Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Neighborhood get-togethers planned for National Night Out

Firefighters talk about their work at a 2013 National Night Out event on Hirst Street in Annandale. On Tuesday, Aug. 5, neighborhoods across the Mason District – and throughout the nation – will be holding evening gatherings for National Night Out, an anticrime initiative aimed at promoting productive relationships between communities and local police departments. … Continued

Fairfax County supervisors to consider proposal to expand women’s shelter

A yard sign broadcasts the resident’s opposition to a shelter for abuse victims. A proposal to expand a shelter for victims of domestic abuse in the Barcroft Hills neighborhood has generated some opposition among the immediate neighbors, although others who live near the 1950s-era house support the project. Bethany House of Northern Virginia is requesting … Continued

Forum focuses on pedestrian safety

Pedestrians crossing Route 50 at Patrick Henry Drive in Seven Corners. By Tammy Barbee About 50 people came to a community forum April 22 at Bailey’s Elementary School to learn more about a huge safety problem in Mason District—accidents involving pedestrians. Officer Michael Greene of the Mason Police District said there have been four pedestrian-related … 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

Woodson community comes together to focus on suicide prevention

A poster on a Woodson High School hallway has photos of Woodson alumni holding signs showing their support for the school and current students. Following the presumed suicide of two Woodson High School students in recent days, hundreds of parents, students, and educators packed the school’s auditorium last night to comfort one another and learn … Continued

Mason District residents frustrated by lax property code enforcement

Vehicles and debris in a yard in Mason District. Eighty-seven percent of more than 500 local residents who responded to a survey conducted by the Mason District Council of Community Associations (MDC) believe that unresolved zoning violations are having a negative impact on revitalization. Nearly half the respondents are so frustrated with the county’s failure … Continued

Education campaign aimed at keeping teens away from sex trafficking

Teen sex trafficking is on the rise in Northern Virginia, so Fairfax County Police, public schools, and the Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services announced a new “Just Ask” prevention campaign Jan. 10. The campaign, launched to coincide with Human Trafficking Awareness Day Jan. 11, is aimed at educating teens about the … Continued