Protesters object to postal service cutbacks
Dozens of people attended a rally on Lee Highway in front of the Merrifield Post Office Aug. 22 to protest efforts to curtail mail service. “We’re here to support the right to vote safely by mail,” said organizer Mary Farrell of the Vienna Postcard Group. “Mail is deliberately being slowed, and postal workers are concerned about … Continued
Crime report: shooting, assault, robbery
The crime report from the Fairfax County Police Department for the past week includes these incidents in the Annandale/Mason District area: There was a shooting in the 4900 block of Americana Drive, Annandale, at 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 16. The victim was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries that were later downgraded to stable. … Continued
Annandale Giant to temporarily close for renovations
The ceiling at Giant appears to have a mold problem. The Annandale Giant, at 7137 Columbia Pike, will close for renovations Aug. 23-31. The work will focus on redoing the floor tiles and ceiling. While the store is closed, prescriptions will be sent to the pharmacy at the Giant in the Bradlick Shopping Center in … Continued
Mason task force agrees two amendments in Seven Corners should move forward
The Gibson house is in the center, and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is on the left. The road is Leesburg Pike. The Mason District task force charged with reviewing nominations to amend the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan approved two overlapping development proposals in Seven Corners Aug. 19. This is a preliminary step in a … Continued
Lidl to host a pop-up market the weekend before it opens
Construction of the new Lidl store in Annandale is almost finished. The grocery new Lidl grocery store coming to Pinecrest Plaza will host a pop-up market outside the store on Sept. 5 and 6 ahead of the grand opening on Sept. 9. The pop-up market will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on both days in the … Continued
Annandale family beset by tragedy needs help from the community
From the left: Liza, Clara, Jaime, and Humberto Diaz. The Diaz family of Annandale has been ravaged by several forms of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the economic fallout from COVID-19. Jaime Diaz – the sole breadwinner who is supporting eight family members in his townhouse, ranging in age from 5 to 83 … Continued
Indoor classes to resume at Fairfax County park facilities this fall
The horticulture center at Green Spring Gardens hosts workshops and lectures on gardening topics. In-person, indoor classes and other programs will resume this fall at Fairfax County parks and historic sites. That includes Green Spring Gardens, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, and the Audrey Moore RECenter in the Annandale/Mason District area. Classes had been moved to … Continued
Deer hunting approved for several Annandale-area parks
Signs like this one, in Holmes Run Stream Valley, are posted in parks approved for deer hunting. Fairfax County’s annual archery program to cull the deer population starts Sept. 12 and runs through Feb. 20, 2021. Bow hunters who meet certain qualifications are allowed to shoot deer from temporary deer stands installed in trees in … Continued
Fairfax Connector, Metrobus to ramp up service
Connector route 401 on Little River Turnpike in Annandale. Fairfax Connector will resume full service on all routes starting Saturday, Aug. 29, and Metrobus will ramp up service Aug. 23. Service on both systems had been curtailed to promote passenger and operator safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. All Connector and Metrobus routes will continue to … Continued
Virginia governor proposes improvements in absentee voting
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a series of proposals Aug. 18 to ensure people have safe access to voting in the Nov. 3 election amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These measures, to be considered by legislators during a special session of the General Assembly, include the following: Northam’s proposed budget includes $2 million for … Continued
Faith-based walk against racism will pass through Annandale
Walk the Walk 2020, “a faith pilgrimage of reckoning, resolve, and love,” will be passing through Annandale on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The event emerges from a declaration by white clergy and faith leaders “to take responsibility for our role in uprooting white supremacy and anti-Blackness in our lives, faith institutions, and our nation.” The pilgrimage … Continued
Bailey’s Crossroads resident dies in house fire
Arnet Street in Bailey’s Crossroads.n A house fire in the 5800 block of Arnet Street in Bailey’s Crossroads on Aug. 16 resulted in the death of an occupant, the Fairfax County Fire Department reports. When units from Arlington and Alexandria, as well as Fairfax County, arrived on the scene shortly after 1 a.m., smoke was … Continued
Voting FAQs – Everything you need to know about absentee voting and much more
Demonstrators protesting recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service that could jeopardize the agency’s ability to handle mail-in ballots put mock absentee ballots on the door of the condo where Postmaster General Louis DeJoy lives. The ballots state “Save the post office, save our democracy.” [WTOP/John Domen] Amid growing concerns about COVID-19, White House attacks … Continued
Problem-plagued Annandale Healthcare Center accepts new patients, prepares for Phase 2
Someone’s mother lives in this room at the Annandale Healthcare Center. Updated Aug. 16: The Annandale Healthcare Center (AHC), the nursing home with the most COVID-19 cases and deaths in Virginia, is still on lockdown but plans to enter Phase 2 by the end of August. The Virginia Department Health (VDH) lists the AHC as … Continued
Residents can help prevent beetle invasion
There’s a killer on the loose in Fairfax County and residents can help catch it. The Asian Longhorned Beetle is an invasive species that attacks and kills many kings of shade trees, including its favorite, the maple. Staff of the county’s Urban Forest Management Division asks residents to keep an eye out for this insect … Continued