Double Stabbing Under Investigation — Officers obtained arrest warrants recently against a woman they believe stabbed two men last month near Hunters Woods Plaza. [Reston Patch]
Redistricting, Tax Relief Options On Board Agenda — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will meet today to discuss big items like a tax relief package and a redistricting proposal. [Reston Patch]
Local Vaccine-hesitant Mom Gets Answers — WUSA 9 connected a Reston mom with a local hospital doctor and the head of the FDA’s vaccine committee to get her questions answered about the COVID-19 vaccine. [WUSA 9]
Big Donation Effort for Park Avenue Victims — The Herndon Police Department is no longer accepting donations for victims of the Park Avenue fire. Gift cards, however, are still being accepted. [HPD]
Robbery Under Investigation on Centreville Road — Two men stole personal property from someone on th 2400 block of Centerville Road on Nov. 30 shortly before 8 p.m. No injuries were reported, although the suspects threatened the victim with a knife. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Like the rest of the country, Fairfax County continues to see increasing levels of COVID-19 transmission.
The county is now averaging about three times as many new cases per day as it was less than a month ago, with a seven-day average of 189.4 cases today (Monday), according to Virginia Department of Health data.
In comparison, the county was averaging 58.7 cases a day for the preceding week on Nov. 10. That day was the first time the weekly average dipped below 60 cases since the delta variant started becoming prevalent in late July.
Including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, the Fairfax Health District reported an additional 131 COVID-19 infections today, bringing its total for the pandemic to 97,999 cases, 4,201 hospitalizations, and 1,227 deaths.
Locally, the ongoing coronavirus surge comes without any apparent assistance from the omicron variant, which has been detected in 17 states so far, including Maryland. Virginia is monitoring the relatively new variant but has not identified any cases involving it yet.
While initial reports suggest the omicron variant may not produce severe illness like the delta variant, concerns that it might be more transmissible and less susceptible to the immunity granted by vaccines prompted the Fairfax County Health Department to strengthen its recommendation that all adults get a booster shot six months after their primary vaccinations on Thursday (Dec. 2).
“Taking measures to reduce the spread of infection, including getting a COVID-19 vaccine, is the best way to slow the emergence of new variants,” Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu said in the blog post.
So far, more than 238,000 Fairfax Health District residents have gotten a booster or third dose, including 63.5% of adults between the ages of 75 and 84, according to the FCHD vaccine data dashboard.
908,544 residents — or 76.8% of the population — have received at least one vaccine dose, including 86.8% of adults, 89.4% of adolescents aged 12-17, and 36.2% of children aged 5-11.
Representing 68% of the population, 804,239 residents are fully vaccinated, including 78.8% of people 18 and older.
Providers in the Fairfax Health District have administered over 1.9 million vaccine doses. If the current weekly average of about 7,440 doses per day holds, the district could potentially reach 2 million doses around the one-year anniversary of when the county received its first shipment last December.
Photo via CDC/Unsplash
(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) Estefania Cabrera, 29, died after a 2017 Toyota Highlander drifted off the roadway and struck a tree, police said.
Officers responded around 4 a.m. Sunday and found the vehicle was traveling eastbound on Poplar Tree Road in Chantilly.
Cabrera was a passenger in the vehicle and was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.
The driver of the vehicle, whose name was not immediately provided by police, was taken to a hospital with injuries considered to be life threatening. Police said Monday that the driver remained hospitalized.
“Preliminarily, detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit believe that speed and alcohol both appear to be factors of the crash,” police said, adding:
Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact our Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone -1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to contact you.
The crash happened after the vehicle passed through the intersection at Leighfield Street, police said.
Cabrera’s death is the 19th non-pedestrian related fatality in Fairfax County during 2021.
The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Monday, Dec. 6
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights— 5:30-10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens — Enjoy lights and holiday scenes in this annual transformation, which will stick around through Jan. 2. Tickets start at $16.
Tuesday, Dec. 7
- Bouncin’ Babies — 10:30-11 a.m. online — Sing songs, read stories and enjoy the sounds of a ukulele with this literacy program hosted by Fairfax County Public Library.
Wednesday, Dec. 8
- Chair & Mat Yoga Class — 10-11 a.m. online — A class geared for relaxation makes use of both a yoga mat and chair.
Thursday, Dec. 9
- “The Nutcracker” — 7 p.m. at the CenterStage with performances through Sunday– Reston’s Conservatory Ballet performs this holiday classic. Face masks required. Tickets start at $30.
Friday, Dec. 10
- Critter Caboodle Workshop — 7-8 p.m. at the Walker Nature Center — Create woodland critters using natural materials. Face masks required. The cost starts at $10.
- “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)” — 8 p.m. at NextStop Theatre Co. with recurring performances throughout December — A three-member cast brings together this satirical and irreverent holiday production featuring traditional carols to pop-cultural references and of course, Christmas icons ranging from Santa to the Grinch. Tickets start at $25.
Saturday, Dec. 11
- Holiday Market — noon to 4 p.m. at the Reston National Golf Course — From photos with Santa to free hot drinks, local vendors, food trucks, music, and more, celebrate the holiday season with this family-friendly event. Free and open to the public.
Sunday, Dec. 12
- Reston Town Center Holiday Performances — 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Promenade — Sing along and enjoy holiday performances by The Beltway Brass Quintet and Reston Chorale.
After a lengthy search, a 24-year-old Vienna man has been arrested in connection with a Sept. 1 crash that killed a Reston resident.
Carlos Alexander Torres Jr. was arrested Friday. Police believe Torres was driving the SUV that reportedly ran a red light as it was traveling southbound on Fairfax County and struck a car that was making a left turn from northbound Fairfax County Parkway onto Walnut Branch Road.
The driver of that car, Andrew Willingham, 37, was killed in the crash. Police believe alcohol was a factor in the incident. Willingham was making a left turn on a green arrow.
The driver of the SUV reportedly fled on foot. Despite a helicopter-assisted search and the help of a K9 unit, the driver was not found. Detectives attempted to locate the driver by obtaining several search warrants. After a months-long search, Torres was finally tracked to a worksite in Montgomery County.
Police obtained warrants for felony hit and run, involuntary manslaughter, and driving with no operator’s license. They believe he was driving a family member’s Chevrolet SUV.
Anyone with more information about the crash is encouraged to contact FCPD by calling 703-280-0543. Residents can also submit tips using the instructions below:
Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to contact you.
Expansion of Reston Town Center Underway — Tenants are being sought for the expansion of Reston Town Center. The project will include more than 100,000 square feet of retail space and 1.85 million square feet of office space. Future plans call for another half a dozen more buildings. [The Burn]
Giftcards Sought for Park Avenue Fire Victims — The Herndon Police Department is seeking gift cards to help residents displaced by last week’s fire on Park Avenue in the Town of Herndon. [HPD]
Reston Association Committee to Meet This Week — Reston Association’s fiscal committee will meteor Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. [RA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The community is banding together to raise funds for victims of the Park Avenue fire that sent nine residents to the hospital.
The fire ripped through five units of the apartments on the 800 block of Park Avenue. As a result, 44 were displaced. Two residents remain in critical condition as of Saturday.
So far, an online campaign has gathered nearly $15,000 to help families displaced by the incident. The campaign was jumpstarted by former Town of Herndon mayor Lisa Merkel and Megan Ferguson.
The fire was caused by a charging cable in the bedroom of an apartment, according to fire officials.
The Herndon Police Department had to halt accepting donations at the department’s lobby after an overwhelming amount of donations.
“Amazing! No other word to describe this community and its generosity. We have run out of space here at HPD HQ,” the police department wrote in a statement.
Now, the police department is only accepting gift cards. VISA, MasterCard and AMEX gift cards are needed to cover rent, bills, and groceries. The department is also accepting Target and Walmart gift cards.
Smoke alarms in the building were not working at the time of the incident, according to fire officials.
At Weird Brothers Coffee in the Town of Herndon, Paul Olsen and his staff became a satellite location to accept donations.
“As of [Sunday], Weird Brothers Coffee have collected enough clothing, personal hygiene items, diapers, snacks, and small toys and games for kids and books to fill our truck and take over to the Police Station five times,” Olsen told Reston Now.
The local coffee shop — which prides itself in its local roots — also raised $1,000 from sales on Saturday to help victims impacted by the fire.
“We have been very touched and amazed at the outpouring and speed of the support for all of these families. It is so wonderful to see a community come together in a time of need,” Olsen said.
Fairfax County Public Library offered at-home COVID-19 test kits to the community for the first time this morning (Friday). An hour later, they were all gone.
The county announced on Monday (Nov. 29) that it would join a pilot program that the Virginia Department of Health launched last month to distribute free COVID-19 tests through participating public libraries.
FCPL received 2,300 BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Card Home Test that were made available at its 13 open community branches and eight regional libraries when they opened at 10 a.m. today.
All of the kits were distributed within the first hour, according to FCPL spokesperson Erin Julius, who says demand was high at all branches.
“The high demand for these test kits this morning indicates a continued need for accessible COVID-19 testing kits in Fairfax County, and FCPL is pleased to help distribute them,” FCPL Director Jessica Hudson said. “Libraries are trusted community hubs and we are glad to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community by making testing kits more accessible. We will continue to distribute tests as more are made available to us.”
Julius said the state is sending more test kits that will arrive next week, but she advises residents to call their local branch to ensure their availability before visiting. The library system also asks that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms request a kit using its contactless curbside pickup service.
VDH says the number of test kits distributed to participating localities depends on the size of each library system and feedback about how much interest they expect in the program, along with the general availability of supplies.
“The uptake varies,” VDH spokesperson Cheryl Rodriguez said. “However, some library systems are reporting that distribution has been brisk.”
According to VDH data, COVID-19 testing has been trending upwards in the Fairfax Health District since early November, with a spike seen in the days leading up to Thanksgiving (Nov. 25).
Fairfax County joined the state’s library test kits pilot slightly later than the other participating localities, but the move comes amid rising COVID-19 cases and renewed anxiety over the new omicron variant, which was confirmed in the U.S. for the first time on Wednesday (Dec. 1).
The Fairfax County Health Department said there has been increased demand for testing throughout Virginia recently, and offering free test kits at libraries gives people an alternative when retail supplies have been low.
Rapid COVID-19 tests have been in short supply since this summer after declining testing rates led manufacturers to decrease production. As infections surged again due to the delta variant, the federal government committed over $560 million to help boost the country’s supply.
“During the late summer months and early fall, many states across the country experienced limited access to rapid testing kits, due in part to slower production,” Rodriguez said. “However, production is increasing and more rapid tests should become available.”
Photo via Jernej Furman/Flickr
Two days before Thanksgiving, the 29 Diner was decimated by a fire. The next day, owner John K. Wood got back to work.
“It was a total loss,” Wood told FFXnow of the damage to the iconic, 74-year-old Fairfax City eatery. “But there’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s time to celebrate what this diner means to the community. I’m going to be here every day that I can — rain, sleet, snow — to watch the rebirth of the 29 Diner.”
Firefighters got a call around 6 p.m. on Nov. 23 about an explosion in the back of the building, WJLA reported. When crews arrived, a fire had spread from a storage room where chemicals were being stored to the kitchen across the way.
“It was a chemical fire that reached about 700 degrees,” said Wood, a Robinson High School graduate who has owned the diner since 2014.
Thankfully, no one was in the building at the time, but the fire rendered the kitchen completely unusable. Wood estimates it could take six months for the kitchen to be restored so the diner can reopen.
He’s already getting significant help from the community to do just that. A GoFundMe campaign set up to help Wood rebuild and support the employees that have lost their jobs has amassed over $54,000 in just a week’s time.
“I’m on the wings of the community and I feel the love,” Wood said.
A cozy spot to get a short stack and two eggs over easy, 29 Diner is also a historic landmark. In 1992, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for being a “uniquely American form of roadside architecture.”
The pre-assembled metal, glass, and double-wide diner was considered the “Cadillac of diners,” Wood says, when it emerged in 1947. The building was manufactured in New Jersey and purchased by original owner D.T. “Bill” Glascock, who placed it along Fairfax Boulevard, which was called Lee Highway then, like Route 29 still is (for now) in Fairfax County.
Wood reveals a little-known secret about the restaurant: a 1,500 square-foot basement, the dimensions of a good-sized townhouse, runs the entire length of the diner.
29 Diner grew with the region, becoming a hub of community in Fairfax. It did go through several owners, including Fredy and Virginia Guevara, who was a server there in the 1960s. When the couple retired, Wood took over.
“You step into that diner, and it just takes you back to when you were 9 years old and you got your first milkshake,” Wood told The Washington Post when he became the owner in 2014.
Wood has been a proud steward ever since. Open 24 hours, six days a week, the diner has become a headquarters of sorts for a number of charitable endeavors, raising money for causes from feeding those in need to supporting families with cancer and veteran suicide prevention.
Not even a destructive fire can dim Wood’s perpetual optimism and commitment to giving back.
“This is going to give us a chance to remodel, in the way the Lord wanted us to have,” he said.”We are going to set up a more inclusive kitchen, [better] wheelchair access, and help disabled veterans.”
Wood is planning a number of events in the coming weeks to help raise money, including runs and a motorcycle rally.
He says a big chunk of donations will also go toward providing for his employees and their families while they wait for the diner to reopen.
Rich Berkwitz, who set up the GoFundMe campaign, appreciates everything Wood has done for the diner and community. A teacher at Mark Twain Middle School in Alexandria and an assistant wrestling coach at John Lewis High School, he says he eats at 29 Diner “pretty much every week” because “it feels like home.”
“I’m so happy that the community is backing him as much as he’s back to the community,” he said. “He’s just so giving.”
It’s unlikely that 29 Diner will reopen prior to June 2022, but Wood has faith in the future.
“It’s going to come back better than it was,” he said. “That wasn’t a fire. That was the Lord paying a visit to the 29 Diner.”
A new beauty bar is coming to Lake Anne Plaza by the end of the year.
Owner Dina Almashat plans to open Beauty Bar by Dina within the next 10 days. The opening date is tentative to the completion of the final steps of the project, Almashat told Reston Now.
The salon will be located at 1613 Washington Plaza. Deli Italiano, a pizza chain, also plans to open up at the plaza within the next two months.
The beauty bar will offer hair services and custom spray tans.
“I have always been fascinated by beauty and fashion. Beautiful hair plays a big role in that aspect,” Almashat said.
She hopes that her services will help women feel better about themselves.
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County Sees Record Tax Haul — Fairfax County saw a record tax haul in 2021. The assessed value of taxable property in the county rose by roughly $10 billion between fiscal years 2020 and 2021. [Washington Business Journal]
Booster Shots Encouraged — The Fairfax County Health Department is encouraging residents to get their booster shots, particularly as the Omicron variant emerges. [Fairfax County Government]
County Considers Big Pay Increases — The county is considering giving county and school staff big pay raises to make up for staff lost last year due to the pandemic. [Sun Gazette]
Tennis Courts to Close in Reston Next Week — Beginning Monday, tennis courts at Glade and North Hills will be closed for the season. The courts are expected to reopen in early April. Hard courts remain open year-round. [Reston Association]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
(Updated at 9:28 a.m.) Two residents have suffered life threatening injuries and seven others were taken to a local hospital after a fire broke out at garden apartments on Park Avenue in the Town of Herndon at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Eleven apartment units on the 800 block of Park Avenue are considered uninhabitable and 44 residents were displaced.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department described a dire scene at the site of the fire. A mother and three young children evacuated one unit by tying bedsheets together to make a makeshift rope.
Occupants jumped out of third story windows above the second floor unit where the fire initially started.
One rescue crew rescued three residents via a ladder. The four occupants in the apartment where the fire started self-evacuated safely.
The Herndon Police Department advised that a lengthy closure between Station and Grace streets was expected. The area opened up several hours after the incident.
The fire was caused by an electrical event involving a charger cable, according to the fire department.
Damages amount to $287,500. There were no working fire alarms in the building where the fire started.
Photo via Herndon Police Department
A proposal to invest $250,000 to beautify and clean up Lake Anne plaza appears to be picking up steam.
The Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) has signaled its support for the project, which has been proposed by the Gupta Family Foundation, a family that was personal friends of Reston’s founder, Bob Simon.
The project, called Lake Anne Rising, aims to revitalize the plaza by cleaning, restoring potted landscaping, replanting the seal wall along the dock, and adding a planter system.
The proposal also includes a pyramid park near the entrance of the plaza in order to save specimen trees and the pyramid sculpture. The foundation conditioned its funding on LARCA’s commitment of $45,000. Other partners include Reston Museum and Public Art Reston.
The association has budgeted no funding for landscape over the last two years as it grapples with other issues.
George Hadjikyriakou, who was recently elected as LARCA’s board president, stressed that the project is only a conceptual plan.
“We are still in communications with the Guptas and hope that we will at some point soon come to an agreement so that we can move forward to the next steps,” he told Reston Now.
The organization faces numerous organizational issues as the plaza faces $37 million in critical infrastructure repairs.
Reston Patch previously reported the project was stalled after the board would not be able to meet a Dec. 1 deadline to reach an agreement with the Gupta Foundation.
If an agreement is approved, the Guptas proposed the following funding structure, which it noted is strongly aspirational:
- Gupta Family Foundation – $25,000
- LARCA – $45,000
- Reston Community Center – $50,000
- Reston Association – $25,000
- Community fundraising — $105,000
An initial presentation stipulated completing the work by April.
Hadjikyriakou said he is hopeful that an agreement on the plan will be reached soon.
“I am confident that we will soon reach a common level of understanding of the parameters of such an effort and will agree on how to proceed.”
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Peraton is moving its corporate headquarters from Worldgate Drive in Herndon to Reston Town Center.
The 19,000-employee company has around 5,000 workers in the D.C. area, and its new space at 1875 Explorer St. could be in use by September 2022, the company announced today in a news release.
According to the news release:
[T]he new headquarters will house Peraton’s Mission Capability Innovation Center, where Peraton employees will generate and apply cutting edge capabilities to develop mission solutions that address customers’ most unique and complex challenges. The Center will provide both physical and virtual working environments and access to the vast network of Peraton Labs’ Research and Innovation Centers.
“With the announcement of our new Reston headquarters, we are excited to remain in Northern Virginia, close to our customers as well as a robust and diverse talent pipeline and supported by world-class resources and infrastructure,” company chair, president and CEO Stu Shea said in a statement.
The company said it’s been “in the middle of a multi-year review of its office footprint. The selection of a new headquarters is the first major decision in that process.”
Photo via Google Maps
An artist using a wall as a canvass has plenty of inspiration as well as the backing of the building’s owner.
Vehicles using the Tesla Supercharger at Reston Station have noticed the artwork forming this fall. Developer Comstock commissioned the piece through Frederick, Md.-based R Design Group and has been working with artist Jack Pabis, an independent contractor who has created murals throughout the region, including one for Buffalo Trail Elementary School near Dulles airport as well as others for D.C. schools.
The artwork has drawn interest from Tesla drivers who use the charging station. Pabis set up scaffolding there that he can transport in his van.
“It’s becoming more and more obvious what it is,” he said Tuesday of the mural. “I think now you can finally tell it’s a car.”
Comstock’s Reston Station, the office-residential-retail complex by the Dulles Toll Road and Wiehle-Reston Metro Station at 11389 Reston Station Boulevard, includes a Park and Ride, and the Tesla supercharging station arrived there in July 2020.
Pabis presented several options to Comstock and said the idea of a Tesla convertible hurling through space came forward as a clear favorite.
“They definitely liked it right off the bat,” he said of the Tesla-in-space option, and Comstock worked with him to refine it.
It’s a tribute to two companies and their iconic images after SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster was used as a dummy payload. It’s attached to part of a rocket, launched in 2018, that’s been orbiting the sun.
He said he got inspiration from images he’s seen of the feat, which was livestreamed, and he plans to contain a hodgepodge of concepts.
Comstock didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
Plans were sidetracked amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but Pabis began painting this fall. Last month, he racked up over a week’s worth of work. He plans to finish by Christmas.
