911 dispatchers from Northern Virginia prepare to deploy to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene response (courtesy Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications)
Fairfax County’s 9-1-1 team is lending a hand to the ongoing emergency response to Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southeastern U.S., including parts of Virginia, in late September.
Four dispatchers with the county’s Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC) deployed to North Carolina this morning (Monday) after getting a call for aid from their counterparts in that state, who have been working nonstop since the storm blew through the Carolinas on Sept. 27.
The indoor tennis center at Bready Park (814 Ferndale Avenue), which officially opened today (Monday), features new structure, lights and a repaired ProBounce surface.
The sun sets on I-66 near the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
McLean Bank Makes Public Debut — “Chain Bridge Bancorp (CBNA.N), was valued at $138 million after its shares fell 2% in their NYSE debut on Friday, marking a grim start to its stint as a public company…While some analysts had lauded timing the IPO just a month ahead of the presidential election, the lukewarm reception highlights the challenges of attracting investors to a less recognizable conservative-leaning brand.” [Reuters]
Vienna Student Reported for Assaults and Threat — Vienna Adventist Academy’s principal reported a Sept. 26 incident where “a student had a violent emotional breakdown in class that resulted in them striking multiple other students and faculty members before being separated from the class. During the incident, the student made an additional physical threat.” [Vienna Police]
Fairfax Dunkin’ Donuts Robbed — A 21-year-old Fairfax man was arrested last week and charged with petit larceny in connection to a reported robbery of Dunkin’ Donuts (10020 Main Street) on Oct. 3. Police say “a male subject approached the victim, punched the victim, stole the victim’s electric scooter and cell phone, and fled the area. The victim sustained minor injuries.” [City of Fairfax Police]
N. Va. Unemployment Rate Rises — Northern Virginia’s jobless rate of 3.1% in August was up from 2.8% a year before, according to new state data, with 1.68 million employed and 54,500 seeking jobs. Fairfax County’s unemployment rate for the month was 3.1% with 20,132 people without jobs, up from 2.9% in July and 2.7% in August 2023. [Virginia Employment Commission]
Franconia Metro Station Getting NewEscalators — “On October 7, 2024, Metro will begin a major capital project replacing two entrance escalators and three platform escalators at Franconia-Springfield. The five escalators will be replaced with brand-new ones that are more durable and reliable.” Expected to finish in July 2025, the work is part of a system-wide effort to update the transit agency’s escalators. [WMATA]
WaPo Critic Impressed by Fairfax City Restaurant — Southeast Impressions, which opened in Fairfax City’s Scout on the Circle development last year, serves Singaporean and Malaysian favorites as well as “a hit parade of Thai choices.” Critic Tom Sietsema says it’s an exception to the adage that “plastic, pages-long menus with photographs are typically a sign of a restaurant to avoid.” [Washington Post]
Dulles Airport to Offer NewFlights — “United Airlines Inc. plans to add two nonstop destinations to its lineup of flights out of Dulles International Airport (IAD) later this fall, further cementing its status as the airport’s largest carrier.” Daily nonstop flights will be available to South Bend International Airport in Indiana starting Dec. 3 and to Morgantown Municipal Airport in West Virginia on Dec. 13 [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny weather with temperatures reaching up to 70°F. Northwest winds will be blowing at 8-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 50°F, accompanied by a northwest wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
Herndon police have closed the Worldgate Centre parking lot after a shooting (photo by Lisa Herndon)
Herndon police are searching for a man who’s believed to be armed and dangerous after allegedly shooting another man at the Worldgate Shopping Center in Herndon.
Herndon Police responded to the shopping center’s parking lot around 7:40 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 6) after an officer heard what he thought was gunshots while on patrol, a spokesperson says.
The Soapstone Connector will extend the road from Sunrise Valley Drive to Sunset Hills Road (via FCDOT)
Design work is underway on Reston’s massive $235 million Soapstone Connector, a half-mile road that will eventually link Sunrise Valley Drive to Sunset Hills Road through a bridge over the Dulles Toll Road.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is set to host a public information meeting on the project next Thursday, Oct. 10 at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive). An open house will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7 p.m.
A Reston soccer club will add fencing at Lake Fairfax Park with some financial help from Fairfax County.
During its meeting on Sept. 25, the Fairfax County Park Authority board approved $20,000 in matching funds to install fences around the rectangular fields 1 and 4 at the park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive).
The office building at 8221 Courthouse Road in Tysons has been approved for conversion into multi-family apartments (via Google Maps)
A nuanced effort to convert vacant office buildings into residential housing could be a net fiscal positive for the Fairfax County government.
That was the conclusion of an analysis presented to county leaders on Tuesday (Oct. 1). But it arrived with some caveats and some questions from members of the Board of Supervisors.
Brown eyed susans with a heart sign from Rustic Love in Vienna (photo by Susan Woolsey)
County Mails Sample Voting Ballots — “The Office of Elections has mailed a sample ballot to each of the county’s 730,000+ registered voters…The sample ballot is customized for each voter to show the contest that will appear on their ballots.” [Fairfax County Office of Elections]
FCPD Welcomes First Female Bomb Technician — First Class Officer Melanie Todd has joined the Fairfax County Police Department’s Explosisve Ordinance Disposal Unit as its first female bomb technician after graduating from the FBI’s Hazardous Device School, a six-week program that teaches participants how to identify and disarm explosive devices. [FCPD]
One Reston Company Acquires Another — “Government contractor CACI International has made its second acquisition in the past month, acquiring Reston, Virginia-based cloud, data and cybersecurity company Applied Insight.” The all-cash acquisition of Applied Insight, which has 650 employees, is now complete. [WTOP]
FBI Raid Raises Contractor Concerns — “The FBI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s search of Carahsoft Technology Corp.’s headquarters last week is sparking new questions and concerns about the long-term viability of vendors selling in the federal market and dependable access to specific technologies by agencies.” [Federal News Network]
Falls Church Candidates Debate Accessory Dwellings — “Candidates for the Falls Church City Council seat on the Nov. 5 ballot are playing it cautiously when it comes to bringing accessory-dwelling units (ADUs) to residential neighborhoods in the city.” [ARLnow]
Horticultural Group Lands Big Donation — The American Horticultural Society (AHS) recently received “a donation of $5 million to set up a permanent endowment.” The gift was separate from a $2 million state grant that’s funding accessibility improvements for the nonprofit’s headquarters at River Farm in Fort Hunt. [On the MoVe]
Park Basketball Courts GetRepairs — The Fairfax County Park Authority’s contractor has started work on repairs to the basketball courts at Luria Park in Annandale and Tyler Park in West Falls Church. The improvements, including new goals, crack repairs and asphalt overlay, are expected to finish by the first week of November. [FCPA]
Back to School Celebration inIdylwood — “Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik and Fairfax County School Board Chair Karl Frisch are hosting the inaugural Providence Day & Back to School Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. at George C. Marshall High School. The event will include interactive booths, resource fair, food trucks giveaways and a fit games challenge.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high of around 76 accompanied by a gentle south wind at 3-6 mph. As the night sets in, the skies will continue to stay cloudy, with temperatures dipping to a low of about 62 and a mild south wind. [NWS]
Though it’s now 145 years old, the Town of Herndon’s identity continues to evolve.
A small-town feel and diversity were among the salient attributes highlighted by an emerging brand strategy, a consultant reported to the Herndon Town Council at a work session on Tuesday (Oct. 1). But questions remain on how the town will engage its minority-majority community.
Thousands of kids participated in the original Capitals Street Hockey Extravaganza in 1975 (courtesy Washington Capitals)
The Washington Capitals are throwing back to the 1970s with an upcoming visit to George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
As part of its 50th anniversary season, D.C.’s NHL team will bring a free youth tournament known as the Capitals Street Hockey Extravaganza to EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Circle) on Saturday, Nov. 16, briefly reviving what was once the largest street hockey clinic in existence.