Baby Born at Reston Fire Station Makes Visit — “Today, Station 25, Reston, B-Shift hosted Baby Ivy, who made her entrance into the world in Station 25 parking lot recently, and her big brother, mom and dad. 25-B were thrilled and presented the family w/station shirt/patch. Baby Ivy brought some goodies for the shift!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
TJ Students Reflect on First Year Under New Admissions System — “As the adults did battle in courtrooms, students such as Sarah Castillo were reconsidering their options. Hundreds of students who had neither thought of applying to TJ, nor felt they had a chance of acceptance under the old admissions system, now took the plunge — and some of them, including Sarah, got in.” [The Washington Post]
Burke House Fire Leads to Over $500K in Damages — Smoldering embers dropped in a pile of sawdust ignited a house fire in the 8900 block of Arley Drive on Thursday (May 26) that displaced two people and resulted in $516,075 in damages. Firefighters at the scene saw “heavy fire” through the two-story house’s roof, and one resident got minor injuries. [FCFRD]
Over a Quarter of Primary Mail Ballots Returned — “We’ve had about 28% of #votebymail ballots returned so far in the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District. Return your ballot now or #voteearly in person at the Fairfax County Govt. Center” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/Twitter]
West Falls Church Restaurant Closed Permanently — DC Steakholders owners Usman and Lilly Bhatti said in a May 4 message that “inflation, staffing shortages, and rising food costs have taken a toll on our business,” noting that their food trucks and catering business will continue. The restaurant first opened on Arlington Blvd. in April 2019 and served burgers and frozen custard. [Annandale Today]
Reston Food Delivery Business Plans Expansion — “Frolick is a fresh take on food delivery, offering a rotating menu of chef-prepared meals — delivered for now only in Northern Virginia but soon expanding to D.C. and then, perhaps, well beyond…Frolick was born in the summer of 2021 with a big assist from GateGroup, the Swiss-based airline catering giant whose North American headquarters is in Reston.” [DC Inno]
Future Springfield Town Center Hotel Site Sold — “PREIT…announced execution of a purchase and sale agreement for 11 outparcels that will generate gross proceeds in excess of $32 million. The Company also executed an agreement of sale for a vacant parcel at Springfield Town Center set to be developed into a hotel site for $2.5 million as the Company executes on its vision of delivering one-stop destinations for the communities it serves.” [PREIT]
Jefferson Manor Kids Start Pet Directory — “Two sisters in Alexandria, Virginia, created a directory of all the neighborhood pets to raise money for good causes and bring the community together.” There have been 144 different pets submitted to the directory so far. [NBC4]
Free Fishing Day This Weekend — The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is helping people learn how to fish with an event from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday (June 4) at Burke Lake. Equipment and bait are provided, and attendees don’t need to purchase a fishing license. [DWR]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 87 and low of 73. Sunrise at 5:47 am and sunset at 8:30 pm. [Weather.gov]
A 40-year-old Fairfax driver faces criminal charges for a vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a 58-year-old man who was using a crosswalk in Burke, police said yesterday (Sunday).
Rachel Isner was charged with careless driving and infliction of injury on a vulnerable road user. The crash happened at the intersection of Guinea Road and Olley Lane on April 20 when Lloyd Ingram, of Burke, was in the crosswalk and had the right of way, police said.
“Detectives determined Isner was not traveling at excessive speed,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “She was issued a summons and released on recognizance.”
Ingram was crossing Guinea from north to south at Olley Lane when the 2013 Kia Forte hit him. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Ingram’s death marked the sixth pedestrian fatality in 2022 — twice as many pedestrian fatalities as Fairfax County saw in the same timeframe in 2021.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Lloyd Ingram, a 58-year-old Burke resident, died after being hit by a vehicle yesterday (Wednesday), Fairfax County police reported.
The crash happened in Burke around 6:30 p.m., and a preliminary investigation found he was walking in the crosswalk, police said.
A 2013 Kia Forte struck him at the intersection of Guinea Road and Olley Lane, and the driver remained on the scene, according to police.
Fairfax County Police Department Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives arrived on the scene of the crash around 8:30 p.m. Guinea Road was closed for more than two hours as police investigated.
Ingram, a pedestrian, was transported to a hospital, where he died. The driver of the vehicle that hit him remained on the scene, according to police.
Police are asking people to contact them with information. Authorities said the case is still active.
This is the sixth pedestrian fatality in Fairfax County this year, following a death in Springfield on April 3.
Crash Reconstruction detectives continue to investigate. The roadway is now open. Updates will be posted to our blog, https://t.co/lhGv3NDvYs, when available. #FCPD https://t.co/cophqx5CWK
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 21, 2022
Photo via Google Maps
A local effort to divert food from landfills, thanks to composting, is expanding.
Fairfax County is adding another farmers market, this one in Kingstowne, to its list of locations where people can drop off unused food for reuse.
People can drop off the food scraps during the farmers market hours, which for Kingstowne takes place 3 to 7 p.m. Fridays starting May 6.
Other farmers markets and sites that also allow for composting drop-offs include:
- Burke — 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays beginning this weekend (April 16)
- Herndon — from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays as of April 28,
- Mount Vernon — from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays starting next week (April 20)
- Mosaic District — from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays year round
- The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex — between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day of the week.
Fairfax County said in a news release yesterday (Wednesday) that the pilot program diverted 22 tons of food scraps last year. According to the county, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions eliminated by the effort was equivalent to taking 50 cars off the road.
In another area of growth for farmers markets, more vendors are also slated to participate this year as the seasonal staples return across the region.
Roaming Rooster has opened in Burke.
The restaurant, which serves Nashville-style chicken, replaced space formerly occupied by Burger King (6417 Shiplett Blvd.). It had a brief soft opening before an official announcement on Friday (April 8).
This is the seventh location for Roaming Rooster, which planted its roots in D.C. in 2015. The business started as a food truck that served free-range, grain-fed, and antibiotic-free chicken, according to its website.
Since then, it expanded to several brick-and-mortar stores, and it landed a stall at Nationals Park for the 2022 MLB season, which kicked off last Thursday (April 7).
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Roaming Rooster has other locations in Tysons, Woodbridge, and D.C.
Items on the menu include chicken sandwiches — ranked by spice level — and fries.
Photo via Roaming Rooster/Facebook
After falling short in her 2021 campaign to become Virginia’s new lieutenant governor, Hala Ayala is now looking to occupy a different position in the State Senate.
The former delegate launched a campaign this morning (Wednesday) for the newly created Senate District 33, which encompasses the Burke area of Fairfax County down past Woodbridge in Prince William County.
Ayala said in her announcement that she’s seeking office to counter the Republican Party’s agenda after it took control of all three statewide offices and the House of Delegates in November:
Right now, too many Virginia families are feeling squeezed. That’s a worry I know firsthand as a single mom, and it’s why I ran for elected office in the first place — to fight for families like mine who didn’t have a voice. We made progress, bringing down healthcare costs and making communities safer. But Glenn Youngkin and Republicans in Richmond are ignoring our greatest challenges and trying to take us backward. I’m running for State Senate to get our Commonwealth moving forward once again for families in Prince William and Fairfax Counties.
The 33rd Senate District is one of several Fairfax County districts to be significantly altered by Virginia’s new redistricting maps, which were approved by the state Supreme Court in December.
Currently represented by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, the district previously extended from Herndon and western Chantilly to Leesburg in Loudoun County.
The new 33rd Senate District includes portions of Fairfax County currently represented by Sens. David Marsden and George Barker as well as parts of Prince William County that Ayala previously represented as a delegate.
Citing the 2017 Women’s March as her inspiration, Ayala first won election to the 51st House District seat in 2017 and was reelected in 2019. Her successful legislative efforts included the introduction of same-day voting registration, which is set to take effect this October, and the expansion of a broadband pilot program.
Last year, she outlasted a crowded Democratic primary field to become the first woman of color ever nominated by the party for statewide office but ultimately lost the lieutenant governor seat to Republican Winsome Sears in the Nov. 5 general election by about 50,000 votes.
Ayala says in her campaign announcement that, if elected to the state Senate, she will focus on “bringing down costs, investing in communities, and growing good-paying jobs,” listing education, affordable healthcare, and transportation as priorities.
The Virginia General Assembly’s next elections are in 2023, when all 40 Senate seats and 100 delegate seats will be on the ballot.
Map via Supreme Court of Virginia
County Lands $10M to Address Homelessness — Fairfax County will get $10 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support services for people experiencing homelessness. The money will fully fund 19 projects and represents a 9% increase from last year’s award, mostly for a domestic violence rapid rehousing program run by the nonprofit Shelter House. [Housing and Community Development]
FCPS to Provide Free Online Tutoring — “Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand said unlimited tutoring in any subject for every grade level will be available through a new partnership with Tutor.com. The rollout will begin after spring break.” [WTOP]
Utility Work Requires W&OD Trail Detour in Reston — Washington & Old Dominion Trail users are being detoured to a gravel path this week so that AT&T can relocate a utility line in preparation for the construction of the planned pedestrian bridge over Wiehle Avenue. The work began on Monday (March 21) and could last up to a week. [Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling]
Vienna Town Council Eases Rules for Residential Porches — “Home improvement just got easier in Vienna. Homeowners with homes built near the front setback line can now construct a covered front porch on their property thanks to last night’s Town Council vote on a zoning code update.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Paved Trail in Burke Completed — “Burke residents joined Fairfax County officials on Sunday to celebrate the completion of the Burke Centre VRE Trail Project, a new paved path that will provide pedestrians and bicyclists with easier access to the Virginia Railway Express station.” [Patch]
Afghan Refugee Graduates from FCPS — “Mountain View High graduate Eltaf Samim traversed six countries, completed seventh, eighth and ninth grade multiple times in different nations and turned in coursework in three languages on the way to get his high school diploma in Fairfax County this year.” [FCPS/Inside NoVA]
Wolf Trap National Park Adds More Summer Performances — “Newly added shows include Van Morrison, Boyz II Men, Tom Jones, Boy George & Culture Club, Kool & the Gang and more. Closing the season will be a community singing celebration called Joyfully Together on Sept. 18.” [Patch]
Reston Museum Seeks Volunteers — “Reston Museum seeks volunteer docents for flexible shifts Tues-Sun 11-4 pm. Docents greet visitors, introduce them to the museum and Reston’s history and assist with shop sales. Training provided, register here.” [Volunteer Fairfax/Twitter]
It’s Wednesday — Rain starting in the afternoon. High of 60 and low of 43. Sunrise at 7:08 a.m. and sunset at 7:25 p.m. [Weather.gov]
A $5 million project to extend the platform for Virginia Railway Express’ Rolling Road Station is close to opening.
Crews have been finalizing the Burke project that began last year. Improvements include extending the existing 380-foot platform by 290 additional feet, VRE says on a project page.
While train service has continued during the upgrades, passengers must currently move to different cars for getting off longer eight-car trains, making stops there longer.
“The existing platform can handle five rail cars while the new, extended platform will be able to accommodate up to eight rail cars,” Karen Finucan Clarkson, a VRE public affairs administrator, wrote in an email.
The project is also rehabilitating an existing platform, replacing stairs and an existing canopy roof, and upgrading lighting and communications systems.
It should be complete this summer, according to Clarkson. The design follows similar projects that have extended platforms for its Broad Road, Burke Centre, Lorton, and Manassas Park stations.
The statewide commuter rail agency’s push to upgrade stations will continue this summer at a Fredericksburg station, Clarkson wrote.
“We have plans to lengthen the center platform at Alexandria, and platforms at the Brooke and Franconia-Springfield stations,” she said, noting that future projects include Backlick Road, Crystal City, Leeland Road, L’Enfant and Woodbridge.
VRE added longer trains to reflect projected ridership growth, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those patterns. Prior to 2020, the railway averaged 20,000-plus riders, but now, it’s expected to average 8,000 daily riders in the coming fiscal year that starts July 1, InsideNoVa reported.
Meanwhile, staging equipment for the project at the Rolling Road Station will be removed to make way for a planned parking lot expansion.
Fairfax County said last June it plans to expand the free lot from 375 to 413 spaces, among other upgrades, with a $1.9 million project slated to begin this July.
