Sweetgreen is officially cruising into Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean, and it’s bringing a beach-inspired Mexican restaurant from D.C. along for the ride.
The fast-casual health food chain anticipates opening at 6220 Old Dominion Drive this fall. The 2,571-square-foot restaurant will be joined in the free-standing, former Truist Bank building by Surfside, which is expanding into Virginia for the first time.
Two months after the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, voters will begin casting ballots to determine his successor.
The early voting period for the 11th Congressional District special election begins tomorrow (Friday). It will run through 5 p.m. on Sept. 6, ending three days before the scheduled election day on Sept. 9.
D.C. Leads Nation in Traffic — A new report from Consumer Affairs has ranked D.C. as the city with the worst traffic in the U.S., putting it above Los Angeles, which previously held the no. 1 spot. “The average commute to work in DC is 33.4 minutes — the longest in the U.S. On an average weekday, traffic congestion lasts more than 6.5 hours. That’s the equivalent of spending 71 days in traffic each year.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
GMU Professors Criticize Board — “A group of George Mason University professors declared that the Board of Visitors had failed to defend President Gregory Washington and the institution from political attacks in a vote of no confidence.” The vote was “overwhelmingly approved” by the GMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (GMU-AAUP) as the university faces a series of investigations launched by the Trump administration. [Virginia Mercury]
More Data on ICE Arrests — “Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions have jumped in D.C., Virginia and Maryland … In Virginia and D.C., people without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 60% of daily ICE arrests in early June, per agency data obtained by the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Deportation Data Project.” [Axios DC]
Man Wanted for Hit-and-Run Arrested — According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, a 29-year-old man was pulled over by deputies on Tuesday (July 22) after he was seen drifting out of his lane on I-95, forcing another driver to swerve to avoid a collision. Showing signs of intoxication, the man is wanted by Fairfax County on a felony hit-and-run charge and was previously convicted of a DUI in 2018, the sheriff’s office says. [DC News Now]
Metro Investigates Duplicate Charges — “It’s been about two months since Metro gave riders the option to pay by simply tapping a contactless credit card or using Apple Pay at the gates, but rider Tanya Lervik — who commutes from College Park to Gallery Place — recently noticed some strange charges on her credit card account … She quickly started wondering how she could have been charged on the credit card even though she only uses her SmarTrip to pay.” [NBC4]
Stream Restoration Underway — “A stream restoration project underway in Seven Corners is aimed at reducing erosion in the Long Branch stream within the Hollybrooke community, between Patrick Henry Drive and Arlington Boulevard … Work on the $1.3 million Patrick Henry Outfall Restoration Project started in June and is expected to be completed in September.” [Annandale Today]
Drug Maker Plans Va. Facility — “In a vote of confidence for Virginia’s growing life sciences sector, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced plans to build its largest drug manufacturing facility in the world somewhere in the commonwealth — marking the company’s single biggest investment ever.” The facility will be part of a planned $50 billion expansion in the U.S. for the U.K.-based company [Virginia Mercury]
Temporary Library Open in Vienna — A temporary Patrick Henry Library opened Monday (July 21) at the Cedar Park Shopping Center in Vienna, offering limited services with construction on a permanent library expected to begin this fall. Local officials welcomed the facility at 262C Cedar Lane SE with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (Wednesday) that included free samples from nearby Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream and an open house. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Free Trees Available for Planting — “Community-based organizations in Fairfax County can apply to receive free trees for planting on private properties, through a program by Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.” The program aims to increase tree coverage “in economically disadvantaged communities.” [DPWES]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 90 degrees, accompanied by a south wind of 3 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 74 degrees, and the south wind continuing at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]
A post-Covid boom in international travel has put Dulles International Airport atop a ranking for service to Africa.
The local airport, which sits on the border of Loudoun and Fairfax counties, has now surpassed John F. Kennedy International in New York for the most nonstop destinations to the continent, with eight cities to JFK’s six.
Should McLean stick with green and gold or change things up as it pursues a downtown revitalization?
That is one of the questions awaiting responses in a new survey on street banners from Fairfax County and the McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC), a volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the McLean Community Business Center (CBC).
Drivers who block bus traffic across Northern Virginia could someday receive fines based on video evidence from cameras mounted on Metrobuses, Fairfax Connector buses and those of other transit systems.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) board of directors discussed the possibility of advocating for the General Assembly to lift the state’s existing prohibition on using cameras to enforce bus-only lanes at its meeting last Thursday (July 17).
Metro’s summer celebration will be held in Vienna this weekend.
Transit fans of all ages can indulge in a variety of WMATA-themed activities at MetroFest on Saturday (July 26), providing them a behind-the-scenes look at the D.C. region’s largest public transportation provider.
Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Hospitals — “Virginia hospitals will lose out on $26 billion over 14 years under changes to the Medicaid program in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law, according to new state estimates … The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it will lead to 10 million fewer people with health insurance in 2034.” [Virginia Public Media]
Driver Killed in I-495 Crash Identified — “The Virginia State Police provided more information on the beltway crash on July 21 that resulted in the death of a driver … According to the VSP, five vehicles were involved, not four as initially reported. Suzzane K. Colbert, 60, of Arlington, the driver of a Scion XB, was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.” [Annandale Today]
Immigration Lawyer on ICE Arrests — Fairfax-based immigration lawyer Ofelia Calderón “says that since Donald Trump took office for his second presidential term in January, she has had about the same number of clients but she’s getting a lot more calls from clients in ‘drastic situations.'” She advises documenting everything if people see ICE agents in their neighborhood. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Lawsuit Challenges Felon Voting Ban — “In a high-stakes voting rights battle with roots in the Reconstruction era, civil rights groups on Friday filed two new motions in a federal lawsuit that could restore voting rights to thousands of Virginians with felony convictions.” A bid for class-action status would expand the case’s impact beyond its plaintiffs to the “more than 300,000 Virginians who they say remain disenfranchised.” [Virginia Mercury]
Mental Health Center Opens — “On Tuesday, Dominion Hospital cut the ribbon on its new Fairfax Mental Health Assessment Center in Fairfax City, providing individuals ages 5 through adulthood with timely evaluations and care recommendations for free … Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the Fairfax Mental Health Assessment Center is located at 10721 Main St., Suite 1300.” [Patch]
Parking Ticket Fight Leads to Charges — “A grand jury indicted a 29-year-old Virginia woman after she allegedly robbed a parking enforcement officer of their ticket machine in late June.” The Annandale woman allegedly took the D.C. officer’s machine after a “verbal altercation” over a ticket issued to her sister for not moving out of a “no parking zone.” [WJLA]
Fairfax City Economic Development Head to Leave — “After nearly a decade of leading Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED), Christopher Bruno will step down as CEO and Director in late August. Bruno will join New York Law School as its inaugural Chief of Economic Development Programs and Strategies and as a member of its Senior Leadership Team.” [FCED]
Tysons Contractor Boosts Startups — “McLean, Virginia-based government contracting giant Booz Allen Hamilton has tripled its commitment to investing in promising startup companies, specifically in cybersecurity, defense and intelligence. Booz Allen Ventures, launched with $100 million in 2023, has invested in 17 startups to date.” [WTOP]
Bank Eyes N. Va. Expansion — “Powhatan-based, New Horizon Bank has hired two local bankers from M&T Bank to help build a book of business in Northern Virginia as it eyes a branch opening in the region in the next 12 to 18 months.” The company hasn’t identified a location yet but aims to draw “$20 million and $30 million in deposits and $50 million in loans” in the region over the next year with a primary focus on real estate deals. [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 87 degrees, accompanied by a calm wind that will shift to the southeast at 5 to 7 mph in the morning. On Wednesday night, the skies will be mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 69 degrees, with a south wind of 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) now has a road map taking it to mid-century. How many detours and speed bumps there might be along the way remains to be seen.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) voted 19-0 on July 17 to support the “VRE System Plan 2050,” replacing a plan adopted in 2014 that looked as far out at 2040.
The Fairfax County Park Authority has created a new “self-guided adventure” for those looking to take an expedition through nature not far from home.
The park authority’s 2025 Discovery Trail Map celebrates 75 years of parks and recreation with a challenge to visit eight park locations before Labor Day.
