Reston

Gaza Protestors Removed Near McLean — “A months-long protest encampment in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house has been removed. The round-the-clock, pro-Palestinian protest started in January of this year along the 400 block of N. Chain Bridge Road in Arlington…Chain Bridge Road…was closed while VDOT carried out the removal operation.” [ARLnow]

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against FCPS Pronoun Policy — “On Thursday, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge rejected the Fairfax County School Board’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and allowed the student to proceed with her arguments against FCPS’ pronoun policy.” A claim over the policy allowing students to use bathrooms based on their gender identity was dismissed, though the plaintiff was given 21 days to amend her complaint. [WJLA]

Man Hampered by Loss of Fairfax Connector Bus Stop — “A man with visual impairment in Fairfax is raising concerns about a change to his bus route that eliminated stops near his home. Jeff Vieceli moved to a neighborhood along Stringfellow Road near Fairfax County Parkway 12 years ago. One of the reasons was the proximity to the bus stops across from the house.” [WUSA9]

Trees Hit by Lightning to Be Removed — “Three willow oak trees will be removed. The trees at 4209 University Dr. and 10507 Forest Ave. were struck by lightning and will be removed July 26 and Aug. 2, respectively. The tree at 4373 University Dr. is failing and presents a severe safety hazard. Removal is scheduled for Aug. 2.” [City of Fairfax]

Metallica Visits Springfield Record Company — “Heavy metal band Metallica swung by a record pressing plant a few blocks west of Alexandria earlier this week. The band visited Furnace Record Pressing, a record pressing company that’s been in business, which Metallica gained a majority interest in last year.” [ALXnow]

Inova Springfield Hospital Nears Construction — “The Falls Church-based Inova Health System intends to begin construction in August on a pair of new acute-care hospitals…Those facilities, one at the former Landmark Mall site in Alexandria and another in the Franconia-Springfield area, will together replace the nonprofit’s aging Alexandria hospital at 4320 Seminary Road.” [Washington Business Journal]

Richmond Highway Jeweler Goes Mobile — “Mount Vernon Jewelers, a fixture around the Richmond Highway Corridor for over four decades, is vacating its storefront location Aug. 1 to engage in mobile jewelry sales and service…Park plans to continue serving his existing customer base in the local community with his new business status as a traveling salesman and mobile repairman.” [On the MoVe]

Kid Donates Icee Stand Proceeds to Fire Department — “An 8-year-old boy set up an Icee stand in Alexandria, Virginia to raise money for the Fairfax County Fire Department on Saturday…His stand was a unique way to say thank you to the department for helping him with his broken arm last year.” [NBC4]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny conditions with a high of 92 degrees, followed by a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Monday night will have mostly cloudy skies and a low around 73 degrees. [NWS]

Local Couple Behind Drug Ring Going to Prison — “A Fairfax County woman and her husband have been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after being convicted of running a massive drug operation. Court documents say they distributed tens of thousands of dangerous fentanyl pills per month in Virginia.” [NBC4]

Gum Springs Cemetery Restoration Planned — “A decaying cemetery in Gum Springs that dates back to the 18th century will be restored and maintained as part of a preservation project between Fairfax County and various stakeholder organizations.” Residents interred at Peake Family Cemetery include friends of George Washington and descendants of Gum Springs founder West Ford. [On the MoVe]

Clifton Road Lane Closures Scheduled — “Weather permitting, lane closures will occur on northbound and southbound Clifton Road/Stringfellow Road (Route 645) between Regal Crest Drive and Autumn Willow Drive Sunday night, July 28; Monday night, July 29 and Tuesday night, July 30 for milling and paving at the Route 29 intersection.” The work is part of the Route 29 widening project. [VDOT]

Georgetown Getting More Visitors Than Tysons, BID Claims — The Georgetown Business Improvement District says the D.C. neighborhood got 12.3 million visitors last year and have been up 5% so far in 2024, “outpacing Tysons Corner.” The organization is studying new designs for its streateries, which have drawn both crowds and complaints. [Axios D.C.]

Tennis Courts Slated for Repair — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin repairing tennis courts #1 and #2 at Woodley Hills Park and #1 and #2 at Country Club View Park…Contractors are scheduled to mobilize onsite in early August weather permitting, and active construction is anticipated to be completed by mid-September 2024.” [FCPA]

Incoming FCPD Officers Graduate From Academy — “Session 86 is comprised of 32 newly sworn Fairfax County Police Officers. This latest graduating class is a unique and diverse session where eight different languages are spoken by 15 different officers…After graduation, officers will be assigned to one of the Fairfax County Police Department’s eight district stations and enter a 12-week field training period. [FCPD]

Animal Shelter Hosts Seminar on Chicken Care — “Kelly Rutkowski, managing director of Adopt a Bird Network, is hosting a free seminar on chicken behavior Sunday in Lorton, Virginia, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Topics that will be covered include chicken health, pecking order drama, feeding tips and more.” [WTOP]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with the temperature reaching a high close to 85 degrees. Overnight, the sky will remain mostly clear, and the temperature drops to around 67 degrees. [NWS]