Updated at 12:15 p.m. on May 28 —  Though no one was injured, three people were displaced by the fire. 

Fire crews brought a townhouse fire under control yesterday afternoon in Herndon, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

Units that first arrived on scene reported signs of fire from the two-story building at 13300 Schwenger Place.

Crews worked to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.

UPDATE – Herndon Townhouse Fire Displaces Three. Units arrived on scene of a two-story, middle unit townhouse with fire and smoke showing from first floor that was extending to the second floor. More: https://t.co/GKgkaRT5V6 #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/7RDqwAzGYr

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) May 28, 2020

Units on scene of a townhouse fire in the 13300 block of Schwenger Place in Herndon. First unit on scene reports fire showing from a two-story, middle unit townhouse. Crews working to extinguish. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/g3LG8rf4ry

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) May 27, 2020

UPDATE: fire is under control. Occupants safe. Crews checking for any extension of fire. No reported injuries at this time. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty https://t.co/Vun0Lh2Amk

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) May 27, 2020

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Twitter

As the Silver Line extension project continues through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Herndon’s Economic Development Manager Dennis Holste, reflected on the state of other local transportation projects and changes to the town at the public Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce metro meeting last night (May 18). 

By 2021, he said that the Reston Town Center, Herndon and Innovation Station stops should be complete, but the plans for the new update bus routes for the Fairfax Connector are up in the air. 

There are currently 30 routes being proposed for the Herndon community but these cannot be finalized until public forums are held, according to Holste.

“They were supposed to hold community meetings in late March and early April,” he said. “But obviously due to COVID they were postponed.”

Though no new dates have been set for these meetings, Holste said they will likely be hosted in late summer or fall.

Currently, a survey is circulating online allowing people to view the proposed bus routes and submit feedback on their thoughts.

Also brought up in the meeting, the new environmental remediation work in Downtown Herndon, which has been completed according to Holste.

“The next step would be demolition of the building,” he said. “I don’t have an exact date but it should be shortly.”

Fairfax County police are investigating a shooting that they say took place in front of a 7-Eleven in Herndon early Thursday (May 7) morning.

After receiving a report for possible gunshots, police said that they found out that a man was being treated for a non-serious gunshot wound at a local hospital.

“Further investigation determined the shooting took place in front of [13190 Parcher Avenue],” police said, adding that the front of the 7-Eleven at that address was damaged.

Police also said that they found several shell casings in the area.

The case is currently an active investigation, according to police. Anyone who has information can contact the police department at 703-246-7800

File photo

A new elementary school in Herndon that will open in August officially has a new name.

The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to name the new elementary school on the existing McNair Elementary School campus.

The new building, which will serve students from third to sixth grade, will be called McNair Upper Elementary School. The existing building,  which will serve students from pre-K through second grade, will be called McNair Elementary School.

The school system reached out to the community earlier this year to seek comment on possible names for the new school.

Here’s more from FCPS on the process:

In accordance with FCPS Regulation 8170.8, a one-month period of public comment was held beginning January 29, and a community meeting was held on February 19 to solicit name suggestions from the community. Community members also had the opportunity to submit recommendations and feedback via an email link. A public hearing was held on February 20 and, after compiling feedback from stakeholders, Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand recommended on March 5 that the School Board name the new facility McNair Upper Elementary School, the most frequently suggested name by stakeholders. The recommended name aligns with other FCPS paired schools, such as Fort Belvoir Upper and Bailey’s Upper.

Enrollment at the current elementary school has increased steadily from 897 in 2001 to 1,342 in 2016. The new school is intended to relieve current overcrowding at McNair Elementary School.

Image via Google Maps

Fitness studios in Reston and Herndon are among the locally-owned businesses struggling with the loss of revenue after they were forced to shut down because of the pandemic.

Several studio owners told Reston Now that they saw a dramatic decrease in revenue after they decided to offer a membership service payment freeze — even though they also began offering classes that can be streamed from someone’s living room.

For example, take New Trail Cycling Studio owned by Liz Kamp. Opening in late 2018, the studio is a somewhat recent addition to the Reston area.

One of her biggest challenges so far has been managing to keep her staffers on payroll so she can reopen when this is all over, she said.

“The revenue isn’t there,” Kamp said, adding that larger companies like Peloton are taking away their business by offering free classes.

Though she said she understands the benefit of the free classes, especially for people who have been laid off or had pay cuts, she admitted it is detrimental to her business in the long-run.

For preexisting New Trail Cycling members, Kamp said the studio froze in-person memberships or packages until non-essential businesses are able to reopen.

New Trail Cycling does offer a few free classes on Zoom as well as a new paid digital membership, but Kamp said she will never be able to compete with companies like Peloton when it comes to the production value of the videos.

For $15 per week, people can sign up online for unlimited classes through Zoom. The studio also offers a digital nutritional coaching session for $10, which is led by medical professionals. People can rent equipment from the studio depending on the circumstances, the website said.

“I have to hold onto the hope that the community values what we do here and understand that their support now is what will help me open my doors again,” Kamp said.

She said she understands it will be a difficult path forward, hearing from her members and receiving positive feedback on the new digital classes keeps her afloat personally.

“Right now it’s about trying to keep people connected and supporting our participants however we can from a distance,” Kamp said. “We are all missing the in-person connection and community.”

New Trail Fitness decided to start a Facebook group for members who missed seeing each other at the studio, according to Kamp. The group features daily challenges that include things like meditation and self-care tips.

Meanwhile, Homegrown Power Yoga in Herndon is yet another small fitness studio affected by the pandemic.

Owner Alison Adams told Reston Now in an email that the yoga studio was quick to adapt after the mandate to close non-essential businesses. Within 12 hours, they were able to offer online Zoom yoga classes, she said.

“As incredibly hard as it has been to close our doors, and work with the unpredictability of the sustainability of our business,” she said. “This is nothing compared to what each person who is working the frontline is contributing during this crisis.”

The studio is also offering free classes to medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Adams.

Photo courtesy Liz Kamp/Charlotte Geary Photography

Despite social distancing measures, the Herndon community still came together yesterday (April 13) to celebrate the 90th birthday of local resident Muriel Turner.

A neighborhood resident since 1986, Turner is beloved by many of her neighbors who threw an event so people could celebrate her while still staying safe. Not only did they decorate her house and put a large celebratory sign in her yard, but the neighbors also coordinated a walk-by so people could wave and say hello, according to a press release.

Turner is a nationally renowned flower designer and also a spritely woman who refuses to stop helping her community, according to Paul Sullivan, one of the neighbors in charge of coordinating the celebration.

“I like to call her a renaissance woman. She is interested in a plethora of things,” Sullivan said, adding that while not in self-isolation, she can often be found swimming laps at the local community center, volunteering at Saint Timothy’s Episcopal Church, feeding the homeless and serving as an officer in her garden club.

“Her neighbors on Lake Shore Drive in Herndon wanted to make sure that despite COVID-19, this milestone birthday was celebrated in style,” a Hunter Mill District spokesperson said.

Throughout the day, Turner had visitors “almost non-stop,” according to Sullivan, who added that many people left gifts and cards for her. “She was on the phone or answering her door from 8:30 a.m. on,” he said.

Over the course of the day, Sullivan said he was pleased with the outcome of the event and added that more than 100 people, including Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn, came to share well-wishes for Turner’s big day.

Around 11 p.m. Sullivan received a call from Turner, which he said frightened him because she is usually in bed by that time. Luckily, it turns out that she was simply thrilled to see herself on TV after a local news station ran a feature on her, and she felt the need to share her joy with Sullivan.

“We would all live a great life if we mirrored how she lives hers,” Sullivan said.

Photo courtesy Walter Alcorn Staff

A mini-satellite by a Herndon startup is getting special attention from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

HawkEye360, a data-analytics company that launched in 2015, will partner with the museum in an upcoming exhibit. The company uses satellites to gather data from across the world, the company’s chief operating officer Rob Rainhart told Reston Now.

The group was approached by the Smithsonian representatives after learning about the HawkEye360’s new Pathfinder satellite, which Rainhart said is leading the industry when it comes to small satellite data collection. Pathfinder was officially launched in December 2018 and uses geo-location to collect data.

HawkEye360 has already built the lifesize model and handed it off to the Smithsonian, Rainhart said, adding that he is excited for the company’s work to be included at a permanent exhibition at the museum.

Patrons will be able to visit the exhibit which includes the “microwaved size” model, sometime starting in 2025, according to the press release.

HawyEye360 was partially chosen to be included in the Smithsonian’s new exhibit because of the company’s effort to be a leader in refining the”space 2.0″ revolution, Rainhart said. Currently, the company has three satellites orbiting the earth — all pulling the data that served roughly several dozen customers in both the private and public sectors.

Scientists and engineers at the company use a unique class of radio frequency data to learn about the world, a press release said. Rainhart added that this is what helps to set the company apart from competitors — along with the new data sets that the company brings to the market.

“It’s a really innovative, high-tech startup that’s growing really fast,” Rainhart said. He says that the company also helps to monitor things like illegal fishing or maritime activity, as well as things like providing a visual view of an area after natural disasters.

Going forward, the company wants to launch 18 satellites and are on track to launch three more in September.

With roughly 60 employees, Rainhart said that the company hopes to grow and continue working with clients across the globe.

Photo courtesy HawkEye360

Next month in Herndon, fans can check out a production of “Noises Off” at the NextStop Theatre Com pany.

The production is a play within a play and allows viewers to “witness all the behind-the-scenes antics as an eccentric group of actors try to survive rehearsals, performances and each other,” a press release said.

Tickets range in price from $35 to $50 and showtimes will run from April 2- 26 at 269 Sunset Park Drive.

This comedy was written by Michael Frayn and will be directed by Evan Hoffmann, according to the event page.

Tickets can be purchased at the door but event organizers suggest patrons buy them ahead of time.

Photo courtesy NextStop

Homeowners in the Herndon area looking to install new hardwood floors will have another retail option with the grand opening of District Floor Depot.

The showroom (1051 Elden Street) is expected to open in April, according to a customer representative.

The shop will offer customers six different hardwood floor styles including traditional, distressed, luxury resilience, renewable, reclaimed and exotic, according to the website.

The varieties vary in cost, and prices can be found online.

Other District Floor Depot locations include two in D.C. at 1600 Rhode Island Ave NE and 1306 Good Hope Road SE, the website said.

Photo via District Floor Depot/Facebook

New stores and businesses are preparing to open at Herndon’s latest retail development.

The Elden Corner Center development (902 Alabama Drive) includes space for eight commercial relators, a spokesperson for Capital Realty Advisors said, adding that all of the storefronts — except for one — are already rented out.

According to the spokesperson, tenants will include:

• Bodega El Paisa, a grocery and market
• Paraiso Latino Restaurant and Bakery
• an apparel store
• Serenity Spa, a body massage business
• Boost Mobile
• Madina Pollo Rico

Boost Mobile will be the first business to open in the shopping center, the spokesperson said, adding that it is expected to open by the end of the month.

The last spot available for lease “has been built out for [a] hair salon use,” according to the representative, but can also be used for other retail use.

“Some of the stores are almost ready to open up, while others are just beginning to do their custom build-outs, but everything should be open by the end of this year,” landlord and owner Sanjay Bajaj said in a press release.

Photo courtesy Elden Corner Center

Before Esther Hanes died from cancer last year, she handed down the Cinnamon Tree to a new owner, who is now moving the shop to a larger spot in Herndon. 

The dance supply shop is moving down the street to a vacant spot at 305 Spring Street after 42 years at 1108 Herndon Parkway, according to Caitlin Kenney, the shop’s new owner.

People are invited to celebrate a grand opening on Saturday (March 7) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. after a soft opening on Friday (March 6).

The grand opening party will include music, a swag bag for the first 25 customers, specialized fittings and other promotions, according to Kenney, who is in the midst of party planning.

The new location will include over 2,000 square feet of space, Kenney said, adding that the shop will now also include costume consignments.

The shop carries dance clothing for men, women and kids, and everything sold at the Cinnamon Tree will be professional brands, according to Kenney, who said she prides herself about the items’ quality.

“I don’t want my name on something that will fall apart,” she said.

As a little girl, Kenney said she was a regular and often visited with her own mother.

Kenney began working at the shop when she was 14 and said Hanes, the shop’s founder, was eager to keep her on board. She often spent time at the shop and worked various shifts when Hanes was feeling ill later in her life.

When Hanes retired, almost giving up her business after she had been diagnosed with cancer, Kenney stepped in to defend the shop and offered to take ownership.

Hanes almost closed the shop because of a drop in sales from online shopping, Kenney said. “I wasn’t willing to let the business go,” she said.

Today, people still stop by the shop to check-in on Hanes, Kenney said, adding that the elderly woman had a huge impact on the community around her and always knew how to make a welcoming impression on customers.

With the upcoming grand opening, Kenney said she is excited for the overdue move, saying that “the landlord just did a huge facelift on the exterior of the building and it’s stunning.”

The shop’s hours of operation will be Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to  7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., according to the shop’s newsletter.

Photo courtesy Caitlin Kenney

Three local businesses decided to partner on a brand new monthly book and tea pairing for people looking for book lovers and stay-cationers.

The program, which makes its debut on Wednesday (Feb. 26), allows people to pick up a predetermined book and tea pairing at Elden Street Tea Shop (714 Pine Street) for $34.95, according to Bridget Blakely, a spokesperson from Mascot Books.

“Three weeks after the pairing’s launch, readers are invited to participate in the novel-tea book club and discussion at the tea shop, ” Rachel Eisenfeld, the owner of Elden Street Tea Shop, said in a Q&A.

Each month, the tea for the pairings will be chosen by Elden Street Tea Shop while books will be chosen by Mascot Books and then supplied by Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive), according to Blakely.

For the first month, program participants will be able to read “Anna Incognito” while sipping a cup of Crème Earl Grey, Blakely said.

“We tried to do a good mix of fiction and non-fiction and caffeinated teas versus herbal teas,” Blakely said.

Going forward, a new pairing will be available at the end of each month, according to a press release.

Photo courtesy Bridget Blakely

After a challenge from her sister, a local teenager decided to write a poetry book based on alcoholic drinks — without having a sip of booze herself, according to the publisher Mascot Books.

“The Drink Selection; With Something To Nibble On” by Herndon resident Nisha Shankar is a collection of poems exploring various situations around wine, hard liquor and beer, according to the book’s description.

The book is currently available for pre-sale and costs around $18 on Amazon. An official release date is set for March 3, according to a press release.

“She is an amazing artist but did not originally set out to write a book of poems about alcoholic beverages,” the publisher said about Shankar.

In the acknowledgments of the book, Shankar thanks her dad for turning her into a young whiskey connoisseur and her sister for encouraging her to step up to the challenge.

“I know it wasn’t a suitable topic, but you guys loved it and encouraged me to write more,” she continued.

The 80-page book comes in hardcover for the time being and also can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, according to the press release.

Photo via Adam Jaime/Unsplash

(Updated 2/14/2020) Presidents’ Day is Monday and that means closures around the area.

All Fairfax County government offices, public schools and public libraries will be closed, according to the county website.

Trash and recycling will be collected on a regular schedule if community members are customers of Fairfax County, the website said, which added that people with a private company should contact the company directly.

Both Reston community centers at Lake Anne and Hunters Woods will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Monday, according to the website.

In the Town of Herndon, recycling will be collected on Tuesday (Feb. 18) instead of Monday, the town’s website said.

The Herndon Community center will be open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., according to the site, which added that its government offices will be closed.

Regarding public transportation, the Fairfax Connector will be running on a Holiday Weekend Schedule on Monday.

The Metro will be running on a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., according to the WMATA website.