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Two Fairfax-area students reached the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee before exiting in Wednesday’s seventh round.
Laasya Mohan, a fourth-grader at Floris Elementary School in Herndon, and Siya Sampath, a seventh-grader at Ronald Reagan Middle School in Haymarket, tied for 31st place among 247 competitors.
In other local news:
A proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy is raising questions about affordability as Virginia confronts rapidly growing demand for electricity. Northern Virginia lawmakers plan to scrutinize whether the creation of a much larger utility would actually reduce customers’ energy costs as promised.
Metro’s high-definition surveillance network has played a significant role in three recent arrests involving armed men. The arrests occurred at a Metro station, aboard a train and on a Metrobus over the past six weeks. Metro General Manager Randy Clarke cited the system’s widespread cameras in March as one factor supporting transit safety.
A portion of John Marr Drive in Annandale now carries the honorary name “Seoul Boulevard.” Three signs were installed earlier in May at Columbia Pike, Tom Davis Drive near the Annandale Post Office, and Little River Turnpike near the Eastgate shopping center.
Chris Morgan, the executive chef behind Joon in Tysons, finished as runner-up during the inaugural season of CBS’s “America’s Culinary Cup.” Morgan had never competed in a cooking contest before joining the show and advanced to the finals despite being voted by fellow contestants at one point as the competitor least likely to win.
Manassas-based Electra is studying demand for a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft designed to take off and land in just 150 feet. The company’s EL9 Ultra Short remains in development, but Electra envisions a “direct aviation” model that could someday allow passengers to fly from a location such as Tysons Corner Center to a Manhattan heliport without using a conventional airport.
Sweetgreen plans to install its first pickup lane in the Greater Washington region at its Chesterbrook Shopping Center restaurant in McLean. Permits filed this week call for adding a “sweetlane,” where customers could collect orders placed online.
The Hung Vuong Lion Dance Team is preserving Chinese and Vietnamese traditions through energetic performances across Northern Virginia. Founded by friends who grew up watching kung fu films, the team now operates as an extracurricular activity for Fairfax-based Boy and Girl Scout Troop 612.
Thursday’s forecast calls for sunshine and a high near 79 degrees. North winds of 7 to 11 mph could gust as high as 21 mph. Skies should remain mostly clear overnight as temperatures fall to around 56 degrees, with north winds of 6 to 8 mph.