🌱 Passenger Passes In Drunk Driving Crash + Beer Garden Coming Soon

Morning, friends! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town today, including:

• New beer garden coming to town
• Virginia State Police needs help identifying man in car accident
• Passenger passes away in drunk driving incident

But first, today's weather:

Cloudy, cooler; p.m. showers. High: 48 Low: 40.

Business owners and marketers in Annandale: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories today in Annandale:

1. Bayron Hernandez Castellanos of Annandale passed away in the hospital Feb. 21 from injuries sustained in a car accident on Jan. 27. The driver, Jamie Hernandez Castellanos, was charged of driving under the influence and driving without an operating license. Bayron was riding in the bed of a pickup truck at around 2:13 a.m. when Jamie made a U-turn near John Marr Drive, lost control, and struck a light pole. Both Bayron and Jamie were transported to the hospital with what, at the time, appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. (Annandale Today)
2. It has been now officially confirmed from workers fixing up the interior of the last empty storefront of the EastGate Square shopping center on John Marr Drive: the space will be taken up by a beer garden. While the name of the establishment is still uncertain, the words “Beer Garden” have been added on the shopping center's sign on the corner of John Marr Drive and Little River Turnpike. Locals in the Annandale area appear to be ecstatic about the continued improvement of the shopping center and the excitement a beer garden brings to the equation. (Annandale Today)
3. Virginia State Police are seeking assistance from the public in identifying the body of the driver who passed away Friday morning after crashing an allegedly stolen car into a cement wall on the I-495 Express Lanes near I-66. The allegedly stolen vehicle was reported to be traveling at excessively high speeds going the wrong direction before hitting the wall at 4:30 a.m. Friday morning; the driver was the only occupant of the vehicle. The impact caused the vehicle to immediately catch fire and the driver did not survive the impact of the crash. If anyone saw the vehicle driving the wrong direction prior to the crash or can help identify who this individual was, please call 703-803-0026 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov. (ffxnow.com)
4. Are you a single home family looking for a new pet to complete your house dynamic? Dodger is a two month old puppy who is awaiting his forever home. Whether he is enjoying playtime alone, small children, bigger dogs, even with cats Dodger is friendly as ever. If you are interested in Dodger or adopting/sponsoring any labs, visit the links. (Lab Rescue LRCP)
5. Looking for a new home nearby? Here are five newly-listed houses in and around Annandale. Three of the properties feature four bedrooms, making them a good fit for larger families. You can click on the link for each listing for more information on the properties, including pricing and photos. It is never too early to start looking at your next move! (Annandale Patch)

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Today in Annandale:

• Rook Richards Concert - Mason Social (5:00 PM)
• Lalah Hathaway Concert - The Birchmere Music Hall (7:30 PM)
• Connecting to the Love Within Through Meditation - George Mason Regional Library (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The two vacant spots from the former Bank of America is grabbing a lot of attention for new businesses in Annandale. We may be seeing a new grocery store, cafe, bank — who knows, but the excitement is in the air! (Annandale Today)
• Read-a-Thon week starts today and Columbia Elementary is excited to see the silly clothes your children come to school in! Children are asked to read independently at least 20 minutes daily and log their minutes for a chance to win prizes. (Columbia Elementary School, Annandale, VA via Facebook)
• Want to spruce up your barn life with an incredible new pet? Take a look at Spruce the goose and Eclipse and Luna the chickens, these party animals can brighten anyone's day! (Fairfax County Animal Shelter)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• FREE WEBINAR | "The Beauty of Botticelli" (February 28)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center (March 1)
• The DC Big Flea March 4-5th (March 5)
• Fairfax Choral Society’s 60th Anniversary Gala (March 11)

That's it for today! I'll be in your inbox soon with your next update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.