Virginia’s Tysons Corner Mall was hit by a power outage Sunday, leaving residents and consumers wondering what was going on.
Virginia’s Tysons Corner Center was hit by a temporary power outage Sunday, leaving residents and consumers wondering what was going on.
Aisha Khan, a spokesperson for the utility provider, confirmed that power was restored to the mall around 5:30 p.m.
Khan said the electricity loss was caused by an undisclosed amount of snow that had been removed from the parking lot and piled on top of one of the mall’s transformers, prompting it to malfunction.
The Fairfax County Police Department previously told WTOP that its officers were “assisting with traffic control for the traffic lights within the mall.” Dominion crews were also on-site.
It’s unclear which stores remained open or were directly affected by the outage.
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Imagine being the main character in a life-sized video game, navigating obstacle courses, solving puzzles, and putting both your mind and body to the test. At Level99 — your quest awaits.
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Check out the DMV’s new ‘adult playground’ gaming experience now open in Tysons Corner
Imagine being the main character in a life-sized video game, navigating obstacle courses, solving puzzles, and putting both your mind and body to the test.
At Level99, your quest awaits.
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re giving this brand new, fully immersive gaming experience — only open to adults at Tysons Corner Center in Fairfax County, Virginia — a thorough examination.
Between flying through the air on ropes like Tarzan, running through swinging axes like Indiana Jones, or even solving picture riddles and word association puzzles, Level99 puts your teamwork and skills to test with over 50 game rooms for you and friends.
But games aren’t the only thing they offer here.
Watch along to see some of the other surprises you can uncover that make Level99 a one-of-a-kind spot.
Hear “Matt About Town” first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!
If you have a story idea you’d like Matt to cover, email him, or chat with him on Instagram and TikTok.
“Luzia,” Cirque du Soleil’s imaginative journey to Mexico debuts in Fairfax County, Virginia, this weekend. Here’s a sneak peak of the show from its Canada home base.
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An enchanting sneak peek of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Luzia’ in Montreal, Canada
WTOP contributor Briana Thomas, of the “DC Getaway,” series, checked out a performance in Canada. The story below is based on a press trip sponsored by Cirque du Soleil and reflects Briana’s independent editorial research. The sponsor has no editorial involvement.
Yellow marigolds, massive monarch butterfly wings and a vibrant sunrise mark the beginning of Cirque du Soleil’s imaginative journey to Mexico in the touring show “Luzia,” which debuts in the D.C. area this weekend.
At the close of each summer, monarch butterflies travel nearly 3,000 miles from southern Canada to the mountain forests of central Mexico. On Saturday, this epic migration comes to life under the “Big Top” at Cirque du Soleil in Fairfax County, Virginia.
WTOP contributor Briana Thomas got an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look of the production at the circus’ home base in Montréal, Canada, before the show premieres in Tysons.
Audiences can follow the “Luzia” traveler (a hilarious clown) guided by a larger-than-life monarch butterfly through scenes and sites of Mexico. The family-friendly show — co-written by Daniele Finzi Pasca and Julie Hamelin Finzi with a Latin American score by composer Simon Carpentier — is an ode to Mexico’s culture, traditions and natural beauty.
Olivia Aepli, who plays the running woman, says the opening butterfly scene where she spreads a set of bright orange wings while gliding along a treadmill is her favorite.
“ I get to do this big run, and every night it’s really magical,” Aepli said.
Magical truly describes this lively theater escape to Latin America’s northernmost country. Aepli is one of more than 45 artists who perform live circus acts, such as hoop diving, hurling acrobats, trapeze stunts and more mesmerizing physical feats throughout the two hour production.
Beyond the major display of talent and athleticism, a signature of Cirque du Soleil showcases, viewers can expect to be transported to a dreamlike depiction of Mexico, illuminating the country’s rich heritages and history.
The program utilizes engaging storytelling to celebrate Mexico’s contributions to film, dance, music, fashion, wildlife and sports. The visuals are impeccable, and according to Charlie Wagner, senior publicist at Cirque du Soleil, the narrative is moving too.
Wagner has been on the production team for five years. She said there are moments in the show that make the audience laugh, and that draw emotion from the crowd.
“It’s such a beautiful love letter from Mexico,” Wagner said.
Yellow marigolds, massive monarch butterfly wings and a vibrant sunrise mark the beginning of Cirque du Soleil’s imaginative journey to Mexico in the touring show “Luzia.”
(Courtesy Anne Colliard)
Courtesy Anne Colliard
The show is running in Tysons, Virginia, from Sept. 6 through Oct. 19.
(Courtesy Anne Colliard)
Courtesy Anne Colliard
Artists will perform live circus acts such as hoop diving, hurling acrobats, trapeze stunts and more mesmerizing physical feats throughout the two hour production.
(Courtesy Anne Colliard)
Courtesy Anne Colliard
The interpretations of the country’s traditions are reenvisioned through live vocals, color-changing costumes, towering agave plants, scenes of lucha libre wrestling, ball-bouncing football choreography, Aztec art, hand-clapping fiestas and more homages.
But the show’s main attraction is water.
“Luzia” is the only traveling production that incorporates water into the acrobatic acts. The pool and rain surprises that viewers experience on stage require an intricate recyclable water system that sits outside of the Big Top in a 40-foot container.
The huge task of transporting, heating and testing the water infrastructure requires an on-site aquatics team.
Assistant Head of Aquatics Ethan Westland said the contrast of the light and water theatrics — a play on the show’s title which means light and rain — is what’s made the show so successful.
“ I think we have a unique relationship with water itself, and it’s just such a beautiful piece,” Westland said. “The first time you see the rain curtain or the pool, it’s such a wow moment. You could almost time it to the second in the show when everyone’s going to say, ‘Wow.’”
The Big Top show, headquartered at Old Port in Montréal, and its cast — including accompanying family members — packs up and travels to five to six cities around the world 12 months out of the year. The next stop is Tysons, Virginia, from Sept. 6 through Oct. 19. Tickets start at $60 per person.
Briana Thomas is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and tour guide with a passion for travel. She is the owner of local history and culture tour company Black Broadway Travel, and the Arts and Culture writer for Washingtonian Magazine. To read more of Briana’s cultural explorations sign-up for her Guide Culture newsletter.
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Several unions united Tuesday morning to urge the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to support a referendum that would allow voters to choose if a casino and entertainment district is approved for Tysons, Virginia.
Dozens of union workers and supporters rallied outside the Fairfax County Government Center on Oct. 22, 2024, urging the county board to back a ballot referendum before the new legislative session for the commonwealth begins in 2025.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO, told WTOP the jobs that would come out of the casino would “lift people out of poverty” and make buying homes and renting more affordable in the notoriously-expensive Northern Virginia suburb.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Groups who oppose the Tysons Corner Casino argue it will hurt local businesses and property values as well as increase traffic in the area. But union workers say it will bring much-needed jobs to the area,
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Members of several unions united Tuesday morning to urge the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to support a referendum that would allow voters to choose whether a casino and entertainment district is approved for Tysons, Virginia.
Dozens of union workers and supporters rallied outside the Fairfax County Government Center to ask the board to back a ballot referendum before the new legislative session for the commonwealth begins in 2025.
Rafael Cruz who works with a hospitality union said the jobs are life-changing in times of inflation and economic worry, “You can see … the benefit in wages.”
Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO, told WTOP the jobs that would come out of the casino would “lift people out of poverty” and make buying homes and renting more affordable in the notoriously expensive Northern Virginia suburb.
“We have agreements in place that will allow more than 5,000 workers to be able to choose freely, to become part of a union. And having a union job is life-changing,” Diamond said.
Unions that wouldn’t see direct jobs also support the project.
David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said in a statement, “This is an important opportunity to bring in more commercial tax revenue for schools and other county services, which is sorely needed.”
A study conducted in 2019 by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission found that a Northern Virginia casino could generate upward of $155 million annually in tax revenue.
Earlier this year, Virginia’s Senate Finance and Appropriations committee voted against a bill that would have allowed the county to have a ballot referendum on building a casino. They instead decided to carry the bill over to next year’s session, hoping to get more research on the project.
Groups who oppose the Tysons Corner Casino argue it will hurt local businesses and property values, as well as increase traffic in the area.
Democratic Sen. Jennifer Boysko, who represents parts of Fairfax County, is among those who opposes the casino.
“This is where Fortune 500 companies have come to make their home,” Boysko said of Tysons Corner during the session. “This is not something that Fortune 500s would like to have in their community.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Wesley Shifflett is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a weapon in the killing of 37-year-old Timothy McCree Johnson near Tysons Corner shopping center on Feb. 22, 2023. Shifflett pleaded not guilty.
Timothy McCree Johnson’s parents Melissa Johnson, center, and Timothy Walker, left, address reporters along with attorney Carl Crews, right, outside Fairfax County Police headquarters, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in Fairfax, Va., after viewing police body camera video of their son’s shooting death at the hands of police last month outside Tysons Corner Center shopping mall. (AP Photo/Matthew Barakat)(AP/Matthew Barakat)
Timothy McCree Johnson’s parents Melissa Johnson, center, and Timothy Walker, left, address reporters along with attorney Carl Crews, right, outside Fairfax County Police headquarters, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in Fairfax, Va., after viewing police body camera video of their son’s shooting death at the hands of police last month outside Tysons Corner Center shopping mall. (AP Photo/Matthew Barakat)(AP/Matthew Barakat)
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A former northern Virginia police officer is going on trial Tuesday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man suspected of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses.
Wesley Shifflett is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a weapon in the killing of 37-year-old Timothy McCree Johnson near a busy shopping mall on Feb. 22, 2023. Shifflett pleaded not guilty.
Shifflett and another Fairfax County police officer chased Johnson on foot after receiving a report from security guards that Johnson had stolen sunglasses from a Nordstrom department store in Tysons Corner Center.
Police body camera footage shows the nighttime chase and shooting. Shifflett can be heard ordering Johnson to stay on the ground and later to “stop reaching.” Both officers open fire, but Shifflett fired the fatal shot.
Later, Shifflett tells another officer that he saw the suspect reaching for a weapon in his waistband. Police searched for a weapon but found nothing.
The Fairfax County Police Department fired Shifflett the following month for what Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called “a failure to live up to the expectations of our agency, in particular use of force policies.”
Initially, a grand jury declined to indict Shifflett in the shooting, but Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano sought and received court approval for a special grand jury to reinvestigate, which he said gave prosecutors a greater ability to oversee the investigation. The second panel chose to indict Shifflett.
Descano said at the time that an involuntary manslaughter charge is appropriate when a killing occurs due to “gross or wanton conduct” that lacks malice.
Caleb Kershner, Shifflett’s attorney, blasted Descano’s decision to impanel a special grand jury and the subsequent indictment.
“Few people understand what it’s like to have a gun pulled on you and regularly being put in risk of death,” Kershner said at the time. “These men and women in uniform serve by putting their lives on the line every day.”
In recent hearings, attorneys squabbled over what evidence could be presented at trial.
Barry Zweig, the lead prosecutor, filed a motion to be allowed to introduce evidence that Shifflett had aimed his weapon at other shoplifters in other instances, but Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows denied that request.
Bellows agreed to allow Shifflett’s defense team to present evidence concerning Johnson’s criminal history.
Johnson was 17 years old when he tried to steal a vehicle belonging to an off-duty agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Maryland. As he tried to flee in the vehicle, Johnson nearly hit the agent, who responded by shooting him. In 2004, Johnson pleaded guilty as a juvenile to second-degree assault.
Johnson also pleaded guilty in 2019 to involuntary manslaughter in a fatal Washington car crash while he was driving under the influence. Bellows ruled this incident would not allowed to be presented to trial jurors, a spokesperson for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said Monday.
