(Updated 6/10/2020) For people looking to support local Black-owned eateries, shops and services in the area, Tysons Reporter and Reston Now are working to compile a list of places open for business. 

Since this is a crowdsourced “living document” — it will be updated regularly by one of our reporters or editors.

Several blogs, websites and social media groups have rounded up lists of local Black-owned businesses, including Feed the Malik, Vienna VA Foodies, Reddit and the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.

People can contribute to the list by sending an email [email protected] with the subject line “Black-Owned Eatery and Business List Addition.”

“The best way [to help business owners] is to give directly if you can, look at your black-owned business and order from them if they’re still open,” Sean Perryman, the president of the NAACP Fairfax County, told Tysons Reporter.

Like other local businesses, Black-owned restaurants have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Perryman said.

So far, businesses include:

• Amore Congelato (Reston Farmers Market)
• McLean Pizza (1434 Center Street)
• Caribbean Plate (133 Annandale Road E.)
• Pie Gourmet (507 Maple Ave W.)
• Mienne Beauty Supply (1880 Howard Ave Suite 105)*
• Arthur Christine hair studio  (113 Park Street NE)
• Tysons Playground (8502 Tyco Road)*
• Perfect Planning Events (8201 Greensboro Drive)
• Mindstate Wellness Center (1980 Gallows Road)

*temporarily closed due to COVID-19

Photo via Caribbean Plate/Facebook

The Walmart in Tysons has been closing early due to the protests against racism and police brutality, store employees say.

Two employees said the store (1500 Cornerside Blvd) has been notified by higher-ups at the “last minute” about closing at 5 p.m. Usually, the employees and managers don’t know how late the store will stay open until around 4 p.m. each day.

https://twitter.com/bgannon97/status/1267564815251357698?s=20

Shoppers looking to visit the store in the evening should call around 4:15-4:30 p.m., one employee advised. Walmart’s website does not mention the store’s hours early closings.

The store will likely close at 5 p.m. tonight (Friday), the employee said.

Due to the threat of looting, some Walmart stores have been closing early or temporarily closed last Sunday around the country. In Virginia, Walmart stores in Stafford County have been closing early at 5 p.m., Potomac Local News reported.

Image via Google Maps

Hat tip to everyone who tweeted and tagged @tysonsreporter about this

A Vienna resident told police that someone stomped on the American flags she put along the sidewalk in front of her house.

The incident happened sometime in the morning on Memorial Day (May 25) in the 1000 block of Hillcrest Drive SW, according to Vienna police.

“The resident placed a small section of fencing around the flags to protect them,” police said. “However, the person then broke the fence and pushed over the flag.”

In a separate incident, police said a woman’s two bicycles were reported stolen from outside of the side entrance to Bazin’s On Church (111 Church Street NW) sometime between May 18-24.

Photo via Facebook

Fairfax County is nearing its 12,000th COVID-19 case, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As of today, the county has a total of 11,904 cases, 1,401 hospitalizations and 410 deaths. The City of Falls Church has 56 cases, 11 hospitalizations and eight deaths.

Of the 389 outbreaks in Virginia, 61 are in the Fairfax Health District, which includes the county and its towns and cities — 51 are at long term care facilities, while two are healthcare settings and a correctional facility and educational setting both have one.

The Fairfax Health District also has Virginia’s only two reports of cases of the virus with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children.

The Fairfax Health District continues to lead the commonwealth in the number of PCR tests, which directly detect antigens, with more than 55,000 testing encounters.

Statewide and in the Fairfax Health District, the weekly average of the percent of positive tests has been steadily declining since late April and the number of testing encounters has increased, according to VDH.

Even with the increased testing, Fairfax County officials say more is needed to address a growing racial disparity with the cases.

The Hispanic population makes up 16.8% of the population in the Fairfax Health District, but 66.2% of the COVID-19 cases where race and ethnicity data is available, according to Fairfax County and the state health department. In mid-May, the Hispanic population made of 61.3% of the cases. (Roughly 20% of the cases don’t have race and ethnicity data.)

Officials said on Tuesday that they want to see more neighborhood testing sites and testing available for people who are asymptomatic.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash, graph via Virginia Department of Health

The McLean Farmers Market is among four farmers markets in Fairfax County that will soon reopen.

Some of the county-run farmers markets, including the one in Reston, had already returned in phases with coronavirus restrictions.

Now, the McLean one, along with the ones in Oak Marr, Annandale and Kingstowne, will open this month, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.

More from the county:

When possible, shoppers are encouraged to preorder their items directly from the local vendors. Go to the Farmers Markets website and click on the Vendor Preorder List for a list of all market vendors and their ordering policies. You can also click on an individual market for details on the vendors at that market and preordering instructions.

At the markets, customers are asked to comply with all COVID-19 safety procedures, including limiting shoppers to two persons per household, wearing facial coverings, and maintaining 6 feet of distance from others. There may be a waiting line, and there will be a one-way path through the markets. To give everyone the best shopping experience possible, please consult the 2020 Market Guidelines infographic before your visit.

Starting Friday, June 12, shoppers can head to the McLean Farmers Market on Fridays from 8 a.m.-noon at 1659 Chain Bridge Road.

The Vienna Farmers Market, which is run by the local Optimist Club, plans to reopen on Saturday, June 13.

Future Offices? — “Before the pandemic shut down businesses, a robust economy had powered a building boom, sending office towers skyward in urban areas across the United States… Developers were confident that the demand would remain strong. But the pandemic darkened the picture.” [Washington Business Journal]

Protest Held in Vienna — “Hundreds showed up to protest racial injustice in Vienna Wednesday evening after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The event on the Town Green remained peaceful, and most attendees wore face masks.” [Vienna Patch]

U.S. Senate OKs Changes to PPP — “The U.S. Senate approved sweeping changes to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program Wednesday evening… The bipartisan bill… extends the eight-week period under which loan recipients can spend the PPP money while also addressing other details that have bedeviled small businesses in the hospitality realm.” [Washington Business Journal]

Movie Theater at Tysons Corner Center May Not Survive — “AMC Theatres said Wednesday it has ‘substantial doubt’ the company can remain in business after the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of all of its locations… All AMC locations are closed through June, and the company said it has enough money to reopen theaters this summer. However, if not allowed to reopen, the company said, it may be unable to borrow the funds needed to continue operating.” [Patch]

How Vienna Will Use CARES Act Funding —  “Vienna officials have identified 10 spending categories for the nearly $2.9 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding appropriated June 1 by the Vienna Town Council.” [Inside NoVa]

Reopened Clare and Don’s Beach Shack pic.twitter.com/KUttb0A0l6

— Falls Church Views (@fallschurchview) June 3, 2020

During this difficult time for so many families, it’s so good to see the great work of @secondstoryorg. We’re
happy to partner with them in sharing weekly ArtReach art activities for them to share with their community. #MPAArtReach @MikeQReports @artsfairfax @TysonsReporter https://t.co/2VmfdNqL8J

— McLeanProjectForArts (@MP4A) June 4, 2020

The Boston Market in McLean is closed for good, according to the property’s realtor.

Though it is unclear when or why the company decided to shutter the location (1408 Chain Bridge Road), another Boston Market shuttered recently in Arlington.

Tysons Reporter reached out to Boston Market’s corporate office for comment and has not received a reply.

The chain served home-style food like chicken, meatloaf and a variety of sides, according to the website, which no longer lists the Arlington and McLean locations. The closest one now is in Fairfax, according to the website.

Image via Google Maps

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Fairfax County and surrounding jurisdictions.

The watch went into effect right after 3 p.m. and will last until 10 p.m.

The NWS says that damaging winds along with large hail are possible tonight. People can expect showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening, with possible flooding incidents.

Be aware and be prepared! If thunder roars, go indoors! #FCFRD RT @NWS_BaltWash: Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued until 10PM. pic.twitter.com/4L3NMo2OVc

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 4, 2020

Hundreds of people flooded Park Avenue in the City of Falls Church calling for justice after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Two rising juniors at George Mason High School — Ariana H. and Sarah E. — organized the walk, joining the global protests and rallies over Floyd’s death. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder following a viral video showing his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, while three other officers at the scene were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

“We had been watching the protests going on around the country and wanted to bring it closer to home,” the organizers said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.

The walk started around 1:30 p.m. with participants meeting in West End Park for brief comments before marching. Protesters shouted “No justice! No peace!” Floyd’s name and other chants as they made their way down Park Avenue, peacefully escorted by the city’s police department.

“Hands up! Don’t shoot!”

“Hey, hey! Ho, ho! These racist cops have got to go!”

“Black Lives Matter!”

With the temperature hovering at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, medics stationed themselves along the route, and several people passed out water bottles.

Many residents lined the route, waving signs and photographing the march from their porches and front lawns. At one point, several workers at a nearby construction site took selfies with the protesters.

Ariana provided the following statement to Tysons Reporter ahead of the event:

Here’s our vision. Our community is often isolated from the injustices experienced in other communities. We are just two rising juniors at George Mason High School who wanted to raise awareness in our community and march in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all people who have lost their lives simply because of the color of their skin. As a community, we can do better.

As two non-black people, we wanted to give the floor to black people in our community and make sure their voices are heard. It’s time for us to be allies and actively work to dismantle the systemic racism that has plagued our country for far too long. We had been watching the protests going on around the country and wanted to bring it closer to home.

We have the privilege to opt ourselves out of these times, but that will not bring the change that is needed. We have a duty to listen to our black peers and educate ourselves because it is not enough to not be racist; we must be anti-racist.

The City of Falls Church will see another event sparked by Floyd’s death later this week. On Sunday, locals plan to host the Falls Church Justice for Black Lives Rally at Cherry Hill Park at 1 p.m.

After people in Tysons noticed roughly 100 trees were cut down on the edge of an upcoming townhome and condominium development, a community Twitter account asked its followers who might be responsible.

Tysons Reporter found the answer — the property along Magarity Road is slated for redevelopment by the Toll Brothers Group. The group claimed responsibility for taking down the trees.

Previously, the property named The Commons at Mclean was abandoned and overgrown by weeds until taken over by the new developers.

Eric Anderson, the president of the Toll Brothers Group, said that the trees were in a development right of way and needed to be taken down.

“Per the [Tysons Comprehensive Plan], there were requirements in place to allow for [a] future right of way on all sides of the property,” he said, adding that the space will be used to build a bike lane, sidewalks and an expanded roadway.

“I ran that trail this morning. Missing the sweet smell of pine. They were old-growth trees as well, probably 40-50 yrs old each,” one person commented on Twitter.

By the time the new development is complete, Anderson said that 355 new trees will be planted on the property.

Last night as we slept 85+ trees were shamelessly murdered in #TysonsVA 22102 along Magarity Rd (from Anderson Rd to Westgate Elem). Who's responsible for this? RT if you love #trees! pic.twitter.com/zW9vJydPft

— Tysons, VA (@TysonsVA) May 30, 2020

Photo courtesy @TysonsVA /Twitter