Updated at 5 p.m. on 9/4/19 — Power was restored at 1:27 a.m. this morning (Wednesday). “The outage was caused when a third-party, non-Dominion contractor cut into one of our energized cables,” a Dominion Energy spokesperson said.
Updated at 5:15 p.m. — Battalion Chief Steve McFarland told Tysons Reporter that said that the three workers were injured while installing a conduit box and that the power outage resulted because of the incident.
Updated at 4 p.m. — Three people were injured in an electrical incident at a job site in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweeted.
One person was transported by the Fairfax County Police Department’s helicopter to a local burn center, while the other two people were driven to a local hospital.
The Fairfax County Police Department tweeted that the three people had non-life threatening injuries.
Sgt. Greg Bedor, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter that the police department received the call about the incident at 3:30 p.m.
Units are on scene in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive with three patients who were electrocuted. One transported by @FairfaxCountyPD Helicopter to local burn center. Two transported by ground to area hospital. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/anISDlBcIs
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) September 3, 2019
Earlier: More than a thousand people are without power along Greensboro Drive in Tysons this afternoon (Tuesday).
The outage spans east of the Greensboro to the Spring Hill Metro stations along Greensboro Drive and is affecting 1,555 customers, according to the Dominion Energy power outage map.
An employee at United Bank told Tysons Reporter that she heard what sounded like an explosion before the power went out around 3:30 p.m. — it is unclear if the loud sound is connected to the outage.
Dominion Energy expects power to be restored between 5-10 p.m. today (Sept. 3).
The cause of the outage is “pending investigation,” according to Dominion Energy.
The traffic signal is out at the intersection of International and Westpark drives, according to Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Police Department tweeted that traffic lights are out at Greensboro and Westpark drives.
Traffic lights are out at Greensboro Dr./Westpark Dr. Our motor units are working to have the lights restored as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience – please stay clear of the area! #FCPD pic.twitter.com/0XGdZFPOuN
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 3, 2019
Map via Dominion Energy
Jay Westcott contributed to this story
Fairfax County wants community input as it looks ahead to the next 20 years.
To solicit ideas and feedback, the county is hosting six community meetings around the county this month. The county will use the input to identify priority areas and success metrics for the county-wide strategic plan.
The Tysons and Falls Church area meeting will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Marshall High School (7731 Leesburg Pike) on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
The county is especially interested in these nine areas:
- cultural and recreational opportunities
- economic opportunity
- education and lifelong learning
- effective and efficient government
- health and environment
- housing and neighborhood livability
- mobility and transportation
- safety and security
- self-sufficiency for people with vulnerabilities
“Whether you are new to Fairfax County, have lived here all your life or are somewhere in between, we’re interested in your vision for the future of the county and your community,” according to the county website.
People interested in attending who need childcare, transportation assistance, interpretation services or ADA accommodations can reach Angela Jones at 703-324-5302, TTY 711, or [email protected].
Photo via Facebook
Dominion Energy Backs Electric School Bus Push — “Dominion Energy announced an initiative to bring electric school buses en masse to school districts around Virginia. The effort comes amid a Fairfax County group’s call for its school district to transition to all electric buses.” [Patch]
McLean Program Encouraging Green Thumbs — “The McLean Trees Foundation’s Neighborhood Tree Program returns for its sixth year… For $50, the foundation will help McLean homeowners select a tree and then deliver it, help to plant it and offer instructions on caring for it.” [Inside NoVa]
Transforming Tysons Into a Walkable City — “According to its comprehensive plan, Tysons is aiming to become ‘a true urban downtown for Fairfax County’ by 2050. But the question on a lot of people’s minds is how they will get there, and how they will get around within the four-square-mile area.” [Greater Greater Washington]
New Track at McLean School — “Fairfax County officials, school staff and students on Aug. 22 dedicated a new track on the grounds of Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean… The soft-surface track is 1,550 feet long, or just more than one-quarter mile, and will be used by Franklin Sherman Elementary students and community members.” [Inside NoVa]
Foust Shares His Favorite Local Spots — Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust shared some of his top picks of things to do and places to go around McLean in a guest article. [Connection Newspapers]
Therapy Dog Comes to Vienna School — “The student services department at Thoreau Middle welcomes therapy dog Jackson Granados as part of their clinical team. Jackson will be at Thoreau part-time with school social worker Joy Granados visiting select classrooms and students and traveling the hallways at arrival and dismissal times.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
New HQ in Tysons Building — “Strategic consulting firm Dean & Company has signed a 36,205-square-foot lease at 1600 Tysons Boulevard, with plans to move its corporate headquarters [there]… The company currently operates out of 8065 Leesburg Pike in Vienna.” [Commercial Observer]
Silver Line Work Affecting Tysons — “Beginning later this month, pedestrians and drivers will encounter daily lane and partial sidewalk closures along eastbound and westbound Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and northbound and southbound Route 123 (Dolley Madison/Chain Bridge Road), along the Silver Line Phase 1 alignment in the Tysons area.” [Inside NoVa]
Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.
Known for their signature dog-themed art and extensive specialty sandwich options, one of the local Lost Dog Cafes has a lively spot in Tysons.
Lost Dog Cafe started in Arlington’s Westover neighborhood in 1985 by two animal lovers, the cafes have grown to five locations owned and operated by former employees, according to its website. The Tysons spot at 1690A Anderson Road opened in 2011.
Located in the shopping center with the Safeway behind Mitre, Lost Dog Cafe was filled with about two dozen diners when Tysons Reporter visited around 8:30 p.m. on a Tuesday.
Jumping from the canvas onto the wall, the art gives nods to Tysons area history, including Northern Virginia’s trolley line in the early 2oth century, the amusement park at Great Falls, the opening of Tysons Corner Center in 1968 and the early stores at the intersection of Route 123 and Leesburg Pike.
The menu boasts 32 types of gourmet pizzas and 50 specialty sandwiches — all of the sandwiches are under $10, while the pizzas cost around $12 (small), $17 (medium) and $20 (large).
Diners can also chow down on salads, pasta, soups and make-your-own sandwiches. For drinks, Lost Dog Cafe offers extensive draft and bottle lists featuring local brews.
People at the Tysons spot can expect trivia from 6-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday, along with tap takeovers by local brewers and open mic nights a couple of times a month, an employee told Tysons Reporter.
For fans, the cafe sells Lost Dog-branded t-shirts, hoodies and hats in the $25-$50 range.
The Tysons location is open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays.
The left lane of eastbound Leesburg Pike at Gosnell Road is closed.
A traffic signal outage caused the lane closure, Fairfax County Police Department tweeted at 9:17 a.m.
Police are on scene, according to the tweet.
Drivers can expect delays.
TRAFFIC ALERT: The left lane of EB Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) at Gosnell Road is closed due to a traffic signal outage. Officers are on-scene. Please use caution and expect delays. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/R9m83u5Rwa
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) August 30, 2019
Map via Google Maps
The unofficial end of summer is approaching with Labor Day coming up this weekend.
Drivers can expect moderate to heavy congestion between noon-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, and Monday, Sept. 2, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
On Monday, HOV restrictions will be lifted on I-66 and I-395 and rush hour tolls on the 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway.
“With nearly 100 million Americans embarking on getaways with family this summer, and with 33% of Americans indicating they would go on at least one additional road trip, if gas prices remained low, which is occurring, odds are millions are packing up their cars for their final summertime excursion this Labor Day,” according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration expects 263 million passengers and crew to pass through security checkpoints nationwide from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Whether you’re hopping on a plane, speeding away in a train, hitting the roads or staying local, Tysons Reporter wants to know your Labor Day weekend travel plans.
AT&T no longer has a store along Leesburg Pike by the Greensboro Metro station.
A sign in the storefront window says that the store is permanently closed in Pike 7 Plaza and encourages people to head to the store in Vienna at 211 E. Maple Avenue.
The store closed on July 17, a spokesperson for Federal Realty Properties, told Tysons Reporter.
“We apologize for any inconvenience but this location is currently closed,” the sign said.
Veronica Youngblood, accused of murdering her two children in Tysons, may undergo a mental health evaluation, according to news reports.
Youngblood was arrested in Loudoun County and charged with murder after police found two girls with gunshot wounds in their Tysons apartment last year, Tysons Reporter previously reported.
The 5-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, and the 15-year-old died at the hospital.
The incident happened after a custody dispute between Youngblood and her divorced husband, WTOP reported.
In May, a Fairfax County grand jury indicted Youngblood with two murder charges, according to news reports.
The state attorney said Youngblood is considering an insanity defense, adding that her client has had mental health issues before, including suicide attempts and “a trauma background,” WTOP reported.
WTOP also noted that the judge agreed to delay the Nov. 4 trial. A new trial date has not been set.
Photo courtesy FCPD
It’s not even fall yet and already a holiday decoration store is planning to return to Tysons Corner Center.
Tysons Reporter spotted a sign for A Christmas to Remember and several large, red ornaments hanging in a storefront in the mall.
Building permits indicate that A Christmas to Remember has been in Tysons Corner Center before.
The website for the store describes it as the “one-stop-shop for a personalized holiday shopping experience.”
“We offer a large selection of ornaments, lights, gifts and collectibles, in addition to officially licensed merchandise,” the website says.
The holiday store says it plans to open in Tysons on Sept. 28 — just a few days after fall starts.
The store will fill the former spot of the now-closed Charlotte Russe.
A party store just got bigger by the Greensboro Metro station in Tysons.
Party Mania at 8353 Leesburg Pike is undergoing an expansion to double the size of the store.
An employee said that the store has remained open — and will continue to — as the expansion takes place.
Signs on doors outside the store ask customers to “Pardon the mess during expansion” and also are advertising new associate positions that the store is hiring for.
In addition to the store’s growth, the employee said that customers will soon be able to buy more Halloween goodies, with costumes arriving soon.
