Around Town

Tysons Corner Center is poised for a busy summer with new retail options and family-friendly programs.

Following the recent openings of an expanded Zara and relocated Maggiano’s, the mall anticipates welcoming Sloomoo Institute — self-described as “the world’s #1 slime experience” — sometime in July, though a precise date hasn’t been announced yet.


A helicopter passes above a streetlight in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Pedestrian Killed in Seven Corners Crash — “Officers are on scene of a pedestrian crash at Leesburg Pike and Munson Hill Rd near Seven Corners. An adult male pedestrian was struck and transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased. A second adult male pedestrian was struck and not injured.” [FCPD/X]

Motorcyclist Dies After Route 1 Crash — A motorcyclist who was seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash on Richmond Highway and Mims Street in Lorton on Wednesday (June 17) has died, police announced last night. “Preliminary, alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash. Speed remains under investigation.” [FCPD]

Transit Schedules Modified for Juneteenth — “Fairfax Connector will operate Holiday Weekday Service on Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth.” Meanwhile, Metro announced that rail and bus service will be more limited today before increasing frequency on the weekend for Pride events in D.C. [FCDOT]

Va. Joins Reproductive Freedom Alliance — “From support for legislation and ballot referendums to helping states stockpile abortion and miscarriage management drug mifepristone, a growing cohort of governors are banding together as the Reproductive Freedom Alliance. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Wednesday that she has joined the coalition.” [Virginia Mercury]

Quad God Visits Former School — “On June 15, Westbriar Elementary School students were paid a visit from a very special alumnus, none other than Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion figure skater Ilia Malinin. The Olympian has also become known as the ‘Quad God’ because of his ability to land some of the most difficult quadruple jumps in figure skating, including the first quadruple axel in competition.” [FCPS]

Update on RTC North Plan — “Fairfax County and Inova officials told Reston residents Tuesday night that a proposed rezoning for Reston Town Center North is meant to establish the framework for future redevelopment, not approve the final design of individual buildings.” [Patch]

Reston Residents Approve Speed Humps — “A Fairfax County traffic-calming plan to install three speed humps on Fairway Drive has been approved by residents in the ballot area, according to the RTAP Fairway Drive Task Force. The task force said it was notified June 15 by Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s (D-Hunter Mill) office that the plan had passed.” [Patch]

Falls Church Could Expand Car Tax Exemption — “Vehicles assessed at $1,500 or less are currently exempt from the city’s car tax of $4.80 per $100 assessed valuation. Under a proposal brought to Council members by Commissioner of Revenue Tom Clinton and city staff, the exemption level would double to $3,000.” [ARLnow]

It’s Friday — Cloudy, then gradual clearing during the afternoon, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Night will be mostly clear, with a low around 64. West wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. [NWS]


Countywide

Several Fairfax County supervisors this week signaled an interest in expanding the “Beyond the Bell” child care program following a reportedly successful pilot over the previous school year. 

County staff proposed at the Board of Supervisors’ Health and Human Services Committee meeting on Tuesday (June 16) transitioning all existing School Age Child Care (SACC) sites to Beyond the Bell over the next few years, starting with an additional 21 schools this fall. 


Countywide

Further reductions in Fairfax County’s office building inventory are needed, but the commercial office sector is not a dinosaur destined for extinction, industry officials say.

“We’re seeing our existing tenants … beginning to need more space,” Barry Bass, a cofounder of the real estate investment firm Silverline Equities, told the Board of Supervisors’ Council for Economic Opportunity on Tuesday (June 16).


Countywide

Early voting has officially started in Fairfax County for Congressional primary elections that will likely be relatively low on drama after a chaotic spring saw voters narrowly approve new districts that were subsequently nullified by the Virginia Supreme Court.

The county is opening three in-person early voting sites today (Thursday), starting with the Fairfax County Government Center at 8 a.m. and followed at 1 p.m. by the Mount Vernon and North County governmental centers.


The children’s TV show “Peppa Pig” plays on the outdoor screen at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Missing Swimmer’s Body Found — “Crews from the Montgomery County fire department recovered the body of 20-year-old Nazir Bell early Tuesday afternoon days after they started their search on Sunday evening.” Bell went missing while swimming in the Potomac River near the Billy Goat Trail during what “was supposed to be a fun outing with friends.” [NBC4]

Home Builder Convicted of Fraud — “A three-week criminal trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court ended Wednesday with a six-count conviction for home contractor Richard Craig Tadlock. The 76-year-old was convicted on five counts of construction fraud and one count of obtaining money by false pretenses.” [WUSA9]

Regional Lego Theft Ring Busted — “Three suspects are accused of conspiring to steal minifigures from numerous Lego sets across the D.C. area, making a tidy profit reselling them online. Collectible minifigures from fandoms such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Zelda were secretly swiped in 29 incidents, supplying a high-volume eBay storefront that netted over $36,000 in 12 months, according to a criminal complaint.” [ARLnow]

Repairs Continue on Potomac Water Pipes — Emergency repairs started on Tuesday (June 16) to fix a different section of the Potomac Interceptor than the one that “famously spewed raw sewage straight into the Potomac River” in January, an indicator of the “precarious state” of D.C.’s only drinking water source. Additional priority spots have been identified in Dulles and “on the DC-Maryland line by Chain Bridge.” [Washingtonian]

Former Kingstowne Library Slated for Retail — The owner of Landsdowne Centre is seeking contractors to divide roughly 20,000 square feet of space previously occupied by the Kingstowne Library and Center for Active Adults into “nine new retail spaces.” The shopping center is otherwise “fully leased” to tenants including CVS, Hangry Joe’s, Dairy Queen and more. [Washington Business Journal]

Local Student Honored for Safety Patrol Work — Inspired by his mother and older sister, William Kinne signed up to become a safety patrol member at Canterbury Woods Elementary School in Wakefield. “On Tuesday night, Kinne was recognized as AAA’s Safety Patroller of the Year. It marks the second consecutive year a student at the school has received the honor.” [WTOP]

New Eateries Coming to Bailey’s Crossroads — “Several new dining options are in the works for Bailey’s Crossroads. The Nile Restaurant is slated to open Monday, June 22, at 5624 Columbia Pike. Gamal Elhadi, the owner, plans to offer kebabs, grilled chicken, fried fish, salads, and Mediterranean specialties.” Multiple cafes, a Chinese restaurant and Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe are also under construction. [Annandale Today]

Metro Reflects on 50 Years of Service — “This year marks 50 years since Metrorail’s first trains began service in D.C. Over the course of the decades, the transit system has expanded significantly, playing a crucial role in the growth and development of the Washington metropolitan area.” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke “views Metro’s story as intertwined with that of America and the DMV.” [DC News Now]

It’s Thursday — Expect a high of 94°F and partly sunny skies, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 PM. At night, there is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly before 3 AM, with a low of 69°F. [NWS]

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Countywide

The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to approve a new policy that prioritizes full five-day school weeks throughout the year, confirms the length of spring and winter breaks, and sets a framework for the calendar year going forward.

After a tense discussion, the school board voted 8-4 on June 11 to approve a motion by Providence District member Karl Frisch revising an earlier draft of the policy.


Countywide

Two state laws sponsored by state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37) seeking to restrain federal immigration enforcement agents are being challenged by the Trump administration’s Justice Department.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Richmond Division last Thursday (June 11), challenges Virginia’s incoming ban on law enforcement officers wearing face masks and restrictions on cooperation agreements between federal immigration enforcement and state and local law enforcement agencies.


News

Inova Health System’s CEO used a recent roundtable discussion with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and business leaders to connect his organization’s growth to broader quality of life across the region.

Health care is “the job engine and in many ways economic engine” of Northern Virginia, Dr. J. Stephen Jones said at yesterday’s meeting of the county’s Council for Economic Opportunity.


Around Town

Fresh off its designation as the region’s best coffeehouse by Northern Virginia Magazine readers, Weird Brothers Coffee is brewing an expansion to Vienna.

The Herndon-based coffee roaster is working to open its first franchise shop in Windover Square at 106 Lawyers Road. Construction is now underway in the storefront previously occupied by 29th Parallel Coffee, which can still be found in Fairfax Station.


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