In half a decade, George Mason University students and faculty will help NASA launch an “artificial star” into space.
The university’s Fairfax campus will serve as mission control for the Landolt NASA Space Mission, which will send a laser-pointing satellite into Earth’s orbit in 2029, GMU announced on June 10. The artificial star created by the satellite will help scientists more accurately calculate the brightness of real stars.
Brace for Heat This Week — “The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts a prolonged period of hot weather this week with temperatures in the 90s, with increasing humidity and high temperatures. The combination of heat and humidity could result in heat indices above 100 degrees.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Driver Dies After Crashing Into House — “On May 13, around 10 a.m., officers responded to View Lane and Bold Lion Lane in Newington for a single-vehicle crash into a house.” Ellsworth Jackson Jr., 69, of Alexandria died at a hospital on May 22. A medical examiner determined that he died as a result of injuries from the crash, which occurred when he experienced a medical emergency. [FCPD]
Polls Open for Congressional Primaries — Polls across Fairfax County opened at 6 a.m. today (Tuesday) for a primary election that will determine “representatives for Virginia’s 10th and 11th Congressional districts, as well as the Republican who will challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine this fall.” Polls will close at 7 p.m. [FFXnow]
Pizza Shop Opens in Annandale — “Jet’s Pizza opens [Monday] at 7026 Columbia Pike in the Annandale Shopping Center. Jet’s features Detroit-style deep-dish pizza, which is similar to Chicago pizza but is baked in a rectangular pan. That tends to make a better crust, says General Manager Bronson Parry.” [Annandale Today]
Vienna to Host Naturalization Ceremony — “On Saturday, June 29, 2024, 15 people from all walks of life will take that oath during a naturalization ceremony at 5 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center…The new U.S. citizens will be granted full voting rights and liberties granted to all native-born Americans.” The town previously hosted a ceremony in 2022. [Town of Vienna]
Oakton Rec Center Getting Facility Improvements — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will close Oakmont RECenter in Oakton from Aug. 19 through Sept. 14 to conduct several improvements following the close of summer camps. The agency will perform several building-maintenance projects and upgrades simultaneously to minimize the length of the closure.” [Gazette Leader]
New Principals Named for Elementary Schools — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has announced new administrative leadership at two elementary schools that feed into West Potomac High School: Fort Hunt Elementary School (ES) and Hollin Meadows ES.” Jean Consolla will be the new principal for Fort Hunt, starting Aug. 1, and Jasibi Crews will get the position at Hollin Meadows. [On the MoVe]
Reston Pool Scheduled to Close on Friday — “The Hunters Woods Pool Facility will be closed for maintenance on Friday, June 21. It is expected to reopen on Saturday, June 22. In the meantime, pass holders are advised to visit nearby pool facilities, including Dogwood, Shadowood, and Glade.” [Reston Association/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high around 93 degrees with south winds at 8 to 10 mph. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with lows near 68. For Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19, the weather will be mostly sunny, reaching a high near 91 degrees. [NWS]
One of Fairfax County’s top administrative officials is stepping down from her post.
Deputy County Executive Rachel Flynn will retire on July 5, a county spokesperson says. A Google employee before she joined Fairfax County in 2019, Flynn oversees the public works, transportation, code compliance, and planning and development departments, along with the park authority.
Reston Association is preparing to serve up a full renovation of its Barton Hill tennis courts next month.
The four existing courts at 1901 Barton Hill off of Sunrise Valley Drive will close after June 30 in anticipation of the renovation, which is expected to begin in July, RA announced in a newsletter on Friday (June 14).
Commuters in the Fairfax Corner and Fair Oaks area will soon have a brand-new facility where they can park their car or bicycle before catching a bus or rideshare.
The Monument Drive Commuter Parking Garage will become operational this Saturday, June 22, following a ribbon cutting on Thursday (June 20), according to a Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) spokesperson.
One of the top data center construction firms in the nation recently opened a new office in Fairfax County.
Last week, Suffolk Construction announced the relocation of its data center construction management team, Mission Critical, to 2303 Dulles Station Blvd in Herndon, positioning them near the Innovation Center Metro station and the heart of the world’s largest data center market.
Missing Woman Found Dead in Springfield — “Officers responded to the 7600 block of Highland Street in Springfield [on Friday, June 14] for a death investigation. A community member alerted officers to a body that was found near a wooded area. Officers located and identified Fayra Desiree Bonilla-Rubi, 26, of Springfield. She was reported missing on June 10 by family members.” [FCPD]
Pickleball Players Stage Sit-In at Annandale Courts — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has followed through on its decision to shut down pickleball at Kendale Woods Park…but the players have not given up on their fight to save the courts. As a Park Authority staff member and contractors showed up at the courts before 7 a.m. on June 14, they were met with a handful of players staging a sit-in.” [Annandale Today]
FCPS to Add More Early-Release Mondays — “Fairfax County Public Schools is adding seven early release days to its elementary school calendar for the 2024-25 school year so teachers have enough time to finish required Virginia trainings. At Thursday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Michelle Reid unveiled the plan to add the three-hour early release days on seven Mondays.” [WTOP]
Vienna Police Stop Ice Cream Truck — Vienna police officers stopped an ice cream truck on Ayr Hill Avenue NE around 3:43 p.m. on June 6 for “violating the noise ordinance and soliciting without a permit.” After the officers found that the truck’s tags were expired and the driver lacked a required solicitor permit, the driver agreed to stop operating it until he got the permit and updated the vehicle’s registration. [Vienna Police]
Sandwich Shop Coming to Huntington — “JaWa Sandwich Shop, a restaurant specializing in a variety of sandwiches, will open at the former WNB Factory space at Huntington Gateway, according to owner Seung Lee…Following a soft opening in early July, Lee anticipates a grand opening for JaWa in August.” [On the MoVe]
Man Docks at Every Capital Bikeshare Station — “[Stanley] Seiden, a contractor with the State Department, spent the next two years traveling to far-flung corners of the DMV, on a quest to visit every single Capital Bikeshare station. While the app stopped giving him push notifications after about 13 percent, Seiden kept pedaling, and last Saturday he reached his goal.” [Washingtonian]
Stamps Featuring U.N. HQ Unveiled in Tysons — “The United Nations Postal Administration issued a pane of 10 stamps June 7 showing images of the U.N. headquarters in New York City…The Napex stamp show held June 7-9 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive in McLean, Va., hosted a first-day ceremony for the stamps.” [Linn’s Stamp News]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature of around 91°F, accompanied by a south wind at about 10 mph. As night falls, the weather will be mostly clear with a low temperature near 70°F and a south wind ranging between 6 and 10 mph. [NWS]
Classes are out, and summer reading is in for Fairfax County students.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) officially kicked off its annual Summer Reading Program on Wednesday (June 12), encouraging youngsters and adults alike to dig into books and tackle various literary activities to earn prizes.
Reston Association has decided not to move forward with a proposed name change for its Shadowood Recreation Area, which includes a swimming pool and tennis courts.
The RA Board of Directors voted 7-2 last night (Thursday) to retain the current name of the recreational area at 2201 Springwood Drive after public feedback suggested community members were split on a change.
Local Man Raises Money to Feed People in Gaza — “On Wednesday, the head of the World Health Organization said that thousands of people in Gaza are facing ‘catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.’ For months, a man in Fairfax County has been raising money to provide food for starving families in his homeland.” [FOX5]
Fairfax Police Investigate Reported Gunshots — “City of Fairfax Police and Fairfax County Police responded to the report of gunshots being heard over four recent nights in the area of Arlington Boulevard and Pickett Road…The sound of gunshots were reported Wednesday-Friday, June 5-7 and Monday, June 11, according to police. No injuries have been reported.” [Patch]
Man Recognized for Upkeep of Historic Cemetery — “The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s Arlington House chapter recently honored Fairfax County resident Bill Muras with its Community Service Award” for his involvement in the Fairfax Villa community, his role as a local coach and his assistance in maintaining “a small historic cemetery located northwest of the Fairfax campus of George Mason University.” [Gazette Leader]
Vienna Bids Farewell to Old Merry-Go-Round — “Community members bid farewell [on June 11] to the beloved, yet broken merry-go-round at Meadow Lane Park. All of the kids and kids at heart had one last opportunity to enjoy a snack with friends by the memory-making spinning machine…A new and improved one will be installed so stay tuned for updates.” [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
New Name Proposed for Metrobus Route — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) 11Y bus service, otherwise known as the Mount Vernon Express, could be renamed under the WMATA’s system-wide Better Bus Network redesign.” The route would continue to offer direct service between Mount Vernon and D.C. [On the MoVe]
Bagel Shop Opens in Dulles Airport — “NOW OPEN!!! Stop into Bagels & More Cafe Bakery in Concourse C and indulge in our delightful selection of bagel sandwiches, paninis, and other mouthwatering options!” [Dulles Airport/Twitter]
Grant Approved for Annandale Park Fencing — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has approved matching funds in the total amount of $6,205 to support the extension of the fencing around field 6 at Pine Ridge Park.” The other half of the funding will come from the Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC). [FCPA]
Reminder to Get Kids Vaccinated — “As the 2023-24 school year ends and summer begins, it’s a great time for children to get up to date on their immunizations. Parents and caregivers are urged to make an appointment for their child now with their health care provider to avoid the last-minute rush before the 2024-25 school year starts.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies today, with the temperature reaching a high of around 93 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 5pm, with a 30% chance of precipitation. Night will have mostly cloudy skies and a low of about 67 degrees. [NWS]
