Fairfax County Police have arrested a man in connection with a robbery at the Soapstone 7-Eleven store last May.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Division said they received an anonymous tip through Fairfax County Crime Solvers identifying a possible suspect in the robbery that occurred on Friday, May 20.
With that information and other investigative leads, including security camera footage, detectives were able to identify the suspect as John McCaw Flynn, 45, of Vienna.
In the incident, the suspect entered the store about 6 a.m. on May 20, announced that he had a weapon, and then fled the store with merchandise.
On Monday June 13, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Flynn. On Tuesday, June 21, the Fairfax County Police Department’s Fugitive Squad located and arrested Flynn and he was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
There was an additional robbery at the same 7-Eleven on May 5, but Flynn is not believed to be a suspect.
Meanwhile, according to Fairfax County Police, Flynn was arrested following an incident at the same 7-Eleven nearly a decade ago.
In July of 2007, police said Flynn was charged with robbery after he stole a purse from a woman walking into the store.
He has also faced charges since then of DWI, public swearing, public intoxication and eluding police, county court records show.
The Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR), scheduled to formally dedicate this year’s South Lakes High School public art work, “Simon,” has canceled tonight’s unveiling due to the extreme heat. The dedication of the work had been scheduled for 7 p.m. No word on when new ceremony will take place.
This is the third year in a row SLHS students’ — the STEAM team — have merged art and science to turn a concrete slab into a temporary work of art. The sculpture is expected to remain for several months.
The students said they wanted to honor Reston founder Robert Simon, a supporter of public art, who died last year at 101. The students’ mission statement said “Inspired by Robert E. Simon’s Seven Principles of Community, the temporary public artwork shows that beauty, both structural and natural, is a necessity of a good life and should be fostered.”
“The house structure represents how the hospitality of Reston draws people into the community, its warm colors creating an inviting atmosphere, and the curtain and window illustrating Reston’s welcoming nature. Reston is our home, and the house serves as a representation of such.”
The students worked with SLHS art teach Marco Rando on the project for a year, presenting design concepts to the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) Public Art Committee for recommendation on the design to develop for the spillway, as well as presenting and receiving approval from the Reston Association Design and Review Board (DRB).
The sculpture was first fabricated by students in the school parking lot to formalize the engineering process. It was then deconstructed and given to RA construction staff to reconstruct on the concrete spillway of Lake Thoreau.
When Hillary Clinton selected Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Thursday evening, it marked the first time since Woodrow Wilson that a Virginian is on the national ticket.
Virginia may be the mother of presidents — it’s had eight, more than any other state — just not in 100 years or so. And the last vice president from Virginia was John Tyler, who served for 30 days and then was vaulted to president upon the death of William Henry Harrison.
I’m thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who’s devoted his life to fighting for others. -H pic.twitter.com/lTVyfztE5Z
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 23, 2016
Kaine, 58, has represented Virginia in the U.S Senate since 2012. Prior to that he served as Virginia governor (2006-10) and Mayor of Richmond. He has a law degree from Harvard and spent a year as a Catholic missionary in Honduras (where he learned to speak fluent Spanish). He is also a former Democratic National Committee Chairman.
Kaine’s early legal career was spent in Richmond, representing clients in fair housing and racial discrimination cases. His attention to civil rights is one factor that makes him “a Reston kind of guy,” says Virginia Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston).
“Tim Kaine is a Reston kind of guy,” said Plum. “He made his mark early on in civil rights litigation. The kind of things our community stands for are the kind of things Tim Kaine stands for.”
Kaine and Clinton spoke together last week at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale.
Kaine has made many appearances in Reston in recent years. He sat next to Reston founder Bob Simon at Simon’s 100th birthday celebration in April of 2014. He praised Simon as a visionary in creating an integrated new town in a divided south.
“In 1964, when Reston opened, discrimination was rampant and legal,” Kaine said that day at Lake Anne Plaza. “It wasn’t until 1968 that the federal Fair Housing Act was passed. It wasn’t until 1971 that the Virginia General Assembly passed the South’s first fair housing law. Bob [Simon] was a real visionary.
“When we look at Virginia history since World War II, Bob should be one of the five or six individuals [we talk about]. Bob took a state that was facing backward and turned it facing forward.”
Kaine also spoke at Simon’s celebration of life last April. Read More
If you see people with their heads down staring at their phones around Reston, chances are they are doing more than reading a text.
They are playing a new game called Pokemon Go, which was released late last week and is the craze of the minute among some smartphone-toting age groups.
Over the weekend, it was heads down looking for Pokemon all over Reston. There were Pokemon reported on the paths and at the town center.
Not really, but virtually.
Players have to walk around their area to “find” Pokemon or visit “Pokestops” that have free items like pokeballs and potions. When they come across a pokemon, it appears on their iPhone screen as if it were in the real world, and players flick a pokeball at the monster to capture it.
So there are Pokemon in the lakes and Pokemon in the streets. Have you found any?
Still not sure what Pokemon Go involves? Ask your kids or read this Washington Post story. Here is some fun Restonian had with the little animated creatures. And here are some tips from people who spent all weekend playing it.
Photo via Restonian
The Fairfax County Board of Transportation is looking at a variety of funding sources to pay for more than $2 billion in Reston road improvements over the next 40 years.
FCDOT officials outlined some of their ideas at a community meeting in Reston on Monday. They stressed all proposals are in the idea stage and still being discussed with the Reston Network and Funding Advocacy Group (RNAG). They are also seeking public feedback on ideas, but hope to have a solid plan to go before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors by the end of 2016.
Here is what you need to know:
The $2.27 billion cost would be split between public and private funds over three categories.
- Reston Roadways: $1.2 billion – 100 percent paid for by public share
- Reston Intersections: $45 million – 100 percent paid for by private share
- Urban Street grid near Metro Stations: $1.021 billion – 100 percent paid for by private share.
That works out to 53 percent paid for by public funds; 47 percent paid for by private funds. However, even using those estimates and in-kind contributions, FCDOT estimates a $355 million shortfall.
That’s why they are considering a tax district for commercial properties or a special service district for all properties located in the Reston Transit Service Areas (TSAs). TSAs are the new construction within about a quarter-mile of Reston’s eventual three Metro stations.
Here’s some of the models they are considering for that:
And here are some of the models for a Road Fund comprised of developer contributions:
In several of the Road Fund scenarios, there would still be a shortfall.
Read more about the process and provide feedback on FCDOT’s web page.
Fairfax County Police have located a man reported missing from Herndon last week.
Kenneth R Hirsh and his dog were found dead Saturday about 8 p.m. in a wooded area near the 12200 block of Parkstream Terrace, police said.
Hirsch was reported missing on June 22. He voluntarily left a residence in the 1400 block of Kingstream Drive in Herndon on Tuesday, June 21 around 4:45 p.m. with his dog.
Hirsch was believed to be experiencing emotional distress and be in possession of a firearm.
Police said there are no apparent suspicious circumstances related to this case.
Photo: Kenneth Hirsch/FCPD
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is still considering a special tax or special service district to fund $2.6 billion in transportation improvements in the Reston area in coming years.
Two ideas mentioned in a briefing to the Reston Network Analysis & Funding Plan (RNAG) Advisory Group this week include a tax district: $0.03/$100 of assessed values for commercial and industrial properties in Reston transit station areas or a service district of $0.015/$100 of assessed values for all properties in Reston transit station areas.
The suggestions will be further discussed at a community meeting Monday, 7-9 p.m., at the North County Government Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston.
The presentation uses the example of a .015 cent tax to show how it would affect homeowners. A service district homeowner with a $400,000 home would see a rise of about $60 in annual taxes. An owner with a $900,000 home would be taxed about $135 more. Read More
Manny Hershkowitz, a longtime Reston resident who was known for his active pursuits as a retiree, died last month at Ashby Ponds in Ashburn. He was 99.
Manny and his wife, Ruth, lived in Reston for more than 30 years, relocating from New York in 1974 to be near grown children.
At age 82, Manny became the oldest ball boy to work the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. That earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
He competed several times in the Virginia Senior Olympics and the National Senior Olympics and was an avid softball and bridge player. His needlepoint works were also displayed at Reston Community Center in recent years.
Manny retired twice — from the fur industry in New York and later as a furniture salesman at Bloomingdales at Tysons Corner.
“I think being so active keeps me young,” Hershkowitz told the Washington Times in 2003. “I think age is a state of mind.”
He was a World War II veteran and was married to Ruth Hershkowitz for 73 years. They had three children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Manny is survived by his wife Ruth, children, Stephen (Louise), Jared (Fran) and Meryl (Peter); grandchildren, Rana (Mark), Jo (Steve), Arianna, Brittany and Steven; great grandchildren, James, Sean, Alan and Jason.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Ashby Pond Scholarship Fund or the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation Religious School.
Photo: Manny Hershkowitz/Legacy.com
After testimony from state historic and architectural experts, the Fairfax County Planning Commission admits it did not fully investigate the historic significance of the former American Press Institute Building in Reston.
The building, which housed the API from 1974 to 2012, was designed by famous architect Marcel Breuer and is the only Breuer building in Virginia.
Breuer’s also designed UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, and buildings at New York University and Vassar College, among others.
Other advocates for rescuing the building have pointed out the historical significance for leaders in media and politics.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission heard the pleas for historic preservation — sort of. They send Sekas Homes‘ proposal for 34 townhomes and 10 condos to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Thursday with a recommendation for denial.
Many Reston residents have suggested that the county try and buy it from its current owner and repurpose the more than 48,000-square-foot building as a new Reston Regional Library. A new library is planned for the Reston Town Center North area, with $10 million of county bond money set aside to build it.
While we wait for the supervisors’ vision of what should happen to the four-acre parcel along Sunrise Valley Drive, let’s hear your ideas.
The Marcel Breuer-designed building in Reston will get a reprieve after some of the Fairfax County Planning Commission admitted “a major screw up” by them. The commission will send Sekas Homes rezoning application to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for denial.
“This was a major screw up,” said At-Large Member James Hart. “I hope this is a wake up call to us that we need to make sure something like this does not happen again.”
The building on Sunrise Valley Drive is the only Breuer-designed building in Virginia. Breuer is a famed architect of the Brutalist style of the 1960s and 1970s. The building housed the American Press Institute (API) from 1974 to 2012. It has been vacant since 2012, when API merged with the Newspaper Association of America.
Sekas Homes is planning to rezone the property to build 34 townhomes and 10 condos. A planning commission staff report earlier this year recommended the project for approval. Read More
The Fairfax County’s 911 Center says the Verizon fiber line damaged in last night’s pole fire in Reston may be limiting access to 911 services in the area today.
Verizon has been working on correcting the problem, which has been causing cable, cell and phone issues since the fire at about 6:30 p.m. last night.
A utility pole caught fire near Home Depot Wednesday, knocking out power to the area around Baron Cameron Avenue and Reston Parkway.
The intersection and nearby traffic lights were closed for about two hours, making for slow traffic at one of Reston’s busiest intersections. The intersection was closed again at mid-day today as crews continue to try and fix the issue.
Verizon customer service has given varying reports of when service will be restored. They said earlier today that it would be back by noon, but that has not happened as of 1:30 p.m.
Reports now vary from 3:45 p.m. to tomorrow morning.
@VerizonSupport any update on Reston, VA outage? VZ site says 345pm in one place and 745am tomorrow in another! What should I believe?
— Reed Meyer (@ReedMeyer) June 9, 2016
Some AT&T customers are also reporting issues.
.@attcares What’s up in Sterling/Herndon/Reston VA? Multiple phones down since at least 9:30AM EDT — Greg Pinto (@pilampinto) June 9, 2016
Reston resident Don Chernoff recently used his engineering background and concern for his dog Sunny to invent a sturdy shoe that he says has improved the pet’s quality of life.
Chernoff, inventor and founder of Skyroll luggage said Sunny, now 12, had a tumor in his left front paw. The paw was amputated about two years ago.
Sunny got a prosthetic from the vet, but the dog kept breaking it and chewing on it. That’s when Chernoff was inspired to design one himself.
“I thought using a sneaker on the bottom would work better,
and it did,” Chernoff said in an email.
Chernoff said he destroyed his old pair of Nike Zoom Vapor 9 shoes. He used the shoe parts and duct tape, to upgrade into a “faux paw” — and now Sunny gets around much better.
Chernoff says he is not looking for a patent, a deal with Nike or to make more shoes. That is, unless Sunny breaks his current faux paw.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will wait until next month before deciding what the future holds for the former American Press Institute Building on Sunrise Valley Drive.
The building, designed by noted architect Marcel Breuer, is an example of Brutalist design that should be given historical designation, some say. Others are of the opinion that it is an office building that has been sitting empty for more than four years and is ripe for redevelopment.
Sekas Homes is looking to rezone the 4.6-acres of land from industrial to residential in order to build 34 townhouses and 10 condominiums at 11690 Sunrise Valley Dr. A county staff report recommends approval of the application.
A public hearing was held earlier this month. Planning commission members will tour the building on June 2 and on June 16 will either recommend or deny the plan for approval. Read More
Reston-area workers and residents were puzzled when they looked to the sky about 3 p.m. on Monday. A skywriting plane had left this: “#Deny NIA.”
The reactions on social media ranged from: Who is Denynia? What is happening? Say what?
Here’s what happened. The message was supposed to be a grand gesture to say “#Deny NAI.”
As Reston Now reported yesterday, it is part of a campaign by the Herndon-based Air Line Pilots Association against allowing Norwegian Airlines (NAI) to operate in the United States.
Here is what the ALPA had to say in a statement later on Monday:
“[Monday’s] skywriting was part of ALPA’s campaign to demonstrate opposition to Norwegian’s request for a foreign air carrier permit. While the first pass was a bit jumbled, like Norwegian’s business plan, it is easily corrected. Norwegian should consider doing the same.”
The ALPA says that on April 15, the Department of Transportation (DOT) tentatively approved Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) request for a foreign air carrier permit to allow it to operate flights to the United States.
“NAI’s business plan is designed to avoid Norwegian labor, tax and regulatory laws,” the ALPA says on its website. “It is inconsistent with the intent of the US-EU Air Transport Agreement and, if allowed to be implemented in the trans-Atlantic market, would put U.S. airlines and aviation workers at a tremendous disadvantage as they compete in the international marketplace — two reasons Congress should tell the administration and DOT to #DenyNAI.”
The association got many calls about the typo in the sky, and at about 5 p.m. the skywriting pilot took another pass with the correct message.
Photo – top, courtesy Modern Reston; Bottom, corrected skywriting, courtesy ALPA
Several Reston Now readers contacted us and took to Facebook and Twitter Monday afternoon when this skywriting was seen in the sky.
Weird skywriting over Reston, VA. “IDENYNIA”?? pic.twitter.com/IAs9TnAB6C
— Barry (@twe2b) May 16, 2016
It appears to say “Denynia.”
DENYNIA? Over Tysons rt now @capitalweat
Above Reston #writingonair A photo posted by benjaminburgessphotography (@benjaminburgessphotography) on
A new experience for my students. Skywriting. pic.twitter.com/eOozEhh3XN — Mr Sheremeta (@MrSheremeta5gr) May 16, 2016
Several readers directed us to the National Association of Airline Pilots, based in Herndon. The NAIP is organizing a “Deny NAI” campaign, according to its website.
On April 15, the Department of Transportation (DOT) tentatively approved Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) request for a foreign air carrier permit to allow it to operate flights to the United States.
NAI’s business plan is designed to avoid Norwegian labor, tax and regulatory laws. It is inconsistent with the intent of the US-EU Air Transport Agreement and, if allowed to be implemented in the trans-Atlantic market, would put U.S. airlines and aviation workers at a tremendous disadvantage as they compete in the international marketplace–two reasons the Obama Administration should immediately reverse this decision.
Nonetheless, there may be a typo high in the sky.
Top photo courtesy Modern Reston
