Countywide

The current president and a long-serving member of the Fairfax County NAACP has died, the civil rights advocacy organization announced today (Monday).

The exact circumstances of Michelle Leete’s death weren’t addressed, but the organization described her passing as “sudden.”


News

Peter McCandless was living a full life of music, travel and work that he enjoyed when he was killed in a vehicle crash on Reston Parkway late last year.

Police reported that McCandless, 87, died on Dec. 26, 2023 after an SUV driver hit him while he was walking at the Market Street intersection. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was crossing from Reston Town Center to Stratford House, where he lived, according to his son, Kris McCandless.


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News

Police have identified two teens as suspects in a spree of postal box thefts that began half a year ago with a mail carrier getting robbed and pepper-sprayed in Vienna.

A 19-year-old man and a younger teen were arrested Friday (Jan. 5) in the 3000 block of Borge Street in Oakton, announced the Vienna Police Department, whose detectives coordinated the search with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Fairfax County SWAT officers.


Countywide

Inova Revives Face Mask Requirements — “Effective Jan. 4, Inova is requiring that all patients, visitors and staff at emergency departments, emergency care centers and Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care centers wear masks to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.” As of Dec. 29, Virginia was “experiencing a ‘very high’ level of respiratory illness activity — including from COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.” [On the MoVe]

Leader of Fairfax-Based NRA Steps Down — “The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he treated himself to millions of dollars in private jet flights, yacht trips, African safaris and other extravagant perks at the powerful gun rights organization’s expense.” [Associated Press/WTOP]


Event

The Reston Museum invites the community to discover a fascinating chapter of local history through an upcoming program exploring the A. Smith Bowman Distillery and the Bowman family's history and connections to the Reston area. Before Reston was envisioned as a planned community, Sunset Hills Farm was home to Virginia's only legal post-prohibition whiskey distillery. Through historical accounts, photographs and other archival materials attendees will have an opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for the people and stories that preceded modern-day Reston.


Around Town

Jersey Mike’s Subs and a new Starbucks location are slated to open in Kingstowne Towne Center (5890 Kingstowne Center) this year.

The national chains — renowned for their fast-casual, cold-cut sandwiches and coffee, respectively — have both filed for permits adjacent to each other in a section of the shopping center currently home to Ledo Pizza & Pub and the youth gymnastics company, My Gym.


Countywide

The season’s first winter storm is making its way toward the D.C. region, though the chances for serious snow in Fairfax County are iffy.

Instead, the county is expected to get a slushy mix of rain, snow and sleet, starting tomorrow (Saturday) morning. The precipitation could add up to an inch of snow and sleet accumulations, along with “a light glaze” of ice, according to a Winter Weather Advisory issued today by the National Weather Service.


Around Town

TGI Fridays has shuttered another Fairfax County location.

The chain’s restaurant in Springfield Commons at 6751 Frontier Drive permanently closed on Tuesday, Jan. 2, part of a slew of closures that took effect nationwide that day.