Around Town

A diner that serves all-day breakfast has made its way from the Big Apple to Vienna, giving the town a potential successor to the night-owl-friendly Amphora Restaurant.

Carnegie Diner & Cafe will celebrate its grand opening at 501 Maple Avenue West this Wednesday (June 5) — less than a month after buying the property from the Pagonis family, who had opened Yellow Diner there in early April.


Countywide
A deer with a fawn in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Blood Drive in McLean Today — “The McLean Community Center is helping the American Red Cross with diverse blood donations. A donation drive will be held on Monday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center,” which is urging “donors of all ethnicities to support patients in need.” [Gazette Leader]

GMU Delays Diversity-Focused Course Requirement — “George Mason University announced it would postpone a ‘Just Societies‘ diversity-themed course requirement for incoming students that was initially set to take effect in the fall…Kenneth D. Walsh, George Mason’s interim executive vice president and provost, said the school would delay implementation of the courses to the 2025-26 academic year.” [CNN]

New Trial Sought in FCPS Sexual Assault Lawsuit — “The Fairfax County School Board is asking a judge to order a sexual abuse survivor to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in court fees…In April, a jury found the school board not liable. However, the former Fairfax County Public School student is asking a federal court to grant a new trial.” [WJLA]

Springfield Bicycle Store Burglarized Twice — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are investigating two bike store burglaries in North Springfield believed to be connected.” The Bicycle Pro Shop first had over $9,000 of merchandise taken around 4 a.m. on May 21, and it was hit again just after 5 a.m. on May 26, when nearly $2,000 was stolen. [FCPD]

Vienna Police Launch Stop Sign Enforcement Campaign — “The Vienna Police Department is launching its annual traffic safety campaign, focusing on enforcing all traffic laws, particularly those related to stop signs. Officers will be vigilant in issuing tickets and reminding drivers of the importance of coming to a complete stop when encountering a solid or flashing red light or a stop sign.” [Vienna Police]

Funds Approved to Upgrade Lincolnia Ballfield — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has awarded the Mason District Little League a grant for renovating the diamond infield at Parklawn Park in Lincolnia. The $12,945 Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant requires the MDLL to contribute matching funds to complete the $25,891 project.” [Annandale Today]

Pride Month Events at County Library — “Throughout the month, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is celebrating the contributions of members of the LGBTQIA+ community all month long with workshops, book discussions, trivia, crafts and more. Check out a small sample of what we have planned at a library near you.” [FCPL]

NFL Coach’s McLean Mansion for Sale — “The estate at 1060 Vista Dr. in McLean, Va., is a tale of twos: two primary bedroom suites, two lots and the juxtaposition of two approaches to residential design in Northern Virginia. The 9,300-square-foot French-Mediterranean villa…went on the market for $5.2 million after its owner, former NFL linebacker NaVorro Bowman, was hired in February as linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers.” [Washington Post]

It’s Monday — It will be mostly sunny with a high near 84 and light wind. Monday night will also see a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, followed by partly cloudy skies and a low around 66. [NWS]


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 — May 31, 2024.

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

  1. Herndon set to create ‘streetery’ pilot program for outdoor dining (8289 views)
  2. New traffic signal incoming on north side of Reston Town Center (5758 views)
  3. Fairfax supervisors balk at cost of flood prevention programs amid budget constraints (5425 views)
  4. Tysons-based Capital One pursues historic $35 billion merger with Discover Bank (5412 views)
  5. Report: Fairfax County tops $1M in median home sales prices (4704 views)
  6. Sweeping mixed-use makeover proposed for Fair Oaks Business Park (4283 views)
  7. County board approves office-to-condo swap at Tysons’ Arbor Row (1904 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 and a high of 82 degrees, with a gentle northwest wind at around 5 mph before becoming calm. Saturday evening will turn partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 62 degrees, accompanied by a south wind at around 7 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. 👋


Around Town

Greenheart Juice Shop plans to open its newest location in Reston this summer.

Greenheart’s area manager, Cheryl Strzemienski, confirmed that the juice and smoothie shop plans to open its sixth location in the North Point Village Center as early as August.


News

Tysons will turn into a soccer town for the next two months in conjunction with the upcoming Copa America and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro Cup tournaments.

The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) kicked off its “Copa Tysons” campaign on Wednesday (May 29) by welcoming the U.S. Men’s National Team — represented by goalkeepers Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath — to the D.C. area at Bowlero (2001 International Drive, Suite 1695G) in Tysons Galleria.


Around Town

Thursday nights will be filled with swinging and swaying at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston next month.

The village center will host free dance nights on the waterfront at 1609 Washington Plaza from 6-9 p.m. every Thursday, starting June 6 through June 27, the Lake Anne and Washington Plaza Merchant Association (LAWPA) announced today (Thursday).


News

Fairfax County is moving ahead with plans to rename the Bailey’s Community Center (5920-A Summers Lane) in honor of a notable historical figure from the area’s Black community.

The Board of Supervisors, led by Mason District Supervisor Andrew Jimenez, approved a motion on May 21 to initiate the renaming process. A prominent figure in the historically Black Springdale community, Minnie Peyton founded five churches, including Warner Baptist and Holy Scripture Church of Christ.


News

A 27-year-old Stafford resident caught allegedly shoplifting at a Tysons Galleria store will go to prison, but not for the attempted theft.

Najee Lewis, who’s also known as “Bebo,” was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday (May 29) for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


Countywide
The office buildings at 1900 and 1902 Reston Metro Plaza at Reston Station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Driver Injured in Reston Crash — Fairfax County police officers responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 2300 block of Gallant Fox Court shortly before 5 p.m. “The adult male driver was taken to the hospital w/ life-threatening injuries.” Community members were advised to avoid the area while detectives investigated. [FCPD/Twitter]

Mount Vernon Buildings Set for Demolition — Demolitions are expected to begin soon for the former Su Pollo at 8741 Richmond Highway and M&B Automotive Services at 8130 Richmond Highway in preparation for the planned Richmond Highway widening. Su Pollo, a Peruvian chicken restaurant, recently moved to a new spot at Engleside Plaza. [On the MoVe]

Architect Remembered for Great Falls Work — Memorial services were held on May 17 in Wolf Trap for Robert Mobley, an architect who “helped shape Great Falls into the attractive community it is today,” a former Great Falls Citizens Association president says. “Mobley, 85, died of a stroke March 29 after being involved in a minor traffic accident the previous week, his family said.” [Gazette Leader]

Herndon School Evacuated for Smoke — “The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said crews responded to Floris Elementary School, located in the 2700 block of Centerville Road, just before 3 p.m. after receiving reports of smoke inside the school.” Responders determined that the smoke came from an “electrical event” related to the HVAC system. No injuries were reported. [DC News Now]

Lorton Park Gets New Bathroom — “Laurel Hill Central Green in Lorton now features a brand new, 32-feet-by-52-feet restroom facility. The restroom facility was installed as part of a two-phase development project at the park. The ribbon-cutting will be held in conjunction with the Park Authority’s #NationalTrailsDay event THIS Saturday, June 1.” [FCPA/Facebook]

FCPS Hosts Summer Extravaganza — “FCPS invites all families to get a jump on summer learning by participating in engaging, educational, and enriching activities for Fairfax County students,” including storytime, food, live music and alpaca petting. The free event will be held at Woodson High School from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday). [FCPS]

New Exhibit Looks at Life in Lorton Prison — A new permanent installation called “Counting the Days” recently opened in the Workhouse Arts Center’s Q-block, which was “known as the Hole” when the site belonged to the Lorton Reformatory. The exhibit was curated by museum staff and filmmaker Karim Mowatt, who was incarcerated at the prison on drug charges for “a considerable hunk” the 1990s. [Washingtonian]

Falls Church HS Student Starts Glass Recycling Business — “For those who see the benefit of recycling but find it cumbersome to bring their glass bottles and jars to a county bin, Falls Church High School student Sam Ross has a solution. Ross launched a business, called Glass Goat, that does it for you.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high around 75 degrees with a north wind of 8 to 13 mph. In the evening, clear skies will persist, and the temperature will drop to about 56 degrees, accompanied by a west wind of 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]