Reston’s Shadowood pool, which will be closed this season, is slated for mid-level upgrades.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors selected a plan to bring the ailing pool out of the shadows.
Of the three proposals under consideration — less costly repairs, a mid-price refurbishment plan, and full-scale renovations — the board chose the mid-tier plan, which is expected to cost between $750,000 and $1 million.
The Fairfax County Police Department is asking for the public’s help as it continues to train officers for how to handle potentially dangerous situations on the road.
The county’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Center, located in Chantilly south of the Dulles airport, is looking for used-vehicle donations for training exercises and driving simulations on its 1.1-mile roadway.
The facility is where officers get required training to perform the precision immobilization technique (PIT), a controversial maneuver for stopping high-speed vehicles that Fairfax County police have been using since 1988.
Fairfax County’s COVID-19 transmission level is still well below where it was this past winter, but a rise in cases that was barely perceptible a week ago has started to solidify into a more concrete trend.
The Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax and Falls Church cities, is averaging 167 cases a day for the past week. That’s the highest weekly average since Feb. 18 (169 cases) and more than twice this year’s low point of 77 cases on March 22, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
UPDATE – garden apartment fire in the 2200 block of Stone Wheel Drive in Reston. Fire is out. Second Alarm units being placed in service. Fire Investigators on scene to determine cause. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/0YW5suYb2p
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 11, 2022
Depp-Heard Defamation Trial Starts Today — “Three years after actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic abuse, the case is going to trial on Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Man Indicted for Animal Cruelty — “Sheheryar Kamran, a 20-year-old resident of Reston, Virginia, was indicted on three federal charges related to animal cruelty for allegedly creating and posting videos on social media showing him abusing and killing hamsters. Kamran pleaded ‘not guilty’ in a federal court in Alexandria on February 24, 2022. He is currently awaiting trial set for May 16, 2022.” [FOX5]
TJ Admissions Lawsuit Could go to Supreme Court — The Coalition for TJ, a community group opposed to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s new admissions policy, has filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to vacate a stay of a judge’s order striking down the changes. Chief Justice John Roberts gave the Fairfax County School Board until Wednesday (April 13) to respond. [Associated Press/WTOP]
Portion of I-66 West to Close Overnight — All westbound lanes will close at Route 28 between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. today (Monday) through Friday, requiring a detour. Crews will install bridge beams for the new Route 28 South bridge as part of the sweeping project to add express lanes on I-66. [VDOT]
Chantilly School Introduces “Walking Club” — The introduction of recess at Rocky Run Middle School this year inspired a teacher to supervise a ‘walking club’ for students and teachers who spend the break taking a stroll outside. The activity is part of a countywide pilot in anticipation of Fairfax County Public Schools requiring recess for middle schools this fall, a policy set to be approved Thursday (April 14). [WTOP]
Tysons Dim Sum Restaurant Enters D.C. — “After opening two grand dim sum parlors in the suburbs, restaurateur Chris Zhu is ready to expand to DC. The China Garden (Rockville) and Han Palace (Tysons) owner will open a 70-seat branch of her Cantonese restaurant in Woodley Park on Sunday, April 10.” [Washingtonian]
McLean HS Lands New Football Coach — “Prior to accepting the job as the new McLean High School head football coach, Joe Cockerham held a variety of positions on different high school and college staffs. Cockerham, 34, believes those experiences will help him build a consistent winner of the Highlanders at McLean.” [Sun Gazette]
Hybla Valley Walmart Shoplifting Leads to Assault — Police responding to a shoplifting complaint at 7910 Richmond Highway reportedly found a 35-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman concealing merchandise. The woman ran, and the man assaulted officers. The man was arrested and taken to the hospital for injuries not considered life threatening. [FCPD]
McLean Symphony Marks 50th Anniversary — The McLean Symphony held a concert at Capital One Hall on Saturday (April 9) to celebrate 50 years of existence, all of them led by conductor Dingwall Fleary. The concert featured two premieres of original compositions, including one by a local student, and the attendance of Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 7:43 pm. [Weather.gov]
We’re a couple weeks into spring now, but that won’t stop a chill from settling in Fairfax County early tomorrow morning (Monday).
The National Weather Service has issued a Frost Advisory set to take effect in the D.C. area from midnight to 9 a.m.
…FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT MONDAY…
The weekend is almost here. Before you romp over to the nearest playground or head to bed for some much-needed sleep after avoiding those pranksters, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
In an effort to shore up its water and sewer fund, the Town of Herndon is considering increasing water and sewer rates.
If approved, the quarterly service charge for water would increase by nearly 18% or roughly $10.54. For water rates per every 1,000 gallon used, the charge would be more nominal — a little over 3%.
The quarterly service charge would increase by $7.40. Billing schedules are determined based on the size of the meter.
County Elections Director Resigns — “Fairfax County’s general registrar has resigned after less than a year on the job and now the former election manager will serve as registrar until the term expires on June 30, 2023, county officials said. Scott Konopasek announced his intention to resign as general registrar during a closed session of the Electoral Board on March 24.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Depp-Heard Defamation Trial Will Be Televised — “Court TV will carry the televised feed of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, which is scheduled to begin next week in Fairfax County, VA. The network will be the pool feed provider for the trial, and plans to provide coverage of the proceedings.” [Deadline]
Centreville HS Students Behind Blood Type Bill — “Fairfax County high school students spearheaded a bill that will allow Virginia residents to indicate blood type on their license. Sen. George L. Barker, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 345 during the regular General Assembly session. The Senate and House approved the bill, which will take effect in July 2023.” [The Roanoke Star]
Fairfax County Has Strong Showing on “Best Places to Work” List — Of the 47 Northern Virginia-based companies to make the Washington Business Journal’s annual list of the “Best Places to Work in Greater Washington,” 28 are located in Fairfax County. The ranking is based on employee surveys about topics like leadership, culture, and benefits. [Fairfax County EDA]
Vienna Hires New Planning and Zoning Director — “Town officials chose David Levy after conducting a nationwide search and receiving applications from candidates in 10 states. Levy will assume his new job May 9 at a salary of $161,000.” [Sun Gazette]
Colvin Run Miller’s House Opens — “Ceremonies took place on Sunday, April 3, 2022, to officially cut the ribbon and open the doors of the historic Miller’s House at Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls…After extensive renovation, the house now offers an interactive design representing home life in the early and late 1800s.” [FCPA]
Blood Drive Coming to Reston — “The Reston District Police Station is hosting a blood drive with the INOVA Bloodmobile on Monday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center…Registration is required. Your blood donation will support Fairfax County Police Department’s Helicopter Division’s whole blood carrying program for medevac services.” [Hunter Mill District News]
It’s Friday — Possible light rain in the evening and overnight. High of 56 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:43 am and sunset at 7:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
With two proposals to transform hotels into housing, local officials are exploring more creative ways to reach affordable housing goals.
In Herndon, a Residence Inn is slated to convert into a 17-unit affordable housing project spread across 11 buildings. Owners say the buildings are too difficult to maintain and industry demands haven’t kept with hotel brand standards.
“The physical layout of the various buildings on the property, the interior unit configuration, and the good condition of the underlying building structures, presents a unique opportunity with the Town of Herndon to repurpose the current building as multifamily units,” a March 2 application to the town says.
The Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão isn’t expected to open until late 2022, but it’s already making a big splash in Reston Town Center.
As the business expands, a spa and salon that has called RTC home for 21 years is relocating to another spot within the town center. The steakhouse is expected to take over space formerly taken up by Big Bowl, but it needs more space.
A number of public spaces in Reston Town Center will get a facelift.
As reported last month, work on Fountain Plaza and the pavilion will begin this spring. Now, Boston Properties is offering a first look at the planned upgrades.
The renovations will be the first major updates to the town center’s public spaces in roughly 30 years.
Alan Ward, a principle at Sasaki Associates, is leading the design team of the project. He deferred comment to Boston Properties on the overall project, but said in a statement that the spaces will meet the needs “of today and into future.”
Annandale Chick-fil-A Opens Today — “Chick-fil-A will open Thursday, April 7, at 7130 Little River Turnpike, Annandale…To celebrate the grand opening, the restaurant will surprise ‘100 local heroes making an impact in Annandale with free Chick-fil-A for a year.'” [Annandale Today]
Starkist HQ in Reston Now Open — Relocating from Pittsburgh, the tuna manufacturer opened its new corporate and administrative headquarters at 1875 Explorer Street in Reston Town Center on Tuesday (April 5). The office can accommodate more than 70 employees, and the company is marking its arrival with a community distribution event for the Reston-based nonprofit Feed the Children. [Starkist]
Commonwealth’s Attorney Expands Diversion for Non-Violent Crimes — “Under the program, called Taking Root, Fairfax prosecutors and defense attorneys can jointly recommend to judges that certain people accused of crimes be assigned to intensive programming instead of being prosecuted…The new program expands on existing diversion programs in Fairfax that have narrower eligibility requirements.” [DCist]
Masks No Longer Required at GMU — “In a message to the school community posted Tuesday, university president Gregory Washington announced GMU had switched to a mask-optional policy on all its campuses. He said the decision reflected low transmission and positivity rates in Fairfax County and nearby communities.” [WTOP]
Great Falls Group Has Ideas for Beltway Bridge Design — “When the construction dust settles, the orange cones are gone and work crews have relocated to snarl traffic elsewhere after completion of the 495 NEXT Project, the Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) hopes an extra-nice-looking bridge will take Georgetown Pike over the Capital Beltway.” [Sun Gazette]
Vienna Could Get Specialized License Plate — The Town of Vienna plans to introduce a town-themed license plate after the Virginia General Assembly unanimously approved a bill from Del. Mark Keam letting localities cover the fees for the first 350 prepaid orders required by state law. The law takes effect on July 1, and the town council will then move to decide on a design. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Squirrels Trigger Car’s “Check Engine” Light in Franconia — “Craftsman Auto Care — Alexandria, an auto repair shop at the Festival at Manchester Lakes shopping center, found three baby squirrels sleeping under the hood of a customer’s vehicle…As for the check engine light, it turned out that the babies’ mother squirrel had chewed through wiring in the vehicle.” [Patch]
It’s Thursday — Rain until evening. High of 55 and low of 46. Sunrise at 6:45 am and sunset at 7:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
