Construction on the I-495 Express Lanes expansion in McLean is about to get a little more intense.
Work to demolish the existing Georgetown Pike Bridge over I-495 — also known as the Capital Beltway — will begin this week, potentially even today (Tuesday), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced Friday (June 17).
Contracted for the 495 NEXT project to extend the Beltway’s toll lanes from Tysons to the George Washington Memorial Parkway, workers will start by demolishing the median in the center of the Georgetown Pike bridge and installing a temporary traffic barrier on the westbound shoulder, according to the news release.
Fairfax County Holds Primary Today — It’s primary day for voters in the 8th Congressional District, which now includes McLean, Bailey’s Crossroads, Annandale, and the Route 1 corridor in Fairfax County. With the Republican nominee already set, there is only a Democratic contest between incumbent Rep. Don Beyer and challenger Victoria Virasingh. [Fairfax County Office of Elections]
Man Dies in Oakton Crash — An 18-year-old driver died on Sunday (June 19) after losing control of his car while driving south on Fox Mill Road and hitting a tree near Bronzedale Drive. A juvenile passenger was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. Detectives believe speed was a factor in the crash, which resulted in the fifth non-pedestrian fatality of the year. [FCPD]
Drowned Man Remains Hospitalized — A 29-year-old man who drowned while swimming in Difficult Run Stream in McLean on Sunday is still in life-threatening condition. According to police, the man became submerged and was pulled out of the water by friends when he didn’t resurface. Fire and Rescue personnel found him about a quarter mile away from Georgetown Pike on a nearby trail. [FCPD]
Report Finds Discrimination by Housing Providers — “A fair housing test conducted by The Fairfax County Office of Human Rights, in partnership with The Equal Rights Center, showed ‘discernable differences’ between housing providers’ treatment of white and minority testers. The results also showed that ‘certain housing providers lack the training to provide the same level of treatment to Deaf individuals as they do to hearing individuals.'” [Inside NoVA]
Tysons West Vehicle Pursuit Leads to Arrest — A male juvenile allegedly “verbally threatened the victim” in the 1500 block of Cornerside Blvd on Jun 12. The juvenile attempted to drive away, striking two vehicles, before an officer stopped him using the controversial precision immobilization technique. The juvenile was arrested, and two people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. [FCPD]
Springfield Trader Joe’s Looking to Move — Trader Joe’s is in talks to take over the roughly 24,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center, suggesting that the new Whole Foods under construction at Springfield Plaza will be a relocation. The space would be larger than Trader Joe’s current 10,673-square-foot store next to the new Giant in Springfield Plaza. [Washington Business Journal]
Bank Plans Relocation From Herndon to Tysons — Part of a larger branding overhaul, Forbright Bank is moving its Herndon branch at 150 Elden Street to 1600 Tysons Blvd., a 13-story office building adjacent to Tysons Galleria. The Herndon location is the company’s only Virginia location among five branches in the region. [Washington Business Journal]
Fairfax County Police Helicopter Appears at Smithsonian Event — “Saturday, our helicopter was on display at the National Air & Space Museum’s Annual Innovations in Flight Event. 50+ aircraft fly in from around the region for this special day. Pilots Mountjoy & Edgerton greeted community members as they got a glimpse into Fairfax 1.” [FCPD/Twitter]
County Partners on Older Adult Activities — “Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, the Town of Vienna, and ServiceSource Inc. host live virtual programming on Zoom five days a week. The events range from fitness classes to special presentations to interactive games. This resource is free and all older adults and adults with disabilities who live in Northern Virginia are welcome to use it.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
Sunday marked Juneteenth, but today we observe the holiday also known as Freedom Day.
As you’ve seen from previous posts, I like to celebrate every occasion with food. What better way to support a local Black-Owned Business than by dining at one? Depending on how far you’re looking to travel for food, you can always check out this great website that lists Black-Owned Businesses by state (although it hasn’t been updated since September 2021) or EatOkra.com.
Specific to the Northern Virginia area, here are some of my favorites:
- Pie Gourmet, Vienna
- Blacknerd Coffee
- Uncle Fred’s BBQ Smoke Shack, Reston
- McLean Pizza & Subs, McLean
- Makers Union, Reston
- Also check out the local farmers markets — you’ll often find smaller shops there to support
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Man Fatally Shot in Hybla Valley — “Officers were called at 8:12 p.m. to the 8000 block of Seaton Street for a man who had been shot while sitting inside a vehicle. Officers found Darren Davis, 19, of Alexandria, inside a white Dodge Challenger suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Davis was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.” [FCPD]
Bomb Threats Made Against Schools — “Police are investigating multiple bomb threats against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) over a span of six days.On Saturday, June 11, the Fairfax County Police department was notified by an FCPS IT employee that they had found multiple email threats sent to schools throughout Fairfax County. According to FCPD, even some faculty members were named in the email threats.” [WUSA9]
Unit Dedicated to Encouraging Fathers — “Using curriculum from the National Fatherhood Initiative and with help form Engagement Specialist Mercedes Alonso and Parent Support Specialist Michael Schut, Herron works with the unit to redirect fathers towards a healthy and engaged relationship with their children.” [Fairfax County Times]
Leaders Pledge to Curb Carbon Emissions — “Leaders from around the D.C. area voted Wednesday to adopt aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals for the transportation sector, pledging to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Reaching that goal would require building more housing in walkable, transit-friendly areas, disincentivizing driving in favor of walking, biking and public transportation, and the rapid adoption of electric vehicles.” [DCist]
School Board Bans Guns in Non-Instructional Facilities — “Last night, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a new policy affirming that all FCPS school zones are gun-free and deeming as gun-free any non-school zone building or property that the School Board owns or leases, which includes facilities like the Gatehouse Administration Center.” [Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 75 and low of 57. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
FFXnow Observes Juneteenth Today— FFXnow will not be publishing today except for breaking news.
Fairfax County police are searching for a man they have identified as a suspect in the Tysons Corner Center shooting yesterday (Saturday).
Police said Noah Settles got into a dispute with another group in the mall, displayed a firearm and fired multiple rounds. He fled in a black Cadillac with D.C. tags GK0174. He is considered armed and dangerous, police said. Anyone with information on where he is should call 703-691-2131 or 911.
A man was taken to a hospital after a possible drowning in McLean, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted this evening (Sunday).
Police said they are on scene near Difficult Run River in the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike. His injuries were life threatening, police said.
Officers are on scene of a drowning near difficult Run River in the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike in McLean. A man was taken to a hospital with injuries considered life threatening. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/l7XgqqcD1h
The weekend is almost here. Before you take your roller skates out for a spin or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Through a new youth-focused program, Reston Community Players will grace the stage of Capital One Hall in Tysons next month as part of its new apprentice program.
RCP, which typically performs at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage, will present a youth-centered production of “Newsies” from July 8-17. The program, which launched in the fall, enables students between the ages of 13 and 18 to get exposure to the process of building a theatrical production.
In the Town of Vienna, Juneteenth will be just the start of a month of celebrating the halting steps America has taken toward true equality and reflecting on the work that still needs to be done.
The town will kick off its second annual Liberty Amendments Month tomorrow (Saturday) with a Juneteenth Celebration at the First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard Street NW). The event will unfold from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
