The trustees of a Dunn Loring church have pulled back a proposal that some day might see their 4.2-acre site redeveloped for multi-family housing with a child-care center and new worship space.
Trustees of the Vine Church, a United Methodist-affiliated congregation located at 2501 Gallows Road, had nominated the site to be considered for Fairfax County’s site-specific plan amendment (SSPA) process, which allows members of the public to propose land use changes.
Call Your Mother at North Point Village Center in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Call Your Mother is now serving up bagels and babka to Reston customers.
After a soft opening limited to friends, family and other invited guests yesterday (Wednesday), the rapidly growing regional chain officially launched its newest location at North Point Village Center this morning (Thursday).
Heron at Kingstowne Lake (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Local Shoppers Worry About Tariffs — “With tariffs of 25% now in place on goods from both Canada and Mexico, shoppers at a D.C.-area grocery store are voicing concern that it will affect them at the checkout.” One shopper at Trader Joe’s in Idylwood says she’s worried about the impact of more expensive groceries on “people that are lower class and even the middle class.” [WTOP]
Virginia License Plates Proliferate in Maryland — “All those Virginia license plates on Baltimore’s streets cost Maryland millions of dollars, but the state has little authority to do anything about it, according to a recent Motor Vehicle Administration report sent to Gov. Wes Moore’s office.” [Baltimore Banner]
Ethiopian Market Opens in Annandale — “Annandale has a new shop specializing in products imported from Ethiopia. Lidya Market & Café opened in late February at 4544-A John Marr Drive. The store offers pantry items, such as berbere, a mixture of ground chili peppers and spices; shiro, made from ground chickpeas; lentils; rice flour; coffee; dates; snacks; and incense.” [Annandale Today]
Springfield Sports Complex Acquires Hockey Program — “Washington Little Capitals Inc., a four-decade-old youth hockey development organization, will be acquired by Springfield sports complex The St. James.” The Little Caps needed a new home rink with its current base, the Ion International Training Center in Leesburg, closing its ice rinks in May before converting “to an events and conference center.” [Washington Business Journal]
Competitive Runner in Reston Inspires Community — “Ecris Williams has covered a lot of miles in her 86 years. Whether by racing cars or running races, the spirited senior is no worse for the wear … The longtime Reston resident turns heads and blows minds with her remarkable exercise ethic.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Art Class at Reston School CelebratesNeurodiversity — “On a Wednesday morning at South Lakes High School in Reston, Matt Ravenstahl bounces around from table to table. He offers suggestions to students working on projects that range from making masks to sketching flags from different countries.” In the “Inclusive Fine Arts” class, “students who are neurotypical work alongside those who are neurodivergent.” [WUSA9]
County Summer Camps Start Registration Soon — “Registration for NCS summer camps kicks off Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The Department of Neighborhood and Community Services offers a variety of summer camp options for youth and teens throughout Fairfax County. Register early and secure your spot for a summer of fun activities, new friendships and lasting memories!” [NCS]
McLean Framing Shop to Support Nonprofit — “Please join the McLean Chamber of Commerce, McLean Project for the Arts and Framebridge for a private shopping event to celebrate the recent grand opening of Framebridge. Bring digital photos, art, memorabilia to frame and 10 percent and all sales will benefit McLean Project for the Arts.” The promotion will be in effect from 5-8 p.m. next Thursday, March 13. [Federal Realty]
It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high around 49 degrees. The day will be breezy, as a west wind increases to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon with gusts up to 46 mph. Night will be mostly clear with a low near 33 degrees. The northwest wind will blow at 11 to 18 mph, gusting as high as 34 mph. [NWS]
The storefront of the forthcoming Meadows Frozen Custard in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
After 11 years in Loudoun County, it wasn’t clear what the future held for Meadows Frozen Custard.
Having battled what he describes as an over-saturation of One Loudoun for years, franchisee Michael Nassif considered shutting his doors for good — until he found the perfect new location in Reston.
The site for Comstock's downtown Herndon redevelopment project (via Town of Herndon)
A potential legal battle is brewing over the stalled project to revitalize Herndon’s downtown.
The Town of Herndon filed a declaration in Fairfax County Circuit Court last Friday (Feb. 28) terminating Comstock Companies’ rights to the nearly 5-acre block at the northeast corner of Center and Elden streets that the developer had planned to turn into an arts center, apartments, retail space and a parking garage.
A construction crane next to the Reston Row buildings along Sunset Hills Road (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Hazardous Weather Possible Today — “A powerful storm system is moving into our area, bringing serious weather risks on Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook about these dangerous conditions.” Thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, hail and even “a tornado or two” are possible. [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
ICE Raids Reported in N. Va. — “Local communities were already on the alert when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out multiple raids in Northern Virginia yesterday and today (Tuesday) … This morning, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem brought an ABC News crew along for an ICE operation.” [ARLnow]
More Criticism of Commuted Sentence for Former FCPD Officer — Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s decision to commute the prison sentence given to former Sgt. Wesley Shifflett, who was convicted of recklessly handling a gun in the fatal shooting of Timothy McCree Johnson, “denies the Johnson family the justice they were promised,” the Fairfax County NAACP says. The move was also condemned by the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus. [Fairfax County NAACP]
Arrest Made in County Facility Burglary — A 44-year-old Roanoke man has been arrested and charged in connection with a burglary of a Fairfax County facility in the 14000 block of Flint Lee Road in Chantilly that was reported at 4:39 a.m. on Feb. 26. “He is being held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail and is awaiting extradition to Fairfax County.” [FCPD]
Bill Would Address Payments for Wrongful Convictions — “While Virginia law allows people like Merritt — who were wrongfully convicted based on fabricated testimony or intentionally suppressed evidence — to get additional compensation, that compensation isn’t always approved. Del. Rip Sullivan (D–Fairfax) said that’s because the law states that payments from the commonwealth can’t happen until the locality agrees to pay its share.” [Virginia Public Media]
Catholic Schools to Host Teacher Job Fair — “On March 8, school principals from 40 Catholic schools will be scouting for new teachers for pre-school, elementary school, middle school and high school-level positions. Prospective teachers are encouraged to attend the fair,” which will be held from 9-11 a.m. at St. Bernadette School (7602 Old Keene Mill Road) in Springfield. [Catholic Diocese of Arlington]
Students at Vienna School Start MentoringProgram — “Cunningham Park Elementary School sixth grader Ruth Gaffiney told WTOP the plan came to her at the beginning of the year, when she and her classmates were helping first graders log on to computers for the first time.” The experience inspired a “Cardinals Care for Cardinals” program where the students help their younger peers with reading. [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and potential thunderstorms after 4pm, with a high near 64 and winds at 15-21 mph, gusting up to 37 mph. Precipitation chance is 100%. Showers are likely at night with a possible thunderstorm, a low around 43, and winds at 9-15 mph shifting west after midnight, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
The champion South Lakes teams (photo by Rena Schild)
A simple team approach, coupled with reliance on a standout player, helped the South Lakes Seahawks win a fourth straight regional basketball championship.
Led by senior forward Jordan Scott, South Lakes won the 6D North Region tournament Friday night (Feb. 28) by defeating the Westfield Bulldogs, 67-51, in the title game of the boys high school competition at Wakefield High School in Arlington.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaking at the Capital One headquarters in Tysons on Feb. 24, 2025 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Democratic majority on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (March 4) called on Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to use his influence to lobby against potential moves of federal government agencies to areas outside the local region.
The Trump administration sent out a memo last week giving all federal department and agency heads until April 14 to submit proposals for relocating facilities outside the D.C. region to “less-costly parts of the country,” the Washington Post reported.
Electronic display shows a system map at the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A ridership revival has led to a $20 million increase in projected revenue from Metro passengers in the coming fiscal year.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) released new budget forecasts last week that now anticipate $464 million in passenger revenue for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1.
The George Gordon Meade Memorial Statue outside the federal courthouse for the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Court House in D.C. (via Google Maps)
A Reston man’s days of delivering cocaine in D.C. appear to be at an end.
Dusan Dimic, 41, was sentenced last week to 41 months — or three years and five months — in federal prison for driving rental and rideshare vehicles as part of a drug trafficking operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.