County to spray Mason District Park to eradicate fall cankerworms
Fall cankerworm caterpillars. [Virginia Department of Forestry photo] Fairfax County urban foresters will begin aerial spraying to suppress fall cankerworm caterpillars around the third week in April. A total of 2,200 acres will be treated, including 61 acres in Mason District encompassing the southern half of Mason District Park in Annandale between Oak Hill Drive … Continued
Former Annandale mortgage broker sent to prison for fraud and ID theft
Former Annandale mortgage broker Kil Seok (“Michael”) Seo, 49, was sentenced April 3 to 38 months in prison for engaging in bank fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a mortgage fraud scheme, reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Seo also was ordered by U.S. District Judge James C. … Continued
New shopping center proposed for Bailey’s Crossroads
There’s a plan in the works for a retail development on Leesburg Pike between Washington and Charles streets, including the site occupied by a Geico building. Spectrum Development of Vienna would build two one-story buildings, one with 9,000 square feet, the other with 12,000. A house on the property would be demolished. An application has … Continued
Support groups forming in Annandale for domestic abuse survivors
The Fairfax County Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is forming free, confidential support groups in the Annandale area for women who’ve experienced abuse. A group for women who have been or are continuing to be subjected to domestic abuse—physical, emotional, or verbal—will meet for eight sessions on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The … Continued
Woman robs McDonald’s on Backlick Road
Miller There was an armed robbery at the McDonald’s at 5606 Backlick Road, Springfield, just before midnight on Monday, March 31. The suspect demanded cash, assaulted an employee, and drove off. The restaurant is inside the beltway, near Industrial Road. A Fairfax County Police officer pursued the vehicle to the beltway, where it crashed. Ericka … Continued
Armed robbery in Lincolnia
An armed robbery occurred Monday, March 31, in the Lincolnia area. A man walking from a bus stop toward his home on Chestnut Place, Alexandria, between 8:30 and 9 p.m. was robbed at gunpoint by a man described as black, 6 feet tall, and wearing all dark clothing, an Alexandria Police spokesperson confirmed. The incident … Continued
Ulta opens in Bailey’s Crossroads Friday
A new Ulta store opens Friday, April 4, at the Crossroads Center on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. Ulta sells cosmetics, beauty products, and fragrances. The store will have a full-service salon with hairstyling, color, gel nails, and facials. The store will be open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. … Continued
Warmer weather means more crime
Mason Police Commander Capt. David Smith (right) presents the “Edwin Smith Officer of the Year Award” to Pfc. Jonathan Nytes at the April 1 CAC meeting. Nytes, a 10-year veteran on the Fairfax County police force, has been a consistently high performer, mentors junior officers, and has a particularly strong record in DUI arrests. The … Continued
New farmers market coming to Mosaic District in Merrifield
Fresh produce from Central Farm Markets. A new Sunday farmers market will open at the Mosaic District in Merrifield May 4. The Mosaic Central Farm Market, will offer fresh items from more than 30 farms and artisan food producers from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, including seasonal produce, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, baked goods, cheeses, … Continued
Man arrested for sex offenses involving Holmes Middle School student
Feliciano [Photo from NBC] Fairfax County police arrested a New Jersey man for allegedly targeting a student at Holmes Middle School, NBC News Washington reports. Rolando Feliciano met the 13-year-old girl online late last year, bought her an iPhone, and allegedly exchanged nude pictures with her, according to a search warrant obtained by the Channel … Continued
Police warn public of ‘massive tax scam’
Tax scammers have been harassing hundreds of Fairfax County residents over the past several weeks, the Police Department reports. Aggressive callers have been telling people they have “overdue tax balances” and demanding they wire $4,000 to $6,000 immediately. The telephone scammers have been threatening people with statements like: “Your driver’s license has been suspended,” “You … Continued
Volunteers needed to help clean up Accotink Creek
Some of the volunteers who helped clean up Accotink Creek in 2013. [Photo by Friends of Accotink Creek.] The annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup takes place in April and May, and the Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC) are seeking volunteers to join the effort. Spending a spring day clearing out litter and making our streams a … Continued
Church members fix up the Annandale house of Navy Yard shooting victim
A worker from Thompson Creek puts new windows on the Bodrog house. Navy Yard shooting victim Martin Bodrog was a tireless volunteer who spent his spare time helping others. But he never got around to completing the long list of repair jobs for his own house in Annandale. So a cadre of friends and people … Continued
RSU committee explores different models for affordable housing
The Gosnold Apartments for the formerly homeless in Hampton Roads was developed by Virginia Supportive Housing in a repurposed RC Cola bottling warehouse. There are all kinds of projects going on to provide affordable housing to the homeless and the working poor that Fairfax County could support—without having to create a new zoning designation for … Continued
Study confirms economic benefits of Columbia Pike Streetcar
The Columbia Pike Streetcar system will generate $3.2 billion to $4.4 billion in incremental benefits for Arlington and Fairfax County over the next 30 years, reports a study released March 26 by H&R Advisors Inc. That’s $2.2 billion to $3 billion more than would be generated by an enhanced bus system. The benefits derive from … Continued