Strong Winds Take Out Power for Thousands — About 4,000 people across Northern Virginia lost electricity yesterday (Wednesday) due to strong winds that prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Wind Advisory for the D.C. area until 8 p.m. More than 1,000 people in the Vienna/Oakton area in particular were affected, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map. [Dominion Energy/Twitter]
Vienna Resident Dies in Route 29 Crash — Vienna resident Michael K. Ratzenberger was one of two drivers killed on Sunday (April 18) in a head-on crash on Route 29 in Culpeper County. Virginia State Police said he entered the highway in the wrong direction when his car collided with another vehicle driven by Jose B. Hernandez Solis, 50, of Culpeper. The crash also left four passengers in Solis’s vehicle seriously injured. [The Washington Post]
Fairfax County Judge Orders Release of D.C. Firefighter — “A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge has overturned the 2019 conviction of a Black D.C. firefighter, saying the case was built on false representations from the arresting county police officer.” [WTOP]
Falls Church Little League Awarded Grant for Batting Cages — The Fairfax County Park Authority Board voted on April 14 to approve the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League’s request for $12,737.25 in grant money to construct three hitting stations adjacent to field 2 at Idylwood Park. It was one of three grant requests approved at the meeting. [FCPA]
Madison Field Hockey Team Advances to State Finals — James Madison High School’s field hockey team is going to the state finals after beating W.T. Woodson 2-0 on Tuesday (April 20). A state championship win would be the first for the school’s field hockey program, according to head coach Carrie Holman. [LocalDVM]
Photo by Joanne Liebig
Fairfax County Records Third Pedestrian Death of 2021 — Police reported on Friday (April 9) that Falls Church resident Ramakant Bhusal, 36, was struck by a car while crossing Arlington Boulevard near the Graham Road intersection. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Construction to Begin on Marco Polo Development — Starting today (April 12), the sidewalk in front of 245 Maple Avenue W. in Vienna will be closed for approximately five months “to allow for safety and proper right-of-way during construction.” The mixed-use Vienna Market development was approved to take over the former Marco Polo site in 2019. [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Inova Seeks Volunteers for COVID-19 Vaccine Site — “Fairfax County has received a request to recruit volunteers to help provide assistance to the Inova Stonebridge COVID-19 Vaccination Center in Alexandria, which provides COVID-19 vaccines predominately for individuals who reside and/or work in Fairfax County.” [Fairfax County Government]
Fairfax County Holds Virtual Budget Public Hearings This Week — Community members can weigh in on the county’s proposed FY 2022 budget and capital improvement program on Tuesday through Thursday (April 13-15). The Town of Vienna and City of Falls Church are also holding budget meetings this week. [Fairfax County Government]
Ramadan Begins Today — Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Dr.) is one of several restaurants in the D.C. area offering halal-friendly options for carry-out and delivery in lieu of extended holiday hours during the Muslim holy month. [Dine After Dark]
Mosaic District Displays COVID-19 PSA — “Many thanks to @mosaicdistrict for showing our #COVID19 Spanish language PSA on the big screen reminding folks on the importance of wearing a mask, washing your hands & employing physical distancing.” [Northern Virginia Regional Commission/Twitter]
The man who died after a vehicle crash in Merrifield early Monday morning (March 29) was a 49-year-old Centreville resident named Dashdavaa Zambalgarav, the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday afternoon.
Police say the crash occurred just before 4 a.m. at the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and Javier Road, and it involved a single vehicle with Zambalgarav as the driver and lone occupant.
Crash reconstruction unit detectives have preliminarily determined that Zambalgarav was traveling west on Route 50 in a 2008 Lexus RX “when he drifted into the center median and crashed into a traffic pole at Javier Road,” according to the police report.
Zambalgarav was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this crash, but preliminary, do not believe speed or alcohol were factors,” the FCPD said.
Since the investigation is ongoing, police are still seeking additional information about the crash:
Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact our Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police are investigating a fatal crash in Merrifield that happened early this morning (Monday).
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) and Javier Road. It involved a single vehicle with one occupant, a man who was taken to the hospital, where he later died, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police closed westbound Arlington Boulevard between Javier Road and Williams Drive so that detectives from FCPD’s crash reconstruction unit could investigate the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing, but Arlington Boulevard reopened around 8:22 a.m.
Detectives continue to investigate this crash. Arlington Blvd is now open. Follow our blog, https://t.co/PBMfNnRMp0 for further updates. https://t.co/bMQgQ23xvQ
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 29, 2021
Truck of Fish Crashes on Capital Beltway in Tysons — A tractor-trailer filled with 41,000 pounds of frozen fish crashed on the Beltway Outer Loop at Route 7 around 4 p.m. yesterday (Monday), closing three lanes for more than an hour so a towing company could recover the vehicle. Because the trailer was “breached (rendering the fish unsalvagable),” crews ultimately decided to wait until after rush hour to complete the recovery. [VDOT Northern Virginia/Twitter]
Fairfax County Seeks Health Workers to Help with Vaccination Effort — “Since most school public health nurses have returned to schools, the Health Department is hiring approximately 250 vaccinators…in coming weeks to help get the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of residents as quickly as possible. Vaccinators will be assigned to work at Health Department vaccination sites that operate six days a week, including the Fairfax County Government Center.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
Virginia Bans Single-Use Styrofoam — Gov. Ralph Northam signed a law yesterday prohibiting the use of polystyrene foam cups and takeout containers. The ban takes effect in July 2023 for food chains with 20 or more locations and in July 2025 for all other food vendors, nonprofits, schools, and local governments. [Patch]
Tysons Digital Security Company Raises $100 Million — ID.me officially announced yesterday that it has raised $100 million in new funding, as first reported by Washington Business Journal. The company is now valued at $1.5 billion and says it will use the funding “to build out its secure digital identity network by attracting top talent and expanding the number of businesses and government agencies it serves.” [ID.me]
Photo courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
Traffic is starting to flow again in the Vienna area of Interstate 66 after a multi-vehicle crash shut down the eastbound lanes after Cedar Lane around 9:20 this morning (Monday).
The crash occurred at the 63.6 mile marker and backed up traffic for approximately two miles, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
VDOT’s live traffic cameras showed vehicles starting to move again around 9:40 a.m., but the left lane appears to still be closed as of 10 a.m.
“Motorists can expect delays due to a multi-vehicle crash,” VDOT said in an update at 9:51 a.m. “The East left shoulder and left lane are closed.”
https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1373992946010353664
Images via VDOT
Police Pursue Driver on Arlington Boulevard — A Centreville driver was arrested after driving through two red lights, one at Cedar Lane and another at Jaguar Trail, and hitting another vehicle. An officer was in pursuit of the driver after he drove through the first red light and refused to stop. Both drivers involved in the collision were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Young Renters Make Up One-Third of Tysons’ Population — “So, who are the 28,000 people living in Tysons? If Esri is right, it’s largely well-off professionals who value urban amenities. Whether that will remain the case as Tysons works toward its 100,000-resident target remains to be seen.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Tysons Augmented Reality Company Acquired — The German company TeamViewer, which “provides remote connectivity solutions,” acquired Upskill, an augmented reality software company founded in Tysons in 2010. Upskill’s software platform Skylight “enables organizations to deploy augmented reality applications across hardware like smart glasses and mobile devices.” [Technical.ly]
Virginia Set to Become First Southern State with Voting Rights Act — Now awaiting Gov. Ralph Northam’s signature after passing the General Assembly, the new law “will require local election officials to go through a review process before making election-related decisions like consolidating or closing polling places, changing district boundaries, creating at-large seats on local governing bodies or school boards or affecting the ability of non-English speakers to vote.” [Virginia Mercury]
Financial Expert Skeptical of MicroStrategy Bitcoin-Buying Spree — “MicroStrategy Inc.’s high-profile Bitcoin buying spree is “irresponsible” and makes the business intelligence software company vulnerable, according to a financial expert. The Tysons company has purchased about $2.186 billion in bitcoins, which amounts to 90,859 bitcoins at about $24,063 each, according to recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Police Provide Live Feed of Station Construction — The Vienna Police Department has set up a camera so that community members can watch the progress of construction on its new station in real time. People can also get weekly updates by subscribing to Vienna’s police highlights alerts. [Vienna Police/Twitter, Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Photo by Joanne Liebig
Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. area could experience wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour this afternoon.
The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory for the region last night that will be in effect from 2-6 p.m. today (Tuesday).
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the NWS said. “Tree limbs could be blown down. A few power outages may result.”
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department advises securing outdoor objects and keeping electronic devices charged.
Wind Advisory for Fairfax County today from 2 PM-6PM. Winds 20-30 mph w/gusts up to 50 mph. Winds could blow tree limbs down and unsecured objects around. Power outages may result. Secure outside objects. Keep electronic devices charged. #FCFRD #weather https://t.co/bB46NZAHdV
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) February 23, 2021
The wind advisory comes as refrozen ice lingering from yesterday’s snow and sleet wreak havoc on local roads. The Virginia State Police reported shortly after 7 a.m. that its troopers had cleared 13 traffic crashes since approximately 4:15 a.m. and were in the process of investigating another 32 crashes in the Northern Virginia region.
“The majority of the crashes have involved only damage to vehicles. No fatal traffic crashes reported,” VSP Public Relations Director Corinne Geller said, advising drivers to slow down and watch for black ice this morning, especially on overpasses and bridges.
In Fairfax County, first responders were on the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Leesburg Pike over Columbia Pike in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Falls Church around 7:45 a.m. Ice blocking the westbound left lane further contributed to travel delays.
Staff Photo by Jay Westcott
Car Crash Shuts Down Eastbound Leesburg Pike — A car crash around 6:48 a.m. on Leesburg Pike near Colvin Run Road forced the eastbound lanes to close. First responder crews extricated a person who was trapped in a car and transported them to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The crash has now been cleared, and the road is back open. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department/Twitter]
Madison Girls’ Basketball Team Wins State Championship — The Warhawks beat Osbourn Park 54-48 on Saturday (Feb. 20) to earn James Madison High School’s first girls basketball state title since 1993. The team was within a game of the championship last year, but the final contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [The Washington Post]
Leesburg Pike Bus Stop to Be Skipped Due to Construction — “Effective February 24, 2021: Until further notice stop #2674 (Leesburg Pike and Lyons St) will be skipped due to ongoing construction on Leesburg Pike. We encourage you to use alternatives a thank you for your patience.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]
Updated at 2:10 p.m. — As of 1:43 p.m., the Winter Weather Advisory for the D.C. area has been extended to 9 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday), with the National Weather Service now predicting up to two inches of snow.
Earlier: The National Weather Service has extended its Winter Weather Advisory for the D.C. region, including Fairfax County, to midnight tomorrow (Tuesday).
After being blanketed with two to four inches of snow on Sunday, the area could see up to one inch of additional snow accumulation and one-tenth of an inch of ice accumulation today, according to the NWS advisory.
The current forecast for the Tysons area suggests freezing rain is likely today, possibly mixed with snow before 7 p.m. There remains a 50% chance of snow showers or some other kind of precipitation tomorrow, mainly before 1 p.m.
The NWS warns that the “hazardous conditions” could affect the morning and evening commutes.
“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” the NWS said. “When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.”
[2/1/21 @ 9AM UPDATE]: A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 12 AM Feb 2nd. Light snowfall is expected to linger throughout the day, but no significant accumulation is expected. Plan on slippery road & sidewalk conditions. #WinterWeather #FFXSnow pic.twitter.com/kDHIIW7ZMY
— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) February 1, 2021
Warnings against traveling evidently did not deter many people from hitting the road yesterday.
The Virginia State Police responded to 362 traffic crashes and 321 disabled/stuck vehicles between midnight and 9 p.m. on Sunday. The VSP’s Fairfax Division, which encompasses Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Arlington counties as well as the City of Alexandria, recorded 44 disabled vehicles and 46 crashes.
Travel is expected to remain challenging today, particularly this morning, after dropping temperatures potentially caused roads and sidewalks to freeze overnight.
“State police is still advising folks to hold off on their travels until later Monday or even possibly Tuesday, depending on what their region has experienced in the way of snow, freezing rain, and ice,” VSP Public Relations Director Corinne Geller said in a news release.
Pedestrians are not safe from peril either. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported early this morning that, in the half-hour span between 5:24 and 5:56 a.m., it had responded to two incidents of people slipping on ice and injuring themselves.
Fairfax County Public Schools announced last night that all in-person activities in schools or on school grounds have been canceled for today, including extracurricular activities and athletic team practices. All students continue to learn virtually.
