MS-13 member sentenced in connection of murder of teen in Lincolnia
A Salvadoran member of the transnational street gang La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) was sentenced Feb. 28 to 25 years in prison in connection with the kidnapping and murder of an adolescent boy in Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Lincolnia in 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia reports. Edwin Orellana … Continued
New coalition focuses on invasive plants
A group of homeowner and community associations has come together to focus on removing invasive plants and supporting the planting of native species. The Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance (FIRA), established on on Jan. 19, is sending letters to the Board of Supervisors and state legislators urging action to address the problem of invasive, non-native plant … Continued
Police arrest bike-riding thief
Fairfax County Police arrested a man linked to multiple robberies committed while riding a bicycle in Bailey’s Crossroads. On Jan. 27, patrol officers arrested Adam Houmane, 20, of Lake Barcroft, for credit card theft, credit card fraud, two counts of felony larceny, and two counts of attempted robbery. He is being held at the Fairfax … Continued
Repurposed apartment complex at Skyline nearing completion
Three Collective the new three-building apartment complex at the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads, is nearing completion. The three buildings had been office buildings and were repurposed for residential uses. The have a total of 720 “flexidential” apartments where tenants can live, work, or do both. Building #1, at 5205 Leesburg Pike, is 50 percent … Continued
Bren Mar Park residents urge the BoS to act against a by-right data center
Residents of Bren Mar Park are again fighting plans for a data center in their neighborhood. In 2022, residents successfully mobilized against a rezoning proposal for a data center at Plaza 500, an industrial/business park at 6295 Edsall Road. Facing potential rejection, the developer, Starwood Capital Group, withdrew its application. Half of the Plaza 500 … Continued
Early voting for the Virginia primaries underway at satellite locations
Early voting for the Virginia presidential primaries is now underway at 13 locations, including the Mason Government Center and Thomas Jefferson Library. The primaries are March 5. The satellite voting sites are open 1-7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays. Drop boxes are available at those locations and times for absentee ballots. … Continued
Culmore residents share concerns with Mason Supervisor Jimenez
Culmore residents want more police enforcement, more streetlights, more sidewalks and crosswalks, affordable healthcare, and safer, drug-free schools. Those are some of the issues brought up at a listening session hosted by Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez at Bailey’s Elementary School on Feb. 24. Jimenez told residents he wants to make Mason District “the cultural hub … Continued
No Connector service tomorrow as union continues its strike against Transdev
Fairfax Connector bus service will remain suspended through Monday, Feb. 26, as the strike by bus drivers remains in effect. Operating status for the rest of the week (Feb. 27-March 1) will be updated as information becomes available, Fairfax Connector reports. Connector buses have been out of service since Thursday morning, when Amalgamated Transit Union … Continued
Registration open for spring break camp
Registration is underway for spring break camps operated by the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. The camps, for students in grades 1-6, run March 25-29, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., at eight locations, including the James Lee Community Center in Falls Church and the Willston Multicultural Center in Seven Corners. Camp hours are 8:30 … Continued
Ambulance thief arrested
Updated: Fairfax County police on Feb. 23 arrested the man who had stolen an ambulance from Inova Fairfax Hospital and abandoned it in Annandale. Detectives from the Fugitive Tracking and Apprehension Unit found Rickey Lowe, 32, near a hotel in Manassas, served him with a warrant for grand larceny, and took him into custody. He … Continued
Beltway heroes prevent a crash
When the driver of a car on the beltway experienced a medical emergency and lost consciousness, Good Samaritans stopped the car, averting what could have been a major crash. Michel Cochran, 82 was driving between the Little River Turnpike and Braddock Road exits in Annandale around 10 a.m. on Feb. 16 when she had a … Continued
First phase of Falls Church High School expansion nearly completed
The community got a first-hand look at a completed section of the Falls Church High School expansion/renovation project on Feb. 22. That section includes a new cafeteria, lecture hall, library, 30 classrooms for science and math, a culinary arts classroom and kitchen, a STEM lab, an auto tech lab, and several small conference and workrooms. … Continued
Japanese restaurant coming to Annandale
Annandale is getting a new Japanese restaurant. A sign at 7358 Little River Turnpike says Issho Izakaya & Sushi is coming soon. It’s going into the space formerly occupied by the Baden Baden Korean restaurant and karaoke bar, between Laundromat and Gopchang Story BBQ in the Little River Shopping Center. For those unfamiliar with an … Continued
Woman dies of injuries from Bailey’s Crossroads crash
The passenger in a vehicle involved in a crash in Bailey’s Crossroads last week has died, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. Gladys Bilbao, 93, of Falls Church, succumbed to injuries sustained in a crash at approximately 7 p.m. on Feb. 16. Bilbao was in the front seat of a 2007 Toyota Corolla that was … Continued
Man arrested for firing shots from his Annandale home
Fairfax County police arrested a man Feb. 21 for recklessly discharging a firearm multiple times from inside his home in Annandale. Officers responded at about 10 p.m. for a report of gunshots being fired into a neighboring occupied townhouse in the 7800 block of Butterfield Lane in Lafayette Village. No one was injured. Michael Glaze, … Continued