Tysons | FFXnow - Part 400

Morning Notes

Published October 23, 2023 at 8:15AM

Pedestrian walkway on Gallows Road bridge over I-66 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Officer Who Shot Timothy Johnson Appears in Court — “A former Fairfax County, Virginia, police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man suspected of shoplifting from the Tysons Corner Center mall has made his first court appearance on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm.” [WTOP]

McLean Road Reopens After Water Main Break — “Kirby Rd has been repaired and is now open.” Often used by commuters in McLean, the road closed between Sugarstone Court and Claiborne Drive on Friday (Oct. 20) after a water main break resulted in flooding and extensive damage. [VDOT/Twitter]

Countywide

Halfway through unwinding, 15% of Virginia Medicaid enrollees have lost coverage

By Meghan McIntyre / Virginia Mercury

Published October 20, 2023 at 1:30PM

Doctor holding a stethoscope (via Online Marketing/Unsplash)

Halfway through Virginia’s review of whether millions of Medicaid enrollees are still eligible for coverage after the pandemic, nearly 160,000 Virginians have lost coverage — roughly 15% of the over 1 million members whose cases have been reviewed so far.

For the past three years, anyone who was enrolled in Medicaid was allowed to keep their coverage regardless of whether or not they still met eligibility requirements like income level. Now that the COVID-19 federal public health emergency is over, the Department of Medical Assistance Services is carrying out a redetermination — or “unwinding” — process to decide which members no longer qualify.

News

NOW: McLean’s Kirby Road caves under water main break, requiring closure

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 20, 2023 at 11:00AM

Kirby Road in McLean has caved in after a water main break (via FCPD/Twitter)

A key commuter road in McLean could be closed for days after getting seriously damaged by a water main break this morning (Friday).

Police officers responded to Kirby Road around 4:45 a.m., shutting down both lanes between Sugarstone Court and Claiborne Drive. A video shared by the Fairfax County Police Department shows water gushing up onto the asphalt roadway, buckling what appears to be the southbound lane.

News

Police arrest man behind apparent burglary spree across Tysons, Reston

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 20, 2023 at 9:30AM

Police say these tools were used in an attempted commercial burglary in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive in Tysons (courtesy FCPD)

A Maryland man arrested in Tysons last week may be behind multiple burglaries in the Tysons and Reston areas, police say.

Officers encountered the man on Oct. 13 inside a building in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive in Tysons after they were called there for a commercial burglary around 6:30 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday (Thursday).

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published October 20, 2023 at 8:15AM

Fairfax Old Town Hall in autumn (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Homebuilder Arrested for Defrauding N. Va. Families — “Fairfax County Police confirmed to WUSA9, Craig Tadlock with T&S Homebuilders was arrested Thursday morning after several Northern Virginia families came forward alleging the homebuilder took their money and failed to successfully build their new homes, claims which the builder denies.” [WUSA9]

School Board Member Harassed While Campaigning — “Fairfax County School Board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) says she was verbally assaulted while campaigning for re-election…Anderson had just pulled into a townhouse community on Meeting House Road in Lincolnia with plans to canvass voters when a large man approached her on the sidewalk and started screaming at her.” [Annandale Today]

News

NEW: Teen pedestrian hospitalized by crash on Route 50 in West Falls Church

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 19, 2023 at 9:30PM

Eastbound Route 50 is closed after a crash that hospitalized a teen at Annandale Road in West Falls Church (via Google Maps)

A teen has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a crash on Route 50 near the Mosby neighborhood in West Falls Church.

Police and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at Annandale Road shortly before 8:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

Countywide

Fairfax County considers size, noise and environmental guidelines for data centers

By Acacia James

Published October 19, 2023 at 3:30PM

Cords plugged into a computer data server (Photo via Jordan Harrison/Unsplash)

Fairfax County’s efforts to establish more regulations for data centers are heating up.

With the industry continuing to grow in Northern Virginia, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) presented guidelines on issues like noise, water and air quality, energy demand and aesthetics to the Board of Supervisors’ land use policy committee on Tuesday (Oct. 17).

Around Town

Wolf Trap summons bat festival in advance of Halloween

By Vernon Miles

Published October 19, 2023 at 2:30PM

Bats (photo via Clément Falize/Unsplash)

The Fairfax County Park Authority is celebrating spooky season with a bat-focused festival next weekend.

The 2023 Bat Festival is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 29, from 3-6 p.m. at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (1551 Trap Road).

News

Project to underground Tysons electric line will close trail next month

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 19, 2023 at 9:30AM

Vesper Trail will close for construction to underground a power line in the Spring Hill area of Tysons (via Dominion Energy)

Construction is about to ramp up on Dominion Energy’s undergrounding of a power line near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.

The project will require an extended closure of the entire Vesper Trail from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to Vesper Street at Higdon Drive, starting Nov. 1, the utility company recently told residents in the area.

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published October 19, 2023 at 8:15AM

A sign greets shoppers in Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

County VolunteerFest Returns This Saturday — “Hundreds of area residents will be out and about ‘doing good’ on Saturday, October 21, 2023, as part of VolunteerFest, a county-wide day of service. VolunteerFest is held every year in the fall and encourages anyone interested in volunteerism to get out and make a connection with a local organization.” [Volunteer Fairfax]

D.C. Area Economy Stagnating, GMU Researcher Says — “Issues that have been haunting the Washington region for years — slower economic growth, a high cost of living and regional outmigration — are solidifying into a concerning new normal. That’s the conclusion of Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis,” who pointed to a declining federal workforce as one factor. [Washington Business Journal]