Community Corner

Smoochy Poochy, Hot Sauce Heaven, Big-Hearted Barbers: NoVA Good News

Good news in NoVA this week includes a smooch-the-pooch charity event, robot deliveries roll on, and a local U.S. figure skating champion.

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Smooch the Pooch, a K-9 kissing booth run by the Dog Krazy pet store, is returning to raise money for the Old Dominion Humane Society. This is the first Smooch the Pooch event since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smooch the Pooch, a K-9 kissing booth run by the Dog Krazy pet store, is returning to raise money for the Old Dominion Humane Society. This is the first Smooch the Pooch event since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo provided by Dog Krazy Inc.)

VIRGINIA — This week's good news stories in Virginia include the annual Smooch the Pooch event returning to Fredericksburg after getting canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an 11th grade student in McLean opening a swim academy in South Africa and an Arlington writer winning two top literary awards.

Plus, read about a Fredericksburg hot sauce company winning two international awards, a Falls Church barbershop participating in community charitable events, and The Mixx Delight, an Asian fusion eatery serving sweet and savory options, opening in Vienna.

Here are some of this week's good news headlines:

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Smooch The Pooch Charity Fundraising Event Returns To Fredericksburg

Smooch the Pooch, a K-9 kissing booth that raises money for charity, will return to Fredericksburg on Saturday. The event, organized by the Dog Krazy pet supply store, raises money for the Old Dominion Humane Society. Eight volunteers and their dogs will run the booth, according to Dog Krazy's ownership. Nancy Guinn is the owner of Dog Krazy's seven locations.

Robot Love: Celebrating Four Years Of Starship Robot Deliveries At Mason

It was January 2019 when George Mason University became the first college campus in the United States to offer autonomous food delivery through Starship Technologies. Now Mason and Starship are celebrating four years of autonomous robot deliveries. The service launched with 25 robots, which was the world’s largest fleet of delivery robots.

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Fredericksburg Hot Sauce Company Wins 2 International Awards

Always Flavored, a Fredericksburg hot sauce company, won a pair of second place medals at an international competition last month. The company received recognition at the Scovie Awards for its sweet BBQ sauce and its mild hot sauce. The 2023 Scovie Awards were held in New Mexico in January, featuring sauces from 151 companies across 37 states and 12 countries.

Tattooed Barbers With Big Hearts: Barbershop Seeks Reality Show

When Dustin Foley met new friends that would become his fellow barbers, they clicked through discussions about the few places heavily tattooed people could work at. In 2016, Foley opened Neighborhood Barbershop, providing a place where the employees could be themselves and serve the community in the process.

Swim Academy In South Africa Launched By 11th-Grade Student In McLean

An 11th-grade student at The Potomac School in McLean returned to the United States in late January after launching a youth swim academy in Alexandra, South Africa, as part of an effort to help prevent people from drowning in a river that cuts through the densely populated township.

Black History

Award Winners and Nominees

Star Students

New and Reopened Restaurants

A Few More Good News Stories:

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