Tomorrow, Friday, July 8, The Thrillbillys will perform roots rock at 7:30 p.m. at Royal Lake Park. And at Lake Accotink Park, the Kings Park Band will perform big band music. Their show will also begin at 7:30 p.m. at the large pavilion near the marina and, if driving, you will want to park in the Heming Avenue entrance parking lot.

The full schedule for this year's Summer Entertainment Series is below. Check it out and plan to join us for free, family-friendly performances at Lake Accotink, Royal Lake, and Wakefield Parks!

To alleviate the impact of those increases on taxpayers, the Board of Supervisors approved 15% in tax relief during this year's budget process. The 15% relief is applied automatically, so it won't appear on the bill you receive. You can learn more about the 15% tax relief here. If you have questions about your bill or vehicle assessment, contact the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration by email or at 703-222-8234, TTY 711.

Supervisor James Walkinshaw

The Fairfax County Health Department, in partnership with Curative, will once again support free COVID-19 testing at six sites. The mobile lab launched Tuesday, July 5, in Centreville and Bailey’s Crossroads and will rotate between two sites per day throughout each week. The sites are available on the following days at these locations:

The Postal Service (USPS) has also begun offering a vision impaired accessible COVID-19 at-home test. Please note that the link for these USPS accessible tests is different from the original COVID-19 at-home test ordering page. All individuals remain eligible to receive up to 24 at-home test kits, three orders of 8 tests, through the USPS.

If you have already received test kits in the past and they are out of date, please read the recent update from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has advised that some COVID-19 tests may be eligible for use beyond their initial expiration, though guidance varies from brand to brand. Braddock residents are encouraged to take advantage of these resources as we continue to monitor COVID-19 cases across the District and Fairfax County.

Several new state laws are in effect in Virginia and in Fairfax County as of July 1. You can find a summary of some of these new laws on the County News Center.

To read the full text of a bill, enter the bill number at the state Legislative Information System website.

Supervisor Walkinshaw is excited to be hosting the annual Braddock Nights Concert Series and Children’s Arts in the Parks Series! Every Summer Entertainment Series event includes a raffle where two audience members can win a Summer Entertainment Series t-shirt! Arrive by the start of the event to get your raffle ticket. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Braddock District office at (703) 425-9300 or Irma.Mejia-Lewis@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway Project construction continues throughout the corridor during daytime and overnight hours as weather conditions allow. The following projects have resumed following the July 4 holiday.

Congressman Don Beyer recently held a press conference with Jeffery Smith of Operations for the Eastern Region Helicopter Council (ERHC), and John Shea of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) to announce a pilot program to modernize the helicopter noise complaint system for the National Capital Region.

A 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office originally requested by Beyer with colleagues from Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland, and the District of Columbia recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the D.C. area.” The pilot program was developed with this recommendation in mind, and will be evaluated by the FAA for permanent adoption after a 60-day trial.

Residents in the National Capital Region will be able to submit noise concerns via webform, iPhone and Android-compatible mobile app, or voicemail at the noise complaint hotline at (877) 209-3200. Residents are encouraged to provide as much information as possible when submitting a complaint. Using available flight track data, the system will accurately identify likely aircraft generating concerns and all associated data.

Read more on Congressman Beyer's website.

Are you in need of a little help to keep cool this summer? Then apply online, in person, via mail, or over the phone at 1(833) 522-5582 for the Cooling Assistance Program for low-income households. At least one household member must be 60 years old or older, 5 or younger, or disabled according to Social Security or Medicaid, or have a recorded Veterans Administration disability rating of 100% to be eligible.

The start of service for new customers and the change in collection scheduling for existing customers began yesterday. If you live in the Canterbury Woods neighborhood, this change affects you. If you are newly included in Fairfax County Solid Waste Collection Areas but are not sure of your status, please refer to the Fairfax County Interactive Collection Map.

The West Springfield District Station will be hosting Neighborhood Watch training on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom. You will need to sign up through Eventbrite to obtain the Zoom information. If you have any questions, contact MPO Tony Capizzi at (703) 277-2363 or Anthony.Capizzi@FairfaxCounty.gov  

A public hearing on recommendations to the Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, at 4:00 p.m. in the Government Center Auditorium. The SSPA process allows anyone to propose site-specific land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan, the county’s guiding document for land use and development decisions. An evaluation of the SSPA process took place from Fall 2021 to Spring 2022, and the recommended changes were published in a detailed report in May.  Learn how to view the public hearing and submit public hearing testimony. View the full list of recommended changes to the SSPA process and learn more about the evaluation process on the SSPA website.

Fairfax residents from preschool to adulthood can dive into the Fairfax County Public Library’s Oceans of Possibilities with the Summer Reading Adventure! The activities-based summer reading fun runs through August 12. Participants can participate online or with paper logs available for download from FCPL’s website and at all branches. Everyone who finishes the program will receive coupon sheets for summer treats and activities, including outings at Fairfax County Park Authority facilities. Branches are offering summer reading-related events both virtually and in person this year. The Library has events for preschoolers, school-age children, teens, and adults.

Remember to sign up for National Night Out if you have not already! This in-person event on August 2 with the Fairfax County Police Department provides an opportunity for officers and the communities they protect to come together.

Whether your community hosts a simple ice cream party or an all-out festival, National Night Out is an opportunity to gather with your neighbors, get better acquainted, and talk about issues of common concern.

It’s an opportunity:

Complete this form to register for the event (if you registered with the NNO organization directly, you still need to register with this form. They do not share your personal information). If there are any questions, feel free to reach out to the Crime Prevention Officer of your local police station.

If you are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, effective treatment is now available that can prevent illness from becoming worse leading to hospitalization and death.

If you tested positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed , it is important to take the steps recommended by the Fairfax County Health Department to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in your family and in our community.

Check the most up-to-date COVID figures at the Virginia Department of Health website.

Please be sure to check the Fairfax County Health Department’s vaccine page and the Emergency Information Blog frequently, as information will be updated there regularly.