After several months of delays, plans to redevelop the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church property in the Falls Church area may go before Fairfax County planners in the spring.
Developer Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company is seeking permission to redevelop 10 acres of the property at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Idylwood Road into a residential neighborhood.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission’s public hearing for the project has been postponed several times this year since the application was first submitted in April.
“The St. Paul’s Lutheran Church SPA public hearing and concurrent Toll Brothers rezoning public hearing were moved since the applicant has yet to resubmit plans to the County for review,” Senior Planner Kelly Posusney told Tysons Reporter.
The Planning Commission is now scheduled to consider the application in the spring — if the plans are resubmitted to the county, Planning Commission staff told Tysons Reporter.
Posusney said that the resubmitted plans are now tentatively expected in January.
“If they fail to resubmit in January, the public hearings would most likely need to be moved again,” Posusney said. “The project has only completed our pre-staffing review, which is the initial review by staff. They never submitted plans for a staffing review, and that is why they need to resubmit.”
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police arrested a man they say was unlawfully recording women at Tysons Corner Center.
The incident happened on Saturday (Dec. 14) shortly before 7 p.m.
Police spotted a man, who had previously been banned from the property, “unlawfully recording two women,” according to the crime report.
A 45-year-old man from Maryland was arrested for two counts of unlawful filming and trespassing.
In a separate incident, Fairfax County police are looking for the woman who allegedly stole merchandise from the Target (2905 District Avenue) in the Mosaic District.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 15).
“As the suspect exited the store, she assaulted the loss prevention officer,” police said. “The suspect is described as Hispanic or Asian.”
Fairfax County police said two employees at Freedom Hill Elementary School — and the school’s former principal — have been indicted by a grand jury in connection to assaults on students with intellectual disabilities.
Major Crimes Bureau Commander Edward O’Carroll said at a press briefing today that “18 counts have been handed by a grand jury.”
The two former employees — Cylmeera Gastav and Cecilia Maria Benavides — face charges for allegedly assaulting non-verbal children with intellectual disabilities, O’Carroll said.
Benavides, 59, of Alexandria, was hired by FCPS in 2000, while Gastav, 48, of Herndon, was hired full-time in 2019 after working for FCPS part-time, O’Carroll said.
They were both charged with felony cruelty and injuries to children and misdemeanor assault and battery.
All of the assaults happened at the Vienna school between April and September this year, O’Carroll said.
The investigation began in mid-September after a teacher reported seeing bruises on students, police said.
Police said they believe six children were allegedly assaulted by the Gustav and Benavides.
“We believe with all certainty that all of the victims in this case have been identified,” O’Carroll said, adding that people with any information about the case are urged to contact the police.
O’Carroll said that complaints of suspected abuse were reported to the former principal, Scott Bloom, “however those complaints were not subsequently reported to Child Protective Services or to law enforcement that is required by law.”
Bloom, 39, of Reston, was indicted for allegedly failing to report the assaults.
Bloom was originally hired by FCPS in 2012 as the principal for Freedom Hill Elementary School, according to the Falls Church News-Press. He was hired as the principal for Haycock Elementary School in Falls Church in August and was placed on leave in September involving a personnel matter.
O’Carroll said that the current school administration at the elementary school reported the concerns once they made aware of them.
Marty Smith, a spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools, said the school put the two female employees on leave during the investigation.
FCPS assigned new teachers to the classrooms of the former employees and let families know about the staffing changes, Smith said.
The case is an active investigation, and FCPS is cooperating with the police, Smith said.
“We are deeply saddened by this situation,” Smith said. “While the investigation is still underway we are committed to doing all we can to prevent similar actions from happening in the future.”
O’Carroll declined to answer questions about whether or not the victims were in a restraint and seclusion situation or what kinds of injuries the victims sustained.
“The actions of these offenders is shocking. It’s unacceptable,” O’Carroll said.
Image via Google Maps, three mugshots via FCPD
Proposed ideas for how to improve transportation along the Maple Avenue area are set to be discussed at the Vienna Town Council’s work session tonight (Monday).
Town staff is slated to present recommendations from the Maple Avenue Multimodal Study — a study by Kimley-Horn meant to suggest near- to mid-term solutions regarding transportation along the corridor.
“Staff expects a draft of the final report from Kimley-Horn the week of Dec. 9,” according to town documents.
According to town documents, the staff’s top priority recommendations include:
- redesigning the intersection of Church and Mill streets
- redesigning the W&OD Trail crossings at Maple Avenue, Church Street and Park Street
- changing crossing signals so pedestrians have extra time to cross
- adding a local circulator route between Maple Avenue and Church Street destinations
- installing concrete sidewalks along segments of Church Street, Glyndon Street and Courthouse Road
Additionally, the staff would like to see the following studies and strategies done:
- study of parking supply and demand
- traffic impact analysis guidelines
- Bicycle Master Plan to develop a bicycle network for the town
- Streetscape Master Plan and Design Guidelines
The Vienna Town Council is expected to provide feedback on the list of projects to staff.
Image via Town of Vienna
With snow and icy rain last night and this morning, several counties in the D.C. area have closed or delayed start times today (Monday) for their public schools.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) announced shortly before 5 a.m. on Twitter their schools would be open and start on time today. By 9 a.m. more than 4,000 tweets were using #closefcps and the hashtag was trending in the U.S. on Twitter.
As of 9 a.m. today, #closefcps is trending on Twitter with more than 4,000 tweets pic.twitter.com/72ivY045kT
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) December 16, 2019
Tysons Reporter spotted many memes, frustration about FCPS not closing and elation over the hashtag’s popularity among the #closefcps tweets.
https://twitter.com/SidRamOfficial/status/1206366004814712832?s=20
https://twitter.com/SidRamOfficial/status/1206540506983010304?s=20
Let Tysons Reporter know what you think about FCPS staying open today.
Hat tip to Kalina Newman
Fire Truck Getting Festive in Falls Church — “The annual tradition returns as the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department decorates the reserve engine and escorts Santa Claus through the streets of the greater Falls Church area. Santamobile begins this Sunday, Dec. 15 and will run through Monday, Dec. 23.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Tysons Company Taking on Terrestrial Transmissions — “In the past few months, Tysons, Va.-based Omnispace has made some of its most significant announcements since a $30 million Series A raise in 2017… Omnispace announced earlier this month a permit from the Mexican government to build a terrestrial communications network that will mesh with satellite networks.” [American Inno]
Local Students Show Off Cooking Skills — “Culinary Arts 1 and 2 students from Marshall Academy had the opportunity to shadow the executive culinary team and director of hospitality at the McLean DoubleTree Hotel, where they worked with staff members to prepare lunch. Working in teams with staff members, they prepared grilled chicken with a demi-glace sauce, baked tilapia, mixed vegetables, rice pilaf, and dinner rolls.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Real Estate Company Eyeing One Tysons East — “Akridge is also considering taking the speculative approach with One Tysons East, a 270,161-square-foot office planned for a 1.3-acre site at 1690 Old Meadow Road, Akridge President Matt Klein said in an interview.” [Washington Business Journal]
A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect for Fairfax County and the surrounding areas tonight.
The National Weather Service’s advisory is in effect until midnight.
More from NWS:
…DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT…
* WHAT…Areas of dense fog with visibility around one-quarter
mile.* WHERE…The Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas, central
Maryland, northern Virginia, portions of central Virginia and
eastern West Virginia.* WHEN…Until midnight EST tonight.
* IMPACTS…Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of
distance ahead of you.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.
With colder weather and the start of winter approaching, people in the Tysons area looking to bundle up for some seasonal activities can find ice skating rinks nearby.
The Tysons Corner Center ice skating rink is closed, but there are other places in Northern Virginia where people can skate. Here are several options within a 15-mile-radius of Tysons.
Indoor
Don’t want to deal with wind, rain or snow? SkateQuest is an indoor ice skating rink in Reston at 1800 Michael Faraday Court. Wanna-be skaters can take lessons — private ones cost $35-$50 for a 30-minute session. Public skating is offered at certain times several days a week, including weekends.
Over at the Fairfax Ice Arena (3779 Pickett Road), people can take skating lessons. For skaters ages 13 and up, the cost is $9.25 on Fridays and Saturdays, and the rink is open until 10:30 p.m.
In Arlington, the MedStar Capitals Iceplex offers public skating for $9 for people ages 13 and up at 627 N. Glebe Road. Public skating usually lasts until 8 p.m. on Fridays and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Outdoor
Want to skate under the stars? At the Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion (1818 Discovery Street), adults can skate for $10 every day of the week. On, Fridays and Saturdays, skating lasts until 11 p.m. (Be sure to check out the holiday hours if you plan to go next week or the last week of December.)
The ice skating rink in Pentagon Row (1201 S. Joyce Street) in Arlington calls itself the largest outdoor rink in Northern Virginia and the second-largest rink in the state. Open every day, skaters have until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For people ages 13 and older, the cost is $10.
Photo via MedStar Capitals Iceplex/Facebook
Clinton Portis, a former running back in the National Football League, was charged in connection to an alleged health benefits scam, according to the Department of Justice.
Portis and the nine former NFL players allegedly committed multi-million dollar fraud from expensive medical equipment that police say was never purchased or received, according to a press release from the Justice Department yesterday (Thursday).
Portis, who was a running back for the Washington Redskins, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
Fox 5 DC reported that Portis surrendered to authorities in North Carolina today (Friday).
Portis sold his McLean home in 2013 for $1.65 million, according to Fairfax County records. A Sports Illustrated story about Portis in 2017 said he was living in an apartment in Northern Virginia.
The Department of Justice says that Portis is a McLean resident.
More from the Justice Department:
The alleged fraud targeted the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan), which was established pursuant to the 2006 collective bargaining agreement and provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance and that were incurred by former players, their wives and their dependents – up to a maximum of $350,000 per player. According to the charging documents, over $3.9 million in false and fraudulent claims were submitted to the Plan, and the Plan paid out over $3.4 million on those claims between June 2017 and December 2018…
“The defendants are alleged to have developed and executed a fraudulent scheme to undermine a health care benefit plan established by the NFL — one established to help their former teammates and colleagues pay for legitimate medical expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The defendants allegedly submitted false claims to the plan and obtained money for expensive medical equipment that was never purchased or received, depriving that plan of valuable resources to help others meet their medical needs. We have prioritized the investigation and prosecution of health care fraud in our office, and we appreciate the partnership we share with the Criminal Division and the FBI in pursuing these important matters.”
“This investigation serves as an illustration of the rampant and deliberate scams against health care plans occurring daily throughout the country,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the Miami Field Office. “In this case, these fraudsters pocketed money from the Gene Upshaw National Football League Health Reimbursement Account Plan that was intended for former NFL players who are ill or infirm. Over 20 FBI field offices participated in this investigation which demonstrates the level of commitment we have to rooting out this type of fraud.”
Two separate indictments filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky outline two alleged conspiracies involving different players related to the same scheme to defraud the Plan. Those charged in the indictments are the following:
Robert McCune, 40, of Riverdale, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and nine counts of health care fraud.
John Eubanks, 36, of Cleveland, Mississippi; Tamarick Vanover, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida; and Carlos Rogers, 38, of Alpharetta, Georgia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
Clinton Portis, 38, of McLean, Virginia; Ceandris Brown, 36, of Fresno, Texas; James Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Fredrick Bennett, 35, of Port Wentworth, Georgia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
Correll Buckhalter, 41, of Colleyville, Texas, and Etric Pruitt, 38, of Theodore, Alabama, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. In addition, the government has filed notice that it intends to file criminal informations charging Joseph Horn, 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Donald “Reche” Caldwell, 40, of Tampa, Florida, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The indictments charge that the scheme to defraud involved the submission of false and fraudulent claims to the Plan for expensive medical equipment — typically between $40,000 and $50,000 for each claim — that was never purchased or received. The expensive medical equipment described on the false and fraudulent claims included hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy machines, ultrasound machines designed for use by a doctor’s office to conduct women’s health examinations and electromagnetic therapy devices designed for use on horses.
According to allegations in the indictments, McCune, Eubanks, Vanover, Buckhalter, Rogers and others recruited other players into the scheme by offering to submit or cause the submission of these false and fraudulent claims in exchange for kickbacks and bribes that ranged from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 or more per claim submitted. As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly fabricated supporting documentation for the claims, including invoices, prescriptions and letters of medical necessity. After the claims were submitted, McCune and Buckhalter allegedly called the telephone number provided by the Plan and impersonated certain other players in order to check on the status of the false and fraudulent claims.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The investigation included efforts by various FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies, including: Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Jackson, Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Newport Beach, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Washington, D.C.
Trial Attorneys John (Fritz) Scanlon, Alexander J. Kramer and Thomas J. Tynan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. McCaffrey and Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the cases.
Photo by Joe Gratz/Flickr
Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center will be staying open a little later than usual to accommodate shoppers enjoying holiday deals or finding last-minute gifts.
Tysons Galleria announced yesterday (Thursday) the new hours, allowing shoppers to come in earlier in the morning or stay later in the evening.
Here are the new times:
- Friday (Dec. 13): open until 9 p.m.
- Saturday (Dec. 14): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Sunday (Dec. 15): 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Monday-Saturday (Dec. 16-21): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Sunday (Dec. 23): 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Monday (Dec. 23): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Christmas Eve: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Thursday (Dec. 26): 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday (Dec. 27-28): 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Sunday (Dec. 29): noon-6 p.m.
- Monday (Dec. 30): 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
- New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- New Year’s Day: noon-6 p.m.
“More gifting to do? We hear you! We’ve extended our hours so you can get in every bit of last-minute shopping you need,” the mall posted on Facebook.
Over at Tysons Corner Center, the holiday hours are:
- Friday (Dec. 13): open until 10 p.m.
- Saturday-Thursday (Dec. 14-19): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Friday-Monday (Dec. 20-23): 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Christmas Eve: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Thursday (Dec. 26): 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Friday (Dec. 27): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Saturday (Dec. 28): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Sunday (Dec. 29): 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Monday (Dec. 30): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
- New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- New Year’s Day: 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Both malls will be closed on Christmas (Dec. 25).
