News

The Town of Herndon is angling to obtain funds for a project it hopes will make Sunset Business Park easier and safer to visit, even as construction continues on a different side of the commercial complex.

The Herndon Town Council authorized staff on Tuesday (June 4) to apply for up to $6 million in federal funds for access and safety improvements at the Herndon Parkway and Sunset Park Drive intersection.


Around Town
Dogs and humans gather for “Bark in Boro Park” on June 10, 2023 (courtesy Lancer Photography)

The Boro will hype up the 2024 Summer Olympics tomorrow (Saturday) with a “BorOlympic Bark Bash,” giving Tysons Corner Center some competition in the canine-catering event realm.

As athletes around the world prepare for the Olympics, which start on July 26 in Paris, France, the Tysons neighborhood is inviting pups and their human pals to the park outside Boro Tower (8350 Broad Street) to train and test their agility, while enjoying treats and other activities.

The free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — coinciding with Tysons Corner Center’s third annual “Paws on the Plaza,” which is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.

The Bark Bash will be highlighted by interactive dog training sessions, which will offer obedience tips and bandanas for decorating, as well as an agility course with an “Ultimate Puppy Prize Pack” for the winner. The pack will include dog toys and treats and a $50 gift card to a restaurant at The Boro.

Space in the training sessions is limited to 25 spots each that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested can register in advance for a 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. session or one at 1-2 p.m.

Other attractions include a treat bar with “puppacinos” from Paris Baguette and pastries and coffee from Bluestone Lane for human attendees.

Like at last year’s “Bark in Boro Park,” the first 100 visitors can sign up for a live, personalized dog tag engraving, and kid-friendly arts and crafts, glitter tattoos and face painting, will be available throughout the event.

Though sun is currently in the forecast for Saturday, The Boro would reschedule the event to the same time on June 15 if it gets rained out.


Countywide
A construction crane over Route 7 (West Broad Street) in Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Traffic Shift to New I-495 Bridge Coming — “If you plan on traveling through the Tysons area in Northern Virginia this weekend, be prepared for a major traffic shift on the Capital Beltway. It starts Friday night when crews shift traffic onto a new Interstate 495 North bridge over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) ramp.” [WTOP]

Clean-up of Fort Belvoir Fuel Spill Continues — “Two months after the jet fuel spill near Fort Belvoir’s Davison Army Airfield, the garrison is continuing to address the environmental impacts. According to Fort Belvoir’s Public Affairs Office (PAO), the seven to 10 inches of contaminated topsoil at the spill site has yet to be removed.” [On the MoVe]

D.C. Area Sees Exodus for Rural Communities — “Residents moving from D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are relocating further away than they have in the past, part of a national trend of remote workers leaving metropolitan cities for small rural communities,” according to a new analysis by University of Virginia researchers. [WTOP]

Speed Cameras Lead to 36K Citations — “Since all of the speed cameras went live in eight school zones in Fairfax County last year, 36,234 citations have been mailed. New data obtained by WUSA9 from the Fairfax Co. Police Department showed a wide range in the number of fines, but one camera stood out the most.” [WUSA9]

Students Unveil New Art for Lake Thoreau — “A new piece of public art will soon find its home on Reston’s Lake Thoreau. This towering, angular tree sculpture is called Arboris, and it’s the work of the South Lakes High School STEAM Team, which designed and built the concept from scratch.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Dulles Airport Hits 2M Silver Line Riders — “Since the grand opening in November 2022, the Dulles Airport Metro station has served over two million passengers! We were proud to cut the ribbon alongside @wmata, @MWAAHQ and other regional partners, celebrating our investment in Silver Line Phase II and better connectivity for our community.” [Northern Virginia Transportation Authority/Twitter]

Free Composting Bins at Farmers Markets — “Don’t miss out on our free countertop compost bin giveaway June 12-16! During this time, farmers market customers who dispose of food scraps at any of our 10 Farmers Markets may receive a free compost bin. Supplies are limited and open to shoppers who have not received a bin in previous years.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Thursday 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 — Jun 6, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 82 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph, and gusts up to 18 mph. As for Friday night, the sky will remain mostly clear with a low temperature of around 58 degrees, while the west wind continues at a speed of 6 to 9 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.

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


Event

The Malls of JRKO show is a first of its kind opportunity for all members of the TCG community. Whether you’re a veteran vendor, a brand new tcg vendor, a seasoned collector, or a parent who just wants to take their kids to their first card show, this show is made for you!

We strive to build an incredible family friendly environment with tons of giveaways, children’s activities, incredible collector opportunities and digital guides for all levels of experience. You can find all our community resources on our linktree including a road map of all the progress and effort going into the event.


Countywide

As the use of chatbots and other types of “artificial intelligence” continues to grow, Fairfax County is working to ensure its government employees are educated on the opportunities and risks associated with the technology.

During an information technology committee meeting on Tuesday (June 4), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors received an update on the use of generative AI within the county government — including how to “deliver improved business outcomes” while maintaining the county’s “rigorous security standards.”


News

It remains unclear how the Herndon Police Department (HPD) will obtain and train new officers after the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy cut off the department over a disagreement with Police Chief Maggie DeBoard.

Fairfax Deputy County Executive for Safety and Security Thomas Arnold told HPD on March 18 that the criminal justice academy would terminate its affiliation with the town’s department, effective June 1, after DeBoard reportedly complained about the academy’s director, Major Wilson Lee, signing his name in Chinese on graduation certificates.


Countywide

Early voting in the upcoming Virginia primaries will expand this weekend, with Fairfax County opening additional in-person sites starting this Saturday (June 8).

Voters will determine representatives for Virginia’s 10th and 11th Congressional districts, as well as the Republican who will challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine this fall. Early voting for the June 18 primary began on May 3 and will continue in-person through June 15.


Around Town
The entrance to the McLean Metro station in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Thursday afternoon commutes to and from Tysons are about to get more melodious for transit users.

Throughout the summer, musicians will serenade riders at one of the area’s four Metro stations every week for a free “Metro Musicians” concert series organized by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The concerts will be held every Thursday at 5-6:30 p.m., starting tonight with acoustic soul duo Zach Cutler and Deborah Bond at the McLean Metro station. The series will continue through Aug. 29.

According to the TCA, the series is part of WMATA’s Art in Transit program, where the transit agency collaborates with visual and performing artists around the D.C. region to bring their work to Metro facilities.

The program has introduced murals, sculptures, digital displays and poetry at various Metro stations and buildings. It also ran a contest where students submitted designs for Earth Day-themed bus wraps.

The full Metro Musicians schedule is below:

  • June 6: Zach Cutler & Deborah Bond (McLean Metro station)
  • June 13: Dupont Strings (Tysons Metro station)
  • June 20: Dance Flamenco D.C. (Greensboro Metro station)
  • June 27: Moosejaw Duo (Spring Hill Metro station)
  • July 11: Zach Cutler & Deborah Bond (Tysons)
  • July 18: Dupont Strings (McLean)
  • July 25: Dance Flamenco D.C. (Spring Hill)
  • Aug. 1: Zach Cutler & Deborah Bond (Greensboro)
  • Aug. 8: Dupont Strings (Spring Hill)
  • Aug. 15: Dance Flamenco D.C. (McLean)
  • Aug. 22: Moosejaw Duo (Greensboro)
  • Aug. 29: Moosejaw Duo (Tysons)