Black residents have experienced worse health outcomes than other populations across Northern Virginia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report found.
Commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) and conducted by the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Fairfax County section of the “Dying Too Soon” report found “stark” disparities across the county in the rates at which people die before the age of 75.
The report attributed the dramatic differences in life expectancies — from 76.5 years to 91.1 years — to an individual’s race, ethnicity and address, reflecting the influence of socioeconomic conditions on health outcomes.
According to the report, a lack of access to health care contributed to 66% of premature deaths in the county from 2015-2019 that were avoidable with preventative measures or treatment.
Throughout Northern Virginia, premature deaths are more concentrated within “islands of disadvantage,” where residents experience poor living conditions, higher mortality rates, and food and housing insecurity, the report says.
Residents of these neighborhoods are more likely to be people of color and immigrants, a disparity resulting from “the region’s history of segregation and systemic racism” and policies that “systematically block access” to health opportunities and increase exposure to unsafe health conditions, the report said.
Prior to the pandemic, Black people in Fairfax County had a premature death rate of 221.0 per 100,000 residents, exceeding the rates for white people (165.8 per 100,000), Hispanics (126.2 per 100,000) and Asians and Pacific Islanders (112.4 per 100,000).
Those disparities were consistent throughout the region, which “exhibits smaller racial-ethnic disparities” that other parts of the U.S., according to the report.
Though Fairfax County is often touted as one of the richest counties in the U.S., with a median income of $133,974, many of the wealthiest census tracts are located just a few blocks from islands of disadvantage.
In fact, the study says one census tract in Springfield has a premature death rate twice as high as that of a census tract in Franconia only two miles away. Each census tract also showed drastically different education and poverty rates and racial and ethnic compositions.
“I don’t think there’s a sense among the general public that these kinds of health inequities exist in a wealthy area like Northern Virginia, which in aggregate is doing quite well and has a very high quality of life,” Dr. Steven Woolf, lead study author and director emeritus of VCU’s Center on Society and Health, told FFXnow. “But when you zoom in like this to see what’s actually happening, neighborhood by neighborhood, you expose these these pockets of disadvantage that we want the public to know about.”
Census tracts with the highest premature death rates were in Seven Corners/Bailey’s Crossroads and Route 1 regions, according to the report’s summary. The study also reported that poverty rates in Seven Corners/Bailey’s Crossroads, Mount Vernon and Oakton “exceeded 20%, higher than poverty rates in countries like Estonia, Lithuania, Peru, Tajikistan, and Uganda.”
The Covid pandemic only worsened inequitable health outcomes, according to data collected in 2020-2021. The report says the county’s islands of disadvantage “experienced higher COVID-19 death rates,” and Northern Virginia as a whole saw “much higher” death rates among Hispanic and Black populations compared to Asian and white groups. Read More
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) The driver behind a fatal April 21 crash in Seven Corners was speeding at over 100 mph, Fairfax County police now say.
The Fairfax County Police Department has identified Mirza Baig, 26, of Alexandria as the driver responsible for the crash, which killed 37-year-old Christina Hamilton and injured both Baig and a passenger.
Charged with involuntary manslaughter Baig turned himself in to authorities at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he’s being held without bond, the FCPD announced yesterday (Tuesday).
More from police on the crash, which occurred at 1:10 a.m. on April 21 around the Arlington Blvd (Route 50) intersection with Patrick Henry Drive:
Detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit determined Mirza Baig was the driver of the 2016 Honda Accord traveling eastbound on Arlington Boulevard just east of Patrick Henry Dr in the far-left lane. The driver of a 2018 Honda Civic was also traveling eastbound on Arlington Boulevard in the far-right lane. The driver of the Civic attempted to make an abrupt U-turn and was struck by the driver of the Accord. Detectives determined Baig was traveling over 100 mph prior to the crash.
In its initial news release, the FCPD said a preliminary investigation indicated “speed and alcohol are not a factor for the driver of the Honda Accord.”
“During the course of their investigation, detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit were able to examine evidence in this case and determine that speed was a factor,” the FCPD public affairs bureau told FFXnow when asked about the change in findings.
Hamilton, previously identified as the driver of the Civic, was taken to a hospital, where she died.
According to an obituary, Hamilton grew up with a passion for music and studied both media communications and divinity at Regent University in Virginia Beach, becoming closely involved in church life.
“What we admired about her most of all is the unconditional love she gave to others,” her obituary says. “Her strong and fearless personality, along with her generous heart and compassion for life, is what we all will miss the most.”
She was survived by her parents, siblings and other relatives.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) One person died and two people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash at the Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) and Patrick Henry Drive intersection in Seven Corners early this morning (Friday).
Emergency responders with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to the scene of a crash with injuries around 1:11 a.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a 2016 Honda Accord headed east on Arlington Blvd crashed into a 2018 Honda Civic that was trying to make “an abrupt U-turn” from the far-right lane of eastbound Arlington Blvd., the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release.
According to a dispatcher, one of the vehicles in the crash caught on fire. Christina Hamilton, 37, who’s believed to have been the Civic driver, died after being transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
The driver and a passenger in the Accord were hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening.
Witnesses told responders that another man had fled the scene and was seen headed toward the nearby Target store. However, police now say the crash doesn’t appear to have been a hit-and-run.
“At this time, detectives do not believe there is anyone outstanding,” the FCPD said. “Detectives continue to investigate to confirm Hamilton was the driver of the Civic.”
Route 50 was closed to traffic between Olin Drive and Patrick Henry until shortly before 6 a.m, according to police.
This is the third fatal crash on Fairfax County roads in 2023 that didn’t involve pedestrians, following a single-vehicle crash on Braddock Road in February and the Jan. 10 crash on Lee Chapel Road that killed two teens. At this time last year, the FCPD had recorded two non-pedestrian-involved fatal crashes.
There have been a total of seven traffic fatalities in the county this year, including highway crashes and pedestrians, according to state data.
Rt. 50 is back open in both directions. The patients remain hospitalized. Follow our blog for updates https://t.co/QsTzdpgf0U
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 21, 2023
CRASH with FIRE and THREE CRITICAL INJURIES — Arlington Blvd at Patrick Henry Dr in Seven Corners. Two-vehicle crash with fire and *3* CRITICALLY injured with one in cardiac arrest. h/t @HCBright10 #VATraffic @ffxnow pic.twitter.com/iOXE1rq91R
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) April 21, 2023
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is investigating a crash in Seven Corners where they say a pedestrian was killed.
Police said a driver struck an adult woman at 6:18 a.m. in the intersection of Wilson Blvd and John Marshall Drive in Seven Corners. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
The driver remained on scene, according to FCPD, and the scene is being investigated by the Crash Reconstruction Unit.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say that the pedestrian — identified as Ana Julia Acosta De Ostorga, 58, of Falls Church — was crossing Wilson Blvd “in an unknown direction, in or near the pedestrian crossing” when she was hit by a 2003 Honda Accord driver traveling west.
The FCPD hasn’t identified the driver but says “speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver in the crash.”
Westbound Wilson Blvd reopened around noon after being shut down between John Marshall Drive and Peyton Randolph Drive.
This appears to be the first pedestrian fatality in Fairfax County this year. According to the FCPD, four pedestrians had been killed on county roads by this time in 2022, which saw 32 pedestrian deaths by the end of the year — the highest number since at least 2010.
Officers are on scene of a fatal pedestrian crash at Wilson Blvd & John Marshall Dr in Seven Corners. Adult female taken to hospital & pronounced deceased. Driver remained on scene. Detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit are responding. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/iJBzLH3YNM
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 24, 2023
Image via Google Maps
The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of plans for a 113-unit independent living facility in Seven Corners.
The vote, which included one abstention at the Feb. 8 meeting, sends the proposal from First Christian Church and developer Wesley Housing to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on Feb. 21.
Mason District Commissioner Daren Shumate said that the county worked with neighboring residents to tackle two major contentious issues involving the project: increased stormwater runoff in a problematic area and the scale of the project at 6165 Leesburg Pike.
The 7-acre parcel is currently developed with a nearly 27,500-square-foot church.
Aaron Vinson, a civil engineer with Walter L. Phillips, Inc., said the applicant worked to divert runoff away from Ravenwood Park in response to concerns from neighbors and residents about increased stormwater runoff in an area that already floods routinely.
He said the applicant’s stormwater runoff plan diverts runoff towards a “better functioning pipe system.”
Shumate also noted that the actual facade of the building facing a residential parcel is three stories.
“The intent of matching the look and feel of the neighborhood has been met,” Shumate said.
Despite giving the project its support, the commission cautioned that the county should continue to examine stormwater runoff in the area.
Franconia District Commissioner Daniel Lagana said the Virginia Department of Transportation is undertaking a study of the area in response to community concerns. At a public hearing on Feb. 1, residents described what Lagana said were serious concerns.
Shumate said the county is working with residents on the issue. Specifically, the county has given one resident sandbags to manage stormwater runoff near their home.
“The county needs to be very cognizant of these stormwater issues,” he said, adding that the sandbag step was only a temporary solution to what appears to be a bigger problem.
Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina said that the commission did recommend language for a Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan amendment that better managed stormwater runoff in the area — but the suggestion was not ultimately adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
“As a commission, we heard the residents,” Cortina said. “…We have to keep our eye on the ball with stormwater definitely.”
A motorcyclist has been taken to the hospital with serious injuries after crashing on Route 7 in Seven Corners.
The westbound lanes of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) at Patrick Henry Drive have been closed, as Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives investigate the crash, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
The biker’s injuries are considered life-threatening, according to police. The crash appears to have only involved the one vehicle, FCPD spokesperson Tara Gerhardt told FFXnow.
Drivers are advised to find an alternate route.
Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives are responding to Leesburg Pike & Patrick Henry Dr in Seven Corners for a motorcycle crash. Driver taken to the hospital with injuries considered life threatening. WB Leesburg Pike at Patrick Henry Drive is closed. Use alternate route. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/V5jZcOrMhX
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 4, 2023
A new gourmet popcorn shop is coming next year to Seven Corners Shopping Center.
Coming from the team behind Jake’s Ice Cream in Falls Church, Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn is slated to open next year at 6201 Seven Corners Center next to Michael’s.
Owner Robin Rinearson, a Fairfax County resident and retired optometrist, opened the Falls Church ice cream shop in August 2021.
Although ice cream is not on the new location’s menu, the team will continue its commitment to to hire people with disabilities, Rinearson told FFXnow. The effort is a partnership with the Arlington Program for Employment Preparedness, which offers internships that are pathways to paid employment.
“I have such a long wait list for employment at the ice cream parlor that I decided to expand the business,” Rinearson wrote in a statement. “I went to graduate school in Chicago where there is a popcorn shop every half dozen blocks. There are none in this area now. It’s time to start. I like a challenge.”
The ice cream parlor is named after Rinearson’s 29-year-old nephew, who has cerebral palsy and has worked for the company for several years. WUSA 9 covered the business, which has gained regional and nationwide attention for its business model.
Jake’s will sell flavors like kettle corn, caramel corn, cheddar cheese, buffalo wing and ranch, barbecue, maple bacon, lemon pound cake, birthday cake, Oreo and strawberry.
Patrons for events will also be able to make special requests for flavors, and seasonal flavors will be available.
Rinearson’s niece and husband — who are both architects — are designing the new shop. It’s expected to open in late winter or early spring 2023.
Photo courtesy Jake’s Ice Cream/Facebook
The one-story fire station on Sleepy Hollow Road in Seven Corners is now coming down after standing for almost half a century.
Demolition work began last week on Station 28 at 2949 Sleepy Hollow Road to make way for the construction of a new, larger facility on the same site, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department announced Monday (Dec. 12).
Firefighters and other personnel moved out of the 8,518-square-foot building back in February, relocating operations to 6637 South Street. The temporary firehouse was previously utilized by the Jefferson Fire Station until that permanent station opened in October 2021.
Originally opened in 1977, the Seven Corners Fire Station had just two vehicle bays and lacked locker rooms and other accommodations for female employees, according to FCFRD.
The replacement station will be 13,513 square feet in size with two stories, three vehicle bays, additional locker room and bunk space, and a storage outbuilding.
Construction was once expected to begin in the fall of 2021, but the county didn’t open bids for a contractor until this past April, ultimately awarding the contract to Roanoke-based Branch Builds Inc. As of September, the project carried an estimated cost of $15.9 million — exceeding the $13 million it received from a public safety bond in 2018.
The difference will be covered by the county’s Public Safety Contingency Fund and a reserve fund specifically intended for escalating construction costs, according to the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.
FCFRD says construction will begin in the “not-too-distant future” with completion now expected in late 2024.
Last week, demolition began on Station 28, Seven Corners. Station was opened in 1977. Construction of a new station, on site of old one, is slated to begin in the not-too-distant future. Personnel and equipment will operate out of a temporary fire station down the street. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/a5WOnuQdRq
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) December 12, 2022
Fairfax County has come up with a plan to improve Seven Corners and will be explaining it to residents next week.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is holding two virtual meetings on Nov. 8 and 9 to update and ask for feedback from residents on its findings from the Seven Corners Phasing Study.
The four-phase plan will build a “Ring Road” that the county believes will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, as well as relieve traffic congestion, in the Seven Corners area, particularly where Route 7, Arlington Blvd (Route 50), and Wilson Blvd all meet.
The first phase is to build a Ring Road on the west side of the interchange between Arlington Blvd and Route 7. The Ring Road will then be extended to the south side, and the central interchange will be reconfigured above Arlington Blvd where Route 7, Wilson Blvd, and Sleepy Hollow Road meet. The final phase will complete the Ring Road on the east side of the interchange connecting Wilson and Roosevelt Blvds.
The interchanges in and around Seven Corners are known to be confusing and dangerous. As recently as August, it was the site of a tragedy when a driver veered off the road and fatally hit a pedestrian in a nearby parking lot.
The Seven Corners study dates back a decade when a community task force first started discussing the future of the area.
The task force proposed recommendations in 2015 that were adopted into a plan amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors. At that time, FCDOT committed to a “phasing analysis” to determine how and in what order improvements were to be made.
In June 2020, FCDOT started conducting this analysis looking into “future transportation conditions; incorporated feedback received from previous rounds of outreach; and worked with various stakeholders to identify a recommended phasing approach.”
In Feb. 2021, a community meeting was held to update residents on that work and, again, in November.
Now, a year later, FCDOT is reaching back out to the public for a final round of feedback for the phasing study, which is expected to be completed by early next year.
However, there’s no set timeline yet for the project’s engineering and design phase, which is “dependent upon funding,” FCDOT spokesperson Robin Geiger told FFXnow in an email.
“The County has applied for Smart Scale funding from the Commonwealth for the first phase of the project and expects to hear early next year whether funding has been awarded,” Geiger said.
The county will also apply for federal funding as well. Once funding from local, state, and federal become available, design, utility coordination, and right-of-way acquisition will commence.
Once funding is awarded, Geiger said it should be expected that Phase 1 will take two years to construct.
The timeline for the other three phases is hard to predict at this point since they are “contingent upon the availability of funds.”
“We will continue to apply for funding progressively based on construction start for each phase,” Geiger said.
One of the two drivers involved in the Seven Corners crash that killed Maryland father Albert Sweat will face criminal charges, the Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Wednesday).
Yansi Martinez Gonzalez, a 26-year-old resident of Falls Church, was charged on Tuesday (Aug. 30) with reckless driving and driving without a license for her alleged role in the fatal Aug. 18 crash, where two cars collided and one hit Sweat as he was walking in a parking lot in the 6200 block of Arlington Blvd.
According to police, Martinez Gonzalez was driving north in a 2012 Honda Civic on Wilson Blvd when she attempted an “improper” lane change from the left lane, running into the side of a Volkswagen Jetta that was headed in the same direction.
“The collision forced the Volkswagen off the roadway into the adjacent parking lot, striking Mr. Sweat as he was walking,” the FCPD said. “The Volkswagen continued over a median and struck a parked 2010 GMC Yukon before coming to rest in a mulch bed.”
Martinez Gonzalez has been released on a summons ahead of a scheduled court appearance.
A construction foreman, Sweat left behind a wife and eight children. Talking to FFXnow last week, his eldest sister, Jean, and niece, Tierra, described him as a kind, loving person and a music enthusiast.
Tierra Sweat also called for safety improvements around the Wilson and Arlington Blvd intersection where the crash occurred.
Photo via Google Maps