Countywide

Eviction cases continue to rise in Fairfax County as the millions of dollars in financial and legal support allocated during the pandemic run out, county staff say.

Without the nationwide eviction moratorium that ended in August 2021 and federal relief funds, the county’s eviction numbers could have been much higher during the pandemic, staff told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a housing committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 27).


Around Town

The Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art is gearing up for its next art exhibition in Reston Town Center.

Scheduled for March 16-May 19, the exhibit, titled “Pressing,” features work by Kansas-based artist Rena Detrixhe and D.C.-based painter Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann. An opening reception and artist talk is set for Saturday, March 16 from 5-7 p.m. at Tephra’s gallery (12001 Market Street, Suite 103).


News

A man who helped murder a 14-year-old in Holmes Run Stream Valley Park nearly eight years ago will spend a quarter-century in prison for his role in the crime.

Edwin Orellana Caballero was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday) to 25 years in prison — the maximum possible sentence — by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.


Around Town

Perhaps the commercial building at 234 Maple Avenue East in Vienna is just not meant to be a ramen shop.

Its current occupant, Akai Tori Ramen & Yakitori, will dish out its last noodle soup bowl today (Thursday) before permanently closing its doors at 7 p.m. The restaurant announced the closure “with a heavy heart” via social media on Monday (Feb. 26), and it was first reported by Patch.


Countywide

GMU’s Sports Stadium Proposal Questioned — “Students and neighbors of George Mason University are rallying in opposition to a proposed facility for Washington’s newly formed professional cricket team…GMU said it also could be an opportunity to move its successful baseball team out of an aging field and share a 5,000-person stadium on west campus.” [NBC4]

Co-Founder of Longtime Merrifield Restaurant Dies — “Kim Lai, the immigrant businessman who helped transform a small family-run establishment into one of the most widely recognized Vietnamese restaurants in the D.C. area, died Feb. 16…Lai died from a head injury, several hours after suffering a fall at home in Fairfax,” said Le Lai, one of his daughters who ran Four Sisters from 2014 until it closed last year. [Washington Post]


News

Nearly two years after updating its vision for the future of McLean Central Park, the Fairfax County Park Authority is ready to start work on some of the planned upgrades.

Imperio Construction, a Delaware-based company contracted by the park authority, began mobilizing on the site at 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd this week, and active construction is expected to start during the first week of March.


Around Town

Professional pickleball players, local officials and community members are expected to turn out in abundance for the upcoming grand opening of Down the Line Sports Center in Fairfax City.

After a soft opening in early February, the indoor pickleball facility at Courthouse Plaza (10390 Willard Way) will officially introduce itself to the city tomorrow (Thursday). The event will kick off at 5 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting, followed by a meet-and-greet with six pro athletes visiting from around the country.


News

Restonians now have a chance to own a piece of their community’s history.

Reston Museum, which is located at Lake Anne Plaza, will hold a raffle over the next month for a chance to win vintage plates that were used at the Bowman House during the early years of Reston’s formation.