Around Town

Dozens of cardboard boats will populate the waters of Lake Anne in Reston this Saturday (Aug. 10) for the 2024 Cardboard Boat Regatta.

The popular annual event, where community members race each other in life-sized cardboard boats that they built and decorated by hand, will return Lake Anne Plaza (1639 Washington Plaza North), starting at noon and ending at 3 p.m.


News

The Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 in McLean will partially close for a full weekend later this month so traffic can be shifted to new lanes.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is advising drivers to avoid the interchange during what it’s calling “Stay-Away Weekend” if they don’t want to get caught up in the congestion that’ll likely be created by the lane reductions and ramp closures.


News

Reston Association’s new, permanent website is almost ready to go live.

The redesigned website is expected to roll out September, communications director Cara O’Donnell told the Board of Directors on July 25. The launch would come more than four years after outdated software prompted the homeowners’ association to take down its previous online home and transition to a temporary, more limited platform.


Countywide

Fairfax County has gained a couple spots in an annual ranking of the healthiest communities in the U.S.

The county snagged 14th place, up from 17th in 2022, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings of the nation’s healthiest communities. It came in higher than Fairfax City (no. 15) and Arlington County (no. 19) but couldn’t beat Falls Church City, which claimed the top spot.


Event

Bypass the mall. Skip the big-box store. Ditch the web. 🎁 The 23rd Annual Holiday Gift Show is Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Ayr Hill Church, 100 Ayr Hill Avenue NE in Vienna. Come browse handmade bags and accessories, original watercolor, acrylic and mixed-media art, one-of-a-kind stuffed animals, dog treats and accessories, homemade baklava, stovetop potpourri and more, all from local artists and makers. Free admission, open to the public. See you there! #ViennaVA #ShopLocal #HolidayGiftShow


News

Northbound South George Mason Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads has been closed for over 12 hours due to a major water main break.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported the break near 7313 South George Mason Drive near Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in the Skyline neighborhood at 9:39 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday). Water can be seen gushing up from under the street in a video shared by the department.


Countywide
A mixed-use residential building is under construction in Comstock’s Reston Row neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Virginia Declares State of Emergency — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon ahead of Tropical Storm Debby, which is expected to bring multiple days of heavy rainfall and storms to Virginia starting on Wednesday evening.” [Patch]

Reston Pool to Reopen After Vandalism — Lake Newport Pool has closed since Monday (Aug. 5) “due to vandalism. There is broken glass on the pool deck and in the water.” Reston Association announced around 5 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) that the facility has been cleaned and repaired, so the pool will reopen at noon today. [RA/Facebook]

N. Va. Gets Noticed for Wine — “Northern Virginia was named America’s next great wine region by The Wall Street Journal’s wine columnist Lettie Teague.” Dave McIntyre, the Washington Post’s wine columnist, attributes the region’s growing reputation to more experienced winemakers, state support and marketing. [WTOP]

Fort Hunt Restaurant Changes Ownership — The “popular” Italian restaurant Via Veneto closed on Aug. 1 “so its new owners can make minor changes and reopen later this week under the same name.” The eatery is slated to reopen tomorrow (Aug. 8) at 4 p.m. under Sarai and Jose Navarette, who own the carryout restaurant Roseina’s that’s directly next door. [On the MoVe]

Glasses Recycling Site Moves to Annandale — “When the Lions Clubs’ Eyeglass Recycling Center of Northern Virginia lost its home, Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez stepped up to offer space in the Mason Government Center. Local Lions Clubs collect eyeglasses from people who no longer need them, fix them up, and ship them overseas.” [Annandale Today]

WaPo Rave for New McLean Restaurant — “David Guas, the veteran chef behind Bayou Bakery in Arlington, has rolled out a second place to eat, Neutral Ground Bar and Kitchen in McLean.” Opened in June, the American eatery that replaced Assaggi Osteria & Pizzeria has been dubbed “the most captivating new restaurant in Northern Virginia” by critic Tom Sietsema. [Washington Post]

Falls Church Draws More Grocery Stores — “Already home to a Giant, a Harris Teeter and an Aldi, the city is expected to add a new Whole Foods and Grocery Outlet within the next year or so, according to Economic Development Division Chief Becky Witsman. A Fresh Market is also slated to arrive within the next few years.” [ARLnow]

It’s Wednesday — Showers and thunderstorms are expected, becoming more likely after 2pm, with a cloudy high of 86°F. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation. The night will remain cloudy, with a low around 72°F. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Tuesday 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 — Aug 6, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

⛈️ Wednesday’s forecast

Showers and thunderstorms are expected, with a possible thunderstorm after 2pm and a high near 86. Winds will shift from south to east at about 6 mph in the afternoon, and an 80% chance of precipitation will bring rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, possibly more in thunderstorms. Wednesday night will see a low around 70, a northeast wind at 8 mph, and another 80% chance of precipitation with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch. 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.


News

A Chesterfield man has been arrested in connection with an attempted sexual assault in Bailey’s Crossroads over the weekend, police say.

Officers were dispatched to a small row of houses in the 3500 block of Carlin Springs Road around 5 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 3) for a sexual assault, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


News

A proposal to redevelop a mostly vacant office park in Chantilly with housing has cleared its first regulatory hurdle and could receive full approval by next month.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve a request last month to rezone the property between Poplar Tree Road and Newbrook Drive from medium industrial to a residential district.