Lovers of fried delicacies, farm animal exhibits, midway games and more can save the date for the Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival.

The 71st annual fair kicks off on Aug. 1 through Aug. 4 at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road). The fair will feature livestock exhibits, fair food, carnival rides, games and live entertainment.

Exhibitors can register online. Parking is free the first two days of the carnival and parking is $10 over the weekend.

Carnival ride tickets are $1 each or 24 for $20. Most rides require between three to five tickets. Refunds will not be issued.

The carnival is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1 and Friday, Aug. 2. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Video via YouTube

Seventeen area high school seniors were recently awarded scholarships by the medical staff at Reston Hospital Center.

The student, who are from Fairfax and Loudoun County high schools, were recognized for academic excellence and excitement for pursue careers in healthcare.

RHC offers $15,000 in scholarships to local schools annually. The program has been in effect for the last 21 years.

“We are thrilled to be able to support these young adults as they venture into the world in search of their dream careers,” Dr. Avisesh Sahgal, president of Reston Hospital Center’s Medical Staff, said in a statement.

This year’s scholarship recipients are below:

• Ansel Sanchez – Briar Woods High School
• Lindsay Marie Burns – Broad Run High School
• Anna Kate Erstling – Chantilly High School
• Ashley Arely Reyes – Chantilly High School
• Lillian Tran – Dominion High School
• Riya Hadvani – Herndon High School
• Christopher Ngo-Khang Nguyen – James Madison High School
• Mariana Fernandes Gragnani – Langley High School
• Yanni George Conomos – McLean High School
• Maxmine Irmhild Ayompe-Mody – Oakton High School
• Jasmine Chiann Foo – Oakton High School
• Allison Armstrong – Park View High School
• Rayness Mollinedo-Rodriguez – Park View High School
• Chelsea Lazatin – Potomac Falls High School
• Nicole Post – South Lakes High School
• Olivia Nicole Chandler – Westfield High School
• Daisy Allison Lopez Rosa – Westfield High School

Photo via Reston Hospital Center

The Fairfax County Police Department has released new details about a domestic situation that prompted the temporary closure of Lake Newport Road on Friday.

Police said that Carl Robinson, 52, of Reston, refused to leave a home on the 11700 block of Summerchase Circle at around 8:50 a.m. that day.

Robinson, who has multiple warrants from a previous incident, retreated to his home and “refused to exit” after an officer tried to approach him, police said.

The incident prompted local police to close a portion of the road.

Officers from FCPD’s special operations division arrested Robinson on two counts of assault and a violation of a protection order.

FCPD’s Reston District Station also reported the following incident in recent days:

LARCENIES:

1700 block of Business Center Drive, purse from vehicle

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cell phone from location

2400 block of Centreville Road, cell phone from business

2400 block of Centreville Road, cell phone from location

2200 block of Chamblee Place, backpack from vehicle

2500 block of Farmcrest Drive, bicycle from vehicle

10100 block of Georgetown Pike, cash from business

12100 block of Holly Knoll Circle, property from residence

1400 block of Hunter View Farms, firearm from vehicle 

2100 block of Monaghan Drive, cash and property from vehicle

11600 block of Plaza America Drive, cell phone from location

2100 block of Seaman Court, tires from vehicle

12500 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, tools from construction site

400 block of Walker Road, shoes from business

1600 block of Wiehle Avenue, property from location

1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, merchandise from business

STOLEN VEHICLES: 

None reported

In a separate incident, a burglary was reported in a home on the 11900 block of Holly Spring Drive on Tuesday, June 11.

An alarm sounded around 3:15 a.m., prompting the suspect to run away.

Photo via FCPD

The Northern Virginia chapter of the National Audubon Society has certified Reston Association’s Central Services Facility as a wildlife sanctuary. The certification recognizes properties that promote citizen participation to conserve and restore local natural habitats.

Here’s more about the certification from the Northern Virginia chapter:

“The largest volume of acreage available for conservation and restoration of healthy green space in Northern Virginia is “at home” in our own backyards. Incentives for participation include making a difference in aiding the environment and pride in property certification and registration as an ‘Audubon at Home Wildlife Sanctuary.'”

A native plant garden at the facility serves as a “demonstration site to educate Metro developers on how native plants can be integrated into areas near transportation stations,” RA noted in a weekly newsletter.

File photo

Herndon High School’s band took part in the 75th anniversary of D-Day celebrations in Normandy — returning with enhanced appreciation of the crew members who served on the USS Herndon during the invasion.

Several students dressed in original uniforms worn by USS Herndon sailors and the band also took a flag that flew on the USS Herndon.

Band members marched through the American Cemeteries in Brittany and Omaha Beach and performed in the D-Day Musical Salute to Liberation.

Varun Natarajan, a Herndon High School junior and a member of the band, said the experience increased his appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives during the invasion, as well as the unique role the USS Herndon played.

“We heard some very impactful speeches by people who participated in D-Day. Hearing the veterans describe D-Day gave me a new sense of perspective on what the invasion was like, and how intense the fighting was. Three students from our school also got to speak about what this means to them,” Natarajan said.

Photo via Herndon Band/Facebook

Registration to participate in Reston Historic Trust & Museum’s annual Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta ends next month.

More than 50 teams will construct and decorate a life-size cardboard boats and participate in timed heats during the regatta on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Registration ends on July 1 or whenever 80 teams have registered. The form is open online. Fees start at $50, with varying sponsorship levels.

Awards will be given to boats in differing categories, including the “Titanic” or the fastest to sink.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Reston Historic Trust & Museum. This year’s presenting sponsor is Griffen Owens Insurance.

Photo via Reston Historic Trust & Museum

Metro is launching is a two-year study of the Blue, Orange and Silver Line in order to find long-term options to meet future regional needs.

The study is intended to improve reliability, meet future ridership demands, and improve service for customers, according to a statement released yesterday (June 17).

Because all three Metro lines share a single set of tracks between the Rosslyn tunnel and the Anacostia River, Metro says that bottlenecks are inevitable and disruptions on one line have a “ripple effect” on all three lines.

The study will explore infrastructure improvements and service alternatives to address the above issues.

Here’s more from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:

The first phase of the study will assess key issues and trends and document why improvements to the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines are necessary. Subsequent phases will include the development and evaluation of alternatives, as well as a thorough analysis of costs and benefits, with recommendation of a preferred alternative expected to occur by the fall of 2020.

Ultimately, the study will identify and analyze a range of potential alternatives before recommending a “locally preferred alternative” to move forward with federal environmental review, full design, and competition for federal funding. Over the next two years, Metro plans extensive outreach to engage the community, stakeholders, and transit experts to gather feedback and make recommendations.

More information about the study is available online.

Flash Flood Watch Today — In a flashback to yesterday’s weather alert, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch in effect from 2 p.m. through the evening today (June 18). Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected throughout the region. [Fairfax Alerts]

Local Wealth Advisory Firm Acquired — Reston-based financial and investment advisory firm MTX Wealth Management LLC has been acquired by Cleveland-based MAI Capital Management LLC. MTX’s nine employees will transition to work for MAI out of its offices at 11710 Plaza America Drive. [Washington Business Journal]

Design Review Board Reviews Colts Neck Underpass — Reston Association’s independent agency will review a proposal by Ben Volta to transform the underpass into public art. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at RA headquarters. [Reston Association]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Jesse Kraft, the principal of Coates Elementary School since 2016, was named Fairfax County Public Schools 2019 Outstanding Principal.

Kraft was recognized for bringing people together and maintaining positivity wherever he goes. Josie Mani, a gifted education teacher who nominated Kraft for the award, said Kraft “has taken strides to make our community feel welcome and to partner with them as much as possible.”

“He maintains and active social media presence and even learned some Spanish so that he could further connect the school and community,” Mani wrote.

Kraft was recognized for gestures like flipping burgers at a school barbecue, offering fist bumps during the morning, and his frequent visits to classrooms. A teacher at heart, Kraft teaches positivity project lessons, offers quarterly grade-level assemblies and teaches upper level students about public speaking.

Parent Christine Crawford told FCPS that Kraft is “always visible at school and connects easily to students at all grade levels.”

Kraft also made sure all teachers were trained in classroom management techniques, which he says are key to a healthy learning environment.

It’s not the first time the educator and administrator was recognized for his accomplishments. He was named the county’s outstanding first year principal in 2010. In 2004, he was also nominated for teacher of the year.

He began his career in FCPS as a teacher at Newington Forest Elementary School in 1996, after which he served as an assistant principal at Westlawn and and Oak Hill elementary schools. In 2009, he was the principal at Providence Elementary School. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.

Photo via FCPS

Over the summer, Fairfax County has been holding several “Stuff the Bus” events throughout the county. The food collection partnership helps individuals who need support during the summer.

A local collection event will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Safeway (413 Elden Street).

According to last year’s Youth Results Survey, roughly 8 percent of Fairfax County Public School students reported going hungry in the past month due to lack of food at home. Nearly 30 percent of FCPS students receive free or reduced price lunches.

Other “Stuff the Bus” events are planned throughout the county.

The partnership is made possible with the help of Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, Office of Public-Private Partnerships, MV Transportation, Giant, Safeway and other community partners.

Video via Fairfax County Government/YouTube

The Reston Association’s Design Review Board will consider tomorrow (June 18) artist Ben Volta’s vision for public art at the Colts Neck Underpass.

Volta hopes to combine hundreds of drawings inspired by the concept of pathways to transform the underpass into a work of art.

His work draws from the following statement by Henry David Thoreau: “Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”

Seniors form the Hunters Woods Fellowship House and more than 800 students from Hunters Woods and Dogwood elementary schools, as well as Southgate Community Center, are working together to create the artwork.

Volta expects to use between 600 and 1,000 designs to construct the final project.

The complete proposal, which contains draft conceptual renderings of the project, is available online.

If the DRB approves the project, installation could be complete as early as September, Anne Delaney, executive director of Public Art Reston, told Reston Now.

Photo via Public Art Reston

A new juice bar is coming to the Junction Square neighborhood.

A company representative told Reston Now an opening date has not been determined yet.

On its Facebook page, Vb Juice Bar promises to transform the juice bar experience:

Vb Juice bar has entirely transformed the juice bar experience, offering total ingredient transparency by eliminating hidden fillers, unnecessary sugars, processed ingredients, and artificial flavors from its entire menu.

Our juices are made to order without any mystery ingredients. Just clean, healthy eating that tastes just as good as it makes you feel.

Recently, BurgerIM, a national burger joint, also announced plans to come to the neighborhood.

Photo via Vb Juice bar/Facebook

Reston Association will host the 10th annual “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” at Lake Newport this month.

The event, which is set for Thursday, June 20, is a global public relations event that encourages the worldwide aquatics industry to build awareness about water safety and awareness.

The initiative was started by the World Waterpark Association in 2010, according to its website. It is set for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

In a Reston Today video, Willa Suter, RA’s aquatics program manager, hopes the event at Lake Newport will be a success.

Video via Reston Today/YouTube

Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors to Hold Annual Public Hearing Tonight — Attendees will learn more about RCC’s plans for the future, including a status report on the renovation of the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center and the center’s annual report and strategic plan. The hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. at RCC Hunters Woods. [Reston Community Center]

Flash Flood Watch In Effect Today — A flash flood watch is in effect from 2 p.m. through this evening. Widespread thunderstorms and showers are expected. [National Weather Service]

Route 7 Widening Project to Provide Traffic Relief Soon — “The $313.9 million project is designed to ease congestion on a section of Route 7 that links northern and western Fairfax County and includes the busy Tysons area, which is undergoing a massive transformation of its own. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority provided $10 million in funding. Other money for the project comes from Fairfax County and the state.” [The Washington Post]

Overnight Closures of Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Airport Access Road Ramps Planned This Week — “The ramps from the eastbound Dulles Toll Road and the eastbound Dulles Airport Access Road to the southbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) general purpose lanes will be closed nightly Monday night, June 17 through Friday night, June 21 for bridge work as part of the Jones Branch Connector project, ” [Virginia Department of Transportation]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr