morning notes

Preparation for Delayed Southbound GW Parkway Closure Begins — “To prepare for the traffic shift, crews will begin to install temporary lane dividers on April 20. Motorists should expect single lane, northbound closures from 8 p.m. on April 20 to 2:45 p.m. on April 21 during these preparations. Crews will implement the new traffic pattern between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 22.” [National Park Service]

New Dining Options Coming to Local Airports — “Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport announced a new slate of concessions, including spinoffs of some notable DC restaurants and brands. The phased rollout will begin later this year, and more than 80 new dining and retail options are expected open across both airports by 2026.” [Washingtonian]

Local Firefighter Rescues Cat in Tree — “Cat-astrophe avoided! Firefighter Austin Cole and crew from Tower 424, Woodlawn, C-Shift recently resc-mewed a cat who’d been lost for a few days. W/ safeties tied to ladder, Firefighter Cole climbed and warmed up to Asha w/a treat. Tears of joy shed upon reunification.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Lawyer Criticizes Grand Jury Decision in Police Shooting — “Carl Crews, an attorney representing the family of Timothy McCree Johnson, said in a statement that Fairfax County detectives ‘tanked’ the presentation of evidence to the panel considering whether to indict Sgt. Wesley Shifflett…A defense attorney for the officer noted [Crews] was not present during the proceedings.” [The Washington Post]

Beacon Center Wendy’s Misses Opening — “Dozens of excited people lined up outside the restaurant’s doors located at 6634 Richmond Highway in the Beacon Center shopping center for the Wendy’s location’s opening. However, no one from the restaurant showed up to open the doors, leaving everyone quite disappointed.” [ABC7]

Northern Virginia Losing Economic “Mojo,” Researcher Says — “[Terry] Clower, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, provided an overview of the region’s economy for the more than 100 attendees at the breakfast, at Belle Haven Country Club. He noted that while the Northern Virginia economy is resilient and the unemployment rate is low, there are headwinds.” [Inside NoVA]

Person Trapped in Car in Annandale — “Approximately 10:45 a.m., [Sunday] units were on the scene of a car overturned in the 5000 block of Backlick Road. One occupant was trapped. Extricated by Rescue Squad 426, Edsall Road, and transported to hospital with minor injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Innovation Station Development Nears Vote — Loudoun County supervisors discussed the latest draft of the Rivana at Innovation Station project last week, scheduling a vote for May 16. Straddling the Fairfax County border, the development “could include more than 2,700 apartments or condominiums, 450 hotel rooms, 2.4 million square feet of office space, 347,000 square feet of commercial space and 127,000 square feet of ‘civic uses,’ the last of which could include a performing arts center.” [Loudoun Times-Mirror]

Updated at 12:55 p.m. — The National Park Service has delayed the GW Parkway changes due to forecasts calling for inclement weather over the weekend. The lane shift is now expected to begin around April 21-24.

Earlier: Reminder: Southbound GW Parkway Closure Begins — “Starting Saturday, the National Park Service will begin making changes that will slow traffic on the northern part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway until December 2025…On the northbound side, there will be three lanes instead of the usual two, with the middle of the three being reversible.” [ABC7]

Report: County 911 Center Contributed to Confusion on CPR Call — “When firefighters and medics were sent to the wrong Reston, Virginia Metro station last month for a man in cardiac arrest Fairfax County blamed Metro…A recording of Metro’s call along with 911 center documents show Fairfax County provided both misleading and wrong information in its official statements.” [STATer911]

McLean Mac and Cheese Startup Lands New Funding — “McLean frozen food brand 8 Myles Inc. is closing a $1.05 million seed round this week to expand its operations and hire its first-ever full time employee. Co-founded by Myles Powell in 2015, 8 Myles makes frozen homestyle macaroni and cheese dinners that use no preservatives or artificial ingredients.” [DC Inno]

Metro Worker Fired After Overrunning Innovation Station — “On March 17, safety commission officials said Tuesday, a train operator put his train into [automatic mode] several times during the day. He was caught when his train shot past the Innovation Center station platform in Virginia, triggering a Metro probe into the platform overrun.” [The Washington Post]

Disciplinary Incidents Rise in FCPS — “The number of disciplinary incidents reported in Fairfax County, Virginia, public schools more than doubled in the first semester of the current school year, compared to the first semester of the 2021-22 academic year, according to preliminary county data.” [WTOP]

Area Traffic Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels — “In the ‘inner suburbs’ of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, traffic was 94% of pre-pandemic norms as 2022 closed…Several factors may be contributing to this seeming disconnect — congested highways but half-empty offices — but most eyes have turned to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Canan said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Wolf Trap National Park Brings Back Food Service — “The Fermented Pig, a barbecue-focused food vendor, will return to Wolf Trap’s on-site restaurant Ovations. There will be an updated farm-to-table buffet menu with vegan and gluten-free options as well as a picnic box option and new quick service bar.” Picnic boxes will be available for the first time since 2019. [Patch]

Driver Hospitalized After Mount Vernon Crash — “Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department are investigating the single vehicle crash that occurred on Sacramento Drive near Bedford Terrace on Saturday. Police say the driver was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries following the collision.” [WUSA9]

Man Shot in Kingstowne — Fairfax County police are investigating a shooting on Friday (April 7) near Barclay Drive and King Centre Drive. Police say a man was found with a gunshot wound to the upper body and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe preliminarily that it was “an isolated incident.” [FCPD/Twitter]

A Deep Dive Into the Fight Over the FBI HQ — “What both delegations agree on is that this is a once-in-a-generation contract that could serve as a 50-year anchor for either community, potentially bringing tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the winner. There are political legacies at stake here. Plus, there’s the CIA angle, which no one can talk about.” [Slate]

Lake Barcroft House Fire Starts in Jeep — “A fire caused by an electrical issue with a Jeep parked outside a Fairfax County home is responsible for a resident being displaced and thousands of dollars worth of damage.” One firefighter got “a minor injury” while responding to the fire in the 6300 block of Cavalier Corridor on March 31. [FOX5]