An Arlington resident who had been missing for several days was found dead yesterday (Wednesday) in Vienna near Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Fairfax County police confirmed to Tysons Reporter this morning.

Oscar Flores, 27, had been missing since Feb. 13. The Arlington County Police Department put out a call for public assistance in a search on Tuesday (Feb. 16), reporting that he had last been seen around 8 p.m. on Saturday in the area of the Dulles Toll Road and Wolf Trap.

“Police and family are concerned for his health and welfare,” the ACPD said.

Arlington County police reported yesterday that Flores had been found deceased in Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County Police Department told Tysons Reporter in a statement that, around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Arlington police had requested one of its helicopters to assist in searching for Flores in the area surrounding the Dulles Toll Road.

The searchers located Flores “in an area off the roadway near Trap Road,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the FCPD.

FCPD Major Crimes Bureau detectives then responded to assume the death investigation.

“Preliminarily, they do not suspect foul play,” the FCPD said.

An autopsy to determine the cause of death is currently being conducted by Fairfax County’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but the FCPD says that any information pertaining to the missing person’s investigation should be directed to Arlington County.

11 finalists have emerged from the 45 teams that joined Fairfax County’s inaugural Smart City Challenge, a virtual “hackathon” where participants developed projects that utilize technology to address societal issues.

However, the advancing teams will have to wait a little longer than expected to vie for the competition’s top prizes, which include more than $350,000 in cash and in-kind prizes as well as the chance to work on a pilot project for Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax.

Shortly after releasing the list of finalists, organizers Smart City Works and the McLean-based Refraction announced yesterday (Wednesday) that the concluding event — where the finalists will pitch their ideas live to a panel of judges — and subsequent awards ceremony have been postponed by a week to Feb. 25 due to weather concerns.

“The National Weather Service is forecasting a winter storm in the greater Washington, DC region tomorrow with power outages ‘likely.’  If even one team is unable to pitch due to a power outage, it would be unfair,” the Smart City Challenge team said in a message to participants.

The organizers say they decided to delay the finale, which was scheduled to take place today from 6-8:30 p.m., after consulting with their partners on the challenge, a group that includes the utility Dominion Energy and Fairfax County.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay are among the speakers scheduled for the event, which remains open for registration.

The Smart City Challenge kicked off on Jan. 23. In addition to the competition, it featured different virtual panels on topics like sustainability and housing that were open to the general public.

“The Smart City Challenge is the perfect opportunity to tap bright minds to improve the lives of everyone in the Washington, DC area through technology, innovation, and problem-solving,” Refraction CEO Esther Lee said. “We are excited to bring together forward-thinking businesses, entrepreneurs, universities, government, and nonprofits to showcase collaboration and thought leadership.”

The competition finalists will be evaluated based on innovation, impact, practicality, and equity by a panel of six judges, including Lee, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, and Smart City Works Venture Labs CEO David Heyman.

The finalist teams are listed below, along with their proposed projects: Read More

Fairfax County Cancels Vaccine Clinics Due to Storm — The Fairfax County Health Department has canceled the COVID-19 vaccination clinics it had scheduled for today, with the National Weather Service predicting snow and ice will make travel difficult. People who had appointments will receive an email with a link to reschedule. [Fairfax County Government]

Fairfax County and Falls Church City Close for Winter Storm — Fairfax County government offices and courts are closed today, and employees have been granted emergency administrative leave. The City of Falls Church has shuttered all city buildings, including the community center and library, but virtual services are still available. The City “cautions residents to stay home and off the roads as conditions are very icy.” [Fairfax County Government, City of Falls Church]

FCPS Cancels All Classes and Other School Activities — Fairfax County Public School buildings are closed today, and all in-person and virtual classes have been canceled, along with other activities on school grounds. The Fairfax County School Board will still hold a virtual meeting tonight starting at 7 p.m. [FCPS]

Virginia to Allow Up to 250 People at Outdoor Sporting Events — “Virginia governor Ralph Northam announced Wednesday he will expand the number of spectators allowed at outdoor sporting events to 250 people. The expansion of capacity limits will be officially implemented Monday.” [Washingtonian]

Bicycling Advocates Praise Fairview Park Nursing School Plan — The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved the Arizona College of Nursing’s proposal to create a school in an office building on Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church on Jan. 27. The project agreement includes a commitment to provide space for a future shared-use bridge over I-495 and install bicycle racks outside the building. [Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling]

All Town of Vienna government offices and facilities will be closed tomorrow (Thursday) as the D.C. region braces for a winter storm that could deliver up to six inches of snow and a quarter inch of ice.

The town-wide closure extends to the Vienna Community Center, and all parks and recreation classes and programs have been canceled, along with Thursday trash pick-up services.

A Board of Architectural Review meeting that was scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow has been postponed.

“This decision was necessary to ensure the safety of Town employees and because it is anticipated that all staff hands will be needed for snow removal,” the Town said in a statement.

This decision was necessary to ensure the safety of Town employees and because it is anticipated that all staff hands will be needed for snow removal. (Trash will be collected next Thursday, February 25, as regularly scheduled). 2/3

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) February 17, 2021

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. area starting at 3 a.m. tomorrow and lasting until 6 a.m. Friday.

Residents are being advised not to travel, and Dominion Energy says it is preparing for potential multiple-day power outages throughout the state, including in Northern Virginia.

Metro will operate buses on a moderate snow service plan, while maintaining regular weekday rail operations, though de-icer trains and heaters will be utilized.

Fairfax Connector will offer full service tomorrow, but some routes will be detoured and could be further modified or suspended based on road conditions. A full list of missed stops can be found on the transit service’s website.

Prepare now! Approaching ice storm could be worse than Saturday’s which caused 290,000 outages! @DominionEnergy is preparing for MULTI-DAY outages across Va.
📌Stock extra batteries, medicine, food etc. Report outages to https://t.co/VN1BaqzNtd or our DE app.@WTOP @fox5dc https://t.co/agYVXOAtEF

— Peggy Fox (@PeggyDomEnergy) February 17, 2021

The D.C. metropolitan area, including Fairfax County, could get up to six inches of snow in a storm expected to arrive early tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

The region is now under a Winter Storm Warning, a step up from the Winter Storm Watch that the National Weather Service issued yesterday afternoon.

Issued at 10:24 a.m., the warning will take effect at 3 a.m. on Thursday and stay in place until 6 a.m. Friday. The NWS says there will be heavy snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain, forecasting three to six inches of snow and one-tenth to one-quarter inch of ice accumulation.

More details from the alert are below:

* WHEN…From 3 AM Thursday to 6 AM EST Friday. Snow will begin between 3 and 5 AM. Snow will change to a mixture of sleet and freezing rain during the late morning and early afternoon hours.

* IMPACTS…Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Snow Thursday morning will be heavy at times with snowfall rates around 1 to 2 inches per hour possible along with visibility reduced to around one-quarter mile at time.

Warning that the storm is expected to have “significant road impacts,” the Virginia Department of Transportation is advising residents to prepare to stay home and avoid nonessential travel tomorrow and on Friday.

VDOT says its crews are finishing pretreatment of about 2,000 lane miles of interstates and primary roads in Northern Virginia. About 3,000 pieces of equipment will be ready tonight to treat roads, and plowing will start once two inches of snow have accumulated.

“Additional equipment and crews are on standby to report, including to handle downed trees or limbs from ice,” VDOT said in a news release.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department suggests testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they work, charging cell phones and tablets, and using a flashlight or other battery-powered device if power goes out.

With communities elsewhere in the U.S. struggling to stay warm in frigid temperatures due to power outages, one Tysons resident is offering free firewood to anyone who needs it in the Tysons and Vienna area in advance of the coming winter storm.

“We had many trees taken down, and my husband took up chopping wood as a COVID project,” Rhea Baker told Tysons Reporter. “We personally do not have a working fireplace, so I have much more than I can use in my backyard fire pit.”

Baker, who works as an insurance agent with State Farm, says she also has ice scrapers that she is able to give away.

Staff photo by Jay Westcott, photo courtesy Rhea Baker

(Updated at 3:20 on 2/18/2021) A parking lot outside of Tysons Corner Center has been converted into a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site, adding to the 30-plus sites that have already been established around Fairfax County over the past 11 months.

The startup Sameday Health opened the new site at 1981 Chain Bridge Rd. on Friday (Feb. 20). The 20,000 square-foot, 550-space lot has the capacity to accommodate over 1,000 people per day, according to Sameday Testing managing partner Patrick Emad.

This is Sameday’s first Fairfax County testing site and its 11th in the D.C. area since launching one in Georgetown in November. The company also has sites in Alexandria, Arlington, and Sterling.

Emad says Sameday decided to open a site in Tysons because of its proximity to several major roads, including the Capital Beltway, Route 7, and the Dulles Toll Road. The amount of traffic that passes through the area also made it an ideal spot for a drive-thru site, rather than a walk-in facility.

“We figured if we increase the access to testing, more people will get tested, especially because it’s free with insurance, and it will allow us to help stop the spread,” Emad said.

Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Sameday Health offers both RT-PCR tests, which detect the novel coronavirus’ genetic material, and antigen tests, which detect proteins. The tests are conducted using nasal swabs.

The standard RT-PCR test carries no out-of-pocket costs for people with insurance and has a turnaround time of under 72 hours, though that can be reduced to less than 24 hours for a rush fee of $75. People without insurance can pay $125 for a rapid antigen test that produces results in 30 minutes or $175 for the 24-hour RT-PCR test.

Emad helped build Sameday Health with CEO Felix Huettenbach after witnessing the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Montgomery County. Huttenbach had been working for a startup that used PCR testing to detect cancers, and they realized the same technology could be applied to COVID-19 testing.

While some initial kinks needed to be worked out, Emad says the custom-built portal that Sameday uses allows for efficiency, since every step of the process, from the appointment scheduling to the delivery of results, is conducted through the same computer system.

Appointments can be booked online and generally take about 10 minutes, though the wait time can vary depending on demand.

“Majority of the time, it’s a seamless process,” Emad said. “Our medical staff and professionals are very well-trained to make it nice and easy and comforting, and they’re happy to answer questions and do it with a smile under their mask.”

Sameday Testing worked with Macerich, which owns and operates the Tysons Corner mall, to set up the Tysons testing site. Emad says both companies hope to turn it into a mass vaccination site in the future.

The Fairfax County Health Department recommends that anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or has been exposed to someone who tested positive for the disease get tested.

“Testing remains a critically important part of the pandemic response,” Fairfax County Director of Epidemiology and Population Health Dr. Benjamin Schwartz said. “While anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should separate themselves from others (self-isolate) as soon as they recognize those symptoms so they don’t spread illness if it’s COVID-19, a positive test result reinforces the need for isolation and sets in motion the Health Department’s containment response.”

In addition to enabling individuals to determine whether they are infected, COVID-19 tests allow investigators to trace the disease’s spread and potential outbreaks. Samples of positive specimens are also sent to Virginia’s state laboratory for genetic sequencing that can be used to detect possible variants.

Correction: References to Sameday Testing have been changed to reflect that the company has rebranded and is now called Sameday Health.

Photo courtesy Sameday Health

Vienna and Dunn Loring Metro Stations Will Get New Escalators — Metro awarded a $179 million, seven-year contract to replace 130 escalators at 32 stations, including two at the Dunn Loring-Merrifield station and three at the Vienna station. Work on the project will start in May and will require the demolition and removal of the existing escalators. [WMATA]

Fairfax County High School Football Season Starts Monday — Fairfax County Public Schools will allow some fans when the football season kicks off on Feb. 22. Players will be required to wear masks, but locker rooms will be off limits, among other COVID-19 safety protocols. [ABC7-WJLA]

Fairfax County Introduces Outdoor Document Drop Boxes — “Fairfax County Department of Family Services now has outdoor drop boxes to turn in documents for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF or other programs anytime, 24/7. Search Fairfax County Goverment, outdoor drop box to see a list of locations.” [@SupvPalchik/Twitter]

Virginia Seeks Public Input on History and Social Studies Education Standards — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) staff members are encouraging the community to provide comments to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for its review and revision of the History and Social Science Standards of Learning, scheduled to be completed before November 2022.” [FCPS]

Tysons Wellness Center Was Ahead of the Teletherapy Curve — “[Derek] Russell, a licensed professional counselor and neurotherapist, opened Mindstate as a mental health and cognitive peak performance center at 1980 Gallows Road in Tysons. In just over a year, Mindstate has grown from a one-man business with neurotherapy and counseling services, to a center also staffed with another therapist and health coaches.” [McLean Patch]

Northern Virginia Home Sales Were Up in January — Sales were up 29% compared to January 2020, with competition particularly intense for single-family houses. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors says there is more of a supply for condos, especially high-rise and luxury units in places like Tysons, possibly due to a wariness of shared amenities and close contact with neighbors. [WTOP]

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Feb. 16)

• Mystery Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s mystery book group will discuss Cara Black’s “Murder in Bel-Air” for its February meeting. Register with Fairfax County Public Library for a link to the event.

Wednesday (Feb. 17)

• Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement (Online) — 7-7:30 p.m. — The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter is sponsoring a discussion about the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s and the Black Arts Movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Register for the online event through Fairfax County Public Library.

Thursday (Feb. 18)

• Middle School Book Club (Online) — 4-5 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s book club for sixth to eighth-grade kids will discuss the young adult novel “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor for its February meeting. Email Laura Miller at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
• Vision Board Workshop (Online) — 6 p.m. — The Boro in Tysons is holding a virtual workshop with the art studio CraftJam on vision boarding, which involves creating a collage of images or objects that reflect your goals for the future. Participants should register in advance to reserve a spot and receive a list of suggested materials.

Friday (Feb. 19)

• Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St. S) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will take her monthly stroll from town hall to give community members an opportunity to chat or ask a question.
• Virtual Black History Program (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — Fairfax County is celebrating February as Black History Month with a night of discussion and music. Speakers will include Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, County Executive Bryan Hill, Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, and George Mason University Director of African and African-American Studies Mark Hopson. The event will also feature hip-hop artist Dumi RIGHT and musical selections from actor Amber Iman, The Hamilton Brothers, and more. The event will stream live on TV and online through Channel 16, and it will be available to view on demand afterwards.
• Virtual Family Bingo Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — Preregistration is recommended for the McLean Community Center Old Firehouse’s virtual bingo night, which will feature games and prizes. The event costs $5 per person for five bingo cards.

Saturday (Feb. 20)

• McLean CBC Virtual Open House (Online) — 9-11 a.m. — Fairfax County is holding a virtual community open house to discuss the latest draft of its revised comprehensive plan for the McLean Community Business District. The meeting can be attended through WebEx.
• Fairfax COVID-19 Vaccine Information Session (Online) — 10-11 a.m. — AARP is hosting a talk about the COVID-19 vaccine with Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, who can answer questions about how the vaccine works, how much it costs, and the process for getting vaccinated. Register for the virtual event through AARP’s website.
• Freedom and Dance for All (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — Educator and author Clarence McFerren II will talk about dance as a freeing outlet for Black communities in the face of social injustice. Vienna’s Patrick Henry Public Library is organizing the event, and participants must register in advance to receive a link.

Photo via Dr. Wendy Longo/Flickr

Dr. Dana Lipsky has witnessed “pandemic fatigue” firsthand.

Lipsky has plenty of experience helping people navigate anxiety, depression, and other conditions as the owner and clinical director of Metropolitan Psychological Services PLLC (MPS), a mental health care practice that she started in Arlington in 2014.

However, she says there has been a noticeable uptick in clients struggling with anxiety in particular since COVID-19 upended daily life in Northern Virginia last March.

“Since the pandemic, it’s been more focused on what’s the world like: My everyday life has been disrupted. How do I make those adjustments and live in a world of uncertainty?” Lipsky said. “So, we’ve been working a lot with just kind of accepting the reality and learning how to adapt given the situation that we’re in.”

MPS had contemplated expanding to serve more people for a while, but the search for a second location got underway in earnest in early 2020, as the pandemic triggered fears of a widespread mental health crisis.

According to Lipsky, MPS settled on The Boro in Tysons for its proximity to major roads like I-66 and I-495 and to the Spring Hill Metro station. The neighborhood also stood out for its mix of residential and commercial properties, allowing the company to offer its services to businesses and workers as well as residents.

MPS officially announced the opening of its Tysons practice at 8401 Greensboro Dr. last week and has been providing services there since August, though the physical office has not been utilized yet, with the pandemic limiting nearly all clients to virtual sessions.

When the office does open, it will be staffed with four or five clinicians with different areas of expertise, from children and teen specialists to adult and couples’ therapists, Lipsky says.

“Our Arlington location primarily services teens and up, with the bulk of the population that we see probably ages 25 through 40,” Lipsky said. “…We really opened the Tysons Corner office with reaching out to more folks in mind, so this office is designed to really focus on treating the whole lifespan.”

Once the pandemic is under control, Lipsky also hopes to take advantage of the Tysons office’s central location to turn it into a base for educational and outreach efforts to aimed at combatting the stigma around getting therapy and other mental health care services.

MPS clinicians use various treatment and counseling methods to address issues ranging from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder to relationship difficulties and life transitions, but the overall goal is not to “fix” people. Rather, Lipsky says therapy is about giving people tools to better handle the challenges they encounter.

“Life doesn’t need to be so difficult, and learning ways to mitigate that distress is really important,” Lipsky said. “That helps you achieve a better form of wellness for yourself by increasing that positivity and hopefully finding more fulfillment in your life.”

Photo via Google Maps

COVID-19 case rates in Fairfax County have leveled off over the past week after appearing to trend downward since mid-January, when a record 1,485 cases were reported in a single day.

As of today, the county’s seven-day average is at 312.4 cases and has been hovering between 290 and 337 cases since Feb. 4. While the anticipated post-winter holiday surge seems to have tapered off, case levels are still higher than the pandemic’s initial spring peak, when the highest recorded seven-day average was 303 cases on May 31.

With 194 new cases today, the Fairfax Health District has now reported 64,950 COVID-19 cases, 3,482 hospitalizations, and 849 deaths, according to data from the Fairfax County Health Department.

Today also marked the launch of Virginia’s new statewide COVID-19 vaccine registration system, though Fairfax County is not participating for the time being.

Based on a registration data dashboard that went live on Feb. 12, Fairfax County has made slow but discernible progress in its efforts to vaccinate older adults, some groups of essential workers, and other eligible populations.

The Fairfax County Health Department has whittled its waitlist of people who have registered but haven’t been given an appointment yet down to 105,268 people, as of 10 a.m. The list had around 180,000 registrants as recently as last Thursday (Feb. 11). In total, 229,185 people have registered with the county to get the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

The health department is currently making appointments for more than 42,000 people who registered on Jan. 18, which saw particularly high demand since it was the day when the county expanded eligibility for the vaccine to people between the ages of 65 and 74 as well as people with high-risk medical conditions.

People who have registered for an appointment through the county health department can now see where they are in the queue with a registration status checker, though the rollout of that tool was not without its challenges.

Fairfax County has delivered 110,098 of the 114,923 vaccine doses that it has gotten from the Virginia Department of Health so far. About 68% of those doses were adminstered by the county health department, while the remaining 31% were distributed to other providers, like Inova.

According to the VDH, 48,404 people in Fairfax County have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 163,200 total doses have been administered in the county. That number includes residents and staff at long-term care facilities that have been getting the vaccine through the federal government rather than the local health department.

Images via CDC on Unsplash, Virginia Department of Health