Deadline to order commemorative bricks — Today is the last day to order a commemorative brick for installation at Lake Anne Plaza later this year. [Reston Historic Trust and Museum]
Leidos is leading naval health research — The Reston-based company was awarded a contract by the Naval Medical Logistics Command to provide research support services at its Naval Health Research Center. [Leidos]
Safe drug disposal — Locals can drop off prescription medications and ointments and also over-the-counter drugs to boxes at Fairfax County’s police stations. [Fairfax County Police]
Lego club — Kids ages five to 12 can have fun with Lego bricks at the Herndon Fortnightly Library from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. today. [Fairfax County]
Decreasing the chances of opioid addiction — The director of neurosurgery trauma at Reston Hospital Center is using a new technique to reduce the chances of opioid addiction following major surgery.
Nearby: Amazon HQ2 decision coming close — “New York City and Northern Virginia will be the homes for Amazon’s second and third headquarters, according to people familiar with the matter, ending a more than yearlong public contest that started with 238 candidates and ended with a surprise split of its so-called HQ2.” [Wall Street Journal]
An honorable retirement — Old Glory can sometimes get old, tattered and torn. If you need to dispose of an American flag, there are several available locations in the county to do so, including the Reston District Station, the lobby of the government center in Fairfax and the I-66 and I-95 transfer stations. [Fairfax County Government]
The report card is in for Comstock — Comstock Holding Companies reported total revenue of $14.9 million, as compared to $13.8 million around this time last year. [Global Newswire]
Updates about the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department — The annual report for the department, which offers an overview into programs, services, and progress, is out. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Photo by Gail Crockett
Thanksgiving food drive kicks off today — Reston Community Center, Cornerstones, and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce are seeking non-perishable food and other items for the food drive. Requested donations and drop-off options are available online. Donations will be collected through Nov. 19. [Reston Community Center]
Decisions on decisions for Fairfax County Planning Commission tonight — The commission kicks off November with decisions on the Midline project on the north side of the Dulles Toll Road, east of Wiehle Avenue, as well as Woodfield’s plan to replace offices with multi-family units on the opposite side of the toll road. [Fairfax County Government]
Meet the artist event canceled tonight — A performance by Luke Frazier scheduled for this afternoon at CenterStage has been canceled due to an artist injury, according to organizers. Plans are underway to reschedule the performance in the spring. [Reston Community Center]
If you thought it was just the young folks — In Fairfax County, one in seven Medicare beneficiaries leave hospital care with an opioid prescription. Of that number, 42 percent remain on opioids three months later, according to county data. [Fairfax County Government]
Meet the author event at Scrawl Books — Young adult author Jessica Spotswood returns for a conversation about her Cahill Witch Chronicles series and short story collection. Special guest Nura Behgoman from Herndon High School’s book club will also join Spotswood. [Scrawl Books]
Nearby:Â Information sought on Farea sisters’ disappearance — Local police are looking for information about two sisters from Fairfax County who were found dead in New York several days ago. [Fairfax County Police Department]
(Photo of Lola, a local cat caught “wondering why our azaleas are blooming in late October,” snapped and submitted by Gretchen Bock)
Fairfax County police stations will collect unused or expired medications during its “Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout” on Saturday (Oct. 27). Residents can drop off medicine like pills or liquids between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at any of the county’s eight district police stations.
The take-back program offers residents a safe method for disposing of prescriptions drugs in a way that is closely monitored by state, local and federal government agencies, according to FCPD.
The initiative is made possible with partnerships with county departments like police, health, neighborhood and community services, public works, environmental services, and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
Disposal is free and confidential. No pressurized canisters and needles can be disposed of, however.
The drop-off site for Reston is 1801 Cameron Glen Drive.
Photo via FCPD
(Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Wednesday, Oct. 17 to indicate Governor Ralph Northam will no longer be in attendance).Â
Shatterproof, a national nonprofit that aims to end the stigma associated with addiction, will host a 5k walk and run at Reston Town Center on Saturday (Oct. 20).
Participants can take part in activities like a “shatterproof community village,” which will showcase substance abuse disorder resources from local organizations; the “memorial gallery,” which will feature photos and stories of lost loved one; and a “celebrate recovery” space, which will gather people in recovery.
Governor Ralph Northam, who was scheduled to attend the event as of Tuesday (Oct. 17), will no longer be attending. Mark Herring, the Attorney General of Virginia, is expected to take part. Local families impacted by addiction will also present stories about their experiences.
Registration is free and is open online. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon.
Photo via Shatterproof
Local police now armed with Narcan — In order to tackle the growing opioid epidemic, local police are now equipped with protective equipment that could reverse overdoses, including the popular use of Narcan. [Fairfax County Police Department]
If you’re a tennis fan — Reston Association is organizing a trip to the U.S. Open tennis championships on August 30. The trip is $190 for RA members and $200 for all others. [Reston Association]
Confession letter surfaces in the murder of Reston couple — “The alleged neo-Nazi teen accused of killing a Reston couple inside their home wrote a confession letter, ABC7 has learned. In new documents obtained in the case, the search warrant says the teenager “devolved in detail his actions on the night of this murder. Detectives believe the letter was mailed during the spring to a classmate at the Dominion School, which is now called the Kellar School.” [WJLA]
Photo submitted by Mike James
No major crime incidents were reported this week. The Fairfax County Police Department issued information about the following incidents:
LARCENIES:
11800 block of Barrel Cooper Court, purse from vehicle
700 block of Bennett Street, wallet from vehicle
1500 block of Cameron Crescent Drive, cash from residence
2500 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business
10600 block of Chamberlain Drive, cash from vehicle
1700 block of Saddle Ridge Court, property from vehicle
10700 block of Riverscape Run, sunglasses from vehicle
1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, bicycle from business
STOLEN VEHICLES:
11900 block of Freedom Dr, 2015 Ford Mustang
As we reported in recent days, Tavarias Lee, 20, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.
In a separate incident, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies charged a 45-year-old man from Herndon on June 24 with public intoxication. Wilfredo Madrid-Garcia was arrested after a deputy saw that he was unable to maintain his balance on the 21000 block of Towncenter Plaza in Sterling.
Anyone with information about any crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).
As the opioid epidemic grips the nation and on the local level, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Service Board announced plans this week to expand their opioid reversal training in Reston.
The one-hour, free course will be held on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. at the CSB’s Northwest Center (1850 Cameron Glen Drive).
Attendees will learn to administer naloxone and what to do in an overdose emergency, along with safety plans to help individuals prevent overdose in the event of a relapse. Free naloxone will also be given to attendees who meet eligibility requirements.
CSB has offered community training in Fairfax County since 2015. The training series started as CSB partnered with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Chris Atwood Foundation.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Fairfax County is participating in Operation Medicine Cabinet Clean-out, a program by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, on Saturday (April 28).
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents are encouraged to drop off unused or expired medications at any Fairfax County Police district station. Only pills or liquids are allowed. No pressurized canisters or needles will be accepted.
Organizers say the disposal is free, confidential and safe. The program is intended to prevent accidental poisoning and drug abuse. Reston’s District Station is located at 12000 Bowman Towne Drive.
The initiative is part of a partnership between county departments, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and local businesses.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Reston residents looking to safely dispose of their prescription drugs can drop them off at the Reston police station (12000 Bowman Towne Drive) on April 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The medication drop off is a part of a wider effort by Fairfax County government called “Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout.”
Only pills and liquid medication are permitted for the drop off, officials will not accept needles or pressurized canisters.
Properly disposing of unused or expired prescription medication can prevent drug abuse and misuse, accidental poisoning and environmental pollution, Fairfax County officials said.
In 2016, 42,249 people died from opioid drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
In conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, Fairfax County is promoting “Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout.”
On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents are encouraged to drop off unused or expired medications at any Fairfax County Police district station. Medicine must be pills or liquids only, as no pressurized canisters or needles will be accepted.
The disposal is free, confidential and safe, organizers say. Promotional materials for the event say safe handling of unused or expired medications prevents accidental poisoning, protects the environment and prevents drug abuse.
Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout is sponsored by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County in partnership with local businesses and in collaboration with these Fairfax County government departments: Police, Health, Public and Private Partnerships, Neighborhood and Community Services, Public Works and Environmental Services, and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
The Reston District Station of the Fairfax County Police Department is located at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive.
Safe disposal of unused and expired medications is the goal of Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and local dropoff points are available.
The Fairfax County Police Department is encouraging anyone looking to get rid of prescription drugs to visit a district station between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. (The Reston District Station is located at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive.) Only pills and liquids will be accepted; no needles or pressurized canisters.
According to FCPD, safe handling of unused and expired medication prevents accidental poisoning, protects the environment and prevents drug abuse.
The Herndon Police Department (397 Herndon Parkway) is also asking residents to bring their medication in Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for proper disposal. Needles and liquids cannot be accepted by HPD.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has been promoting Drug Take-Back Day for 12 years. It says studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
“Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem and this is a great opportunity for folks around the country to help reduce the threat,” Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg has said. “Please clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse.”
There are many other collection sites available Saturday. Search the DEA website for more locations.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Virginia Marks Washington’s Day — The holiday known as Presidents’ Day in many places around the United States is called George Washington’s Day here in Virginia. Fairfax County is home to Washington’s Mount Vernon, and it offers an explainer for why the name of today’s holiday is different here. [Fairfax County]
League of Women Voters to Host Documentary Screening — “GerryRIGGED: Turning Democracy on Its Head” will be shown at an event jointly hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and OneVirginia2021: Virginians for Fair Redistricting. Two showings Thursday, at 4:30 and 7 p.m., will each be followed by a question-and-answer session. The event will be at the Fair City Mall in Fairfax. [League of Women Voters]
Local Fan’s Baseball “Free Agency” Subject of New Video — Andrew Volpe, of Reston, has made a short documentary film chronicling his father’s quest to find a new Major League Baseball team to follow. Michael Volpe’s journey in the 1990s was the subject of national news. [Fairfax County Times]
General Assembly Looks to Curtail Opioid Abuse — A number of bills that aim to fight opioid addiction have advanced to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s desk. Among them is a bill that would reduce the amount of pain pills health care professionals can prescribe, and one that would require all opioid prescriptions be handled electronically for monitoring purposes. [Roanoke Times]
The dangers of heroin use — a growing problem in Virginia and nationwide — are the topic of a talk by Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring Thursday at Herndon Middle School (901 Locust St, Herndon) at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a special free screening of “Heroin: The Hardest Hit,” a documentary that explores the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its effects on Virginians.
Herring will be joined by Town of Herndon’s Vice Mayor Jennifer Baker and Chief of Police Maggie DeBoard.
Heroin overdose fatalities in Virginia have more than doubled from 100 deaths in 2011 to 239 deaths in 2014, while an additional 547 Virginians died from prescription drug overdose in 2014, the movie materials say.
Between 2011 and 2013, every region of the state experienced an increase in heroin overdose fatalities. More Virginians were killed in 2014 by heroin and prescription opioid drug overdose than car crashes.
“There is not one corner of the Commonwealth untouched by heroin’s influence and destruction,” Herring said.
In response to this growing public health and public safety problem, Herring has launched a plan to combat heroin and prescription opiate abuse by creating and implementing partnerships and creative solutions for a complex problem.
This film is one example of the preventive and educational measures the Herring’s office is pursuing to make all Virginians  — from teenagers to adults — more aware of the growing crisis involving heroin and prescription and the risks associated with dangerous drugs.
In Virginia, more people die from heroin overdoses than car crashes each year, state officials say.
Fairfax County is no exception, where the number of drug overdoses is rapidly increasing.
Fairfax County officials said there was one day earlier this year where fire and recuse personnel was called to four overdoses in one day.
That is why Fairfax County is hosting a Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Town Hall Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The town hall is at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. It will also be broadcast of Fairfax County Channel 16.
Heroin is a public health crisis in our community and around the nation and Fairfax County is working to address it,” Pat Herrity, Springfield Supervisor, said in a release. “The problem is in your neighborhood. It is occurring across the county, not just in “bad” neighborhoods. … Education and public awareness are important parts of combating this growing crisis. Seventy percent of heroin addicts reportedly start with prescription drugs.” Read More
