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HERNDON, VA — On Wednesday morning, Sheetz will be celebrating the grand opening of its new location at 13840 Mclearen Road in Herndon.

Festivities kick-off at 9 a.m. outside the store, when the restaurant and convenience chain begins handing out prizes, including a grand prize giveaway of free Sheetz for a year. The grand prize will come in the form of a Sheetz gift card worth $2,500. No purchase is necessary to enter, although you must be over the age of 18 and be present on Wednesday morning to enter.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10:45 a..m. Customers will also be able to order free self-serve coffee and soda all-day on Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening.

Sheetz will make two $2,500 donations as part of Wednesday's grand opening. One will be to the Capital Area Food Bank to help its mission of providing equitable access to food for people struggling with hunger and food insecurity.

Customers coming to Wednesday's grand opening are encouraged to bring a donation of non-perishable food for the nonprofit. Everyone who donates from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. will receive a free Sheetz branded thermal bag — limit one per customer while supplies last.

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The second $2,500 donation will go to Special Olympics of Virginia. Sheetz has supported Special Olympics for more than 30 years with product donations and event volunteers.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Hundreds of local volunteers joined Food For Neighbors in the fight against teen food insecurity.

Renee Maxwell, Community Contributor

A young Food For Neighbors volunteer helps load the Amazon van delivering donations to Arlington area schools. (Photo courtesy of Amazon)

Amazon and other area volunteers brave the hot, humid day to unload car after car of donations from nearly 180 households in the Fort Hunt area, where volunteers received and sorted over 2,700 pounds of food and toiletries at Whitman Middle School. (Photo by Ava Love Dimaiwat, Food For Neighbors volunteer)

Amazon volunteers joined Food For Neighbors in the fight against teen food insecurity on Saturday, September 9. Working side-by-side with other enthusiastic community members at Arlington Career Center, Herndon Middle School, and Whitman Middle School, Amazon helped sort and deliver nearly 8,000 pounds of food and toiletries donated by more than 570 households for local secondary schools. In total, eight hundred volunteers, across nine active sorting sites, helped process 23,000 pounds of donations Food For Neighbors collected Saturday morning from 1,700 Northern Virginia households. The effort will help over 5,800 students in 42 secondary schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties. Amazon’s hands-on support underscores a $155,000 donation from Amazon Fresh last Fall, and the volunteer spirit demonstrates the company’s continued dedication to lifting up the communities where its employees work and live.

Amazon participated in Food For Neighbors’ Red Bag Program kickoff event during its Global Month of Volunteering, an initiative where Amazon employees in the DMV and across the world come together to volunteer and engage even further with their communities for causes they’re passionate about.

“We’re committed to supporting the immediate needs of students and their families – these often include providing food, shelter, clothing, and more. Thanks to community partnerships like this, we’re able to provide students the support they need to keep learning,” said Melissa Robinson, principal program manager of Volunteering at Amazon. “We were grateful to partner with Food For Neighbors during Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, a time when tens of thousands of Amazon employees around the world will go out in their communities and do good together.”

“We’re thrilled to celebrate Amazon as a Food For Neighbors Community Champion and sponsor of our first Red Bag food and toiletry collection event of the new school year,” shared Karen Joseph, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Neighbors. “Amazon’s philanthropic partnership and $155,000 donation through Amazon Fresh helped us quickly expand our services into Arlington Public Schools last school year, where we helped approximately 970 hungry students, many of whom receivedsupport weekly.”

The Red Bag Events are the heart of Food For Neighbors. They mobilize individuals to shop for nonperishable food and essential toiletries, which they place in a red bag and leave on their doorsteps for collection. Volunteers, organized by neighborhoods, pick up the donations and bring them to one of nine central locations, where volunteers sort and then deliver them to school pantries. School social workers, counselors, and/or family liaisons identify students in need and distribute food and/or toiletries to them. Complementing programs provide food pantry shelving and storage for schools as well as grocery store gift cards for the most vulnerable students.

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Although Food For Neighbors has registered an amazing 2,600+ Red Bag food and toiletry donors and 2,500+ volunteers, the nonprofit welcomes additional Red Bag donors and volunteers as it continues to meet the need in its currently partnering schools and to say “yes” to new schools requesting support. New in September is Leesburg’s Belmont Ridge Middle School, which brings the total number of partnering schools to 42. Also key are the financial donations from individuals, foundations, businesses, and other organizations, which help keep the Red Bag and Grocery Gift Card programs running.

“I hope all of our generous donors and volunteers know that they’re truly making a difference,” emphasized Joseph. “With their help, we’re now reaching over 50 times as many children as we did when we began in 2016. The school staff with whom we work believe the reliable, supplemental food has had numerous positive impacts. Students are attending school more regularly, focusing better on their schoolwork, and improving their grades. These are immense gifts.”

Hunger is closer than you think. To learn more about becoming involved as a Red Bag donor, volunteer, monthly Hunger Hero, or community partner, visit https://www.foodforneighbors.o... or send an email to [email protected].

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

Skygazers in Virginia still have a few days to see a newly discovered green comet before it disappears for 400 years.

VIRGINIA — Skygazers in Virginia still have a few opportunities to see a newly discovered green comet hurtling along a path that will take it close to Earth and the sun before it disappears for another 400-plus years.

Comet Nishimura, discovered Aug. 11 by Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura, is already visible from Earth, but will make its closest approach to our planet on Tuesday. But the best chances to see it may be Sunday, when it makes its closest approach to the sun and reaches peak brightness.

The National Weather Service’s seven-day outlook calls for showers Tuesday night, partly cloudy skies Wednesday night, then clear skies Thursday through Saturday nights, and partly cloudy on Sunday evening.

During its close approach to Earth, the half-mile-wide comet will still be 78 million miles away. It’s visible to the naked eye, but “you really need a good pair of binoculars to pick it out and you also need to know where to look,” Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, told The Associated Press.

To see the comet, look toward the northeastern horizon about an hour and a half before dawn. Weather conditions permitting, the comet will be about 10 degrees above the horizon near the constellation Leo. The comet will brighten as it gets closer to the sun, but will drop lower in the sky, making it tricky to spot.

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Related: 2023 VA Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons And Full Moons

Virginia State Parks has four parks designated as International Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association: Staunton River, James River, Natural Bridge and Sky Meadows.

Other sports for star-gazing include: Assateague Island National Seashore, Grayson Highlands State Park, James River State Park, Meadows of Dan, Natural Bridge State Park, Natural Chimneys Park, Rappahannock County Park, and Shenandoah National Park, according to Space Tourism Guide.

The comet will come closest to the sun — closer than Mercury is — on Sunday before departing the solar system. That's assuming it doesn’t disintegrate when it buzzes the sun, though Chodas said “it’s likely to survive its passage.”

Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, told AP in an email that this week represents “the last, feasible chances” to see the comet from the Northern Hemisphere before it’s lost in the sun’s glare.

“The comet looks amazing right now, with a long, highly structured tail, a joy to image with a telescope,” he said of the rare green comet.

It’s unusual for an amateur to discover a comet these days, given all the professional sky surveys by powerful ground telescopes, Chodas said, adding, “this is [Nishimura’s] third find, so good for him.”

The comet last visited about 430 years ago, Chodas said. That's about a decade or two before Galileo invented the telescope.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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A heat advisory has been issued for the metro DC region, including Northern Virginia, with a high temperature of 100 degrees forecast.

|Updated Tue, Sep 5, 2023 at 11:34 am ET

VIRGINIA — Portions of the Washington, D.C., metro region are expected to endure high temperatures throughout Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Record highs could be set for the second day in a row.

A heat advisory is in effect for the District, Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., the NWS reported. Residents there can expect temperatures that feel like 105 degrees, while other areas will see temperatures in the lower 100s.

Tuesday's high temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s to around 100, with peak indices of 100 to 105 in the afternoon, according to NWS.

Labor Day saw record-breaking temperatures set at all three of the D.C.-area’s airports. Reagan National Airport reached 98 degrees, while both Baltimore-Washington Airport and Dulles International Airport recorded highs of 99 degrees, WTOP reported. The old record for Reagan National was 96 degrees, set in 2019. The previous record at Dulles was 95 degrees and set in 1985.

The hot weather will continue into Wednesday and through Thursday, producing normal to near-record high temperatures in the afternoon on both days, according to the NWS forecast.

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Numerous scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Thursday afternoon and into the evening hours, according to the forecast. These storms could become severe, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts.

Localities in Virginia affected by the heat advisory include the counties of Madison, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Fairfax, Arlington, Stafford, Fauquier, Loudoun County, and Prince William.

The advisory is also in affect for the following cities and localities: Manassas, Manassas Park, Culpeper, Reston, Herndon, Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly, McLean, Franconia, Fairfax City, Alexandria, Falls Church, Falmouth, Warrenton, Turnbull, Purcellville, Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Haymarket, Dale City, Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, and Montclair.

The heat wave will continue through Thursday, according to the Accuweather forecast. Temperatures on are expected to reach 97 degrees on Tuesday.

Expect hot and very humid weather Wednesday and Thursday, with high temperatures of 101 and 96, respectively, according to Accuweather. There is a 40 percent chance of rain with thunderstorms developing Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the temperatures are expect to dip to 88 degrees as a high, with a 74 percent chance of rain and a couple of thunderstorms predicted.

"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehiclesunder any circumstances.

"Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequentrest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1."

WednesdaySunny and hot, with a high near 101. Heat index values as high as 104. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Wednesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

ThursdayA chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday NightA chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

FridayShowers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday NightShowers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

SaturdayA chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday NightA chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

SundayA chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday NightA chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

MondayMostly sunny, with a high near 82.

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HERNDON, Va. - Neighbors in one northern Virginia community were shaken when they heard an explosion outside their homes this morning, the second such blast in two weeks.

Herndon’s Point Rider Lane is a loop near a new development being built by Christopher Companies.

Last Tuesday, without warning, neighbors there felt a big explosion. Then, Friday morning, another explosion.

"We got no notification that blasting was going to be happening and, we’re pretty upset," said Kevin Anderson.

WATCH: Video shows house shake from construction blast in Herndon

Video shows a house being shaken in northern Virginia after a second explosion in two weeks occurred at a nearby construction site. (VIDEO: Kevin Anders)

Anderson shared a video with FOX 5 of him working at a desk when the explosion happened, startling him.

"You can hear Dulles Airport from here. We’re used to loud noises, planes taking off, a lot of things happening. This was something completely different, it was an explosion, the whole house shook," Anderson said.

According to Fairfax County, Christopher Companies and its contractors did everything according to code.

Fairfax County has a code requirement of notifying people who live within 300 feet of the actual spot where a blast will occur. The county says the contractors did just that and the process is closely monitored by the county, an official tells FOX 5.

Floris Lane is a cul de sac that has homes within 300 feet. Neighbors there say they got notifications about the blast.

Neighbors on Floris Lane tell FOX 5 there was seismographic testing and other checks to ensure the homes would not be impacted by the blast.

Anderson tells FOX 5 he was worried about the structural integrity of his home and others, and was happy to hear the testing had been done on homes much closer to the blast site.

A representative from Christopher Companies tells FOX 5 Friday’s blast was the last they needed to do.