Video from a Fairfax County police officer's dashboard camera captured U.S. Park Police officers shooting Bijan Ghaisar on Nov. 17, 2017 (via Interior Department's Office of the Inspector General)
Almost seven years after his death, federal officials have determined that the two U.S. Park Police officers who pursued and shot McLean resident Bijan Ghaisar complied with department policies.
The report released yesterday (Tuesday) concludes officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard were reasonable in their belief that Ghaisar “presented a clear and immediate threat to public safety” when he fled after being rear-ended by a rideshare driver on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria on Nov. 17, 2017.
Buildings in the Scotts Run neighborhood can be seen from Magarity Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
FFXnow Gets Approval to Publish Legal Notices — “ARLnow’s sister site, FFXnow, received a separate court authorization to publish legal notices for Fairfax County. ARLnow and FFXnow are the first online-only sites in the D.C. area to receive such authorization.” [ARLnow]
Former Delegate Launches Attorney General Bid — “Jay Jones, a Democratic former state delegate from Norfolk, on Tuesday announced his bid for Virginia attorney general at two separate events in Norfolk and Richmond.” Jones campaigned for the job in 2021 but lost the Democratic nomination to then-incumbent Mark Herring. [Virginia Mercury]
Filipino Restaurant in Annandale to Close — “Sari, the family-owned Filipino restaurant in the Bradlick Shopping Center in Annandale will close by the end of the month. Owner Juan Canlas owns six restaurants in D.C. and Maryland and says he is closing two because it’s become too difficult to manage all of them.” [Annandale Today]
Virginia Shares Public School Performance Data — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Friday rolled out a new state website aimed at giving parents and teachers more information about Virginia’s K-12 public schools, including performance data and comparisons among school systems around the state.” However, critics say there’s a lack of clarity to what the data means. [Washington Post]
Fairfax City’s Largest Private Employer to Stay — Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) “has successfully worked with Zeta Associates, Inc., the city’s largest private employer and office space user, to maintain its 225,000 square feet of office space that serves hundreds of high-skilled jobs in the city.” The software company will get help renovating the building in WillowWood Plaza. [FCED]
Data Centers Fuel Energy Demand — “The rise of data-hungry artificial intelligence is driving an explosion in data center construction both statewide [in Virginia] and across the country… What’s clear is that data centers will help shape the region’s energy landscape for decades to come — prompting investments in both renewables and gas infrastructure.” [WHRO]
Tysons Nonprofit CEO to Retire — Second Story CEO Judith Dittman will retire at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years with the nonprofit, which provides housing and other services for youth and families in crisis. She will be succeeded in January 2025 by Jade Leedham, who has been serving as executive vice president in anticipation of the transition. [Second Story]
Some Farmers Markets Extend Season — “This year, three Fairfax County Park Authority farmers market locations will be extending their season into December. The Reston, McCutcheon/Mount Vernon, and Burke markets will now be closing various dates in December.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 52 with a north wind at 7 mph, shifting to an eastward direction in the afternoon. As night falls, the sky will become mostly cloudy and temperatures will drop to around 37 degrees. [NWS]
Marshall's Ethan Lebkisher runs the ball (file photo by Deb Kolt)
The Herndon Hornets and Marshall Statesmen are seeded in the lower half of the eight-team region-football playoff bracket — but shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Each high-school team proved formidable during the regular season, heading into the playoffs on a win streak (in Herndon’s case) and well-rested (in Marshall’s).
The location of Bricks & Minifigs in West Falls Church (staff photo by Jared Serre)
Brick by brick, West Falls Church will soon be home to one of the area’s few Lego superstores.
Bricks & Minifigs is set to open later this month in the Shops at West Falls Church, located at 7395 Route 29, as a one-stop-shop for Lego products — both new and old. The national Lego-reselling chain also opened a franchise in Herndon this past June.
A Cybertruck and a Lamborgini set up for a race on Leesburg Pike at Westwood Center Drive in Tysons (via @ccj_media/Instagram)
A viral video depicting a street race on Leesburg Pike in Tysons has forced the hand of the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police Chief Kevin Davis and other officials warned at a press conference last week that those caught drag racing on Fairfax County streets will be found and prosecuted to the extent of the law.
The Japanese restaurant Modan has opened at 1788 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A chef who previously worked for the prestigious Japanese restaurant chain Nobu is now serving up sushi and wagyu steak in Tysons.
Modan opened to customers last Friday (Nov. 8) at 1788 Chain Bridge Road on the second floor of the Heming apartments in Scotts Run. Currently in soft-opening mode, the restaurant is offering dinner service from 5-10 p.m. for up to 60 guests.
North Shore Drive at Charter Oak Court in Reston (via Google Maps)
Three more people died in vehicle crashes on Fairfax County roads over Veterans Day weekend.
A single-vehicle crash in Reston early Sunday (Nov. 10) morning resulted in the deaths of the driver and a passenger, and later that day, the Fairfax County Police Department announced that a woman injured in a separate crash in Oakton on Saturday (Nov. 9) had died.
Fall leaves on a gravel path in McLean (staff photo)
‘Heavy’ Building Fire in Great Falls — “Fairfax County Fire & Rescue personnel extinguished a fire Sunday night in the 800 block of Blacks Hill Road in the Great Falls area. When fire units arrived on the scene, they found a structure with heavy fire throughout.” [Patch]
Centreville Man Sentenced for Jan. 6 Capitol Attack — A U.S. District judge sentenced Centreville resident Zachary J. Alam to eight years in prison last Thursday (Nov. 7) after a jury convicted him last year of “assaulting police, destroying public property and obstructing police during a civil disorder” at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. [Washington Post]
Navy Federal Hit With Record Fine — “Vienna-based Navy Federal Credit Union has been ordered by a federal regulator to pay $95 million in restitution and fines for allegedly charging illegal overdraft fees to customers” between 2017 and 2022. That includes $80 million in refunds to customers and $15 million for a victims’ relief fund — the largest fine ever levied against a credit union by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. [Washington Business Journal]
More Black and Latino Men Voted for Trump — “For DaSean Gallishaw, a consultant in Fairfax, Virginia, a vote for Trump was rooted in what he saw as Democrats’ rhetoric not matching their actions. ‘It’s been a very long time since the Democrats ever really kept their promises to what they’re going to do for the minority communities,’ he said.” [Associated Press]
GMU Students File Lawsuit Over Tampons — “In a lawsuit filed in federal court, third-year law students Selene Cerankosky and Maria Arcara said the school ordered them to have no contact with another student who proposed stocking all restrooms, including men’s rooms, with menstrual hygiene products.” [WTOP]
Tex-Mex Restaurant Opens in Falls Church — “A new Latin and Tex-Mex restaurant is currently hosting its soft opening in Falls Church. Casa Mariachi Bar and Grille expects to hold a grand opening sometime next week at 133 E. Annandale Road, manager Tony Flores told ARLnow” on Nov. 8. [ARLnow]
Belle Haven Residents Push for New Park — The Fairfax County Park Authority is finalizing the design concept for a trail system that could help address “the lack of readily accessible recreational opportunities in the highly developed, densely populated Kings Crossing area.” The concept will be presented to the community next spring. [On the MoVe]
Woodlawn Park to Unveil New Restrooms — “The Fairfax County Park Authority, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck and members of the Woodlawn Little League community invite the public to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting for the newly completed restroom and concessions building at McNaughton Fields Park. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.” [FCPA]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 56 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 13 to 15 mph and gusts reaching up to 24 mph. The clear night will bring a low around 33 degrees, with a north wind at 7 to 9 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. [NWS]
The McLean High School Sports Hall of Fame inducted six new members (courtesy of McLean athletics)
McLean High School held its 2024 Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week, announcing six new inductees during halftime of the Nov. 8 home football game against the Langley Saxons.
The new McLean members are David Daido, Susan South, Alexander Weatherbee, Donald Weatherbee, Ayanna Alexander and Sam Clark.