Tag: safety

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

$100 million transportation bond focuses on pedestrian projects
Columbia Pike in Annandale. The $100 million transportation bond referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, which was authorized by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week, includes funding for a few projects in the Mason District area. The only road improvement in Mason would be at the North Chambliss Street and Beauregard Street intersection … Continued

Accident highlights safety concerns on Little River Turnpike
An accident on Little River Turnpike May 22. [Photo by Rob Snowhite] People who live on both sides of Little River Turnpike (Route 236) just east of central Annandale are concerned about safety as too many cars are speeding down the road. Just this week there were two major accidents, including one this morning that … Continued

Fundraising campaign aimed at protecting the Kingstowne turtles
Turtles “playing Frogger” on Kingstown Village Parkway are in danger of getting hit by cars. The situation is also dangerous for drivers who risk causing an accident as they try to avoid hitting the turtles—as well as the people running onto the road to help them. Jessica Bowser, a resident of Kingstowne in the Alexandria … Continued

Bethany House offers a safe haven to women escaping domestic abuse
Bethany House Executive Director Catherine Hassinger (left) and Gayan Peart, family assistance program manager. When Alexandra [not her real name] decided she could no longer live with her abusive boyfriend after he beat her and threatened her with a gun, she landed in a shelter. But after her time there was up, she had nowhere … 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

Residents urged to clear sidewalks
Nice job, neighbor. With schools reopening Wednesday (two hours late), Fairfax County Public Schools urges residents to remove snow and ice from sidewalks to ensure safety for children who walk to school and bus stops. “Neither the Virginia Department of Transportation nor the county clears snow and ice from public walkways,” a message from FCPS … 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

November is the top month for deer-vehicle collisions
A car damaged in a collision with a deer. [FCPD photo] Be careful driving. November is deer breeding season, which means there are more deer on the roadways. In November 2012, there were 27 deer-vehicle collisions in Fairfax County, which is more than another month, reports the Fairfax County Police Department. December had the next-highest … Continued

Resident of Seven Corners apartment building burned in electrical fire
Firefighters rescued a man early Friday morning from a fire in the Jefferson Apartments on 6166 Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners. He was transported to the Washington Hospital burn center, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported. More than 50 firefighters from Fairfax County and Arlington County responded to the fire, which originated in … Continued

Burglars targeting Broyhill Crest area
Lots of police cars have been spotted in the area. The Broyhill Crest neighborhood in Annandale has been hit with a series of daytime burglaries—mostly between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.—in the past week or so. The burglars are taking cash, jewelry, and prescription drugs. The most recent incident was Nov. 7 in the 7000 … Continued