Countywide

Get ready for more speed cameras in Fairfax County school zones.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its support this week for the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) to move ahead with the installation of 50 additional speed cameras in school zones following the success of its speed camera pilot program.


Around Town

Kate Spade New York has officially made the jump from Tysons Galleria to Tysons Corner Center.

The fashion brand opened a new store in the larger mall last Friday (July 19) after closing its Galleria location in June. Located on the second floor next to Swarovski, Kate Spade New York sells handbags, jewelry, fragrances and other accessories.


Countywide

Fairfax County is considering tweaking its zoning ordinance to ensure that last year’s parking requirements overhaul doesn’t lead to a decrease in accessible spaces.

Because developers build accessible parking in proportion to total parking, the number of accessible spots could go down if overall parking is reduced.


Countywide

On this day 10 years ago, Metrorail arrived in Tysons and Reston, connecting two growing communities in Fairfax County to D.C. by train for the first time.

Decades in the making, the Silver Line’s Phase 1 launch on July 25, 2014 represented the D.C. region’s biggest rail expansion since the Green Line opened in 1991 and set the stage for a connection to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County that came to fruition with Phase 2 on Nov. 15, 2022.


Event

Flowers, Fine Art & Fashion is an immersive cultural experience presented by People of The Garden LLC, where nature, creativity, and modest couture converge in a breathtaking indoor garden setting.

Guests will journey through a living landscape featuring dramatic floral installations, botanical art, and a one-of-a-kind rectangular runway designed around lush greenery and sculptural plantings. Throughout the evening, attendees will experience a curated runway presentation showcasing modest fashion designers, alongside original fine art, artisan vendors, and interactive floral experiences.


News

Let’s try this again: The long-anticipated pedestrian bridge over Wiehle Avenue in Reston is now officially open to Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail users.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn had previously announced that the 147-foot-long, 16-foot-wide bridge would open on July 9, but the launch got delayed due to pending final inspections.


Countywide
Three deer congregate in a Vienna yard (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Watch Olympics Opening Ceremony at Library — “Let the games begin! Join us to watch a live steam of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris at the library! Light refreshments will be provided. No registration required. All ages.” The viewing begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) in the Centreville Regional Library meeting room. [Fairfax County Public Library]

Part of GW Parkway to Close Temporarily — The George Washington Memorial Parkway’s northbound lanes will temporarily close between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 “to install drainage systems and conduct other required rehabilitation work.” The closures will last from 8 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for the weekends of July 26-29 and Aug. 2-5. [ARLnow]

Fairfax City 7-Eleven Robbed at Knifepoint — “City of Fairfax Police arrested a 28-year-old man they say robbed a city convenience store at knifepoint early Monday morning. Officers responded around 12:54 a.m. to the 7-Eleven at 3810 University Drive for the report of a robbery.” [Patch]

Korean Bar Opens in Annandale — “1943 Classic, a Korean fusion bar and restaurant at 7220 Columbia Pike in Annandale, is having a soft opening. The vibe is dark and classy, with a low-hanging chandelier at the entrance. 1943 Classic is a popular nightspot in Korea, where the franchise has dozens of locations.” [Annandale Today]

Vida Fitness to Host Grand Opening in Reston — Vida Fitness will throw a grand opening party for its new Reston Row location from 7-11 p.m. this Saturday (July 27). The dress code calls for cocktail party attire “with black, gold, silver, and white strongly encouraged, and the festivities will include craft cocktails, live music and appetizers. [Vida Fitness]

Update on Dulles Airport Development — “At their July 17 meeting, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board members were briefed by chief capital development officer Roger Natsuhara on the status of a number of key projects at Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports.” [Gazette Leader]

LGBTQ Center Creates Community Hub in Oakton — “The NoVA Prism Center in Oakton has emerged as a hub for LGBTQ community engagement in Northern Virginia. Leon van der Goetz, a transgender man, founded NoVA Prism Center in 2022 after he returned to the U.S. from Japan where he had been an English teacher. The organization has steadily grown since.” [Washington Blade]

Local Evangelical Pastor Embraces Tough Topics — “As lead pastor for megachurch McLean Bible Church, [Rev. Mike] Kelsey draws parallels between biblical context and current events for the thousands of congregants who call him their pastor. Provocative issues — race, social injustice, and politics — are on people’s minds and in his sermons.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Thursday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing in likelihood after 5pm, under cloudy skies with a high near 85. At Thursday night, shower chances dwindle after 11pm, with skies turning from cloudy to partly cloudy and a low of 69. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Wednesday 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 — Jul 24, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

⛈️ Thursday’s forecast

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are followed by likely showers and a possible thunderstorm after 5pm, with patchy fog before 7am and a high near 85. The west wind will be 3 to 5 mph, with a 60% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch – higher during thunderstorms. Thursday night will have showers and thunderstorms likely before 8pm, then scattered showers between 8pm and 11pm, a low around 67, and a southwest wind around 6 mph becoming north after midnight. There is a 60% chance of precipitation with rainfall similar to daytime. 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.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Countywide

Despite steady growth in employment numbers, office vacancy rates in Fairfax County continue to rise.

Stephen Tarditi, director of market intelligence at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), presented recent data on office vacancies to the Board of Supervisors during an economic advisory committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).


Around Town

Fairfax City will kick off a week-long celebration of its local, small businesses tomorrow (Thursday).

Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) has teamed up with the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town Fairfax Business Association for the city’s first-ever “Shop Local Week,” which will unfold from July 25 through next Wednesday, July 31.