Back to profile

Mike Salmon

Stories by Mike

Fairfax Skaters Made the Cut for the 2022 Olympic Games

Local spotlight shines on the speed track and figure skating rink.

Local Olympians

County Code Addresses Inoperable Vehicles

Not just eyesores or environmental hazards some say.

Junk vehicles

Tease photo

Duckpin Bowling Went the Way of the Dodo Bird

Once a popular sport, bowling has taken a hit around here.

Blast from the Past: Duckpin Bowling

Tease photo

Local Author Publishes Book of One-Act Plays

West Potomac alum writes to teach, and is now a playwright living on Martha’s Vineyard.

Local Author

Tease photo

Gum Springs Community Building Chosen for Historical Significance

The Pride of Fairfax Lodge #298 among 13 new sites for registry in Virginia.

Historical building

Tease photo

Coyotes Spotted in All Parts of Fairfax County

Seldom seen, coyotes have been living next to people for a long time.

Coyotes

Tease photo

Drinking Wine and Painting Ducks in Belle View

Team building is part of the process at Wine & Design.

Painting as therapy

New Year Brings New Tax on Plastic Bags in Mount Vernon

BYOB now means ‘bring your own bag.’

People Speak Out about the Bag fee

Tease photo

Breaking Ground to Upgrade Mount Vernon Trail Segment

Upgrades to the trail and a new bridge are highlights of this improvement.

Mount Vernon Trail

Tease photo

Springfield Mall’s Riot Over Leif Garrett’s Appearance

“Blast from the Past” hears from those who were there.

Look back to Leif's visit

Tease photo

January Snows Topple Trees Across Fairfax County

Days of cutting and chopping finally makes a dent.

Snow impacts trees

Tease photo

Plans for Braddock Road Include 3 Intersection Redesigns

Upcoming presentation planned, public will have a chance to weigh in.

Braddock Road

Tease photo

Snow and Schools in Fairfax County

The communication and snow removal system continues to evolve to keep all the boxes checked.

Snow and school

Tease photo

Desegregation Ruling in Bucknell Continues to have National Impact

Historical marker approved to commemorate “Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc.”

Desegregation ruling

Tease photo

Local Clothing Designer Behind Bathing Suit Line

In high school, fashion classes at the Fairfax Academy paid off for Kendall Barry.

Local bathing suit designer

Tease photo

Shopping Cart Killer Suspect Is in Custody

Four murder cases of spanned Richmond Highway to Harrisonburg, where other bodies found.

Murders in Mount Vernon, Harrisonburg

Tease photo

Huntley Meadows Wildlife Is Focus of Photo Contest

Toad, bird and a praying mantis top the list of winners this year.

Photo Contest

Tease photo

Burke Teen Models for Louis Vuitton on the Runway in Miami

First show chipped away at the shyness shell for Ibrahim Sesay.

Teen model

Tease photo

No Online Shopping This Year? No Worries, the Shelves Are Stocked.

Mount Vernon Gift Guide Part II

Mount Vernon Gift Guide 2

Tease photo

Speed Limit Study About to get Underway

Traffic engineers looking at a speed limit change on Richmond Highway

Speed Study

Tease photo

LA Musician Got Her Start in Mount Vernon

Fort Hunt alumni Julie Gigante started playing the violin at age 5 and now is featured on an 11,000-square-foot mural in Los Angeles.

LA Musician from Mount Vernon

Tease photo

Teen Film Makes It to the Alexandria Film Festival

A story about friendship, schoolwork and assumptions was shot in Old Town.

Teen Film in Festival

Tease photo

A Tale of Two Claras in the Nutcracker

Juggling the roles makes for a whirlwind weekend at Metropolitan Arts School.

Nutcracker at Metropolitan

Tease photo

Street Racers Strike in Kingstowne

Tire marks remain long after the motorists fled.

Street Racers

Offer to Buy River Farm Inches Up, But Declined by Seller

NOVA Parks is still part of the future at River Farm.

On Sunday evening, Sept. 26, the American Horticultural Society voted against an offer from NOVA Parks to purchase River Farm during a board meeting of the American Horticultural Society, but they are leaving it open for more offers.

Tease photo

Documentary Explores a Place Formerly Known as ‘The Pits.’

Documentarian is also a reporter for the Mount Vernon Gazette.

The Pits

Tease photo

Car Crash on Rolling Road Highlights Need for Improvements

Parked car side-swiped by errant driver.

Sideswiped on Rolling

Tease photo

Lorton Fire Station Gets a Makeover

Station just off Lorton Road is upgraded to meet the expanding population in the area.

Lorton Fire Station

Tease photo

Hubcaps, Old License Plates and Memories

10,000 hubcaps and more collected in backyard shop.

Hubcaps and more In Lorton Backyard Shop

Tease photo

A Full Glass Recycling Dumpster is a Sign of Success

Purple dumpsters are pulling in big numbers around the county and a few spots outside.

Glass recycling

Tease photo

Potomac Riverkeeper Has Hands Full of Plastics

Plus storm drains are portals for pet waste and excess fertilizer.

Potomac Riverkeeper

Tease photo

Near-Normal School Year in Mount Vernon?

Students, staff look forward with smiles, optimism and coronavirus rules, all part of the first day of school.

First day at Mount Vernon High School

Tease photo

Summer Thunderstorm Impacts Roads, Bridges

Hot, humid weather paves the way for extreme storms.

Storm damage

Tease photo

Paving and Warm Weather are in Tandem This Year in Northern Virginia

There is a map and system to where the paving goes.

August is hot, and the drivers trying to get back to a normal routine have probably hit a pothole or two out on the roads, but VDOT is out there with the paving crews, putting down pavement on 1,145 lane miles throughout the paving season, which goes until November.

Tease photo

Police and Comradery Filled the Street on National Night Out

Dogs, barbecue and desserts highlight the annual event.

National Night Out 2021

Tease photo

Streams Get a Lift from a County Program

‘Operation Stream Shield’ is called a win-win-win.

Operation Stream Shield

Tease photo

Scooters Now Another Mode of Transportation in Fairfax County

County okays 600 of these “shared mobility devices.”

Fairfax Co Scooters

Tease photo

Inova Awards $240K in Community Health Funds to Local Nonprofits

Annual grant doubled in amount this year due to the pandemic impacts.

Inova fund

Tease photo

‘Strategic Underground’ Throughout Fairfax County

Dominion Power is undergrounding wires.

During the frequent thunderstorms that are forecasted throughout the summer, flashlights and candles may have been the short-term answer in the past, but Dominion Energy has another option with a program they are offering called ”Strategic Underground,” so the lines won’t be exposed when lightning strikes and other mishaps.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Police Armed with a High-Tech Dog Nose

New K-9 can sniff out thumb drives and cell phones that may be evidence.

The Fairfax County Police Department has a new tool to fight cyber crimes and it’s a black Labrador retriever named Browser, that specializes in sniffing out computer-related evidence like thumb drives, cell phones or laptop computers that may have been used by criminals, particularly in child exploitation.

Tysons Moves Closer to ‘Bike Friendly,’ With Planned Bike Bridge

VDOT’s project will expand bike access for shopping and commuting.

Vienna project

Tease photo

Ripe Red Tomatoes, Juicy Peaches Highlight Area’s Farmers Markets

County’s markets are hopping as they go into National Farmers Market Week in early August.

National Farmers Market Week

Tease photo

Reporter’s Notebook

Acting On a Tip Leads Deep in the Woods

Reporter’s Notebook

Tease photo

Weeds and Blind Curves Along the Trail Keep the Volunteers Busy

The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail are always looking for volunteers when it comes to weed control.

weeds along bike trail

Tease photo

Picture Restoration Unearths Local History

The Photo Detective investigated Civil War veteran photo at Mount Vernon.

Photo Detective

Tease photo

Hot Summer Climate Flows into the Real Estate Market

With the pandemic shrinking, bidding wars are part of the house buying process.

Hot real estate market

Tease photo

Rock the ‘70’s Metal Scene with Black Sabbitch

The all-female Black Sabbath: Four women rocking the metal band’s sound and energy.

Black Sabbitch

Tease photo

Beloved Martha, Mary Wiseman, Looks Back with Joy

Mount Vernon’s Martha Washington is hanging up the bonnet and dress after 20 years.

Martha Washington Retires

Tease photo

There’s More than Meats the Eye at Huntsman’s

Wild game is the specialty at this local supplier.

Huntsman has wild game.