morning notes

Herndon Pub’s Cheesesteak Voted Best in Region — “A stalwart in pub food, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern of Herndon claims the title of Best Cheesesteak in our NoVA Wars: Cheesesteak Edition reader poll. Readers chose Jimmy’s as the winner through four rounds of bracket-style voting. In the end, it topped Falls Church’s Celebrity Delly for the title.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Temporary Fix Proposed for Georgetown Pike Traffic — “VDOT is proposing to restrict left-turns from northbound Dead Run Drive to westbound Georgetown Pike” in McLean during rush hour in the hopes of easing congestion exacerbated by construction on I-495. “The meeting will take place Wednesday, from 7-9 p.m., Churchill Road Elementary School Cafeteria.” [Patch]

Local Man Dies in Alexandria Jail — “Ahntais Lucas, 39, from Fairfax County, was found unresponsive and alone in his cell experiencing a medical emergency. The release said the jail’s medical staff tried to treat Lucas but he was pronounced deceased at 4:42 a.m.” Lucas’s death is under investigation by Alexandria’s sheriff’s office and police department. [ALXnow]

McLean Man Forced to Drive at Gunpoint — “A McLean man was kidnapped at gunpoint early Sunday morning and forced to drive to his home and another location in Maryland, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Investigators determined that around 12:30 a.m…the victim had arranged to meet with the suspect” in D.C., but upon arriving, he was confronted by two people with handguns. [Patch]

Officer in Fatal Tysons Shooting Had Drawn Gun Before — “In the 13 months before a Fairfax County police sergeant shot and killed an unarmed man suspected of stealing sunglasses from a major shopping mall, the officer twice drew his gun on other suspected shoplifters, spurring criticism that he was acting too aggressively and possibly violating department policies.” [Washington Post]

Fairfax Connector Strike Continues — “Fairfax Connector bus service will remain suspended through Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Operating Status for the rest of the week (February 27-March 1) will be updated as information becomes available. We encourage our users to consider alternative methods of travel and we apologize for the inconvenience and truly appreciate your patience.” [Fairfax Connector]

Cell Phone Service Restored After Outage — Phone service has been restored after a nationwide service outage reported yesterday (Thursday) morning “that affected several major service carriers and impacted phone calls,” including to 911. “Residents may need to reboot their cell phone (possibly multiple times) to establish a connection.” [Ready Fairfax/Facebook]

Springfield Man Pleads Guilty in Connection to Capitol Breach — “A Fairfax County, Virginia, man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felonies connected to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Brody, 24, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement and civil disorder.” [WTOP]

IRS to Roll Out Free Tax Filing Website — “The IRS’s new Direct File website, a free site for filing a tax return, will open to the public in the coming days, the IRS announced Wednesday. But anyone who hopes to be among the first to use it will have to get lucky and check the website during limited and unannounced windows at the outset.” [Washington Post]

Tysons-Based Hilton Named in Hotel Price-Fixing Lawsuit — “A lawsuit alleging a group of hotel operators artificially increased the price of luxury hotel rooms with the help of a shared database has named industry titans Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Hyatt Hotels Corp. among a list of defendants.” [Bisnow]

TSA Gives First-Ever Tour of Springfield Warehouse — “In a non-descript building right off I-95 in Springfield, Virginia, there are thousands of artifacts from the Transportation Security Administration. Old X-ray machines, explosive detectors, TSA call kiosks, counterterrorism pamphlets and guides are all stored, in a warehouse containing the wall-to-wall physical history of the agency.” [NBC4]

Tysons Developer’s Real Estate Plans Unclear — “Lerner Enterprises hasn’t announced any acquisitions, sales, renovations or new office leases since 2022. The 72-year-old firm also hasn’t provided updates on the millions of square feet of planned development it has in its pipeline, including the fate of two demolished shopping malls where communities have been waiting years to see activity.” [Bisnow]

Snow Likely Tonight — “Forecast confidence is increasing for a light-to-moderate snowfall in the D.C. area Friday night.” As of yesterday afternoon, areas north and west of D.C. are predicted “to see 2 to 4 inches,” while areas to the south could get 1 to 3 inches of snow. [Capital Weather Gang]

Woman Hit by Metro Train in Tysons — A woman was hospitalized on Feb. 8 after being struck by a Silver Line train at the Spring Hill station around 8:30 p.m. The woman “was trespassing in a restricted track area” and “intentionally” got in front of the train, a Metro spokesperson said. She was “conscious and alert” when responders arrived, but the extent of her injuries is unclear. [Gazette Leader]

Stringfellow Road to Partly Close This Weekend — “Northbound and southbound Stringfellow Road (Route 645) between Route 29 and Centreville Farms Road will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 until 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 to install a water main.” Local traffic will be allowed between Centreville Farms Road and Autumn Willow Drive, but the road will be closed to all traffic between Autumn Willow and Route 29. [VDOT]

General Assembly Reaches Session Midpoint — “The Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly advanced bills Tuesday to safeguard abortion access and increase the minimum wage, just a few of the partisan priorities that ensure a showdown with Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) as this year’s legislative session reaches its midpoint.” [Washington Post]

House Passes Bill to Create Fund for New N. Va. Sports Arena — “Virginia’s House of Delegates voted to pass the arena bill 59-40, sending the proposal to an uncertain future in the Senate…The proposal to build a new arena at Potomac Yard for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals has met with a mixed reception.” [ALXnow]

South Block to Land at Dulles Airport — In addition to new locations in Chantilly and Fairfax City, the Arlington-based company is planning to open a spot at Dulles International Airport’s Concourse D this year. Offerings will include the usual smoothies, acai bowls and juices, along with “grab-and-go sandwiches and salads from D.C.’s Wellfound Foods.” [Washington Business Journal]