Kaine and Stewart Debate in Tysons — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and GOP challenger Corey Stewart faced off in a televised debate from Capital One headquarters in Tysons last night. The candidates traded barbs as NBC’s Chuck Todd moderated. [Washington Post, NBC News]
No Unmarked Graves at Development Site — “Conducted because of concern from Vienna Town Council members and local residents about possible unmarked graves at a new subdivision near West End Cemetery, a ground-penetrating-radar search on Sept. 25 found no evidence of such burials.” [InsideNova]
Del. Keam Blasts Prison Tampon Ban — Del. Mark Keam (D), who represents part of Tysons, is incensed at a rule at Virginia state prisons that banned visitors from wearing tampons and menstrual cups. The rule was recently suspended amid a public uproar. Wrote Keam on Facebook: “This policy should be BANNED and never reconsidered. In fact, I will draft and introduce legislation in the next General Assembly session to do exactly that.” [Facebook]
Work to replace a culvert along Valley Wood Road in McLean will prompt an all-week detour along the Arlington-McLean border next week.
VDOT crews will be performing the work during the day Monday through Friday, weather permitting.
More from VDOT:
Valley Wood Road/37th Street North between North Kensington Street and Vermont Avenue will be closed to through traffic (weather permitting) Monday, Oct. 1 through Friday, Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day for culvert replacement, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Residents within the closure area, emergency vehicles and school buses will have access to the closed portion of Valley Wood Road/37th Street North; however, they will not be able to go beyond the point of culvert replacement in either direction.
Traffic will be detoured via North Kensington Street, Rhode Island Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue and Vermont Avenue back to Valley Wood Road/37th Street North.
Arlington County’s sometimes snarky Dept. of Environmental Services Twitter account also posted about the detour today.
Despite radically different cultures and conventions, Arlington and McLean residents will share a detour next week as the state replaces a culvert along what we call 37th St N – what McLeanites call Valley Wood Road. https://t.co/Ee5DnoeCFZ #VaTraffic pic.twitter.com/NL3vguboHH
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) September 26, 2018
The 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive is typically a quiet grouping of offices with some ground floor retail, but late Sunday (Sept. 23) evening it was the scene of a burglary.
Police would not say which store of business was hit, but did report that around 10:19 p.m. a man broke into one of the businesses by prying open the door. Most of the retail on the south side of the block consists of small restaurants, like Subway and Paisano’s, while Walmart sits to the north of the block.
According to the police report, several small safes were broken into and the cabinets were rifled through. The exact amount of cash stolen was undisclosed.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is on scene of a small fire at a house in the McLean area.
The fire on the 1200 block of Winter Hunt Road started in a bathroom exhaust fan, the department said via Twitter. It was quickly extinguished, but not before sending light smoke billowing out of the home’s attic.
Firefighters are now checking to see if the fire spread to other parts of the home.
The initial structure fire dispatch, which went out just before 2 p.m., drew a mutual aid response from as far away as Arlington.
Update – 1200 block of Winter Hunt Road in the McLean area: small fire in bathroom fan. Fire is out. Crews checking for extension. #fcfrd #news https://t.co/q9UA637hBu
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) September 26, 2018
Map via Google Maps
Fairfax County residents, along with the rest of the country, will be getting an emergency alert on their phone a week for today, but it’s just a test.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) at 2:18 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The so-called “presidential alert” test, of a system intended for use during national emergencies, was postponed to next week due to the flooding caused by Hurricane Florence.
On social media today, Fairfax County posted a reminded about the wireless alert test and that it shouldn’t be confused with the county’s Fairfax Alerts. Like WEA, Fairfax sends out public safety alerts about severe weather, though the county’s alerts also include traffic alerts and county government closures.
📱Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) test by @fema next Wednesday, Oct. 3, around 2:18 p.m. Your phone will make a loud sound and vibrate. But what's the difference between a WEA Alert and a Fairfax Alert? Check it out 👇👇 cc: @FairfaxCountyPD @ffxfirerescue @ReadyFairfax pic.twitter.com/jvO1HoNDGh
— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) September 26, 2018
More on the test:
Don’t be surprised when your phone gives off a loud buzz next Weds. 10/3 at 2:18 pm! FEMA is testing the nation's Wireless Emergency Alerts system. It’s only a test, no cause for alarm. pic.twitter.com/n4IC7Ro0so
— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) September 26, 2018
The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.
With the possible exception of I-66 tolls, the Fairfax County property tax on cars is perhaps the most loathed tax in these parts. Car owners pay anywhere from a few to thousands of dollars, depending on the age and book value of their car or truck. Businesses pay an even steeper tax.
For reasons perhaps best not explored, the tax applies only in Northern Virginia, where residents also pay some of the highest property taxes in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the usual array of gas taxes, license plate fees, etc.
For those who have not opened their mail recently, take note: payment is due Friday, Oct. 5.
…Read more at FairfaxNews.com
Charlie Puth, the hit singer known for his debut single “See You Again,” will be headlining a party at Tysons Corner Center to announce the lineup for this year’s HOT 99.5 Jingle Ball.
Starting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, The Kane Show and the HOT 99.5 crew will broadcast live from the mall. Puth is scheduled to give a special performance from The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center during the broadcast.
This event is open to the public with no ticket required.
At 5 p.m., the lineup of the Jingle Ball concert will be announced, followed by a chance to win tickets to the show, according to the radio station’s website.
Fight to Keep Claude Moore Farm Open — “The National Park Service has said Claude Moore will close Dec. 21, but the Farm is fighting to stay open… The Park Service presented the Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm with its standard agreement, but the Friends felt they could not operate under its terms.” [McLean Connection]
County Highlights Opioid Danger — Via a new video, Fairfax County is highlighting the “danger in your medicine cabinet.” Per the county: “An epidemic of addiction to heroin and other opioids has gripped the nation, including here in Fairfax. Protect your community… dispose of your unused prescription drugs safely.” [YouTube]
Church Holding Event on Pornography — Vienna Presbyterian Church is holding an event next month for parents and teens entitled “Pornography, A Public Health Crisis.” The event will include “a workshop to help attendees confidently discuss the real risks or pornography use and an action plan to more effectively block pornography exposure online.” [Patch]
Vienna Town Hall Parking Changes — “The Vienna town government plans to shift some parking spaces in the lot behind Town Hall and install a stormwater-management facility there. The Vienna Town Council on Sept. 17 unanimously approved an up-to-$130,000 contract with LCS Site Services LLC to perform the work.” [InsideNova]
Contribute to Our Flickr Pool — Are you an amateur photographer who wants to share your work with the local community? A professional photog who wants to boost your name recognition via some off-duty snaps? No matter your skill level or background, we would love to show off your photos in our daily Morning Notes post. Want to contribute? Email us or add your shots to our Flickr pool. [Flickr]
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but after months of preparation Tysons Reporter has officially launched.
To celebrate the occasion, we’re holding a low-key launch party tonight (Tuesday) at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike). All are welcome to stop by between 5-8 p.m., pick up some Tysons Reporter gear, and toast Tysons’ first dedicated, locally-based daily news source.
See you there!
Improvements to bicycle routes near the Vienna Metro station may have to wait.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors deferred a vote on an agreement to move forward on the Vienna Metro Bike Connection Improvement Project. The agreement with VDOT was brought forward as an action item at the Sept. 25 Board of Supervisors meeting but was deferred without explanation.
The project aims to enhance bike access to the Vienna Metro station and Metro West Town Center, as well as other roads and bridges in the surrounding area. The project includes bike wayfinding signage and shared lane markings.
The improvements follow a 2016 study of bicycle accessibility to the Vienna Metro station.
The project was first endorsed by the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 24, 2017, as part of a transportation alternatives package. If approved by the board, it will be funded with $800,000 in grants from VDOT, with a local match requirement of $200,000. The funds were identified in the County budget but requires Board of Supervisors approval.
