Police, fire and emergency response agencies might not be the only ones who will be using unmanned aircraft in Fairfax County in the future.
Back in May, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program, which proposes to incorporate drones into government operations with a particular focus on public safety.
Now, the county board has decided to not limit unmanned aircraft to only public safety uses.
At yesterday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved a new procedure for non-public safety departments and agencies, including the Fairfax County Park Authority, to obtain the board’s permission to also use the drones.
Interested agencies will need to tell the board why they want to participate in the program, and, after reviewing the request, the board will then take a vote.
Braddock District Supervisor John Cook suggested adding the approval process for the drone program expansion.
Photo via Flickr/Joe Loong
Fairfax County police are looking for the three men in connection with an armed robbery at a pawn shop in Falls Church.
Police said that the men entered the Top Pawn Shop (2806 Graham Road), displayed a handgun and stole jewelry.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on Monday (June 24).
“The suspects are described as Hispanic men in their late teens or early 20s,” according to the police report.
Image via Google Maps
The Helzberg Diamonds at the corner of the Tysons Corner Center food court is temporarily closed as the store seems to be mid-takeover for the adjacent vacant space.
The diamond store seems to be devouring the former Wetzel’s Pretzels, which closed earlier this month.
A sign at the construction-barrier notes that Helzberg Diamonds can still be found at a temporary location near the Lord & Taylor on the mall’s first floor.
The move leaves Pokeworks surrounded by empty space after Sweet Leaf’s closure, which was a part of a recent series of casualties in the first floor of the food court.
Like the rest of Tysons near the Spring Hill Metro station, the McDonald’s at 8512 Leesburg Pike is getting a facelift.
The restaurant is temporarily closed for renovations as the store is converted from its more traditional blue-sloped roof to a more modern design, like the one at 8111 Leesburg Pike.
Workers at the project said construction is expected to last two or three more weeks, though they declined to say what the new renovations entail.
A sweeping redesign is in the works for McDonald’s nationwide, though the efforts have been with met with some resistance from franchise owners.
Photo via Google Maps
As the Tysons-Pimmit Library continues its quarterly book sales, the library might get a new place to help store some of its books.
Fairfax County is looking to lease a property it owns to the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Library, the non-profit that provides funding for the library.
“One of the primary methods for the Friends to raise this funding is to hold ongoing book sales at the library as well as much larger book marketplaces on a quarterly basis,” according to county documents.
The nonprofit plans to construct a 199-square-foot brick-faced building next to the library “to assist in their preparations for the book sales,” according to the county. The shed would store books and materials needed for the book sales.
The county’s Board of Supervisors OK’d today (Tuesday) to let residents know about a public hearing on the matter, which is set to be held on July 30 at 4 p.m.
Photo via Friends of the Tysons-Pimmit Library
The regionwide Capital Bikeshare is now open in Merrifield.
On Friday, June 21, Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth kicked off the launch of Capital Bikeshare at the Dunn Loring Metro station.
The new stations are located at the Dunn Loring Metro station, the Mosaic District and Merrifield Town Center.
“These will be part of a network in Fairfax County including other stations in Tysons, Reston and West Falls Church,” said Smyth.
The expansion is part of a broader Capital Bikeshare expansion throughout Fairfax, with new locations planned along Route 123 in Vienna, City of Fairfax and George Mason University.
For a monthly $8 membership, bicycles can be used for any ride under 30 minutes for free. Trips under 30 minutes are available for $2 systemwide for non-Bikeshare members.
The Capital Bikeshare expansion is part of an ongoing effort by Fairfax County to close the gap between the Dunn Loring Metro station and the Mosaic District, including a recent proposal to add in an autonomous shuttle running back and forth between the two locations.
Photo via Fairfax County
Former Vice President Joe Biden has taken up a new residence in McLean.
Biden and his wife Jill are renting a Georgian-style, nearly 12,000-square-foot home in McLean, according to the Washington Post.
Built in 1989, the two-story house features five bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen and a gym. The monthly rent for the house is about $20,500, according to Zillow.
The house was previously owned by former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, according to county documents. Investor Mark Ein bought the house in 2016 for more than $4 million, according to the Washington Post.
Updated at 11:35 a.m. — All travel lanes on I-495 reopened around 10:30 a.m.
Earlier: A multi-car crash on I-495 is causing substantial delays in Tysons.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m., the north right outside lane and right shoulder closed, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Drivers can expect delays, according to VDOT. As of 9:50 a.m., traffic is crawling along northbound I-495 up to Route 123.
FINAL: Multi-Vehicle Crash with Injury. I-495 NB (Inner Loop) Main Lines before VA-123 (Exit 46). Fairfax County, Virginia. Incident contained to right shoulder and all travel lanes are reopened. Delays remain beginning near VA-620.
— MATOC Alerts (@MATOC) June 25, 2019
Update: Accident: NB on I-495 at MM47 in Fairfax Co. 1 NB travel lane closed.9:32AM
— 511 Northern VA (@511northernva) June 25, 2019
First image via VDOT, second image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police are investigating a burglary at a McLean pool and tennis club over the weekend.
Police said that two men broke into the Hamlet Swim and Tennis Club (8209 Dunsinane Court) around 1 a.m. on Sunday (June 23) and stole a safe.
“Both suspects are described as white and in their late teens,” according to the police report.
Other crime incidents over the weekend in the Tysons area include a burglary in a home in the 7400 block of Old Maple Square around 4 a.m. on Friday (June 21).
In a separate incident on Friday, police said a man grabbed a woman from behind and stole her wallet around midnight in the 2600 block of Avenir Place by the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.
“The man was described as Asian, in his 20s, 5’8″ and skinny,” according to the police report.
Image via Google Maps
Hair studio Sundown and Rise Up is coming to the former space of the Maple Avenue Market in the Town of Vienna.
Sundown and Rise Up will offer haircuts, blow-drys, coloring, highlights and balayage services, according to its website.
From the website:
Sundown & Rise Up represents a new emergence into a truly one of kind dynamic salon work space centered upon hair, creativity, freedom, community, music and positive vibrations. Sundown & Rise Up strives to provide Vienna and the neighboring communities a new kind of hair salon experience.
The Maple Avenue Market closed in February after nearly 10 years in downtown Vienna.
The studio is set to open “very early July 2019” at 128 E. Maple Avenue according to an Instagram post by the owner of the studio.
