morning notes

Lego Discovery Center Breaks Ground — “It was an honor today to participate in the LEGO Discovery Center groundbreaking at Springfield Town Center This ultimate Lego playground will be the first in the Greater Washington area and is a fun and exciting addition to our community!” [Jeff McKay/Facebook]

FCPD Releases Video From In-Custody Death — “Fairfax County police have released body camera video after a man died in custody last month, and say the man behaved erratically before suffering from a medical emergency. On Nov. 11, Fairfax County police said they received calls about a man running in traffic on Amherst Avenue in Springfield.” [NBC4]

Alexandria Motel Demolished — “The Alexandria Motel at 6411 Richmond Highway was officially demolished in late November to make way for a future stormwater management facility for the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. During its heyday in the mid-twentieth century, the motel was a 27-room property advertising its private showers, televisions, central heating and cross-ventilation.” [On the MoVe]

McLean Residents Object to Loss of Trees — “VDOT contractors have cut down hundreds of trees just outside the Beltway near the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Georgetown Pike. They’re extending Virginia’s High Occupancy Toll lanes to the Potomac and perhaps into Maryland. At the outer loop exit onto the G.W., neighbors compare the damage to a strip mine.” [WUSA9]

County Approves Automatic Car Tax Filings — “Effective Jan. 1, Fairfax County will now automatically file personal property tax returns for these residents, a change that will benefit owners of approximately 133,000 vehicles per year…[Residents] still must register their vehicles with the DMV within 30 days or face a 10% late-filing penalty.” [Fairfax County Government]

Police Investigate Homicide in Hybla Valley — A man identified as 26-year-old Jordan Summers from Lorton died Monday (Dec. 5) after a community member found him in the 7900 block of Audubon Avenue with a possible gunshot wound to the upper body. Police say community members reported hearing what sounded like gunshots before 8 p.m. that evening. [FCPD]

Woman Charged in Bailey’s Crossroads Pedestrian Crash — Yaraliza Rivera Rosado, a 26-year-old Alexandria resident, has been charged with felony hit and run for fatally striking 40-year-old Elise Ballard on Leesburg Pike near the Carlin Springs Road intersection on Oct. 26. Police say Rivera Rosado drove to a parking lot before calling for help, and Ballard was subsequently hit by a second car before officers arrived. [FCPD]

Route 7 Traffic Changes in Wolf Trap Start Today — “On or about Tuesday, Dec. 6, drivers on Route 7 eastbound will experience a lane shift to the south (away from the median) and access changes between Lucky Estates Drive and Lewinsville Road…On or about Dec. 15, the median crossover at Wolftrap Run Road will close permanently, and the median crossover at Lucky Estate Drive will open.” [VDOT]

I-66 HOV Change Starts Today — “The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) reminds travelers that starting Monday, Dec. 5, vehicles will need three or more occupants to qualify as a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) on I-66 in Northern Virginia. This change from HOV-2+ to HOV-3+ will apply across the entire I-66 corridor in Northern Virginia from Haymarket to the D.C. line.” [VDOT]

FCPD Officer Arrested for DUI — “An officer assigned to the Mount Vernon District was arrested in Prince William County for driving under the influence. The officer was off-duty and driving his personal vehicle at the time of the arrest. PFC Nathan Jones, an 8-year veteran, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs Bureau investigation.” [FCPD]

Suspect in Mount Vernon Fatal Shooting Arrested — Fairfax County police arrested Kyjuan Omar Braxton Trott-McLean, of Mount Vernon in the 3800 block of Colonial Avenue yesterday after a brief vehicle pursuit. The search for Trott-McLean took nearly two months after police identified him as “a suspect in the Oct. 2 killing of Brandon Wims, 31, of Maryland.” [The Washington Post]

Lego Discovery Center Groundbreaking Soon — “A new Lego Discovery Center is set to open in Springfield Town Center in Summer 2023. Officials from PREIT (the parent company of Springfield Town Center) and Merlin Entertainments will break ground on the project next week, with a ceremonial brick drop to signify the beginning of the new space.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

ICYMI: Man Killed in Crash on Capital Beltway — A tractor-trailer driver exited his vehicle after colliding with a sedan that ended up on the Beltway’s left shoulder near Braddock Road. While running over to the sedan, the man got hit by an SUV in the I-495 Express Lanes and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. [FFXnow]

Reward Offered for Suspect in Mount Vernon Murder — “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Victims’ Rights Foundation have partnered to offer $5,000 each to be used as a combined reward with Crime Solvers for information that leads to the arrest of the Kyjuan Omar Braxton Trott-McLean,” who is wanted for allegedly shooting and killing Maryland resident Brandon Wims on Oct. 2. [FCPD]

I-66 Express Lanes Opening Celebrated — “The I-66 Express Lanes outside the Capital Beltway are open as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other officials celebrated Tuesday with a ribbon cutting…Youngkin said the Express Lanes can help busy families get to school, work and other extracurricular activities.” [Patch]

Inova Reports Surge in Emergency Room Patients — “Due to another spike in flu, COVID-19, RSV and other illnesses following the Thanksgiving holiday, Inova’s hospitals are experiencing unprecedented patient volumes and strain on hospital capacity, the health care system reported Tuesday…For every patient discharged another is waiting to be admitted.” [Inside NoVA]

Route 7 Lane Shift in Reston Starts Today — “On or about Tuesday, Nov. 29, the right-turn lane from eastbound Route 7 to Baron Cameron Avenue will shift to the north (toward the median). Between Nov. 29 and Thursday, Dec. 1, crews will construct a temporary entrance from eastbound Route 7 to the Sunoco-Baron Cameron Service Center and Three Cees Car Wash & Quick Lube.” [VDOT]

Mobile Notifications for Covid Boosters Begin — “The Virginia Department of Health is sending text and voice message reminders to residents aged 50 and above that they are eligible for COVID-19 bivalent boosters. The text/phone reminder campaign begins on Monday, November 28th in multiple counties across the Commonwealth, including the Fairfax Health District.” [Fairfax County Health Department]

In-Person Black Friday Returns — “Over at Tysons Corner in Virginia the parking lot gave you an idea of what to expect inside the mall. ‘Parking is insane,’ said Alisha McDougal. One shopper tells us it took 30 minutes to find a spot. For some, the traffic and congestion was worth it.” [FOX5]

Teen Indicted in West Falls Church Fatal Shooting — “A grand jury indicted a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting a Fairfax County man at an ATM last year. Winston Lark IV is accused of shooting and killing 73-year-old Nelson Alexander in October 2021.” [NBC4]