Primary Voter Turnout Expected to Follow Pre-Pandemic Trends — “While tens of thousands of Virginians already voted early ahead of the primary election on Tuesday, the turnout for people casting ballots in person is expected to look more like it did before the coronavirus pandemic. ‘I suspect that the bulk of the voters will be voting tomorrow as they traditionally have,’ said Fairfax County General Registrar Scott Konopasek. [WTOP]
Capital One Hall Announces More Performers — After revealing its first confirmed performer last week, Capital One Hall announced today that the rock band Kansas and comedians John Crist and Taylor Tomlinson will join country singer Clint Black in the Tysons performing arts venue’s inaugural season lineup. Tickets for all of the shows announced so far will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday (June 11). [Capital One Hall/Twitter]
Texas Jack’s Ranch Eyes September Opening — Texas Jack’s Ranch plans to open at the Lumen apartments near the Greensboro Metro station this September, about a year after previously anticipated. The Italian restaurant is owned by the same team behind Texas Jack’s Barbecue in Arlington, and the team of international chefs will be led by ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ finalist Declan Horgan. [Patch]
County Board to Vote on Demolishing McLean House — Today’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting will have several spot blight abatement public hearings, including one for a house at 1045 Bellview Road in McLean that’s currently owned by the Embassy of Qatar but has been abandoned for the past five to six years. The building caught fire last Halloween, and there are plans to replace it with a new house. [Patch]
Regional Coalition Recommends Economic Development Strategy — A coalition of D.C. area government, business, nonprofit, and education leaders called Connected DMV released a report on how the region can work together to encourage economic growth. The report included data illustrating drastic differences in economic mobility between the east and west sides of I-95, with Fairfax County ranking high and the District on the low end. [The Washington Post]
A Maryland resident was killed in a car crash in the McLean area of northbound Interstate 495 on Friday (June 4), the Virginia State Police says.
According to a news release that came out today (Monday), state troopers responded at 11:56 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash that occurred south of the American Legion Bridge:
A 2019 Hyundai Kona was traveling in the far left lane at a high rate of speed when it crossed two lanes, struck a 2018 Freightliner tractor-trailer in the center lane and continued to travel off the right side of the road. The Hyundai spun as it ran off the road, running into the ditch, hitting two trees and overturning.
The driver of the Hyundai, who has been identified as 36-year-old Daniel E. Gluckman of Rockville, Md., died at the scene.
State police say Gluckman was wearing a seatbelt, but speed is considered a factor in the crash. The tractor-trailer driver was notinjured.
“The crash remains under investigation,” the VSP said.
While a day still hasn’t gone by without at least one new COVID-19 case since March 20, 2020, Fairfax County’s daily count stayed in the single digits during the entire first week of June, the first such stretch of the pandemic.
With the addition of eight cases today (Monday), the county has recorded 35 new cases total over the past week and is now averaging just five new cases per day for the past seven days — the lowest weekly average since March 24, 2020, when it was at 4.9 cases.
The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, has now reported 78,034 COVID-19 cases during the pandemic, according to the Fairfax County Health Department. 4,121 people have been hospitalized by the respiratory disease, and 1,133 people have died, five of them this month.
To commemorate all of the people who have died in the Northern Virginia region, the Fairfax County Government Center will host a COVID-19 Remembrance Ceremony at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (June 9).
With case levels declining, the county health department announced on Friday (June 4) that it will no longer operate community COVID-19 testing sites, though residents can still get a test through pharmacies, urgent care centers, and other health care providers. The county will also provide testing at its health department clinics for people who exhibit symptoms.
Fairfax County health officials say the slowing spread of the novel coronavirus is the result of rising COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We are not seeing the level of COVID-19 cases compared to a few months ago and are attributing this trend to the number of residents who are getting vaccinated,” FCHD Public Health Emergency Management Coordinator Jesse Habourn said. “However, we are still seeing transmission of COVID-19 in our community so residents who need testing should utilize the vast number of options available in our community or make an appointment at one of our clinic sites.”
701,553 Fairfax Health District residents have now gotten at least one vaccine dose. That amounts to 77.6% of people 18 and older and 59.3% of the district’s total population.
Notably, FCHD’s vaccine data dashboard shows that at least 50% of all eligible age groups have received at least one dose, ranging from 55.8% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 up to 92.8% of adults between 75 and 84 years old.
Overall, 48.7% of Fairfax Health District residents — 575,878 people — have been fully vaccinated, including 63.7% of adults.
While thousands of vaccinations are still administered per day in Fairfax County, demand has started to level out in recent weeks, as shown by the chart below. In response, the Virginia Department of Health plans to close its mass vaccination site at Tysons Corner Center on June 26 as it pivots to smaller, more mobile clinics.
Photo via CDC on Unsplash; charts via Virginia Department of Health, Fairfax County Health Department
County Demobilizes Community COVID-19 Testing Sites — The Fairfax County Health Department closed its COVID-19 community testing sites at the end of the day on Friday (June 4). Testing is still available through health care providers, urgent cares centers, and pharmacies, and starting today (Monday), residents who exhibit COVID symptoms can schedule appointments at an FCHD clinic by calling 703-324-7404. [FCHD]
Carjacking Attempt Reported in Falls Church — Two men, one of them armed with a handgun, approached a man in the 3000 block of Graham Road on May 29 and demanded his car keys and property, police say. They attempted to leave in the victim’s car but took another vehicle instead when they were unable to drive it. No injuries were reported. [FCPD]
D.C. Area Slow to Distribute Rent Relief — “At least $300 million in emergency funds intended to help struggling renters in the Washington area remain unspent even as a federal ban on evictions is set to expire at the end of this month, according to a Washington Post analysis…Fairfax County, the largest county in Virginia, opened its portal to applications the last week of May. The county quickly received more than 700 applications.” [The Washington Post]
Falls Church Real Estate Taxes Due Today — Real estate taxes are due today for property owners in the City of Falls Church. Payments can be made at City Hall, online, or by text, and questions can be directed to the Treasurer’s Office at [email protected] or 703-248-5046. Late payments incur a 10% penalty. [City of Falls Church/Twitter]
(Updated at 6:20 p.m.) The mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic that opened at Tysons Corner Center in April will close on June 26, the Fairfax County Health Department announced today (Friday).
Before then, the community vaccination center (CVC) will expand its hours of operation into the evening starting on Tuesday (June 8). The new hours will be 8:30-5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“Extended evening hours two nights a week expands access to obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine for those who are unable to visit during the day,” the county health department said.
Located in the mall’s former Lord & Taylor store, the Tysons CVC was Fairfax County’s first large-scale site for delivering COVID-19 vaccinations. It was organized by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Virginia Department of Health, with the county health department and emergency management office providing support.
According to county officials, the site can accommodate about 3,000 people per day. It primarily utilizes the Pfizer vaccine, which is available to everyone 12 and older, but individuals 18 and older can also request the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The clinic is now open for walk-ins, and Fairfax Health District residents can also schedule an appointment through the health department’s Vaccine Administration Management System or by calling the call center at 703-324-7404.
When asked for comment about the decision to close the Tysons CVC later this month, a county health department spokesperson advised Tysons Reporter to contact VDH instead, since the site is state-run.
Virginia health officials have said in recent weeks that the state is starting to shift away from mass vaccine sites as supplies have become more widely available at primary care providers, pharmacies, and other locations. The vaccination campaign will now focus more on community-based clinics that can target specific populations that might have less access to the vaccine or be more reluctant to accept it.
A VDH spokesperson confirmed that the department is closing the Tysons CVC as part of a general transition away from large events and toward smaller, mobile, pop-up clinics, a reaction to declining demand at community clinics over the past several weeks.
“These smaller mobile clinics will enable VDH and its providers to get into neighborhoods, schools, churches, barbershops, and similar venues where people congregate in their daily lives,” VDH said in a statement. “At this point in the vaccination campaign, the keywords are “convenience” and “accessibility” — making getting a vaccine as convenient as possible and accessible as possible to as many people as possible.”
The Tysons CVC played “a key role” in vaccinating Fairfax County and Northern Virginia residents against COVID-19, VDH says, adding that 42,075 vaccine doses have been administered at the site as of June 3.
Fairfax County has surpassed the federal goal of getting at least one vaccine dose to 70% of all adults by July 4. As of today, 76.8% of adult residents and 58.7% of the overall Fairfax Health District population have received at least one dose, and 62.2% of adults — or 47.6% of all residents — are fully vaccinated, according to the FCHD dashboard.
The weekend is almost here. Before you get into a debate about the future of McLean or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit recent news from the Tysons area that you might’ve missed.
These were the most-read stories on Tysons Reporter this week:
- McLean Italian restaurant relocates after 20 years
- Nearly 60 percent of Fairfax County adults are fully vaccinated as COVID-19 cases keep falling
- McLean student launches cicada clean-up and protection business
- Work on Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel redevelopment could start this fall, if permits are approved
- Fairfax County proposes timeline to consider renaming Lee, Lee-Jackson Memorial highways
Ideas for stories we should cover can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the community are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
You can find previous rundowns of top stories on the site.
(Updated at 5:45 p.m. on 6/7/2021) Country singer Clint Black will perform at Capital One Hall early next year as part of the new Tysons performing arts venue’s first season.
Joined by his wife, singer and actor Lisa Hartman Black, Black will stop at Capital One Hall on Feb. 5, 2022 as part of their “Mostly the Hits and the Mrs.” nationwide tour, according to a press release from Pepper Entertainment Inc.
Capital One Center Manager of Marketing and Community Affairs Meghan Trossen told Tysons Reporter that this is the first Capital One Hall performance to be publicly confirmed.
Presales will start at 10 a.m. on June 10, and tickets will go live the following day at 10 a.m., Trossen says. Tickets will start $39.50 and will be available through Ticketmaster.
According to the event page, Black will perform in Capital One Hall’s main 1,600-seat theater. The venue will also feature a 225-seat black box theater called The Vault, classrooms, and other event spaces.
“We are thrilled to announce Clint Black’s performance at Capital One Hall, the first of many exciting announcements to be made in the coming weeks and months,” Capital One Center Managing Director Jonathan Griffith said. “Capital One Hall is the cornerstone of the broader Capital One Center development, and will host a wide-array of artistic programming and memorable events, providing a much needed cultural venue for the Tysons and broader community.”
Scheduled to open in October, the hall is part of the 24.25-acre Capital One Center mixed-use development taking shape next to the McLean Metro station. The next segment of the development — The Perch, a skypark above Capital One Hall with a biergarten anchored by Starr Hill Brewery — is expected to open in July.
While Black is the first confirmed performer, ArtsFairfax President and CEO Linda Sullivan told Tysons Reporter in March that the nonprofit organization will hold its annual awards luncheon at Capital One Hall on Oct. 15, making it one of the venue’s first events.
The 2020 Arts Awards were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The designated local arts agency for Fairfax County, ArtsFairfax has been collaborating with Capital One Center on the hall’s development since 2015 and is responsible for vetting the eligibility of local arts organizations that are interested in booking the main theater and The Vault.
The nonprofit recently closed an application period for Capital One Hall’s second season on May 1.
“I think this Capital One campus is really a tremendous asset for the county and for the arts community,” Sullivan said to Tysons Reporter in March. “I mean, it’s going to bring more cultural programming and activity and people to Tysons, and it’s going to give the arts community a high-end, state-of-the-art facility to grow their program and audiences.”
Photo courtesy HGA
Woman Pulled Over by State Trooper Calls for Accountability — “Charges against a Black woman pulled over and arrested in Fairfax County, Virginia, have been dropped by the county’s commonwealth attorney and expunged by the courts. But Juanisha Brooks is demanding further action as a result of the March traffic stop…Brooks maintains she was profiled before the stop and treated poorly after it because of her race.” [WTOP]
Fairfax County Parks Inch Back to Normal — “Facilities throughout the Fairfax County park system are returning to nearly normal operations after a series of closures and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we ramp up and reopen, some sites may operate on limited schedules or require preregistration for activities, so we strongly urge park visitors to call sites in advance or check our website to ensure access and availability.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Governor Delivers Speech at Final George Mason HS Graduation — Gov. Ralph Northam served as the commencement speaker at George Mason High School’s Class of 2021 graduation ceremony on Wednesday (June 2). It was the first ceremony at the City of Falls Church’s newly built school and the last one before it transitions to the new moniker of Meridian High School. [Falls Church News-Press]
Grant Approved to Replace McLean Field — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has approved a $20,000 Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant request from the McLean Youth Soccer (MYS) Association for improvements to Holladay Field in the Dranesville District. Board members voted in favor of the request at their meeting on May 26, 2021.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Bus riders in McLean and Falls Church can expect an increase in service next month, as Fairfax Connector prepares to take over multiple Metrobus routes, including four that had ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting on July 10, the Fairfax County bus system will assume control of five routes from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Some changes to existing Fairfax Connector routes, including two that connect the Tysons Corner and Dunn Loring Metro stations, will also take effect.
“Fairfax Connector will restore and provide enhanced service on these routes serving key areas in Fairfax County with connections to the McLean, East Falls Church, West Falls Church, and the Pentagon Metrorail Stations,” the Fairfax County Department of Transportation said in a news release yesterday (Wednesday).
FCDOT says the former Metrobus routes serve approximately 69,000 residents and provide access to more than 36,000 jobs in the county.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the new routes and the changes to existing routes on March 23.
Here are the routes that Fairfax Connector is taking over from WMATA, according to the county:
Route 703: Pimmit Hills – West Falls Church (replaces Metrobus Route 3T)
- Provides weekday and Saturday service, linking Pimmit Hills and Tysons to the McLean and West Falls Church Metrorail Stations.
- Operates every 30 minutes during weekday rush hours, and every 60 minutes during weekday non-rush hours and on Saturdays.
Route 715: East Falls Church – Dolly Madison (replaces Metrobus Route 15K)
- Provides weekday rush hour service every 30 minutes with improved connectivity linking McLean, Salona Village and Chesterbrook Gardens to the East Falls Church Metrorail Station.
Route 803: Annandale Road – East Falls Church (replaces Metrobus Route 3A)
- Provides weekday and Saturday service, linking Lake Barcroft, Annandale, and North Springfield to the East Falls Church Metrorail Station.
- Operates every 30 minutes during weekday rush hours; every 40 to 60 minutes during weekday non-rush hours; and every 45 minutes on weekends.
Route 834: Pentagon – Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale Campus Route (replaces Metrobus Route 29C)
- Provides weekday rush hour service every 30 minutes linking the Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale and Lincolnia to the Pentagon Metrorail Station.
- Express service – $4.25.
Route 835: Braeburn Drive – Pentagon – Route 835 (replaces Metrobus Route 29W)
- Provides weekday rush hour service every 30 minutes linking the Northern Virginia Community College and Willow Woods communities to the Pentagon Metrorail Station.
- Express service – $4.25.
Service on all of those routes had been discontinued due to the pandemic, except for Metrobus Route 3A, which saw a reduced service levels.
Effective July 10, Fairfax Connector will also make a “minor operational adjustment” on Route 462 that it says will improve connectivity between the Tysons and Dunn Loring Metro stations, while increasing access along Maple Avenue in Vienna. Buses will run every 30 minutes during weekdays and weekends on that route.
In addition, Route 467, which also links the Tysons and Dunn Loring Metro stations, will start operating every 40 minutes throughout the week with the addition of Sunday service.
The route has been realigned to serve Maple Avenue, as well as Old Courthouse Road to Gallows Road, after a newly reconstructed Cedar Lane Bridge over I-66 opened to traffic in December.
Photo via Fairfax Connector/Facebook
Fairfax County to Host COVID-19 Remembrance Ceremony — The Northern Virginia Regional Commission will hold a virtual ceremony next Wednesday (June 9) at the Fairfax County Government Center to honor the more than 2,350 people in the region who have died from COVID-19. Local officials will discuss the pandemic’s impact, and the event will conclude with a “last alarm” bell service courtesy of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. [Fairfax County Government]
Falls Church Man Drowns in North Carolina — 46-year-old Falls Church resident and U.S. Air Force veteran Sean Chung died on May 28 when he reportedly drowned while surf fishing in the Outer Banks. Friends launched a GoFundMe fundraiser on Tuesday (June 1) to help his family pay for funeral costs and other immediate expenses. [Patch]
County to Discuss Climate Resilience Initiative — The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination will hold a virtual public meeting on June 15 to get input on its Resilient Fairfax initiative, which aims to reduce the impact of flooding, severe storms, and other climate change-related dangers on the county. The public will also be able to comment through an online survey that will launch on June 8. [Fairfax County OEEC]
Hilton Misses Fortune 500 List — The hotel company, which is headquartered in McLean, ranked 596th on Fortune’s annual list of the biggest companies in the U.S., more than 250 spots below where it was in 2020. The plunge came as Hilton reported a 54.4% decline in revenue, an indication of how hard the COVID-19 pandemic hit the hospitality industry. [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Community Center to Host Blood Drive — The blood drive on June 11 will support the American Red Cross and Sickle Cell Foundation of Northern Virginia, which are especially looking to recruit people of color as donors. “Blood given to patients with rare blood types or conditions such as sickle cell disease must be matched closely with someone from the same race to avoid complications,” the community center says. [MCC]
Photo by Joanne Liebig
