This past New Year’s Day brought new resolutions — and, in Virginia, new state vehicle inspection stickers.

The new stickers were first issued by inspection stations at the beginning of January, according to Virginia State Police.

The stickers are smaller, in response to complaints that the new sticker placement on the bottom left of the windshield, which started in 2018, resulted in reduced visibility for drivers. The stickers also come on a backing that reminds drivers to move over for emergency vehicles stopped along the side of the road.

More from a VSP press release:

The Virginia State Police Safety Division is rolling out a newly-designed vehicle safety approval inspection sticker that now includes a traffic safety message. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, all certified Virginia inspection stations began issuing the sticker which has been reduced from 2.75 inches in height to 2 inches and from 4 inches in length to 3 inches. The year of expiration is now permanently affixed to the right side of the sticker, with the only insert being the month of expiration. Even though the overall size has been reduced, the month has been enlarged to provide better visibility.

“The change in size is in response to the feedback State Police received from Virginians following the sticker’s relocation to the bottom left corner of the windshield in 2018,” said Captain R.C. Maxey Jr., Virginia State Police Safety Division Commander. “We heard from a number of motorists who had difficulty seeing around the sticker, so we worked to reduce its size to slightly smaller than the average credit card.”

The sticker’s security features have also been enhanced in order to discourage and prevent unauthorized removal, tampering and counterfeit practices. The changes in size and design do not apply to motorcycle or trailer safety inspection stickers. Vehicle rejection stickers also remain unchanged.

Another new feature of the inspection sticker enables State Police to reach an estimated 8.2 million motorists annually with a reminder about Virginia’s “Move Over” law. This portion of the sticker is not for display on the front windshield. Instead, it is detached by the inspector and provided to the customer. Virginia’s “Move Over” law requires motorists to move over a lane when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped alongside the road. If unable to move over, then drivers are required to cautiously pass the emergency vehicle. The law applies to all vehicles equipped with red, blue and amber lights.

The placement of the sticker was changed in 2018 from the center of the windshield to the bottom, left corner due to safety concerns related to automotive innovations in recent years. The center placement of the sticker could prevent a vehicle’s crash avoidance system from operating properly.

Pokéworks, a Hawaiian-inspired poke bowl and burrito eatery, is hosting its grand opening in the Tysons Corner Center mall today.

Today from 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., visitors who purchase one poke meal can get a second one free.

Pokéworks is a nationwide chain founded in 2015. The Tysons location is run by local entrepreneurs Mark and Annie Chi and David and Viengkeo Tzong. According to a press release:

After noticing the rise of Poke restaurants and the need for more diverse food options in the area, the Chis and Tzongs found the fresh, light and flavorful ingredients at Pokéworks to be unmatched by any other poke restaurant. Eager to expand their business in the Northern Virginia area, these entrepreneurs have recently signed a second Pokéworks location in Chantilly and expect to open summer of 2019.

The restaurant held a soft opening Nov. 12 in the mall’s first-floor food court.

Photo courtesy of Pokéworks

Work is coming along on the latest addition to the growing development around the Spring Hill Metro station.

A project dubbed “Tysons West Phase III” is set to transform the under-utilized lot across from Walmart and create a mixed-use development.

“Tysons West Phase III builds on the success of the Walmart and 24 Hour Fitness [that] anchored Tysons West Phase I and provides an interim development of in-line retail buildings organized around surface parking,” construction contractor L.F. Jennings said in a press release. “These retail buildings will provide dining and service retail options that take advantage of the vehicular hub nature of the location as well as proximity to the metro station, local residents, and nearby offices.”

The development will contain four single-story buildings, with a combined 22,800 square feet of retail space.

Construction on the project started last July and is scheduled to be completed in the spring.

Plans from developer JBG Smith show Dunkin’ Donuts, Smoothie King, Jersey Mike’s and COX listed among the new retailers coming to the development.

Future Tysons West development is planned north of the site, and some of the car dealerships to the south are on sale with plans to be redeveloped as mixed-use buildings.

Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Route 50 — “Officers responded to the report of a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian on Arlington Boulevard near Summerfield Road, at approximately six [Friday] night. The pedestrian was crossing Arlington Boulevard, not in a crosswalk, and was hit by a dark colored mid to full-size pickup truck with an open bed. The truck did not stop and drove away from the scene. The pedestrian, 93-year-old Pericles Apostolou, from Falls Church, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.” [FCPD]

Road Closed Due to Downed Trees — Amid high winds and power outages, Spring Hill Road in McLean was closed for an extended period of time Sunday due to downed trees and wires. [Twitter]

Tegna Auctioning Office Fixtures — Broadcast conglomerate Tegna is moving from its current Tysons home to the Boro development. As part of the move, it’s auctioning off furniture, TVs and other items of value from around the office. Bids close Thursday. [Washington Business Journal, Rasmus Auctions]

Local Hackers Gather in McLean — “All day Monday, the NoVa Hackers held their SchmooCon Epilogue in McLean… Over 150 members attended topical lectures, competed in MetaCTF challenges, and participated in discussions about cyber and information security between insider groups.” [WDVM]

Fairfax County Public Schools will open two hours late on Tuesday.

The closure is “due to the very cold weather.” Temperatures may dip into the single digits in parts of the county overnight.

School offices and central offices will open on time, FCPS said.

Due to the very cold weather, all Fairfax County public schools will open two hours late tomorrow, Jan. 22, 2019 (Condition 3B). School offices and central offices will open on time. https://t.co/zNBBMjWGwr

— Fairfax Schools 🌟 (@fcpsnews) January 21, 2019

Tonight, temperatures will drop down into the single digits and low teens. Remember to bundle up in layers to protect yourself from the frigid conditions. pic.twitter.com/jzqhrYvkXa

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 22, 2019

Nearly 1,500 Dominion customers are without power this afternoon in McLean and far northern Arlington.

The outages are centered around the Ingleside, Chesterbrook Woods and Chain Bridge Forest neighborhoods.

Strong winds have brought down branches and utility lines throughout the D.C. area Sunday. A Wind Advisory is in effect through Sunday night.

…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING… * TIMING…THROUGH THIS EVENING. * WINDS…NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. * IMPACTS…STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS, TREES, AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&

WIND ADVISORY issued for Sunday. Winds will become northwest and increase to 45-50 mph in gusts. Localized tree damage/power outages may result. Also, it may be difficult to drive high-profile vehicles. Lightweight objects outdoors should be secured. pic.twitter.com/JUA4N4zbh1

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 19, 2019

Virginia State Police say an altercation between drivers resulted in a gunshot just south of Tysons.

The incident was reported to have taken place on I-66 at the Route 7 exit ramp, near Pimmit Hills at around 1:38 p.m. this afternoon (Friday).

According to police:

When troopers arrived on scene, they found a Toyota Highlander stopped on the shoulder with a bullet hole in the front, driver’s side, quarter panel near the headlight. No bullet was recovered.

The Toyota’s adult male driver said that a black Audi sedan with tinted windows cut him off on Interstate 66 as they were both headed east and merging from three to two lanes.. The Toyota’s driver sounded his horn in response, at which point the driver of the Audi “brake checked” him. Then the Audi pulled up alongside the Toyota and the driver displayed a handgun and fired a single round at the Toyota.

The driver of the Toyota was not injured and was not able to provide a valid tag number of the suspect vehicle.

Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has information related to it is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026 or by cell at #77. The investigation remains ongoing.

Space in the Kingston, one of the newest residential buildings in the growing Tysons East, is disappearing quickly.

Tysons has a residence deficiency, with roughly 100,000 jobs but only 19,000 residents. But the demand is there, with the 319-unit Kingston filling up faster than predicted in the project’s initial lease-up timeline. Currently, 44 percent of the building is leased.

A residential unit in Tysons isn’t cheap either. There are 64 workforce dwelling units on the site, housing required by the county to be set aside as affordable, but the market rate rents start at $2,000 per month for a studio apartment. Two bedroom units cost $3,200 per month and three bedroom units lease for approximately $5,200 per month.

A press release for the apartment community highlighted the “high-end events” regularly hosted by the property management.

There’s been no shortage of places to donate blood, but Caboose Commons in Mosaic is offering a unique spin on the usual blood drive.

From Jan. 20-26, if you donate blood at one of the Inova Donor Centers, you can receive a voucher for a free beverage at Caboose Commons. This beverage can be in the form of coffee, tea or beer.

Donors must complete a screening process at one of the centers to be eligible for the giveaway.

This weekend also marks the debut of Peter Pan, a play presented by the Vienna Theatre Company. The production will run through Feb. 3, with 8 p.m. showings this weekend tonight and tomorrow. Tickets are $14.

Tomorrow (Jan. 19)

• Mosaic District Polar Plunge Festival (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) — A plunge into a frigid pool set up in Merrifield will help raise money for the Special Olympics. For $100, participants will take a dive into the cold water. Divers are requested to get decked out in their wildest costumes to claim the title of “best-dressed plunger.”
• Foster-Adoption Event at Pet Valu Rescue (12-3 p.m.) — For anyone in the market for a German Shepherd, the Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue will be hosting an adoption event at 3069 Nutley St. The Rescue organization takes in dogs from high-kill shelters in Texas and other states and finds them homes elsewhere. Volunteers will also be collecting shoes for the fundraiser, so bringing slightly worn shores to donate is encouraged.
• Antonelli San Marco Tasting (1-4 p.m.) — The McLean Wine Outlet at 6727 Curran St will briefly be transformed Central Italy tomorrow for a wine tasting. The drink of choice is Sagrantino from the village of Montefalco, which is said to have rich flavors of cherry and blackberry. The second event will be on Monday, from 1-2 p.m.

Sunday (Jan. 20)

• Parkinson’s Moving Day Event (12-1 p.m.) — Cycle Chi in Vienna (221 Mill St) is hosting two fundraisers for The Parkinson’s Foundation. A minimum donation of $25 per bicycle, per hour is requested with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the charity. The event will also include free chair massages, raffles, cocktails and more.
• Liner Notes (2 p.m.) — The recently renovated Alden Theatre at 1234 Ingleside Ave in McLean will host a musical mix of jazz and hip hop in a celebration of the civil rights movement. Tickets are $15 for McLean residents, $25 for adults and children, and $20 for seniors.

Photo via Facebook

Three lanes of northbound traffic are closed on I-495 are closed near the American Legion Bridge due to a jackknifed tractor trailer.

The crash was reported around 2:30 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the Beltway near Georgetown Pike, just before the bridge. As of 3 p.m., VDOT cameras showed traffic backing up past Tysons to around the Route 7 interchange.

Three lefthand lanes of the Beltway are currently closed. Virginia State Police, firefighters, an ambulance and a heavy duty tow truck are currently on the scene.

Firefighters contained a small fuel spill from the crashed truck, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

In addition to the northbound delays, traffic heading southbound is also backed up prior to the crash scene, with delays extending to the top side of the Beltway in Maryland.

Units on scene of jack-knifed tractor trailer I-495 NB at Georgetown Pike in McLean. No injuries. Small fuel leak quickly contained by firefighters. Left three lanes of I-495 NB are blocked due to crash. @VSPPIO also are on scene. #FCFRD #traffic #vatraffic pic.twitter.com/3dV60xVXCF

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 18, 2019

Photo via VDOT