A two-vehicle crash closed Georgetown Pike in both directions during this morning’s rush hour.
The crash happened at Dogue Hill Lane in McLean, just east of Langley High School. One person was hospitalized following the wreck, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Georgetown Pike was reported to be back open about 10-15 minutes after authorities first tweeted about the closure.
Units on scene of two car crash on Georgetown Pike at Dogue Hill Ln, in McLean area. One person being transported to area hospital for evaluation. Georgetown Pike closed in both directions. #traffic #vatraffic #news pic.twitter.com/qJ149iEzkQ
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) October 24, 2018
UPDATE: Georgetown Pike has reopened.
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 24, 2018
Map via Google Maps
Halloween is just over a week away and across the area little ghouls and goblins are preparing for their annual candy-gathering bonanza.
But if you’re new to the area, you might not know when the witching hour is in Fairfax County. So if you live in McLean, Vienna, Tysons or elsewhere in the county, when should the kids go out?
The general answer is that trick-or-treating starts just before sundown on Halloween itself. So this year, expect trick-or-treaters on local roads starting around 5:30-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Typically, the costumed crowds dissipate by 8 or 9 p.m.
Fairfax County does not designate an official day or time for trick-or-treating, and some private communities may have different rules.
“Some communities, cities and counties designate a day other than Oct. 31 for trick-or-treating. Fairfax County Government does NOT set a different date,” the county notes on its Halloween web page. “Your homeowners association or apartment complex may set times for events, but neighborhood trick-or-treating is generally the evening of Oct. 31.”
The county also has a number of Halloween safety guidelines for residents, below.
If your children are preparing to go trick-or-treating, take these safety precautions:
- Make sure all costumes are flame retardant. Most commercial costumes are made of flame-retardant material and you should ask your fabric shop for flame-retardant material if you make your own costume.
- Make sure your children can see and be seen. Expand the eye holes in commercial masks to improve peripheral vision. Add reflective tape to costumes to make them more visible to motorists.
- Ensure that each trick-or-treater has a working flashlight.
- Tell the children to remove their masks and look both ways before they cross a street.
- Never let a group of children trick-or-treat alone. Adult supervision is a safety “must” during Halloween.
- Tell kids to stay away from candles and jack-o’-lanterns that may be on steps and porches. Their costumes could catch fire if they get too close.
- Kids should never carry candles when they are trick-or-treating. Always use a flashlight, flameless candle, or light stick.
- Tell kids to let you know right away if they see other kids playing with matches or lighters.
McLean HS Student Struck By Elderly Driver — “A female McLean High School student was injured Oct. 12 after being struck by a vehicle on Westmoreland Street in McLean, Fairfax County police said. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. as the student was using a crosswalk to cross Westmoreland Street near Old Chesterbrook Road.” [InsideNova]
Secret Sleigh Project Accepting Applications — “Does your child have a medical diagnosis that limits their ability to get outside, especially during winter months? Do they enjoy seeing Santa Claus (and perhaps Mrs. Claus, elves, and carolers?) Contact us for an application to have Santa come to your home and visit your child before Christmas.” [Facebook]
Big Donation for McLean Private School — “The Potomac School’s upcoming Center for Athletics and Community has garnered one of the largest gifts in school history. The Spangler family made the $12 million donation… for the new athletic center.” [Patch]
ARTSFAIRFAX Disability Workshop — Local arts group ARTSFAIRFAX is holding a free workshop on Nov. 1 to discuss how to best serve audiences with disabilities. The event is being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1st Stage in Tysons. [McLean Connection, ARTSFAIRFAX]
The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.
If early ballots are any indication, interest in this mid-term election is running high — possibly as high as in a presidential election year.
As of last Friday, 23,772 ballots had been cast in Fairfax County since early voting began September 15. That’s an increase of 112 percent over the number of early ballots cast at this point in the 2017 election. The figures come from the non-partisan Virginia Public Access Project. In Fairfax City and Falls Church the increase is 115 percent. Statewide, 95,616 ballots have been case for an increase of 97 percent.
“It’s actually quite shocking,” Richard Keech, deputy director of the elections office in Loudoun County told the Washington Post. “This would be the first time without a president on the ballot that we’ve seen this kind of increase.”
Read more at FairfaxNews.com
Opponents Speak Out at Ramp Closure Meeting — “Proponents were more vocal Oct. 18 at the second Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) meeting about possible temporary closures of a ramp leading from Georgetown Pike to northbound Interstate 495 in McLean, but a majority of local residents who have sounded off still oppose it, VDOT officials said.” [InsideNova]
Police: DUI Suspect Kicks Officers in Merrifield — “During the traffic stop, the officer determined that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and arrested Joshua Ginchereau, 37, of Woodbridge. During the arrest, Ginchereau resisted and kicked 3 officers.” [FCPD]
McLean Firm Wins NATO Contract — “MCR, LLC has been awarded a five-year Advisory and Assistance Services (AAS) framework contract by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide a wide spectrum of scientific, engineering, project management, acquisition, and military functional expertise” [BusinessWire]
Tysons Company Acquired — “Applied Insight, a government IT services company, is deepening its inroads in the national security and intelligence community markets by acquiring McLean-based Organizational Strategies Inc., a 20-year old company that has worked closely with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.” [Washington Business Journal]
Fall Foliage Mostly MIA in Va. — “By the final third of October, fiery colors of fall are usually all over the place in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Not this year. While we are still at least a week or two from typical peak fall foliage in the immediate D.C. area, this year’s delay in autumn color is unlike anything in recent memory.” [Washington Post]
Photo via VDOT
Been away for a few days? Just discovered Tysons Reporter at Social Media Week Fairfax? Let’s get you caught up.
Below are the top stories on the site this week. You can also check out previous top stories here.
The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.
Vernon Davis of the Washington Redskins and Mohamed Sanu of the Atlanta Falcons are best known for catching passes and outrunning defenders. But the NFL standouts also have a keen interest in business development, and recently announced a joint partnership to open six Jamba Juice stores in Northern Virginia.
While no locations have been formally announced, Davis and Sanu are specifically eyeing areas in Fairfax County (Reston, Chantilly, McLean) and Loudoun County (Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling) for their stores.
“Jamba Juice is an iconic brand that, like me, cares about helping others live a healthier, higher quality life,” says Davis, who already owns five successful Jamba Juice locations in Northern California. “I honestly couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Mohamed, expanding my relationship with Jamba Juice and, of course, bringing more of the fresh fruit and vegetable goodness of Jamba to the region.”
Read more at FairfaxNews.com
Vienna Town Worker’s Car Blocked — “A Vienna town-government employee parked her vehicle in a private lot… while she checked on some vendors at the farmers’ market. The employee was approached by a resident who was upset that she was parked in the private lot. The resident used his vehicle to block the employee’s vehicle until police arrived.” [InsideNova]
Two Assaulted in Falls Church Area — “Two residents were walking into their townhouse when they were approached from behind by four men. The men assaulted the victims and then forced their way into the townhouse. One victim started to call 911 causing the suspects to run away.” [FCPD]
There’s a lot of new stuff in Tysons, and plenty of people come here to work or shop, but what about nightlife?
We posed a question on Facebook earlier this week: is Tysons is a fun place to go out at night?
The overwhelming response thus far is no. With nearly 70 people voting, only 20 percent agreed that it was fun to go out in Tysons.
Though new developments like The Boro will be bringing new dining and entertainment options, those commenting on our Facebook post said that the current options are limited.
“Could use more bars/restaurants in between fast food and $$$$ places,” said one commenter.
“[Tysons] Biergarten is a perfect example of what I think we need more of here… a super social place without needing to spend too much,” said another. We’ve got plenty of swanky places… we just need more places that offer a casual atmosphere to hang out with neighbors and friends, and get some decent food and beer.”
Didn’t get a chance to weigh in on Facebook? Let us what you think below.
Photo via Tysons Partnership
Painted Benches Coming to Vienna — “In honor of the Vienna Arts Society’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2019, artists from the group will decorate 41 wooden benches that will be placed around the town for six months next year.” [InsideNova]
Free Lyft Rides for Halloween — “Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2018 Halloween SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 and continue until 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.” [McLean Connection, Washington Regional Alcohol Program]
Macy’s Hiring for Holiday Season — “As the Christmas shopping season approaches, Macy’s will be hiring seasonal staff at the two Tysons Corner locations. Hiring events will be held from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18.” [Patch]
Fairfax May Legalize Hedgehogs — “Having a chinchilla, hedgehog or hermit crab in Virginia’s Fairfax County makes you a scofflaw, but that could soon change. The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to advertise a public hearing on changes to the definitions of ‘commonly accepted pets’ that can be kept without special, individual permission from zoning authorities.” [WTOP]
VA-TF1 Hurricane Deployment Update — “On October 14th the team was relocated to Jackson County, approximately 40 miles north, northeast of Panama City where they continue to work today. The team is conducting wide-area searches including detailed searches of damaged structures.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
