Countywide

Fairfax County residents may soon get to provide input on the public school system’s boundary review process.

After amending its boundary adjustment policy over the summer, Fairfax County Public Schools awarded a $546,953 contract in September to the Connecticut-based K-12 education consultancy firm Thru Consultants for a comprehensive review of its boundaries.


News

A townhome development is now under construction on Fannie Mae’s former office campus in Reston.

When setting the stage for construction, which began in August, developer Wheelock Communities enlisted the nonprofit Tanya’s Turtle Project to relocate turtles inhabiting the ponds in the area. The ponds were dewatered to manage water quality and remove invasive plants in and around the ponds.


News

A residential development that promised to introduce a new housing option to the Town of Vienna is getting closer to welcoming its first occupants.

Under construction since early 2024, The Grove on Park condominiums at 133 Park Street NE are on track to deliver their first completed units by the end of this year, likely in late November, according to The Mayhood Company, which is managing sales of the homes.


News

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) took a procedural step forward last week in the controversial effort to redevelop the Franconia Governmental Center for affordable housing.

Authority members voted nearly unanimously on Thursday (Oct. 17) to approve an interim agreement with a consortium that is seeking to redevelop the 3.26-acre parcel at 6121 Franconia Road.


Event

Dreaming about your next vacation? Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for an inspiring day devoted to ocean and river cruises, guided tours, luxury travel and unforgettable destinations!

Meet representatives from AmaWaterways, Collette, Oceania Cruises and Premier World Discovery. Hear informative presentations, ask questions, explore exciting vacation possibilities and discover which travel experience may be the perfect fit for you.


Countywide
A worker opens an umbrella for an outdoor table on the plaza at the Shops at Avenir Place near the Dunn Loring Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

What to Expect This Winter in N. Va. — “According to NOAA’s latest Winter Outlook, Virginia residents should prepare for some interesting weather patterns this upcoming winter season. The forecast, which covers December 2024 through February 2025, shows that La Nina conditions will play a major role in shaping our winter weather.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Reston Woman Charged with Child Abuse — “A 9-year-old boy told police he was locked in a room, forced to urinate in a bottle and repeatedly beaten in a Reston, Virginia, apartment by a woman who was supposed to be caring for him, court documents say … An anonymous call to the Department of Family Services prompted the investigation in mid-August.” [NBC4]

Nearby: Loudoun Seeks to Boost Water Supply — “With most of the D.C. area dependent on the Potomac River, and an ongoing study to seek an alternative to D.C.’s drinking water supply, Loudoun County, Virginia, is taking steps to make sure it doesn’t get caught short … Loudoun Water is in the midst of converting a now-empty Luck Stone quarry into a raw water storage facility.” [WTOP]

Puppy Stolen From Chantilly Pet Store — “The search is on for a puppy allegedly taken from a pet store in Northern Virginia. It happened this week at the XO Pups store in Chantilly. Fairfax County Police are reviewing surveillance video after the store owner reported a 10-week-old Maltipoo stolen.” [NBC4]

Affordable Housing Waitlists Open — “Affordable housing waitlist applications will open on Monday, October 21, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. and will remain open through Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. for select properties.” Options include Coralain Gardens in West Falls Church, the Residences at North Hill in Hybla Valley and, for seniors, Little River Glen in the Fairfax area. [Fairfax County Housing and Community Development]

Fairfax City Gets New Korean BBQ Restaurant — The Woo Korean BBQ & Cuisine opened in Fairfax City’s West Fairfax Centre near Lowes at 4070 Jermantown Road on Oct. 9. Featuring the tabletop grills typical for Korean barbecue restaurants, the 2,500-square-foot space “has an upscale feel to it” and “appears to be the first location for the brand.” [The Burn]

McLean Startup Launches Online Housebuying Platform — “Sellona Inc., a three-person startup, debuted its built-from-scratch, zero-commission ‘digital platform’ on Oct. 9, joining a variety of other home-buying and -selling apps. Its founders say it differs from the competition in that it doesn’t charge users any commissions, subscription or other fees whatsoever.” [Washington Business Journal]

Artist Opens Pop-Up Shop at Reston Town Center — The Ovissi Foundation opened a pop-up concept called the Ovissi Boutique “at the former home of Lou Lou at 11955 Freedom Drive in Reston Town Center” over the weekend. Through Nov. 17, visitors can buy “the work of 90-year-old Nasser Ovissi, who has lived in Reston for more that 40 years.” [Patch]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a comfortable high of about 77°F, accompanied by a light northwest wind at around 6 mph. As night falls, the skies will remain clear and the temperature will drop to a cool 51°F with calm winds. [NWS]


Sports

Tight games have been the norm in recent years when the Liberty District rivals Langley Saxons and Yorktown Patriots met in high-school football action.

But not during the Friday (Oct. 18) regular-season clash. Host Langley won, 48-14, by taking control right from the start.


Sports

Led by the running of Ethan Lebkisher and a punishing ground game, the Marshall Statesmen won big in their latest high-school football game.

The Statesmen (6-2, 3-1) routed the visiting Wakefield Warriors (2-6, 0-4) by a 40-15 score in a Liberty District game Friday night (Oct. 18). Marshall is now tied for second place in the district with the Langley Saxons (7-1, 3-1).


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 — Oct 18, 2024.

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

  1. County plan to take McLean house for wastewater station surprises residents (13185 views)
  2. European bakery to open cafe in former Reston Starbucks (10277 views)
  3. Langley HS employee arrested for ‘obscene sexual display,’ police say (10276 views)
  4. NEW: Fairfax refers possible ‘non-citizen’ voters to prosecutors, as Virginia faces lawsuits (6730 views)
  5. Vienna’s biggest employer offers to fund aquatics facility design (6228 views)
  6. Proposed concept for future Wiehle Avenue has fewer travel lanes (5430 views)
  7. Comstock sues Reston Station office tenant for allegedly underpaying rent (3669 views)
  8. FCPS leaders see path to 100% accreditation for county schools (2915 views)
  9. Pulte plans pair of residential buildings in office park near Herndon Metro Station (2793 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 sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high near 69 degrees and a gentle 6 mph northwest wind that will calm down as the morning progresses. As night falls on Saturday, the skies will remain clear, and the temperatures will drop to a low of around 42 degrees with calm winds. 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. 👋


Sports

Female competitors will take the spotlight for the remainder of the 2024 Virginia High School League golf season.

Beginning Monday (Oct. 21), players throughout Northern Virginia and across the commonwealth will participate in state-tournament qualifying events. The following Monday (Oct. 28), those who earned berths will play in the Girls State Open for all enrollment classifications combined at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.