Local photographers have been out capturing what the Tysons area looks like this summer as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the D.C. region.
While Jay Westcott, the staff photographer for our parent company Local News Now, is off until September, we’ve had support from freelancer Michelle Goldchain and readers who volunteered to snap some photos for us.
During recent visits to the Town of Vienna and Tysons, Goldchain captured well-known spots, like the red caboose in Vienna and the Capital One tower in Tysons.
She also snapped some photos of activity, like the construction that is underway at Tysons Galleria. Her photos show that the pandemic hasn’t stopped people from exercising along the W&OD Trail.
Whether or not there are people inside, the office and hotel buildings are still gleaming in Tysons.
We’ve also had several readers send us photos. Over the last few weeks, Joanne Liebig has shared the flowers she’s spotted around Westpark and International drives in Tysons:
Thank you to everyone who has submitted photos!
You can reach us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
(Updated 8:10 p.m.) Virginia has teamed up with Google and Apple to offer a smartphone app for COVID-19 exposure alerts, making it the first state in the U.S. to use the new technology.
COVIDWISE will notify users if they’ve been in close proximity to someone with COVID-19 by using Bluetooth Low Energy. The app is meant to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
When announcing the app yesterday, Gov. Ralph Northam said the app can help catch new cases sooner, especially since the virus can spread before infected people show symptoms.
“This is another tool we can have to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” Northam said. “This is a way we can all work together to contain this virus.”
Once someone gets an alert, Northam encourages them to self-isolate and get tested. If the test is positive, he said that users can add that information into the app, which will then alert users that the person has recently been around.
Android and iPhone users can download the app for free.
More from Google Play about how the app works:
If someone reports to the app that they tested positive, the signals from their app will search for other app users who shared that signal. The BLE signals are date-stamped and the app estimates how close the two devices were based on signal strength. If the timeframe was at least 15 minutes and the estimated distance was within six feet, then the other user receives a notification of a possible exposure. No names! No location!
The BLE framework within COVIDWISE will run in the background, even if the exposure notification app is closed. It will not drain the device battery at a rate that would occur with other apps that use normal Bluetooth and/or are open and running constantly.
“I want to be clear, this app COVIDWISE does not — I’m going to repeat that, does not — track or store your personal information,” Northam said. “It does not track you at all. It does not rely on GPS or your personal information. While we want everyone to download it, it is voluntary.”
Let Tysons Reporter know in the poll and comments section below if you plan to download the app.
Earlier this week, Gov. Ralph Northam announced new regional restrictions to address a surge of COVID-19 cases in Hampton Roads.
The new restrictions, which go into effect today, lower the maximum number of people allowed at gatherings, limit late-night alcohol assumption at restaurants and cut back indoor dining for restaurants.
The eastern region’s beaches and non-compliance with public health guidelines and mandates appear to be some of the factors for why the area became a coronavirus hot spot.
While the eastern portion of the state has seen a rising number of cases, Northam noted that the percent positivity rates for Northern Virginia and the western region were below the statewide rate.
“There’s been a dramatic decrease in Northern Virginia,” Northam said, about the rate.
When asked by reporters earlier this week if he would consider domestic travel restrictions, Northam said that it’s an option he’s considering. Some states are asking travelers from “high-risk” states to self-quarantine following their arrival.
Let us know in the poll and comments section below if you think Northam’s regional effort is sufficient or if he should announce statewide restrictions.
Photo via Governor of Virginia/Facebook
We’re looking for photos of what it’s like to live, work or play in Tysons, Vienna, McLean, Falls Church or Merrifield.
Jay Westcott, the staff photographer for our parent company Local News Now, will be off until September. Until his return, we’re looking to showcase photos from our readers for our Morning Notes posts and our Instagram.
Are you working in-person? Shopping at the mall? Going for a run along the W&OD Trail? Snap a few pictures on a professional camera or your smartphone and send them to us in a large file format, along with the name you’d like the photos credited to.
You can reach us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
The deadline is nearing for families to decide how they want their kids to return to Fairfax County public schools this year.
Families have until Wednesday, July 15, to complete a form indicating whether they want their kids to take fully online classes or join a hybrid model combining in-person and online learning.
Families who pick the fully online option would have four days of synchronous learning. The hybrid model would combine two days of learning in schools with asynchronous online learning.
Superintendent Scott Brabrand has said that the school system will consider adding more in-person days — not to exceed four — depending on the demand for the hybrid model.
For families who are having trouble deciding, Brabrand encourages parents to see how their kids react to wearing a face covering for six hours — the amount of time they would need to wear it while at school.
No matter which option parents pick, students will return to the county’s public schools on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Let us know in the poll below what your preference is for students returning to school this fall.
Photo courtesy Dan Dennis on Unsplash
Virginia started Phase Three of reopening last week, opening the door to more options for indoor public spaces like restaurants and fitness centers.
The recent surge of coronavirus cases in California and Texas has led to growing doubts that indoor dining and bar services will — or should — open soon.
While Virginia is fortunate enough to see the number of new cases per day on the decline, some suggest that indoor dining should remain closed to further slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Bolstered by a growing body of research, public health officials say that indoor dining poses more dangerous health risks than other retail activities, even with social distancing. Patrons can breathe indoor air that is contaminated by the virus and air conditioning.
But restaurants — some of which are already struggling due to previous closures and restrictions — may need indoor dining to remain in-tact in order to survive.
Let us know what you think. Should Virginia continue with Phase Three restrictions or try to preempt a resurgence by closing indoor dining completely?
Photo via Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
We’re looking for photos of what it’s like to live, work or play in Tysons, Vienna, McLean, Falls Church or Merrifield.
Jay Westcott, the staff photographer for our parent company Local News Now, recently underwent successful hip surgery and is about to start physical therapy. He’ll likely be off until September, so until his return, we’re looking to showcase photos from our readers for our Morning Notes posts and our Instagram.
Are you working in-person? Shopping at the mall? Going for a run along the W&OD Trail? Snap a few pictures on a professional camera or your smartphone and send them to us in a large file format, along with the name you’d like the photos credited to.
You can reach us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
Yesterday, we chatted with outgoing reporter Ashley Hopko about covering the coronavirus pandemic, holding elected officials accountable, learning new beats and much more.
Hopko joined Tysons Reporter’s parent company Local News Now a year ago as part of the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship. During her time reporting primarily for Tysons Reporter and our sister site Reston Now, she covered a range of stories, from taking the lead to create weekly profiles of local startups to interviewing teens about their startups and fundraisers.
When not reporting for the two sites, Hopko worked on a media project documenting the challenges Mexican journalists face, which won first place in the fellowship’s competition.
Today is her last day.
Listen below to the podcast, which was produced by Catherine Douglas Moran, Tysons Reporter’s editor. Due to the work from home arrangement, the audio was recorded during a phone call, so pardon the occasional scratchiness.
Here are the articles mentioned in the podcast:
- Looming Liquor Tax Increase Forces Falls Church Distillery to Scale Back
- Falls Church Distillers Making Hand Sanitizer to Minimize Shortage
- Fairfax NAACP President Talks Black Lives Matter Movement
- Alcorn Addressing Damage Concerns With Tysons Restoration Project
Here are some of Hopko’s many startup stories:
- From Fingerprints to Facial Features: Tysons Startup Looks to Streamline Identifications
- Founder Shares Local Startup Journey, Staying Active in Tysons
- Student Startup TeenServ Gains Traction With Local High Schools
- Tysons Startup Uses Artificial Intelligence to Help Non-Profits
- Tysons Startup Sud Stud Seeking Solution to Slippery Situations
Music in podcast courtesy Bensound.com
Local News Now is the company behind the site you’re reading. We aren’t usually very visible or vocal, preferring to let the reporting of our Northern Virginia local news brands — ARLnow, ALXnow, Tysons Reporter, Reston Now — speak for itself.
LNN does not endorse candidates nor publish editorials. But today we would like to make the following statement, the first of its kind in our company’s 10-year history.
Black lives matter.
We are far from the first company to state this incontrovertible fact, but it bears repeating. Black lives matter and the threat from systemic racism and racial injustice needs to be addressed by urgent policy reforms and an honest ongoing discussion.
To that end, our sites will continue our local reporting on matters related to inequitable policies, misconduct by those in authority, and the concerns of marginalized communities. We will keep reporting without fear or favor, with a facts-first approach that illuminates and informs.
We believe that impartiality can coexist in journalism with deeply held principles. For instance, belief in free speech, our democratic system, and the importance of small business is widely held among U.S.-based local news publications, including ours. We do not try to “balance” election stories by saying that some do not believe in democracy and fair elections. It’s just a given that elections are a positive part of our society.
Likewise, we also believe that Black lives matter and believe in LGBTQ equality, and do not feel the need to provide a counterpoint to either in our reporting. The worth of a human life and equal treatment under a law are objectively positive things. There’s no debate, no second side that needs to be heard in order to be impartial.
We recognize that there has been room to evolve our approach to local news over the years. More about some of the changes we have implemented can be found here. We will continue to evaluate our reporting and approach to covering the community as we move forward.
Today is Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of remaining enslaved persons at the end of the Civil War. We are giving our employees — who have tirelessly covered the pandemic and protests over the past few months — the afternoon off as a time of reflection. We hope that our readers also use this opportunity to reflect on the challenge of achieving racial justice in this country, including here at home.
You might have spotted a new byline on Tysons Reporter. Say hello to Madeline Taylor, the summer intern for Tysons Reporter and our sister sites Reston Now and ARLnow.
She is a rising junior at the George Washington University, where she majors in journalism and mass communication and minors in psychology. During the school year, Taylor reports stories and helps with production for her college’s TV station and also is a member of the GW dance team “First Ladies.”
Local News Now, the parent company of Tysons Reporter, is her first journalism internship.
“I’m so excited to be interning for Local News Now this summer and to be writing my first published articles,” she said. “Thanks, [LNN’s publisher] Scott, for taking a chance on me during these unprecedented times.”
During her three weeks here, she’s already had several bylines for Tysons Reporter. So far, Taylor’s reporting has ranged from covering how the Town of Vienna nixed its 130th birthday party plans for a virtual race to interviewing local restaurant owners on how they reimagined their eateries’ openings during the pandemic.
Originally from Wheaton, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, Taylor will cover all things local news in Northern Virginia this summer.
“I’m looking forward to covering local happenings and expanding my worldview by interviewing a wide variety of people,” Taylor said.
