Boosters Available in Fairfax County — Fairfax County’s health department and other providers have begun offering boosters for eligible adult groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting boosters for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. [Reston Patch]
Reston Farmers Market Going Strong — So far, the Reston Farmers Market has had a successful year. The popular market is scheduled to run through Dec. 4. This year, a general sense of normalcy has returned to the market. [Reston Patch]
Last Week for Pumpkin Carving Contest — It’s the last week to submit an entry for Reston Association’s Great Pumpkin Carving contest. Registration is required. [RA]
Glade Clay Tennis Courts Closed — The courts are closed due to standing water. Our Reston tennis team will revaluate the courts today at 5 p.m. [RA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
High Marks for Reston Drug Take-back — Officers collected more than 1,400 pounds of unused and expired medications on Saturday as part of the 21st annual national prescription drug take-back day. Reston Hospital Center collected 249 pounds, only behind the West Springfield district station, which collected 253 pounds. [FCPD]
Last Week for Early Voting — The last day for early voting is Friday. The county has 16 voting locations and every early voting site is open on weekdays from noon to 7 p.m., except the Fairfax County Government Center, where the hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Shadowood Pool Survey Results Coming — Reston Association’s Board of Directors and its parks and recreation advisory committee will hold a joint meeting tomorrow to discuss the results of a community survey on the future of Shadowood pool. The meeting begins online via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. [RA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
LuminoCity Festival Comes to Roer’s Zoofari — The annual LuminoCity Festival has selected the local zoo for this year’s annual exhibit. The light exhibit is inspired by different cultures. This is the first year the festival is being held outside of Manhattan. [Local DVM]
Metro Service Reduced through October — Metro is reducing its service through at least Oct. 31 as it examines the safety of its 7000-series railcars. Trains will operate basic service every 15-20 minutes on the Red Line and every 30-40 minutes on all other lines. Silver Line service will run between Wiehe-Reston East and Federal Center SW only. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Search for New Schools Superintendent Underway — The Fairfax County School Board has hired GR Recruiting to conduct a nationwide search for the next schools’ superintendent. In July, Scott Brabrand, the current superintendent, announced that he will not be seeking an extension of his contract beyond the 2021-2022 academic year. [FCPS]
Photo by Jay Westcott
More Time for Feedback on Fairfax Connector — An online survey intended to gauge feedback on Fairfax Connector bus service in Centreville, Chantilly, Vienna and Tysons has been extended to Oct. 27. The county says feedback is essential in order to improve service. [Fairfax County Government]
Celebrating Halloween Safely — The county is encouraging its residents to celebrate Halloween safely this year by getting vaccinated and wearing masks indoors where there is substantial or high levels of community transmission. [Fairfax County Government]
Reston Scholars Earn Top Honors — Reston Patch rounds up the names of local students who distinguished themselves academically, including students who made to University of Maryland’s Dean’s List. [Reston Patch]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Snow Days to Stay — The Fairfax County Public Schools System is resuming snow days this year after the pandemic changed the school system’s inclement weather policy. The first five snowy days will be traditional inclement weather days. But after that, the school system plans to have unscheduled virtual learning days “wherever possible.” [FCPS]
Metro Hires Consultants to Analyze Safety — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors plans to hire an external consultant to offer advice on safety. The move comes a week after the derailment of a Metrorail train on the Blue Line. [Reston Patch]
Reston Company Raises $4.5 Million in Seed Round — ForecastEra, Reston-based company, formally announced a new seed round investment of $4.5 million. The company offers a account planning, sales, revenue and demand forecast suite that is native to Salesforce. [InsideNOVA]
Consulting Company to Expand in Reston — IT consulting firm Intact Technology will expand its headquarters in Reston by adding 40 new jobs and investing at least $700,000. The state competed with Maryland — the previous HQ — for the project. [Gov. Ralph Northam]
Shake It Up for International ShakeOut Day — Today at exactly 10:21 a.m., the largest earthquake drill ever is expected to take place. Registered participants will receive information on how to prepare for earthquakes and what steps to take during and after shaking. [Fairfax County Government]
Lake Anne Condo Board Election Need Intervention — That’s what a group of Lake Anne residents is telling Fairfax County officials. The property owners are asking the county to claim its proxy from Cheryl Terio-Simon, the landlord of property occupied by Reston Community Center. Elections are happening at the end of the month. [Reston Patch]
Photo by Jay Westcott
Metro Cuts Back Service for the Week — Expect reduced Metrorail service through at least the ned of this week as officials continue their investigation of last week’s derailment. Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Federal Center SW only. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Southgate Community Center Gets New Name — The center was renamed after former Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who helped transform the old county property into a new community center. [Reston Patch]
Appraisal Roadshow Returns — Reston Association’s annual appraisal roadshow returns on Saturday, Nov. 6. Attendees get to take part in a treasure hunt. [RA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Reduced Metro Service Today — Expect reduced Metro service today as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority investigates the recent Blue Line derailment. Metro is holding all of its 7000-series railcars — nearly 60 percent of its rail fleet — out of service. A safety investigation found defects in one of the railcars involved in last Tuesday’s derailment. [WMATA]
Elden Street Business Robbed — Police are looking for a suspect who robbed a business on the 500 block of Elden Street yesterday morning. The man was seen leaving in a red four-door Honda or Toyota. [Herndon Police Department]
Lane and Ramp Closures in Effect on Dulles Toll Road — A number of lane, shoulder and road closures are in effect this week along the Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway and Autopilot Drive. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Wiehle-Reston East Outage Set for Next Week — A planned shutdown at the Wiehe-Reston East Metro station is on track, a spokesperson for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority tells Reston Now. The closure is intended to allow crews to connect the first and second phase of the Silver Line. [WMATA]
Reston Association Has Another Key Departure — Human resources director Melissa Kelley is leaving on Oct. 20 for another opportunity. “She will be greatly missed,” president of the board of directors, Caren Anton, said Wednesday. Other recent departures have included the association’s CEO and technology director. [Reston Association]
Reston-based Company Offers Flexible Workweek Policy — IT services firm Science Applications International Corp. is allowing its workers to take part in a flexible, four-day workweek. Employees can work a few extra hours each day to get an extra day off per week. [Technical.ly]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Top Schools Ranking Released — Some elementary and middle schools from Northern Virginia have made it to U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best schools in the country. Arlington Traditional School has the highest ranking in Virginia among elementary schools while Prince William County’s Mary G. Porter Traditional was ranked the best middle school in the state. [Reston Patch]
County Faces Invasion from Plant — You read that right. The county is facing an invasion from an aggressive plant with an otherwise unthreatening name. The plant wavyleaf basketgrass is spreading through natural areas across the county. The plant even sprouts a sticky substance that can bind itself to cloths, boots and animals, allowing the plant to continue to grow by spreading its seeds. [Fairfax County Government]
First Friends of Reston Fall 5K Set for This Weekend — The inaugural event takes place on Sunday at 8 a.m. at Brown’s Chapel Park. Online registration is open until tomorrow. [Reston Patch]
Reston Association to Host Budget Hearing — RA is holding a public hearing on its budget today at 7 p.m. The meeting is virtual. So far, the organization’s board is considering an increase in next year’s assessment. Tentatively, the draft budget also includes roughly $1.8 million for the renovation of Lake Thoreau pool. [RA]
Night of Lights Comes to Roer’s Zoofari — The LuminoCity festival brings an array of lights to the zoo from Friday through Jan. 2. This is the organization’s first annual event but this is the first time the show ic coming to a location outside of the New York area. [LuminoCity]
Reston Company Partners with Sports Teams and Leagues — Zoomph, a Reston-based company, is partnering with sports leagues and teams to analyze social media initiatives. The company has clients like NASCAR and the Team Liquid e0sports league. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
Reston Home Tour Returns This Weekend — The Reston Historic Trust & Museum is hosting its annual home tour on Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Reston Museum]
Free Halloween Lyft Rides for Halloween — Halloween Lyft rides will be offered to help reduce the likelihood of impaired driving. The program is offered through the Washington Regional Alcohol program. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 41 percent of all traffic fatalities during Halloween between 2015 and 2019 involved drunk drivers. [WRAP]
Frying Pan Farm Park to Celebrate 60th Anniversary — The farm, which is located in Herndon, is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Strangulations Spike in Fairfax County — Even though the number of domestic violence cases has dipped in Fairfax County, the police department has reported an increase in the number of strangulations. It is possible that the number of domestic violence cases — which decreased by roughly 190 cases per year since 2019 — is underreported. [WTOP]
Man Arrested for Brandishing Firearm — A 45-year-old man from Fairfax was arrested after police believe he displayed a handgun and threatened someone near the 12000 block of Greywing Square on Oct. 4. The man was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, brandishing a firearm and removing a serial number of a firearm. No injuries were reported. [Fairfax County Police Department]
New Literacy Program within Communities of Color — The Fairfax County Health Department has launched a new initiative to improve literacy among local African American, African and Hispanic communities. The program is intended to improve health outcomes by helping individuals find, understand, and use health information. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Volunteers Needed for New Fall 5K — Reston Association is looking for volunteers to help with the inaugural Friends of Reston Fall 5K fundraiser on Oct. 17 from 7-10 a.m. [RA]
Police to Host Community Information Session — The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston district station will host a community information forum tonight at 7 p.m. The session is online. [FCPD]
Blackstone Lends $350 Million for Refinancing — Comstock, a Reston-based developer, has landed a refinancing deal for three Reston Station office towers, which are 84 percent leased. [Bisnow]
Maryland Company Acquires Reston-based Company — MasterPeace Solutions, a Columbia-based cyber company has acquired Full Suite Solutions, a company that provides software to intelligence agencies. [Technical.ly]
Getting to Know the New Fairfax County Park Authority Chief — Jai Cole, who came the Fairfax County Park Authority’s new executive director last month, wants to make the park system more accessible for all. She started her career working at the pool at Reston Community Center, a position she says was one of the best jobs she ever had. [Inside NOVA]
Cyber Tip Leads to Child Porn Arrest — Brendan Lynch, 21, of Alexandria, was arrested and charged with four counts of solicitation of a minor and 26 counts of possession of child porn. He worked as an aquatics center at several recreation centers managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority. [FCPD]
