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 — May 30, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high temperature of about 74 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 8 to 13 mph. As the day transitions into Friday night, the sky will remain clear, with the temperature dropping to a low of approximately 54 degrees. During this time, the wind will shift to a westward direction and decrease in speed to 3 to 5 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.


Countywide

A constrained supply of housing has sent prices soaring in Fairfax County, according to new data from a budding real estate startup.

The county’s median home sales price for May exceeded $1 million — $1,033,550, to be precise — which means that half of the homes sold cost more than that, Tomo reports. That’s a roughly 18% increase from the preceding six months of sales, which averaged $870,000, and it surpasses the median price of $882,000 from May 2023.


News

The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved alterations on May 22 to a mixed-use residential building already planned for Tysons West.

The building at 8740 Yard Street is proposed to be a five- to eight-story multi-family building with up to 265 dwelling units and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Owned by JBG Smith, the property is situated near Leesburg Pike (Route 7) and is currently undeveloped.


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.


Around Town

Lake Anne Plaza is set to host the seventh annual Reston Pride Festival this Saturday (June 1) from noon to 6 p.m.

This year’s theme, “SHINE,” is expected to offer a day of vibrant activities and entertainment, such as a dunk tank, drag artists, and a micro arts and craft fair, according to a press release. Reston-based engineering firm Leidos is sponsoring the event.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools is considering a pilot program this fall that would require students to hand over their cell phones during class.

Earlier this month, the Fairfax County School Board directed Superintendent Michelle Reid to develop a plan for students to secure their phones in lockers, magnetic pouches or similar central storage areas — as opposed to their pocket or backpack — with the goal of reducing distractions and improving student focus.


Around Town

A new option for pickleball has opened in Tysons, drawing players from across Northern Virginia.

The Pickleball Club of Tysons celebrated its launch at 8528 Tyco Road on Mother’s Day weekend (May 11-12) by allowing about 500 people to play on its six indoor courts for free. While no grand opening is expected, members enjoyed food and some friendly competition during a Memorial Day mixer this past Monday (May 27).


News

The Wiehle Avenue of the future will be less auto-centric and more accommodating to pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized travelers — or so Fairfax County hopes.

Reston residents got a glimpse into possible versions of that future at a community meeting on May 23, when the Fairfax County Department of Transportation shared three concepts for new roadway configurations with multimodal facilities, landscaping and other changes.


News

A Fairfax County seventh-grader reached the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee before being eliminated, while three other Northern Virginia spellers were knocked out in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Nargiza Muzhapaer, 13, who attends Pinnacle Academy in Chantilly, was one of only 45 spellers to reach Wednesday afternoon’s semifinal round. The bee, being held at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., started with 245 spellers.