Cedar Park Shopping Center in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Some library services will still be available in Vienna while the town’s recently renamed Patrick Henry Community Library undergoes an extensive renovation starting early next year.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is planning to open a temporary branch at the Cedar Park Shopping Center in spring 2025 that will support a limited selection of materials and programming, such as storytimes.
A Fairfax County-owned electric vehicle charger at the Bulova Center for Community Health in Merrifield (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Five more homeowners’ associations have been selected to receive grants for electric vehicle charging stations through Fairfax County’s Charge Up Fairfax program.
Spearheaded by the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC), the initiative originally launched in 2023 as a pilot program to encourage residential neighborhoods to invest in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by reimbursing HOAs for up to a third of the costs to install charging stations.
The Apex fitness park at Reston’s Halley Rise, which continues construction (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Pedestrian Injured in HerndonCrash — A pedestrian was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by the driver of a car on Sterling Road near Herndon Parkway last night (Tuesday). Sterling Road reopened around 3 a.m. [Herndon Police/Twitter]
Idylwood Man Battles Damaging Golf Balls — “For more than half his life, Forrest Hatcher has dealt with near-daily damage from errant golf balls flying from Jefferson Park Golf Course. The balls have shattered his windshield, dented his van, and damaged his home’s siding, trim and windows…Netting was put up to stop the golf balls, but Hatcher said it’s not high enough.” [NBC4]
Va. Democrats Back VP for Nomination — “Nearly all of Virginia’s 119 delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the party’s presidential ticket in November, after President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid.” [Virginia Mercury]
Capital One Reports Drop in Profits — Tysons-based Capital One Financial Corp. reported a profit of $597 million for the second quarter of 2024, down 54% from the first quarter and 57% from Q2 2023. The decline reflects an increase in “credit card chargeoffs” and “the termination of its credit card partnership with Walmart Inc.” [Washington Business Journal]
Annandale Commercial Building Up for Sale — “A small commercial building at 7229 Little River Turnpike in Annandale is up for sale. The current tenant, HanmiPost, has a three-year lease. HanmiPost moved to that space in April 2023 after its previous building on Columbia Pike burned down.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Realtor Collects Backpacks for Students — “Nicki Moravitz, a Realtor with Century 21 New Millennium in Reston, will be celebrating her birthday on Saturday by collecting new backpacks for local children in support of Cornerstones’ Annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive…Cornerstones will be accepting in-person donations of new backpacks from Monday, July 29-Friday, Aug. 2.” [Patch]
Vienna Planning Commissioner Wins Award — “Stephen Kenney, a member of the Vienna Planning Commission, has been presented with the 2024 Chandler Award for Citizen Planner of the Year by the Virginia chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Virginia).” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — The day will be mostly cloudy, reaching a high near 85 and a 70% chance of precipitation. Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected before 8pm, continuing with a chance afterward. The night will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 74. [NWS]
Flowers planted along Maple Avenue in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
If you’ve driven or taken a stroll down Vienna’s Maple Avenue this summer, you might’ve noticed more pops of color than in previous years.
The Town of Vienna wants to draw more attention to the vivid flowers lining its main downtown streets with a new, self-guided “Vienna in Bloom” streetscape tour. The town’s economic development and parks and recreation departments unveiled a map last Friday (July 19) showing the locations of dozens of different flowers and nearby local businesses.
The Fairfax County School Board approved the policy 9-2 at a meeting last Thursday (July 18) that drew a raucous crowd. The board also directed the superintendent to implement boundary changes for Lincolnia’s Glasgow Middle School that were put on hold while the countywide policy was reviewed.
A box of donuts from The Salty Donut (courtesy The Salty Donut)
The Mosaic District’s food scene is getting a shake-up.
First, Kreole Seafood and Cocktails permanently closed after July 14, less than a year after introducing its Creole-meets-Asian concept. Then, the Florida donut bakery, The Salty Donut, announced yesterday (Monday) that it will open its first Virginia location in the Merrifield neighborhood.
The 8421 Broad apartments and the PARC at Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
FCPD Officers to Provide Security for Olympics — “A group of 12 Fairfax County police officers, including a K-9 unit, will work to secure the Olympics,” which start this Friday, July 26 in Paris, France. The Fairfax County Police Department was invited, along with other U.S. law enforcement agencies, to help French police secure venues and Metro stations. [NBC4]
Reston Town Center Bridge Work to Affect Buses — “Heads up! The Reston Town Center Transit Station will be closed July 26-28” due to construction on a pedestrian bridge over the W&OD Trail. “Regular service at RTC resumes on Monday, July 29. All impacted bus stops will be relocated along Bluemont Way.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]
Madison HS Student Under Investigation — “Town of Vienna Police are investigating whether a student at James Madison High School uploaded and sent images of child pornography using his Instagram account, according to court documents.” [Patch]
West Falls Church Homes to Be Demolished for Flood Project — “Fairfax County plans to demolish nine houses on Barrett Road in the Falls Church area of Mason District as part of a project to reduce flooding along Tripps Run…Those properties would be excavated and replaced with an environmental corridor with a passive recreational area.” [Annandale Today]
Rep. Connolly Calls for Secret Service Leader’s Resignation — Rep. Gerry Connolly says it was “unacceptable” that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle didn’t express a stance on how the accessibility of guns affects the agency’s ability to do its job during a House committee hearing yesterday (Monday) on the agency’s handling of the July 13 campaign rally where former president Donald Trump got shot. [Gerry Connolly]
Arrest Made in Mount Vernon Plaza Burglaries — “On July 20 at 7:49 a.m., officers responded to a burglary in progress at Mount Vernon Plaza in the 7600 block of Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley.” A preliminary investigation found that a 22-year-old man used an “unlocked roof fire hatch” to get into a building at the shopping center, where “he proceeded to burglarize five businesses.” [FCPD]
Day Care Approved in Vienna — “Vienna Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) members on July 17 unanimously granted a conditional-use permit for a family daycare serving up to 12 children at 430 Old Courthouse Road, N.E…Happy Hive Daycare LLC will operate the facility out of an existing 4,006-square-foot single-family detached house at the 0.3-acre site.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 89. Expect a 70% chance of precipitation at night, mainly between 8 and 11 pm. It will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 74. [NWS]
Fava Pot in the Shops at West Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
When the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) handed out its annual awards celebrating the D.C. region’s food industry last night (Sunday), the winners included two restaurants that can be found in Fairfax County.
Fava Pot, an Egyptian restaurant in West Falls Church, won an award for Favorite Fast Bites, while Colada Shop, a Caribbean spot with a location in Merrifield’s Mosaic District, was named the area’s Hottest Sandwich Shop at the 42nd Annual RAMMYS Awards Gala, which was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C.
After weeks of speculation and reported angst within the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden announced yesterday (Sunday) that he will no longer seek a second term, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his party’s nominee.
Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, who represent parts of Fairfax County in the House, and Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner quickly expressed support for Biden’s “difficult decision” and joined him in backing Harris.
Concrete stairs and a light pole surrounded by overgrowth along Reston Station Blvd (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Man Found Dead in Oakton — Fairfax County police were called to the 9500 block of Route 29 in Oakton on Saturday (July 27) for an unresponsive person who was later declared dead. The death is being investigated as a homicide, and as of yesterday (Sunday) morning, the scene at a commercial townhouse complex just east of Fairfax City remained blocked by police tape. [Patch]
Springfield Man Sentenced to Jail for Jan. 6 Assault — “A 24-year-old Fairfax County man was sentenced in federal court on Friday to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. He also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.” [Patch]
Man Arrested for Child Exploitation in Fairfax City — “A man from Centreville, Virginia, is under arrest after police say he coerced a teenager in Minnesota to send sexually explicit photographs of herself to him and then tried to meet her in person.” The 41-year-old man “was arrested in Fairfax City on Monday after a grand jury indicted him” on counts of producing and receiving child pornography and coercing a minor. [WTOP]
Dunkin’ Donuts Under Construction in Annandale — “Dunkin’ Donuts is expected to open on Columbia Pike in Annandale the first week of August, according to the general contractor working on renovating the building…The Annandale location, at 7025 Columbia Pike, is the site of a former flower shop. The building has been vacant since it was heavily damaged in a fire two years ago.” [Annandale Today]
McLean Softball Team Wins State Title — “With a 6-0 record, the McLean Little League age 9-11 All-Stars won recent District 4 and state tournaments, dominating the competition along the way. McLean outscored its opponents, 84-7 with two shutouts. McLean was 2-0 in the district tourney, defeating Great Falls by 12-1 and 13-2 scores.” [Gazette Leader]
Mount Vernon Police Station Has a New Commander — “The Mount Vernon Police District has a new station commander — Maj. Matthew Luik. Luik comes to the Mount Vernon District Police Station after having served as Major of the Criminal Investigations Division within the Major Crimes Bureau of the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD).” [On the MoVe]
Reston Tech Company Plans West Coast Expansion — Neovera Inc., a cybersecurity and cloud services provider based in RTC West, “is eyeing national expansion” after aquiring Emagined Security Inc., a California-based company. The deal “will allow it to extend its security operations center, which is primarily located on the East Coast, to one that can better handle clients throughout the whole country.” [DC Inno]
Merrifield T-Shirt Maker Hires New CEO — “Custom Ink LLC’s Marc Katz is stepping down as CEO at the printed shirt and swag maker he co-founded nearly 25 years ago with his Harvard University classmates after graduating. David Doctorow, the former CEO of Realtor.com parent company Move Inc., has been tapped to succeed Katz, who will remain chairman of Custom Ink’s board.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect showers and thunderstorms mainly before 5 p.m., with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 83°F. At night, there’s a 60% chance of precipitation, particularly before 11 p.m., with a low temperature around 72°F with southeast winds at 3-6 mph. [NWS]