Ginny Thrasher's Golden Gun
Springfield’s Ginny Thrasher wins Olympic gold in air rifle.
Before she left for the Río Olympics, 19-year-old sharpshooter Ginny Thrasher of Springfield was just looking to get experience in her first games. “I was looking more towards 2020 as a realistic option,” she had said.
Column: Solar Coming to Reston—At Last?
Independent Progressive
Do you ever wonder why there seem to be almost no solar panels in Reston? You’d think that this generally progressive planned community inspired by visionary Robert Simon would in fact be a leader in using solar technology.
Column: Slow but Steady Course of Human Rights
Commentary
Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment [ERA] was already being hotly debated in the Virginia General Assembly when I became a member of the House of Delegates in 1978.

Time to Plane Around
Be ready for just 'plane' fun at 24th Annual Plane Pull® benefiting Special Olympics Virginia.
The 24th annual Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull will be held Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dulles International Airport. All proceeds benefit Special Olympics Virginia.
‘Reston Pioneer’ Robert Fulton Hanlon, 81, Dies
On July 25, 2016, Bob Hanlon, 81, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Reston.

MOD Pizza opens at Reston Plaza America
MOD stands for Made On Demand.
MOD Pizza, MOD stands for Made On Demand, held a grand opening at Reston’s Plaza America on July 1.

One Step To ‘One Fairfax’
Agreeing on a policy to create opportunity for all.
Jeff McKay didn’t mince words when discussing racial, social and economic inequity in Fairfax County.

Stylish Solutions for Organized Homes
Practical and chic ideas for making a home back-to-school ready.
Before school begins later this month, taking the time to organize home and school supplies can take the stress out of the transition from a laid-back summer to a structured, schedule-driven school year. Local home design and organizational experts share ideas to help parents add practical organizational tools to their home without sacrificing their sense of style.
Commentary: Responding to the Zika Threat
There have been 50 reported cases of Zika in Virginia, all linked to foreign travel, as of early August.
Last week, for the first time ever, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was forced to issue a domestic travel warning to pregnant women planning to visit Miami, a popular getaway destination.
Editorial: Laser Focus on Safety
While Metro lapses can’t be excused, it’s much safer than driving; maintenance-related safety issues also plague area bridges and roads.
Intense scrutiny on the safety and maintenance record of the Washington region’s Metro system is resulting in continuing revelation of lapses, and ongoing inconvenience with repair schedules shutting down entire lines and the end of late night service.
New Policy Outlines Public’s Rights to Record Police Activity
With the development and prevalence of increasingly portable technologies, people of all ages are capturing more and more moments on video, including law enforcement activity. On June 1, the police department issued a new departmental policy pertaining to anyone who might record police activity, whether it be something they see as a passerby or a direct interaction with an officer - according to FCPD Public Affairs Bureau.

Fairfax County Police Receive National Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies recognized compliance with 484 standards.
In a hearing in Baltimore’s inner harbor on Saturday, July 30, the Fairfax County Police Department received a formal recognition of its national accreditation from the Gainesville, Va.-based Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, CALEA.

Communities Observe National Night Out
Law enforcement and neighborhoods come together in Fairfax Station, Springfield and countywide.
Every night, that’s seven nights a week, Amanda Fox and her mother make rounds of the 169 houses in their community of Cardinal Estates in Springfield.
Editorial: An Open Letter to Readers and More
Buy an ad in our annual Newcomers and Community Guide, please.
Has your organization been featured in the Connection Newspapers, or the Alexandria Gazette Packet or the Mount Vernon Gazette or the Centre View or the Potomac Almanac?

Reston: Meet Joanna and Janelle
Twin sisters, Joanna and Janelle Grove, of Reston, share enormous passion: baking bread.
Watching these two running their stand at a recent farmers’ market was a bit like seeing double. Well, the Reston-based Grove twins, Joanna and Janelle, are identical twins, after all, and deciding which is which is a bit challenging.
Reston Column: Clinging to the Past
Commentary
At the same time that the Nation is moving forward with a major political party nominating a woman as candidate for the presidency of the United States, Virginia institutions are clinging to past traditions that should have been abandoned decades ago.

Reston: Helping with Compassion
TJ student attends Congress of Future Medical Leaders.
Rising junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Kamron Soldozy, represented Northern Virginia at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, a gathering of the nation’s brightest high school students interested in medicine, from June 25-27.

Reston: Breuer-Designed 'Architectural Gem' Not Saved
Testimonials before Board of Supervisors didn’t matter; saving the American Press Institute designed by Marcel Breuer was not part of its purview.
Restonians left the county’s Board of Supervisors meeting July 26, 2016 incredulous.
Reston: Lake Anne Jazz Week Returns Aug. 26-Sept. 3
Week long activities to conclude with 10th Annual Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival.
Lake Anne Plaza has announced the return of their Lake Anne Jazz Week and the artist line up for their annual Jazz & Blues Festival, which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The Lake Anne Jazz Week will take place starting Friday, Aug. 26 and will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 3, Labor Day Weekend, with the 10th Annual Jazz & Blues Festival.

Reston: New Stage for Tall Oaks
Plan approved for building 156 residential units plus 5,809 square feet of office space and 8,584 square feet of retail for center now 86 percent vacant.
The closing of Giant in 2007 started a slow decline of Tall Oaks Village Center, “once a vibrant and successful center that was supported by the community,” said Hunter Mill Supervisor Catherine Hudgins.