Community gardens reopen
The Bo White Gardens at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. The Fairfax County community gardens have reopened, as of Wednesday, April 29. The garden plots will be available seven days a week, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., weather permitting. “Since only the garden plots will be open and not the other park amenities, such as fields, shelters, … Continued
COVID takes a big bite out of county budget
Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer Joe Mondoro and Mason Supervisor Penny Gross speak at a virtual Mason District Budget Town Hall. A virtual budget town hall hosted by Mason Supervisor Penny Gross revealed how much Fairfax County’s economic picture has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. At the last Mason District budget town hall, on … Continued
A school board member answers questions about the Blackboard failure
Kindergarten teachers have a message for their students. [FCPS] The failure of Blackboard Learn 24-7 as a key piece of Fairfax County Public Schools’ distance learning program has raised many questions about how it happened and what the school system is doing to move forward. School board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer (at large), who has … Continued
Annandale townhouse fire starts in kitchen
Firefighters respond to Fountain Head Drive in Annandale. {FCFRD] A townhouse fire in Annandale on April 26 was caused by a malfunction in a gas range, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. Fire units were dispatched to the 7400 block of Fountain Head Drive at 7:43 p.m. Smoke was visible in the two-story … Continued
Police recover stolen vehicle after traffic pursuit
Gaskins [FCPD] An Annandale resident was arrested April 24 for vehicle theft following a traffic pursuit, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. The incident happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of McWhorter Place and Heritage Drive in Annandale. Officers attempted to stop the driver of a 2003 Honda Civic that had been previously … Continued
Subway owner launches fundraiser to support first responders
Subway franchise owner Emil Ranakusuma created a fundraiser to provide meals to healthcare workers and first responders, even though he’s been struggling to keep his own business afloat since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Ranakusuma delivered dozens of Subway subs to the Mason District Police Station, Annandale Volunteer Fire Department, and Inova Fairfax Hospital on … Continued
Northam: Virginia could begin easing COVID restrictions May 8 at the earliest
Paige Bordwine (right), southwest regional epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health, talks about COVID-19 testing at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke. [Virginia Tech] Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says the restrictions in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 won’t be lifted until certain data thresholds are met. If the positive trends continue, … Continued
Library is collecting COVID stories
Historians will one day study the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and your personal story of how you got through the pandemic can be a part of that history. The Fairfax County Public Library’s Virginia Room is collecting materials that will help future generations understand what it was like to live in Fairfax County during … Continued
Personal hygiene donations needed
The Fairfax County Communities of Trust Committee has launched the Help from the Heart Community Drive to collect personal hygiene and cleaning products for families and individuals facing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Items can be dropped at collection boxes at all eight Fairfax County police stations, including the Mason Police Station at 6507 Columbia … Continued
Northam extends ban on elective surgery
A technician at the Fairfax County Health Department Laboratory has a message for the public. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on April 23 extended the ban on elective surgeries until May 1. That ban had been set to expire tomorrow. Northam also extended the closure of Department of Motor Vehicle public-facing offices by two weeks until … Continued
Metro to close nine stations, including East Falls Church, all summer
A Metro platform before reconstruction. [Photos: WMATA] Metro is closing all stations on the Silver and Orange lines west of Ballston, beginning May 23. That includes the East Falls Church, West Falls Church, Dunn Loring, and Vienna stations on the Orange Line and the McLean, Tysons, Greensboro, Spring Hill, and Wiehle-Reston East station on the … Continued
FCPS IT chief steps down
Luftglass Maribeth Luftglass has stepped down from her job as head of IT at Fairfax County Public Schools, following the school system’s disastrous experience with distance learning, several news outlets report. Luftglass had been assistant superintendent of information and technology since 1999. Chief Operating Officer Marty Smith will take over the IT department on an … Continued
More details emerge on Skyline revitalization project
The project calls for less concrete and more green space. Developer Robert Seldin, the CEO of Highland Square Holdings, plans to repurpose three office buildings at Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads as residential/work space units, while transforming the concrete setting into an engaging urban park. Seldin and land use attorney Mike Van Atta described their … Continued
Culmore Clinic responds to coronavirus crisis
Culmore Clinic staff served the public outdoors for a short period last month before social distancing requirements were put in place. The Culmore Clinic has responded to the coronavirus emergency by transforming all interactions with patients to a telemedicine model. Patients make an appointment for a phone call with a healthcare provider. The clinic has … Continued
Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run accident
The Royce Court intersection on Hummer Road. [Google Maps] Updated, 7 p.m.: Police are searching for a dark-colored, four-door sedan with front-end damage involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident shortly after 6 a.m. this morning in Annandale. The pedestrian, Angel Paz Lopez, 42 of Alexandria, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was walking across … Continued