morning notes

Annandale Church’s “Black Lives Matter” Banner Vandalized — “Someone tore down banners at Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale during the night of Sunday, Aug. 13. One banner said ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The other said ‘Be the church'” and phrases like “fight for the powerless,” “reject racism” and “embrace diversity.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Concourse Office Buildings Acquired — “A Rockville developer has acquired a 1980s-era office complex near Metro’s Silver Line in Tysons with an eye toward eventually redeveloping it as a mixed-use property with a focus on residential.” The new owner, Berman Enterprises LP, says its short-term plan is to lease the twin seven-story buildings at 1593 Spring Hill Road, but it will later evaluate “what a redevelopment could look like.” [Washington Business Journal]

Meeting Tonight on Burke Centre Parkway Safety — Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw is hosting a virtual community meeting at 7-8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) to address the roadway’s safety after last month’s fatal crash. Police will touch on recent traffic enforcement, and VDOT will share the process for “potential design changes.” [The Walkinshaw Advisory]

People Found Sleeping in Reportedly Stolen Car Arrested — “Two people were arrested in a Lorton shopping center parking lot after they were found sleeping inside a vehicle that had been reported stolen, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.” [Patch]

Victims in Fatal Friday Crashes Identified — Fairfax County police have identified a pedestrian killed on Kirby Road on Friday morning (Aug. 11) as 86-year-old Brigitte Forster of McLean and a man who died after a three-vehicle crash on Arlington Blvd in Merrifield as “Paul Hession, 85, of the Churchill neighborhood.” Police also provided more details of a crash that shut down Route 50 that day near Fair Oaks Mall. [FCPD 1, 2, 3]

County Sticks With Contractor for Meals on Wheels — After previously relying on volunteers for the program, which delivers meals to seniors and people who are homebound, Fairfax County started “engaging a contractor to drop meals on a more limited once per week schedule” during the pandemic. At least one volunteer leader hopes Virginia will reject the county’s plan to keep using a contractor and the reduced schedule. [DCist]

Crane Removal May Affect GMU Area Traffic — “This Saturday, August 12, beginning at 9:00 a.m., contractors will be removing a crane from the central portion of the One University building site adjacent to the George Mason University campus…The removal will take several hours and will block the northern curb lane on University Drive just west of Route 123, near Mason’s Field House.” [The Walkinshaw Advisory]

Metro Train Operator Fired After Stranding Riders — “Metro is requiring supervisors to conduct checks on train operators working split shifts after an intoxicated operator left passengers stranded for 40 minutes last year…The commission released a report on the incident, which occurred Dec. 23 and resulted in Metro firing the operator, Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said.” [Washington Post]

Confusing I-66 Signs Will Be Fixed, VDOT Says — “The Virginia Department of Transportation is replacing a sign on Interstate 66 that says to go west to get to D.C., which is to the east. On a busy stretch of I-66 at Nutley Street in Vienna, there’s a sign for I-66 East to Washington, but just in front of it, there’s a sign for I-66 West to Washington.” [NBC4]

Woman Arrested for Fairfax Pool Hall Fight — “A 19-year-old Fairfax woman faces multiple charges, including the malicious wounding of a police officer, following an altercation that took place early Friday morning a Fairfax City pool hall, according to police. Officers responded around 1:30 a.m, to Revolution Dart and Billiards at 9687 Fairfax Blvd. for the report of a patron refusing to leave.” [Patch]

Reston Parkway Reconfiguration Nears Finish — “Motorists encountering long delays due to lane reconfigurations on Reston Parkway at Sunset Hills Road will soon see some relief,” a Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman says. Necessitated by a truck hitting the bridge over the Dulles Toll Road, the repairs are expected to finish this week, depending on the weather. [Patch]

New North Hill Housing Still Awaiting Residents — “Nearly two months after the…ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Residences at North Hill apartment community in Hybla Valley, the 279 affordable housing units remain vacant. Fairfax County officials are hopeful, however, that tenants will be able to move in by the end of August, said a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority” [On the MoVe]

N. Va. Office Market Feels Impact of Remote Work — “More than a quarter of all office space is empty in Crystal City and in the nearby Ballston neighborhood — as is the case in smaller, more outlying office markets such as Oakton in Fairfax County. More crucial, Loh said, is the value of the space sitting vacant in some of those areas: nearly $8 million in Tysons and $2.78 million in Rosslyn” [Washington Post]

Police Civilian Review Panel Seeks More Authority — “Fairfax County supervisors on Aug. 1 lauded efforts by the Police Civilian Review Panel to investigate some complaints filed against county police, but were not eager just yet to expand the volunteer group’s powers.” The panel is seeking “the ability to monitor police cases falling under its purview.” [Gazette Leader]

National and Dulles Airport Noise Complaints on the Rise — “Airplane noise complaints have rebounded at Reagan National and Dulles International airports after a pandemic-era lull, a rise that mirrors a resurgence in air travel. Residents in the Washington region filed more than 205,000 complaints…in 2022, according to an annual aircraft noise report this summer from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Washington Post]

Vienna Little League Team Finishes Tournament Run — “Game over, and VA’s Big Red Machine (Vienna American) is headed home. The team fought a tough battle against TN in extreme GA heat today falling short of reaching the semifinals, 7-2, in the Southeastern Region Little League Tournament. Congrats BRM, on a thrilling season!” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

No Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday After ‘Oversight’ — “In Virginia, every year since 2015, the General Assembly has given folks a break on sales tax for back-to-school supplies and clothing for three days beginning on the first Friday in August.” However, this year, lawmakers neglected to include the break in the state budget, which is still the subject of negotiations. [Washington Post]

Fentanyl Found in Recent Herndon Drug Arrests — “Four suspects arrested in two separate incidents are facing multiple drug charges, according to Town of Herndon Police. In one incident, the arrest followed a traffic stop and the other concerned two people seen sleeping on a picnic table.” [Patch]

Vienna Little Leaguers Compete for World Series Today — “The Big Red Machine’s ‘Summer of Swat’ continues! They won the highest championship for their age group last year and are now vying for a chance to play in the Little League World Series! The quest starts at 1 p.m…with the SE Region Tournament in GA.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

Map to Locate County Park Amenities Launches — “The Park Amenity Locator is a web-based application, which allows park-goers to search for parks by geographic location and through more than 30 amenity filters that help target a variety of park features, such as dog parks, playgrounds, mini golf, boating, amusements, skate parks, campgrounds, athletic fields, pickleball courts and many more.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]