Countywide
The Dunn Loring Metro station garage from I-66 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Giant Pandas Coming Back to D.C. — “Attention, DC panda lovers: we are so back. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo announced Wednesday that two giant pandas — Bao Li, a male, and Qing Bao, a female, both two years old — will be arriving in Washington by the end of the year.” [Washingtonian]

Parking Survey for Justice HS Launches — “A working group formed to consider parking solutions for Justice High School urges community members to take a survey on their preferences…The survey can be completed by both parents and guardians of Justice students and community members who live near Justice but have no connection with Fairfax County Public Schools.” [Annandale Today]

Penn Daw Housing Development Under Review — “The developer of the future Alexandria Crossing residential housing community in Penn Daw is working to address several comments on its latest site plan, so it can eventually move into the construction phase.” Approved in 2022, the project will have “385 multifamily apartments, 23 stacked townhomes (46 units) and 35 traditional townhomes, as well as a pool, fitness center and co-working space.” [On the MoVe]

Monks Walking for World Peace Stop in Vienna — Six Buddhist monks stopped at the Vienna Community Center on Tuesday (May 28) “to rest, and community members welcomed them with open arms, food, water, and gifts.” The group is walking nearly 1,500 miles from Key West, Florida, to Niagara Falls in New York “in the name of world peace.” [Town of Vienna/Facebook]

Performers Wanted for Reston Multicultural Festival — “Reston Community Center is inviting artists and performing groups of all ages and cultures to submit an application to perform at the 2024 Reston Multicultural Festival…This year’s festival takes place Saturday, Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Reston Town Center.” [Patch]

Shades Under Construction at Burke Dog Park — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon install two sun shades with seating at Monticello Dog Park. These shades, funded by Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s office, will offer residents and their furry companions reprieve from the summer sun as they enjoy the park.” [FCPA]

Chantilly Students Build Medical Bed — Chantilly Academy students “are putting the last touches on a medical bed that’s been two years in the making. With help from physical and occupational therapy students, the engineering group is creating the bed” to help Liam Bruen, an eighth-grader with muscular dystrophy, attend classes in-person at Chantilly High School in the fall. [WTOP]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 74 with a north wind around 10 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 53 and a northwest wind at approximately 7 mph. [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 — May 29, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect a sunny day with highs around 73 degrees and a north wind of 10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of 51 degrees and a north wind of 6 to 8 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.


Around Town

Vida Fitness in Reston is now open.

According to a spokesperson, the new 50,000-square-foot facility, which spans three levels of an office tower at 1845 Reston Row Plaza, held its soft opening this past Saturday (May 25).


Around Town

Three Tony Award honorees are coming to the Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Avenue) in McLean next Saturday (June 8).

At the 7 p.m. event, three members of the original cast of the musical “Hairspray” will mark more than 20 years since the musical debuted on Broadway in the summer of 2002.


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.


News

A Chantilly-based property management company wants to transform the Fair Oaks Business Park into a 22-acre mixed-use development.

According to Fairfax County records, the project, dubbed Fairfax Crossing, aims to replace the 1980s office park with 706 housing units, 20,000 square feet of retail, a 1.6-acre central park and 2.25 miles of pedestrian walkways.


News

The Town of Herndon will get a financial lift from the federal government for its efforts to develop a roadway safety action plan.

A $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program will fund an analysis of local roads to identify priorities for future transportation safety projects, particularly ones that could reduce crashes or improve accessibility, the town announced yesterday (Tuesday).


News

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave developers the go-ahead last Tuesday (May 21) to build a condominium high-rise in Tysons’ Arbor Row neighborhood in place of a previously approved office building.

Even as they gave their approval on an 8-1-1 vote, some supervisors conceded county staff were “right” to recommend denial of the application based mostly on prospective condo developer Renaissance Centro’s plan to provide cash or off-site workforce housing in lieu of on-site affordable units.


Countywide

Despite calls for targeted raises for teachers and support staff, the Fairfax County School Board has approved 4% pay raises for all school employees as part of its adopted fiscal year 2025 budget.

The decision, voted on last Thursday (May 23), came after the Virginia General Assembly allocated an additional $35.5 million to Fairfax County Public Schools, allowing Superintendent Michelle Reid to increase employee pay raises from 3% to 4%.


Countywide
The Tysons Central office building seen from Leesburg Pike (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Alleged Harassment by Justice’s Wife Reported to FCPD — “The police in Fairfax County, Va., received an unusual phone call on Feb. 15, 2021. A young couple claimed they were being harassed by the wife of a Supreme Court justice…The clash between the wife of a conservative Supreme Court justice and the couple, who were in their 30s, liberal and proud of it, played out over months on a bucolic block” in Fort Hunt. [New York Times]

FCPS to Give Workers Parental Leave — “Fairfax County Public Schools teachers and staff will be eligible to get maternity or paternity leave starting July 1. School Board Member Melanie Meren said Virginia’s largest school district is expected to learn more details about the county’s program this summer.” [WTOP]

Fire Department Makes Notable Promotion — “Fire Chief Butler is pleased to announce the promotion of Captain Felicia Barnes to Battalion Chief with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Battalion Chief Barnes is the first African American female battalion chief” in the department’s history. [FCFRD]

ArtsFairfax Launches County’s First Artist Survey — “The Fairfax Regional Artist Survey is the first study of its kind and is designed to identify the needs and obstacles for artists across all art forms living and working in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church.” The online survey will remain open through Dec. 31, 2024. [ArtsFairfax]

Casino Supporters and Opponents Make Cases at Vienna Fest — “Fairfax County residents may have been surprised to see two booths at last weekend’s ViVa! Vienna Festival operated by groups opposing and supporting the casino that Reston developer Comstock Holding Companies wants to build in Tysons.” [Patch]

New Annandale Coffee Shop in the Works — “A coffee shop is in the works for the ground floor of an office building at 7601 Little River Turnpike in Annandale. The owner, Fady Jouda, hopes to open the café, called Petra, in two or three months. He plans to focus on coffee and pastries.” [Annandale Today]

Gum Springs Considers Historic District Designation — “In the past few years, the Mount Vernon District has had two sites designated by Fairfax County as historic overlay districts (HODs) — Wellington at River Farm and Hollin Hills. Soon, community members will find out whether an HOD designation could be in the cards for Gum Springs, the county’s oldest African American community, as well.” [On the MoVe]

Park Authority Awarded for Preservation — “We’re proud to announce that The Fairfax County Park Authority has been honored with the 2023 Michael Hoffman Award from the Council of Virginia Archaeologists! This prestigious award recognizes our Archaeology and Collections Branch’s (ACB) commitment to preserving and investigating archaeological sites throughout the county.” [FCPA]

It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and potential thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm, with increasing clouds and a high of 78°F. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation. For Wednesday night, skies will be partly cloudy with a low of 57°F. [NWS]