In Fairfax County — one of the wealthiest areas in the country — about 56,000 people experience food insecurity.
Several organizations around the Tysons area are trying to improve the county’s 4.9% “Food Insecurity Rate,” according to 2017 data compiled by Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization.
Across Northern Virginia, up to 90,000 people go hungry every day, according to Food for Others.
Food for Others obtains food through food rescue operations and food drives and provides emergency food assistance via the warehouse (2938 Prosperity Avenue) in Merrifield, food distribution at 16 sites and supplements to 16 other organizations.
The warehouse is open from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. People who go to the neighborhood sites are asked to bring their own grocery bags and tell the volunteers how many people are in the household.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, people can go to these Falls Church sites:
- Corner of Ellison and Irving streets off West Street at 5:45 p.m.
- 2802 Hollywood Road — parking lot of Wexford Manor Apartments south of Savannah Street — at 6:15 p.m.
Several other organizations in the Tysons area offer emergency assistance to people experiencing food insecurity.
Share, Inc. is a nonprofit run by volunteers that provides emergency assistance to people in McLean and nearby areas. Share’s food and used clothing room is located in space donated by the McLean Baptist Church at 1367 Chain Bridge Road.
In addition to the year-round food pantry, Share offers family emergency financial assistance, recycled furniture, back-to-school supplies and refurbished laptop computers.
The Committee for Helping Others (CHO)
CHO is a Vienna-based nonprofit that has an emergency food pantry in facilities provided by the Vienna Presbyterian Church at Vienna Court Condos, 133 Park Street NE.
Staffed by volunteers, CHO serves people in the Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring, and Merrifield areas. People interested in picking up food must make an appointment by calling 703-679-8966 or email [email protected].
Falls Church Community Service Council
The council offers several programs from clothing to financial to food assistance. The food pantry at the Knox Presbyterian Church (7416 Arlington Blvd) provides non-perishable and fresh food from donations and local food drives. The council also buys extra food when it has adequate funding.
“Church volunteers bag and deliver a week’s supply of food to clients,” according to its website. Volunteers also deliver meals three days per week to people at home who can’t make meals for themselves.
For students, Fairfax County Public Schools has several programs to keep kids fed during the summer and during the school year.
Update at 3:25 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has just been issued and is in effect through 4:15 p.m.
More from the National Weather Service:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING…
* UNTIL 415 PM EDT.
* AT 324 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BULL RUN, OR NEAR CENTREVILLE, MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.
IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA, CENTREVILLE, RESTON, ANNANDALE, SPRINGFIELD, SOUTH RIDING, HERNDON, FAIRFAX, VIENNA, FALLS CHURCH, MANTUA, PIMMIT HILLS, AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE, MCLEAN, POTOMAC, BURKE, LINTON HALL, OAKTON AND CHANTILLY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Centreville VA, Reston VA, McLean VA until 4:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/lK3sIwKTX3
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 7, 2019
Earlier: Fairfax County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 p.m. this evening (Wednesday).
The watch went into effect around 2 p.m. today and the National Weather Service warns of heavy rain, hail and potentially damaging winds.
According to the National Weather Service:
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE, WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREATS.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO CAUSE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OF FLOODING, MAINLY IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA AND LOCATIONS THAT HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED HEAVY RAIN.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for areas in red (including the Baltimore and Washington metro areas) until 8 PM today. Storms may produce damaging winds and large hail. Find shelter if warnings are issued or threatening weather approaches. pic.twitter.com/8elR0p5k1o
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 7, 2019
File photo
This Saturday, there will be a puppy party at Tysons Corner Center.
Attendees will get to play with puppies from two different litters. Wolf Trap Animal Rescue (WTAR) will host the event in coordination with BrandBox on Saturday, Aug. 10, from noon-3 p.m.
“Come by and meet some of the adorable faces that have been rescued, hear their story, and you’ll be sure to get quite a few licks in exchange,” a WTAR press release said.
The event will take place in BrandBox’s community lounge on the first level of Tysons Corner Center. Admission is $5 and will act as a donation to WTAR.
WTAR helps to find reliable and safe homes for shelter animals in the Northern Virginia region.
The puppies at this event will be available for adoption at WTAR’s “Clear the Shelters” event on Saturday, Aug. 17.
“This nationwide event has assisted in finding homes for more than 250,000 pets since 2015,” the press release said.
Updated at 1:35 p.m. 8/9/19 — Police said that after a thorough investigation, “our detectives have concluded no criminal activity occurred.”
More from FCPD:
An ex-employee of a business within the building sent a suspicious group text message to some of his formercolleagues but there were no direct threats made. The following day, an employee in the building overheard two co-workers discussing the text message and asked another employee for additional information.
There was a language barrier and through the use of a cell phone translator program, the message was interpreted as a present threat of a man in the building with a gun. Building security relayed the information they received to our dispatch center, prompting the emergency response.
Our investigation determined that no one was actually seen with a gun and we do not have any evidence that the subject who sent the text message was at the building on Wednesday.
Earlier: Fairfax County police responded en masse to reports of a man with a weapon at Gannett headquarters in Tysons shortly after noon on Wednesday.
The police department tweeted about the incident at 7950 Jones Branch Drive, in the Valo Park office complex, at 12:25 p.m. today (Wednesday). Police vehicles swarmed the area as the building was evacuated.
Gannett, which publishes USA Today and hundreds of local newspapers across the country, this week announced a merger with fellow newspaper chain GateHouse.
USA Today reported around 1:15 p.m. that the incident resulted from “a mistaken report of a person with a weapon.” Fairfax County Police said that they “have found no evidence of any acts of violence or injuries.”
Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. said police received a 911 call around noon that said a former employee was spotted inside the building with a gun. Roessler said there is a person of interest being sought, but that there are no gunshots reported in the building. As of 2 p.m., Roessler said police were still searching the building floor by floor.
“Right now, we do not have any reports of gunshots being fired,” Roessler said. “This is a very large office complex, going to take several more hours to clear the building and make the determination that it’s all clear.”
A reunification center was established at the McLean Hilton (7920 Jones Branch Drive) for evacuated employees.
At a later press conference, Roessler said that police were talking to the person of interest, who was said to be a former employee of a company at the Valo Park complex. The person was located in a different part of Fairfax County and there is no evidence of a crime, Roessler said, adding that officers had “cleared every single inch of that building, from the basement to the roof to the parking garages.”
Police are still reviewing surveillance video to determine if the person of interest was actually in the building, as reported by the 911 caller.
Roessler said the large police response — which included heavily-armed SWAT officers and the Fairfax County Police helicopter overhead — was consistent with how the department would respond to an active shooter situation. The response was necessary, he said, given the initial report of an armed ex-employee.
In a press release this evening, police said that the person of interest “was identified in an unrelated area of the county and officers spoke with him, however, criminal charges are not expected.”
“The investigation is ongoing but we don’t have any evidence that a crime occurred – we’re thankful that this was a non-event,” Roessler said in the press release.
“The right decision was made today, even though it disrupted businesses,” he said. “Our prayers have been answered, everyone is safe.”
TYSONS EVACUATION SCENE @WUSA9 #breaking pic.twitter.com/qW7skv2xyj
— Mike Valerio (@ValerioCNN) August 7, 2019
Meanwhile, a scene from inside one of the stairwells at the @usatoday headquarters. (From @NewsCannon.) pic.twitter.com/4MkhttEqjv
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) August 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/trevorkchan/status/1159141416414654464?s=12
We are responding to reports of a man with weapon at the Gannett Building located at 7950 Jones Branch Drive in McLean. Please avoid the area, updates to follow #FCPD pic.twitter.com/cwz3c9wdUx
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) August 7, 2019
A new restaurant serving up Italian cuisine will open next week in Falls Church.
Thompson Italian (124 N. Washington Street) comes to the area on Wednesday, Aug. 14, after owners and married couple Gabe and Katherine Thompson wanted to reestablish roots in the area. The owners previously owned four eateries in Manhattan, according to a press release.
“I grew up just a few miles away in Arlington, so when we had the chance to move from Manhattan back to this area with our kids, it was a true homecoming,” Katherine said.
The couple plans for the eatery to be a family-friendly environment and will offer a variety of seasonal dining options along with a kids menu.
The specials for the restaurant’s opening include ricotta gnocchi with lamb ragu, roasted garlic bread, “Summer Berry Pavlova” and mascarpone cheesecake. It will also serve wine — glasses range from $9 to $14 and bottles are around $40.
The restaurant will be open for dinner from 5-10 p.m every day except for Tuesdays. They plan to add a lunch and brunch menu within the coming months, the press release said.
“The Thompsons — who wrote the bestseller ‘Downtown Italian’ — are excited to serve casual Italian food that stirs the imagination in a family-friendly setting that they’re deeply connected to,” the press release said.
Photos courtesy of Thompson Italian
The anticipation is almost over for bicyclists and drivers who have been waiting for permanent lane markings along Greensboro Drive by The Boro development.
Jennifer McCord, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, told Tysons Reporter that the roadwork is being completed by a developer under permit.
“The developer plans to install the pavement markings for the bicycle lane on Greensboro Drive between Westpark Drive and Solutions Drive on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, weather permitting,” McCord said. “The other markings should be in place by Aug. 21.”
“I’m not sure how a bike commuter, pedestrian, scooter (or an [Single Occupant Vehicle] even) is supposed to safely navigate this area,” a self-identified cyclist tweeted Aug. 1.
Please please help. Thx. I'm not sure how a bike commuter, pedestrian, scooter (or an SOV even) is supposed to safely navigate this area. pic.twitter.com/mEGhKrSO6m
— Chris French (@chrislfrench) August 1, 2019
Work is underway on the new George Mason High School ahead of construction on a mixed-use project in Falls Church.
The City of Falls Church’s Planning Commission greenlighted the first of two phases for constructing the new high school on Monday, Aug. 5.
While preconstruction has already started, the approval of the first phase will now let the developers obtain building permits.
The second phase, which involves a trapezoid area in front of the school, parking and stormwater management, is expected to go before the Planning Commission later this summer or fall.
The new high school’s location will be right next to the current school, which will get converted into an approved mixed-use development known as Little City Commons.
The 1.3 million-square-foot development will occupy nearly 10 acres at the current George Mason High School location at 7124 Leesburg Pike. The development of Little City Commons will defray costs for the new school.
The school will serve grades 6-12 and have consolidated athletic fields and a “good neighbor zone,” according to city staff.
“As far as the Planning Commission is concerned, this is a momentous day,” Russell Wodiska, the chair of the Planning Commission, said at the meeting. “It’s a really exciting thing.”
Work on Little City Commons is slated to start in 2021 after work on the George Mason High School is finished.
Images via City of Falls Church
A short-term childcare center that was on a hiatus in Tysons Corner Center has decided not to reopen.
In the spring, Tysons Reporter wrote that Ashburn-based Wishing Tree appeared closed at its spot on the second floor of the mall near Lord & Taylor — the childcare center’s website said it was “reopening in August 2019.”
Now, an employee for Wishing Tree said that the Tysons Corner Center spot was a holiday pop-up that closed sometime around February. Though Wishing Tree had plans to reopen in August, the employee said that it decided not to.
The Tysons Corner spot still has the sign and interior decor, but that won’t last long — the employee said that there are plans to move out of the mall soon.
Writing on the windows indicate that the Tysons location offered Legos, spinning top toys by Beyblades, crafts and board games for kids. When Tysons Reporter peaked through the windows earlier this week, the interior looked sparse and dark.
The Ashburn spot offers care for ages 3-12, according to the website.
Ashley Hopko contributed to this story
Tysons-based Gannett is merging with fellow newspaper chain GateHouse to form what is by far the largest newspaper publisher in the country.
The merger was announced Monday and will result in a behemoth that owns 1 in every 6 newspapers in the U.S., including hundreds of local daily and weekly papers and the flagship USA Today national paper. The debt-financed, cash-and-stock deal was valued at nearly $1.4 billion.
The combined company will be called Gannett and will continue to be based in Tysons, at the Valo Park office complex, at 7950 Jones Branch Drive. Gannett signed a 12-year lease on the space in 2015.
Valo Park was sold by TV station owner TEGNA, which was split from Gannett and is now based at The Boro in Tysons.
Photo via Valo Park
What started as a small Tysons startup quickly gained attention from high-profile investment firms.
Vest originated in 2012 as an independent entity before partnering with the international investment firm C’boe. Instead of renaming the company, they integrated the two titles and became C’boe Vest (1765 Greensboro Station Place).
The company attempts to create a safer model of economic investment by offering a type of “insurance,” CEO Karan Sood told Tysons Reporter.
The company markets their products and services to financial advisors who in turn manage investments and money for single entities, like families or individuals.
“We have a unique product for the marketplace. In some sense, we compete with anyone who helps make investments,” Sood said.
C’boe Vest offers a service called “Target Outcome Investments” that sets them apart from the pack, Sood said. Their models work with financial advisors to protect their investors from the natural risk associated with the stock market.
Intellectual Rights
One of the largest struggles facing the company is a lack of security when it comes to intellectual property and legal protection. “In the investment space, it is hard to protect intellectual property through conventional methods, such as patents,” he said.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled in the past that many tactics of investment companies are not eligible for patents and the office discourages startups from applying for them, Sood said.
Investment companies are required by law under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose certain aspects of their business model that makes a patent difficult to obtain. Sood told Tysons Reporter that they don’t necessarily see this as a problem as the company tries to be transparent with clients.
“Our secret sauce, so to speak, is out in the open,” Sood said.
There are three smaller startups testing out similar models to C’boe Vest, but Sood doesn’t seem worried that they are trying to “emulate” its models since he said C’boe Vest has the experience and innovation on their side.
Keeping Local Roots
When the company first opened its Tysons headquarters in 2014, Sood said that they assumed the location would be temporary. They chose it because it was a central meeting point for employees, the co-founder was from the area and real estate was affordable, he said.
“I got the sense there was more capacity here,” he said.
Sood still said he considers the company to be in its startup stage. “We think of ourselves as a pioneer.”
Image via Google Maps
