Boats are docked on Lake Thoreau with Reston Station in the background (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

County Police Step Up DWI Enforcement for Holidays — “Our DWI Enforcement Squad ramps up at the end of every year to focus on Safe December. During this campaign, running from December 4 to December 29, the squad will increase their staffing and focus on ensuring our roadways remain safe this holiday season.” [FCPD]

Two People Shot Near Annandale Bowlero — “Police are investigating a shooting by the Bowlero bowling alley at 4245 Markham St. in Annandale on Dec. 1.” Officers who responded around 5 p.m “found a juvenile suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body.” Detectives believe an adult man who appeared at Virginia Hospital Center with a gunshot wound was also involved. [Annandale Today]

FCPS Still Looking Into Hayfield Football Program — “A week after Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid withdrew Hayfield Secondary School’s football team from the playoffs, the Virginia school system is still investigating troubling text messages that led to the high school athletic director’s resignation.” [WTOP]

Capital Bikeshare Use Growing but Uneven — Capital Bikeshare “has hit new monthly ridership records for six months and counting, and year over year, ridership jumped up a whopping 47.7% between October 2023 and October 2024 … But CaBi’s growth is uneven outside of the District itself, despite significant pockets of density and transit usage in the area’s suburbs.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Route 1 Widening to Close Local Bank — “United Bank, a community bank located at the corner of Richmond Highway and Sherwood Hall Lane in Gum Springs, will be permanently closing in February 2025, a spokesperson from the bank confirmed … The bank falls within the proposed right of way for the future Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit system.” [On the MoVe]

Pupatella Marks Reston Anniversary With Discount — “Wednesday, December 4th our Reston location is celebrating their Anniversary with $10 pizzas all day! Join us for great food, great fun, great prizes, and so much more!” [Pupatella/Instagram]

GMU Student Art to Be Displayed at Metro Stations — “You may spot some new works of art on your daily commute, thanks to four George Mason University student artists. These students will have original animations displayed on screens in six Metro stations as part of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Art in Transit Program.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Reston Association Seeks Board Candidates — “Reston Association is seeking candidates to serve on its Board of Directors. A total of three seats will be open for the election in March 2025,” including one at-large seat and the seats for the Tall Oaks/Lake Anne and North Point district directors. [Reston Association]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 42 and southwest winds increasing to 10-15 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. At night, there’s a 40% chance of rain and snow showers after 1 am, coupled with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 34°F. [NWS]


News

Northbound traffic entering Tysons on the Capital Beltway is at a standstill as a result of a tractor-trailer fire.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to I-495 North under eastbound Leesburg Pike (Route 7) for a truck fire around 6:37 p.m.


Sports

Six girls volleyball players from the rival Flint Hill Huskies and Potomac School Panthers were chosen to Division I all-state teams from their performances during the fall high-school season.

Making first team from Flint Hill were senior hitter and setter Isabelle Bardin, senior libero Kadi Pynchon and sophomore middle blocker Hunter Ross and, from Potomac School, senior middle hitter Skylar Guliani.


Sports

For the last two seasons, Cole Samburg and Robert Roncskevitz became familiar names on the Langley Saxons football team.

The offensive-backfield-mates each amassed significant offensive statistics during two years of starting action for their high-school team, junior Samburg as the quarterback and senior Roncskevitz as runningback.


McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival

Celebrate the season and enjoy a weekend of holiday cheer at the McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival!

Founded in 1982, this highly anticipated and much beloved indoor, juried, three-day show features approximately 80 talented, juried, regional artisans with one-of-a-kind gifts for every budget.

The special shopping experience includes pottery, glass, jewelry, holiday decor, mixed media, fashion accessories, leather, wood, fine art, artisanal foods, soaps, and metalworking.

The Festival will be held on December 6-8 at the McLean Community Center (MCC) in McLean. The McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA 22101) is ADA compliant and provides a delightful venue with music and an onsite café.

This year’s Festival will include a VIP Happy Hour on Friday, December 6 from 4-6 p.m.

  • Free Parking at 1234 Ingleside Avenue
  • Proceeds support the Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild’s scholarship program for college art students
  • Giveaways, prize drawings and more
  • VIP Happy Hour includes wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres

Buy advanced tickets for the Festival or the VIP Happy Hour today!

If you have any questions, please contact Festival Chairs Charles Cheek or Roz Jacobs at mcleanshow@nvhg.org.

Festival Happy Hour Event

Friday, December 6 | 4-7 p.m. to VIP attendees
Beer and wine in the McLean Project for the Arts Atrium Gallery
$15 for all three days

Festival

Friday, December 6 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m., open to the public
Saturday, December 7 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m., open to the public
Sunday, December 8 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open to the public
$5 for three days | Children under 12 free


Around Town

An abundance of holiday-inspired events are being held around Fairfax County in coming weeks.

From music to shopping to visits with Santa, there is plenty to keep all ages embraced in the warmth of the holiday season. Some highlights are below.


Countywide

Those employed in Fairfax County saw the 10th highest average weekly paycheck among the nation’s 370 most populous localities, according to new federal figures.

The average weekly wage for those who work in the county, no matter where they might live, was $2,143 in the second quarter of 2024, according to data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in November.


Around Town

The chef behind Taco Bamba is expanding his presence at Vienna Shopping Center with a new steakhouse.

Electric Bull, which is described as an “upscale neighborhood spot,” will open in summer 2025 at 176 Maple Avenue West, just a couple of doors away from Taco Bamba’s Vienna restaurant. The 2,488-square-foot space was occupied by Cava until the fast-casual Mediterranean chain relocated to 418 Maple Avenue East in 2023.


Countywide

Fairfax officials have promised resistance to Trump administration policies that conflict with their values.

But when it comes to keeping the federal workforce rooted in the local area, they may try another tack: flattery, or at least finding common ground.


The Town of Vienna illuminated its Christmas tree on Monday, Dec. 2 as part of its annual Church Street Holiday Stroll (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

County Opens Hypothermia Prevention Shelters — Fairfax County has launched its annual Hypothermia Prevention Program, which offers overnight shelter, food and other resources to those in need during the cold winter months. Continuing until March 31, 2025, the program involves permanent shelters and temporary sites hosted by local nonprofits and faith communities. [Fairfax County Government]

Man Last Seen in McLean Still Missing — Virginia and Fairfax County police are looking for 80-year-old Robert Williams, who has now been missing for over a week. He was last seen around noon on Nov. 25 in the 2100 block of Westmoreland Street in McLean, driving a pickup truck that was found parked and empty on Fairfax Drive in Arlington on Sunday (Dec. 1). [WUSA9]

Dominion Energy Station to Power Data Center — “Bren Mar Park community representatives are urging residents to come out in force to a Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) hearing this Thursday on Dominion Energy’s application for the Edsall substation and transmission lines. The substation would power Starwood Capital’s planned data center at the Plaza 500 site.” [Annandale Today]

Stolen Vehicle Crashed on GMU Campus — “Around 7:38 p.m., a vehicle that had been stolen from Prince William County earlier in the day [on Saturday, Nov. 30] careened onto the school’s Fairfax campus and slammed into the pole.” GMU Assistant Chief of Police Emily Ross says police took two juveniles in the vehicle into custody, but two others are still at large. [Patch]

Woman Arrested at Dulles Airport for Marijuana — “A Texas woman is facing felony drug charges after authorities said she tried to bring 71 pounds of marijuana onto a flight at Dulles Airport that was destined for London.” Customs officers discovered 60 vacuum-sealed bags filled with the drug in the woman’s two suitcases on Nov. 23. [WTOP]

Local TV News Anchor on Hiatus — “NBC Washington announced Monday that anchor Leon Harris is ‘stepping away from the anchor desk to focus on health issues’ … The announcement comes after Harris appeared unwell during a 6 p.m. newscast Thanksgiving Day,” prompting viewers to raise “concerns that the anchor could be suffering a medical emergency after he stumbled over his words several times.” [WTOP]

Mount Vernon Farmers Market Adds Vendors — “Prep your palate for some mouth-watering treats as ‘pop-up’ vendors new to this year’s McCutcheon/Mount Vernon Farmers Market will offer their wares starting Dec. 4.” The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Reston and Burke markets will also remain open until this Saturday, Dec. 7 and Dec. 21, respectively. [On the MoVe]

Falls Church May Discuss Allowing Deer Hunting — “On Monday, new City Council member Laura Downs asked City Manager Wyatt Shields if coming months would include a discussion of whether Falls Church should join the growing number of Northern Virginia localities that permit deer levels to be controlled on public property.” [ARLnow]

It’s Tuesday — The weather will be sunny, reaching a high of approximately 41 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 9 to 11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. Night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 24 degrees, and a west wind at a speed of 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]


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