Updated at 12:10 p.m. — Normal service has resumed at the Vienna Metro station as of noon, Metro tweeted.

A man has been struck by a train at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station.

Firefighters from Fairfax and Arlington counties are currently on scene after the man was struck around 9 a.m.

The man appears to have intentionally “placed himself in the path of the train,” according to Metro Transit Police. He is reportedly deceased.

Riders should expect delays on the Orange line. Train service has been suspended between the West Falls Church and Vienna Metro stations, Metro tweeted.

Shuttle buses are now available at:

• West Falls Church: bus bay B for service toward Vienna
• Vienna: bus bay Q for service toward New Carrollton
• Dunn Loring-Merrifield: bus bay F for service in both directions

Orange Line Metrobus alternatives:
At Vienna – 29N to King St (BL, YL).
At Dunn Loring – 1B to Ballston (OR, SV), 2A to East Falls Church (OR, SV) & Ballston (OR, SV) and 2B to Vienna (OR).
At West Falls Church – 3T to East Falls Church (OR) & 28A to Tysons Corner (SV). #wmata

— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 9, 2020

Vienna: MTPD and @ffxfirerescue have responded to a person struck by train. Unfortunately, this is a "recovery" operation, as opposed to a rescue. Camera review shows adult male intentionally placed himself in the path of the train. Rail service temp suspended WFC-Vienna. #wmata

— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) March 9, 2020

UPDATED: Orange Line Delay: Train service suspended btwn West Falls Church & Vienna due to a person struck by a train at Vienna. Shuttle buses requested.

— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 9, 2020

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm, call 911 or the Department of Human Services’ emergency services line at 703-228-5160. CrisisLink also has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 703-527-4077 or 800-SUICIDE, or text 703-940-0888.

Fairfax County police said they recently arrested a woman for allegedly trespassing with a gun in a truck near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.

The incident happened shortly before 3 p.m. in the 2600 block of Prosperity Avenue yesterday (Thursday).

“The victim saw a woman inside of his truck and confronted her,” police said. “The woman displayed a gun then left the area and was found by officers a short distance away”

Police charged the 24-year-old woman from South Carolina with brandishing a firearm, concealed carry weapon violation and vehicle trespassing.

File photo

The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) is supporting a recent request for federal funding for work on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

MCA sent a letter on Feb. 17 to the Department of Transportation, urging support for the National Park Service’s grant applications.

The funding from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program would help rehabilitate 8 miles of the parkway from Spout Run Parkway to I-495.

NPS is looking to:

• repave the road
• repair stormwater management systems and walls
• rehabilitate two historic, scenic overlooks
• replace guardrails
• construct new curbs
• build emergency turnarounds along the north end

“The condition of this stretch of the GW Parkway has been deteriorating, and urgent action is needed to perform reconstruction of this portion of the road system,” the letter notes.

More than 33 million vehicles per year travel on the GW Parkway, according to Fairfax County. Last year, emergency work had to fix the cause of a sizable sinkhole on the GW Parkway, disrupting traffic for months in the area.

Noting that the grant program is “highly competitive,” the letter goes on to say that the work will also improve the “historical and cultural characteristics that make the Parkway one of the most scenic roadways in the country.”

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is also backing the federal funding ask.

Image via Google Maps

Vienna police are investigating reports of indecent exposure at the Vienna Presbyterian Church and the Estate Market.

Both indecent exposures happened last Thursday (Feb. 27). The first incident happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the church (124 Park Street NE).

A female resident said “she was in a room of the Church for a prayer meeting when a man approached the door exposing himself,” according to the police report, adding that the man left the church in an unknown direction.

Then, at 10:30 a.m., an Estate Market employee told police that a man asked her a few questions and briefly walked around the store (134 Maple Ave E.) before exposing himself to the employee the report said.

“When the employee screamed, the man fled the store,” the report said. “Officers searched the area but did not locate the man.”

Image via Google Maps

A currently vacant spot along Maple Avenue will soon be selling alcohol instead of armoires.

Virginia ABC is planning to relocate in the Town of Vienna to move into the former home of Posh! (419B Maple Ave. E.) in the Maple Avenue Shopping Center.

The relocation will let ABC expand, Dawn Eischen, a Virginia ABC spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.

“This location will allow us to provide a wider selection of products, meet market demands and better serve our customers,” Eischen said.

Eischen said that the current store (436 Maple Ave. E.) is 4,600 square feet, while the former Posh! space is 6,000 square feet.

Posh!, a furniture retailer, left its longtime Maple Avenue home early last year, with the owner partially blaming traffic, parking and development woes. The store moved to 200 Dominion Road NE late last year.

The prominent storefront was one of several vacant spaces that the Town of Vienna has been working to fill with tenants, along with new efforts to help support small businesses that are already in the town.

It will still be a few months before shoppers can step foot in the space.

“Virginia ABC is in the permitting phase and we expect to open the new location in May or June,” Eischen said.

Happy Friday! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:

Tysons-Based TV Company May Be Acquired — “Signaling ongoing consolidation of the broadcast business, Gray Television has made an $8.5 billion bid for larger rival Tegna, according to Reuters, sending Tegna stock up by more than 30% in premarket trading Friday in what looks set to be an otherwise down market.” [Deadline]

New Coffee Spot Eying Tysons — “[The owner] says For Five is also planning to open a location in Tysons within the next three to four months.” [ARLnow]

Founders Row 2.0 Planned in Falls Church — “The Economic Development Committee of the Falls Church City Council got the news at its meeting last Thursday… that the 4.3 acre Founders Row mixed-use project now coming out of the ground at West Broad and N. West Streets may be augmented with a two-acre “phase two” right across the street.” [Falls Church News-Press]

McLean Student Finalist in National Portrait Contest — “McLean High sophomore Libby Eick, a Photography 2 student, was one of 15 finalists nationwide in the National Portrait Gallery’s 2020 National Teen Portrait Competition. Eick’s work was selected from among 629 entries around the U.S.  Her artist statement is below.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

New Store in The Boro — The Shade Store is now open in The Boro. [The Boro/Instagram]

Construction on a development with a 600-foot-tall tower can start now that land purchases have been finalized near the Spring Hill Metro station.

The Washington Business Journal reported today (Thursday) that Tysons Development LLC, which is made up of Clemente Development Company and Saudi Arabian businessman Khaled Juffali, bought three properties around the Spring Hill Metro station in early February, per county records.

“The developers acquired the land, currently home to a series of car dealerships and auto shops, from the Cherner Family for a total price of about $123 million, according to the records,” The Washington Business Journal reported.

“The joint venture previously closed on the purchase of another piece of land along Leesburg Pike accounting for roughly a quarter of the total View property in February 2018. BP Realty sold about 1.3 acres for $26 million,” according to the news story.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors approved The View in October.

Clemente’s project will add six buildings, including the “Iconic Tower,” which will reach higher than Capital One’s headquarters. The View also plans to include a black box theater, art walk and open-air theater.

Image via Fairfax County 

People who stop by Ledo Pizza in Tysons Station next week can help raise money for Freedom Hill Elementary School.

The upcoming fundraiser is a part of the parent-teacher association’s plans to raise at least $10,000 in donations this year.

A member of the school’s PTA told Tysons Reporter that the “family dinner out” at Ledo Pizza will be next Tuesday-Wednesday (March 10-11) at 7510 Leesburg Pike. The restaurant will donate part of the money from the two nights to the PTA.

The school’s PTA is also hosting a read-a-thon through tomorrow (March 6) to encourage students to read. The PTA is seeking donations.

More from the event page:

This year, Read-a-thon’s proceeds will go towards classroom libraries, school reading materials, and to help replace aging projectors.

This year we hope to beat last year’s reading totals (202,000 minutes read), and exceed our fundraising goal of $10,000. If we reach our fundraising goal, Asst. Principal Kopacz will get a pie in the face and Principal Zapadka will be duct-taped to the wall!!

Image via Google Maps

Fire investigators say an accidental “electrical event” sparked a McLean house fire earlier this week, resulting in millions of dollars worth of damage and displacing seven people.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said today that the fire started in the basement and was discovered after one of the people in the house heard a crackling noise.

“The fire was caused by an electrical event with the wiring to the air handler,” according to the fire department. “This then spread to ordinary combustibles in close proximity.”

The three-alarm fire in the 800 block of Dolley Madison Blvd prompted Route 123 to temporarily close on Monday (March 2).

Damage from the fire is worth approximately $3,523,850, and seven people, who declined Red Cross assistance, were displaced, the fire department said.

More from the fire department:

Units arrived on the scene of a large two and a half story, single-family home with smoke showing. Crews located fire between first and second floor that was extending upward. A second alarm was requested which included two units from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters continued with an interior fire attack but were faced with numerous remodeled areas in home with void and inaccessible spaces. Fire continued up into the attic and began to extend through the roof. A third alarm was requested.

Units evacuated the home and master streams and handlines were used to continue extinguishment from outside. One civilian was transported to a hospital for evaluation. No firefighter injuries were reported.

Seven occupants were home at the time of the fire. The fire was discovered when one of the occupants heard a loud noise described as crackling. She then saw smoke coming from the light switch and outlets on the top floor.

Smoke alarms sounded after the fire was discovered. Another occupant noted fire in the basement and attempted to extinguish it unsuccessfully. All occupants self-evacuated prior to fire department arrival.

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter

(Updated 3/10/2020) The annual NoVa TEEN Book Festival has been canceled due to the recent spread of the coronavirus in the D.C. area.

The free festival was originally set to feature 35 bestselling and new young adult authors, like Alechia Dow and Kristen Simmons, and Brigid Kemmerer, the author of “A Heart So Fierce and Broken,” will provide as the keynote speaker on Pi Day (March 14).

The NoVa TEEN Book Festival Committee said in a statement today (Tuesday) that the festival will return to Marshall High School on March 20, 2021.

“With the recent spread of COVID-19 to the Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC Metro areas, we are unable to ensure that all of our authors, volunteers, exhibitors, staff and attendees will be safe at the festival this weekend,” the statement said.

The committee said that the cancellation of this year’s festival will “have a significant impact on all of our amazing authors” and urged people to connect with authors online and “share their books as widely as you can.”

The committee also encouraged people to buy books from Arlington-based One More Page Books, which was set to sell signed books at the festival.

“The NoVa TEEN book festival ordering pages will stay up to help you to discover new authors and explore their fantastic books,” the statement said. “One More Page will be giving away free [advance reading copies] and swag with NoVa TEEN orders as long as supplies last!”

Photo via Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash