A man was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) after reportedly pointing an object that observers initially thought might be a gun at Cunningham Park Elementary School students.
Vienna police were dispatched to the school around 12:51 p.m. in response to a report of a suspicious person described “as an older white male with no shirt, who possibly had a long gun and was pointing it at students,” the Town of Vienna Police Department said in a news release today (Wednesday).
A new gym has opened in the Town of Vienna.
The Australian fitness company F45 celebrated the grand opening of its latest franchise at 322 Maple Avenue West on Saturday (Aug. 27). The event was considered a success, according to an Instagram post.
Businesses local to the D.C. area like Greenheart Juice Shop and Vegetable and Butcher participated in the event, which featured massages, food, live music, and vitamin injections.
Vehicle in Capital Beltway Shooting ID’d — “Virginia State Police have identified a suspect vehicle involved in last Thursday’s shooting incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County. According to a news release, it is a blue 2010 Honda Civic with Virginia license plates TWW 9398.” [WTOP]
Potomac Banks Could Be Virginia’s First TID — “In September, Visit Fairfax will hold meetings with local hotel and restaurant industry leaders as part of a campaign to turn Potomac Banks into a tourism improvement district, or TID, which would impose fees to fund tourism boosting activities and improvements and would be administered through a nonprofit.” [Virginia Business]
W&OD Trail Assault Suspect Still at Large — “Town of Herndon Police, along with Fairfax County police officers and the FFX 1 helicopter, failed to locate a suspect Tuesday morning in connection with the recent assaults that have occurred along the W&OD Trail, according to an HPD post on Twitter.” [Patch]
Virginia Judge Dismisses Obscenity Cases — “The long-awaited trial in Virginia Beach, Virginia, over the claims of obscenity in two books has ended in dismissal. Neither Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe nor A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas meet the legal definition of obscenity.” “Gender Queer” was one of two books challenged in Fairfax County Public Schools last year. [Book Riot]
Fare-Free Virginia Rail Starts Tomorrow — “Virginia Railway Express, a commuter rail taking passengers between Northern Virginia and DC, will seek to attract more riders through a fare-free initiative beginning Thursday. After a July vote by the VRE Operations Board, VRE will be free throughout September at all 19 stations and at certain stations in October.” [Patch]
County Names New Solid Waste Deputy Director — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) is pleased to announce that Eric Forbes is the new Deputy Director leading the County’s Solid Waste Management Program. Forbes has been serving as the Acting Deputy Director and his new position becomes effective on September 10.” [DPWES]
Fairfax County NAACP Plans Blood Drives — “The Fairfax County NAACP is partnering with the American Red Cross and other area blood banks to host local blood drives. As required for sickle cell, we need both Black and White donors. Stay tuned for updates on dates, times, and locations of drives.” [Fairfax County NAACP/Twitter]
Hospitality Trumps Cuisine at Roberto’s in Vienna, Review Says — “I wish I could say that the $75 chicken is a revelation. It isn’t. The chicken’s skin isn’t soggy, but it isn’t crisp, either, a situation not helped by the robustly earthy sauce on top…But for those willing to pay a premium for contact with a culinary legend, it may still be worth it.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:42 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County is still having trash troubles.
Earlier this month in his weekly newsletter, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay wrote that he was “aware of multiple complaints” about the performance of some contracted trash collectors in the county.
While neighboring localities faced similar challenges earlier this summer, McKay said that was little excuse for haulers not providing customers proper service.
The Virginia Chamber Orchestra is tuning up for a fall concert series at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Wolf Trap.
The “Music in the Gardens” series will kick off at 3 p.m. this Sunday (Sept. 4) with “Viva Violas!,” a showcase of that oft-overlooked member of the string family.
A quintet of performers from the professional, Northern Virginia-based orchestra will play for an hour at Meadowlark’s Korean Bell Pavilion. The advertised program features pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Anton Dvorak, and more:
As schools and libraries across the U.S. grapple with a historic surge in book bans and challenges, the topic has inevitably become a concern for Fairfax County Public Library officials.
The FCPL Board of Trustees raised the possibility of revisiting the library’s collection development policies when it met on July 13, according to meeting materials.
October will come a couple of weeks early to The Boro in Tysons.
With fall on the horizon, the mixed-use neighborhood near the Greensboro Metro station announced earlier this month will host an Oktoberfest celebration at 8350 Broad Street on Sept. 17.
Here’s more from the news alert on what to expect from the event, which will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. at Boro Park with a biergarten from The Sandlot Tysons:
IRS Data Shows Exodus in Northern Virginia — “Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County all saw more people move out in 2020 than move in — basically everything in Northern Virginia except for Loudoun County and outlying areas such as Fauquier County and Stafford County.” [Cardinal News]
Lake Accotink Celebrates Past, Prepares for Future — “The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27…The next big thing to happen at Lake Accotink Park will be a major dredging operation to prevent the lake from filling up with sediment.” [Annandale Today]
Vienna Little League Champs Honored — “The Vienna American Little League 11-year-old All-Star team is back in the spotlight! At its Monday meeting, the Vienna Town Council commended ‘The Big Red Machine’ on a stellar season and post-season titles as Virginia Champs and Tournament of State Champions winners!” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Regional Conservationists Seek to Save Wood Turtles — “Experts said they believe that wood turtles still thrive in roughly 30 to 40 streams in the D.C. region but lost a large portion of their habitat long ago. In Virginia, Akre said, all of their habitat along the Potomac River in parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties has nearly disappeared.” [The Washington Post]
Talks for HBCU Campus in NoVA Progress — “Since last summer, leaders with Virginia State University and Norfolk State University have discussed the idea of a physical campus in the region. Last month, discussions on locations progressed. President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Victor Hoskins said the two schools presented their basic requirements for the campus during a Northern Virginia economic alliance meeting.” [Inside NoVA]
The Five “Must Stops” in Tysons — “There are so many fun things to do when visiting TYSONS it’s hard to keep count! Here are THE 5 MUST STOPS that you just can’t miss when taking your own ZIP TRIP!” [FOX5]
Volunteer Poll Workers Sought for Elections — “The Fairfax County Office of Elections is seeking students age 16 and older to serve as pages at polling places on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 8). Participants will serve an eight-hour shift under the supervision of the chief election officer of a precinct.” [Sun Gazette]
County Commission for Women Adds Seats — “The Fairfax County Commission for Women is looking for two new representatives: one from the LGBTQ community and one transgender woman. Be the first one to fill one of these newly added roles…The Commission works on policies and initiatives to promote gender equality, eliminate violence against women, and honor women and girls in Fairfax County.” [Department of Family Services]
It’s Tuesday — Possible light rain in the evening. High of 89 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Town of Vienna has another development plan on the table that promises to help diversify its housing stock.
Developer Steve Bukont, president of contractor BFR Construction, is seeking to rezone Vienna Courts (127-133 Park Street NE) from transitional to low-density, multifamily uses so the four buildings of office condominiums could be replaced with 28 residential units in 14 two-story duplexes.
Put in your final requests for free at-home COVID-19 tests now, because once Labor Day weekend arrives, that will no longer be an option.
The federal government’s offer of free, at-home test kits to all households will be put on hold Friday (Sept. 2) after Congress failed to renew funding for the program, which launched in January during the pandemic’s biggest surge so far.
