station.

Inova 360° Concierge Medicine, the nonprofit healthcare system’s subscription-based primary care program, has signed a lease for 4,505 square feet at 1880 Reston Row Plaza, a 10-story office building now under construction near the Wiehle Metro station, Reston Station developer Comstock announced last week.


Countywide
Sunset over a parking garage near The Boro in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Guns Allegedly Found in Raided GMU Students’ Home — “Court documents, which do not publicly indicate a reason for the search, allege that authorities found guns and magazines inside the home — materials authorities say belonged to the father and brother of the George Mason students.” A lawyer for the family says claims the men posed a threat are “baseless and inflammatory,” and a judge denied Fairfax County prosecutors’ petition to bar them from having guns. [Washington Post]

Tysons Security Company in Demand After Health Care CEO Killing — “Since the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the phones at Global Guardian have been ringing off the hook. The McLean-based company, which provides executive protection worldwide, has experienced a surge in demand for its services.” [WUSA9]

No Injuries From Centreville House Fire — “Just after 3:15pm [yesterday] #FairfaxsBravest responded to a reported outside fire in the 14000 blk of Coachway Drive in Centerville. As crews arrived on scene bystanders alerted the crew that the back of the house was on fire. Firefighters quickly went to work and were able to extinguish the fire preventing major exposure to the rest of the home.” [FCFRD/Instagram]

Bailey’s Crossroads Getting New Signage — “New gateway signage will be developed for the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners Commercial Revitalization District. The idea is to create a sense of place and branding for the area and encourage redevelopment, says Mike Van Atta, president of the Crossroads + Corners Coalition (C3).” [Annandale Today]

Pilates Studio to Open at Mount Vernon Plaza — “The new pilates studio at Mount Vernon Plaza may be opening just in time for fulfilling some New Year’s resolutions. Club Pilates franchise owner Valyn Jenkins said they are hopeful about starting their soft opening Dec. 31, though it could be pushed to the following week.” [On the MoVe]

Tysons Consulting Firm Head Named CEO of the Year — The Washington Business Journal has named Booz Allen Hamilton CEO, chairman and president Horacio Rozanski its CEO of the Year for 2024. This year, the company “has seen double-digit revenue growth driven by increased government demand for services tied to cybersecurity, defense and the rapid advance of technology.” [WBJ]

Fairfax City Welcomes Veterinary Clinic — “Fairfax business leaders joined Mayor Catherine S. Read on Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome Bond Vet to the city. The urgent care veterinary clinic opened its doors at Scout on the Circle in October.” [Patch]

It’s Monday — Expect rain primarily between 7am and 1pm, with a high temperature of around 52°F. There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, with new amounts ranging between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. As for Monday night, anticipate mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 43°F. [NWS]


Sports

Will the third time be the charm for the Madison Warhawks in the football team’s quest to win its first state championship?

Next Saturday (Dec. 14) in Harrisonburg, Madison will play in a state-title game for the third time in four years, having been defeated in its 2021 and 2022 appearances.


Sports

Awards have been piling up for recently chosen all-region Offensive Player of the Year Dominic Knicely.

6D North Region coaches made all-region selections earlier this week, with the senior runningback taking the top honor for an offense. He also was chosen as the first-team All-Purpose Offensive Player of the Year.


Around Town

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 — Dec 6, 2024.

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

  1. Fairfax County faces nearly $300 million deficit to fill in next year’s budget (15711 views)
  2. Federal cybersecurity contractor to expand Herndon operations (14581 views)
  3. Kohl’s to close Herndon store in 2025 after decades in business (8812 views)
  4. Closed Reston Taco Bell slated for demolition and replacement (8017 views)
  5. New steakhouse coming to Vienna from Taco Bamba chef (6736 views)
  6. Man charged with shooting near Aldi in Woodlawn (6629 views)
  7. Fairfax County board likely to seek more authority for penalizing noisy vehicles (5280 views)
  8. Where to find Christmas and other holiday events in Fairfax County (4450 views)
  9. Fairfax officials may seek common ground with Trump on keeping federal workers in region (3943 views)
  10. Daytime cafe First Watch to add three more Fairfax locations (5243 views)
  11. Ongoing boundary review complicates FCPS middle school start time debate (3846 views)
  12. Traffic Alert: Tractor-trailer fire shuts down I-495 North near Tysons (3489 views)
  13. McAlister’s Deli opening tomorrow in Springfield, giving away free tea for a year (3394 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 39 degrees accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy as temperatures drop to around 30 degrees, with a southwest wind at around 6 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. 👋