Electrical Event Caused Chantilly House Fire — “Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in the electrical panel box located in the basement. The cause of the fire was an electrical event involving wiring in the electrical panel box.” [FCFRD]
Sheriff’s Office Donates Ballistic Vests to Ukraine — “Due to the dire situation in Ukraine and the scarcity of body armor, the Sheriff’s Office and our Supply section, led by 2nd Lt. Kim, are proud to be able to donate 110 ballistic vests for the Lift Up Ukraine campaign. We hope our equipment will help protect the lives of Ukrainians as they defend their country from the Russian invasion.” [Fairfax County Sheriff Facebook]
Historic Egg Roll in Vienna — From 5:30 – 7 p.m. today, Historic Freeman Store and Museum, 131 Church St., SE, will hold an egg roll. “Families and children 12 and younger are invited to enjoy an old-fashioned egg roll, games, story time and more! The event is presented by Historic Vienna, Inc. and the Town of Vienna. For more information email Lily Widman or call 703-255-6360.” [Town of Vienna]
Lake Accotink Carousel Closed — “Due to maintenance issues, Lake Accotink Park’s carousel will not be open this weekend. However, mini-Golf will be open for normal operations. Also, the lake is now available for private boating.” [Fairfax County Parks]
Some Now Eligible for Second Booster — This week, the FDA authorized, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended, a second booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine for people who are at least 50 years old; those between 18 and 49 who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine as both their primary dose and booster dose; and those who are 12 years old and older whose immune system is moderately or severely impaired based on disease or medications they are taking. [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
FCPS Highlights Program — “For some FCPS families, the children aren’t the only ones practicing their instruments each night. The FCPS Parent Orchestra, started four years ago, is a chance for parents to learn how to play, connect with their child’s learning, and create new friendships.” [FCPS]
It’s Friday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 63 and low of 40. Sunrise at 6:54 a.m. and sunset at 7:33 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Update at 9:15 p.m. — The earlier Tornado Warning, and one issued subsequently, have both been cancelled. It appears that a rotating storm — possibly a weak tornado — passed by Tysons Corner Center mall, according to video posted on social media. There are also reports of damage near the Tysons Corner Metro station.
Note that the video below contains strong language.
Maybe some damage to some businesses on international drive between the two malls. Power lines arcing is what alerted me. Came out of nowhere. Tornado went right over Tysons corner metro station.
— Christopher (@RealPotatus) April 1, 2022
BREAKING: trains are obstructed near Tyson’s Corner just west of D.C. from possible brief #tornado touchdown. https://t.co/PIuYE0Wwus
— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) April 1, 2022
Rotation seems to have quickly weakened once again but you need to be in your safe spots now! Lowest floor and most interior room of a sturdy building. #vawx #mdwx #dcwx pic.twitter.com/lIy1gPtEmP
— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) April 1, 2022
Earlier: Parts of Fairfax County are under a Tornado Warning.
Fairfax County Public Schools can use its revamped admissions process to evaluate the next class of prospective Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students, a federal appeals court ruled today (Thursday).
The overhauled admissions process, which replaced a standardized test with an essay, a higher grade-point-average requirement, and other criteria, is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit filed against the county school board by the Coalition for TJ, a parent and community group that opposes the changes.
The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Fairfax County and surrounding areas this afternoon (Thursday).
The Wind Advisory warns of winds between 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph and is in effect until 8 p.m., while the Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10 p.m.
Vienna is dipping into its sidewalk trust funds again.
During its March 21 meeting, the Vienna Town Council approved spending $261,448 to build sidewalks along two residential streets using money from the Robinson Trust Sidewalk Initiative, which was established by the late councilmember Maud Robinson’s estate after her death in 2019.
Vienna’s newest Mexican eatery serves up margaritas as well as tacos and fajitas.
El Sabor Grill is now open in the town’s Cedar Park Shopping Center (262 Cedar Lane), taking over the two suites that El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria vacated in January.
With new management and owners, El Sabor opened its doors on March 16. There was no new construction on the existing space, but the decor and menu are different from El Sol, according to General Manager Burcin Can.
Recent drug overdoses by teenagers in the Richmond Highway corridor and emergency care statistics have led Fairfax County officials to intensify their efforts to address the opioid epidemic.
Hospitals and urgent care centers in the county have seen nonfatal overdoses rise in the last three years, from 232 to 324 and 354 as of last year. Most of the opiate cases involve fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 80-100 times more powerful than morphine, while heroin cases are declining, the county health department told FFXnow.
Health Department Updates Covid Data — The county’s dashboard for COVID-19 data will report the 7-day average number of daily cases instead of the number of new cases, and two other metrics were added to the dashboard. The additions are the 7-day average number of daily new deaths, and the current community level, including the metrics that determine the level (hospitalizations, hospital capacity and cases within a community). [Fairfax County Government]
FBI Relaunches New HQ Search — “President Joe Biden’s administration made it clear that the federal government would be consolidating the FBI’s headquarters outside of D.C. in the General Services Administration’s fiscal year 2023 budget request…The move has been in limbo for years. During then-President Barack Obama’s administration, the GSA had narrowed down potential locations to Greenbelt, Landover and Springfield.” [Bisnow]
Three Fort Belvoir Firefighters Have Babies in 24 Hours — “They were all expecting their sons to be born soon, and they joked at the fire station that they would run into each other at the hospital. None of them thought it would actually happen.” [Washington Post]
Food for Fines Adapts to Read and Feed — “As of Jan. 1, FCPL no longer charges overdue fines on most materials. To continue its partnership with Food for Others, FCPL is now hosting ‘Read and Feed’ in April. Those who wish to give may simply drop off donations at any FCPL branch during its regular hours throughout the month of April.” [Fairfax County Government]
Vienna School Renovation Progresses — “Fairfax County Public Schools’ plan to renovate and expand Louise Archer Elementary School got some necessary boxes ticked March 21 when the Vienna Town Council unanimously approved a series of site modifications.” [Sun Gazette]
McLean Little League Opens Season — “McLean Little League players are busy scurrying around the baseball and softball diamonds these days, following the opening of the 2022 season. Enjoy these photos from the annual opening-day ceremonies, held March 26, as captured by Dave Facinoli.” [Sun Gazette]
Bluebells Festival Returns in Great Falls — “After a two-year hiatus, Bluebells at the Bend Festival is BACK! The day’s highlight features the emergence of the iconic Virginia Bluebells, native wildflowers that bloom in the moist woodlands of eastern North America and can create a bit of their spring magic in your own garden.” [Visit Fairfax]
Enjoy Cherry Blossoms at the PARC at Tysons — “#Spring is in #fullbloom at the PARC! Stop by next week, April 4-9 from 9 AM – 5 PM, to check out our @cherryblossfest decorations and enjoy #free fun-filled spring #activities and #treats from @tysons.creamery. You won’t want to miss this spring celebration! #spring2022” [Twitter]
Herndon Middle Schooler Earns Honors — “Jada Elfar, a seventh-grade student in Shawn Ratliff’s civics class at the King Abdullah Academy in Herndon, recently was named the winner in several levels of the American Legion Department of Virginia Middle School Essay Contest.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Thursday — Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 64 and low of 55. Sunrise at 6:56 a.m. and sunset at 7:32 p.m. [Weather.gov]
A highly-anticipated new community has entered the Northern Virginia market. Hudson Quarter is now selling a carefully curated collection of just 18 luxury homes from a sought-after area in Sleepy Hollow.
The homes at Hudson Quarter offer a spacious retreat from the hustle and bustle of popular nearby destinations. This remarkable community has been designed with a keen eye by the Gulick Group, a local builder renowned for their unique and artistic approach to building distinctive new homes.
Homeowners at Hudson Quarter will be able to select from three exceptional single-family home designs and customize with all of their desired features and finishes. Each available homesite sits on up to a third of an acre to ensure ample privacy. Inside the homes you’ll find plenty of room to unwind, with four to five bedrooms, three to four and a half baths and 4,200 to 8,000 finished square feet. Prices start from the $1.5Ms.
Equally as impressive as the homes themselves is the premier location that the neighborhood offers. Tucked away perfectly in Sleepy Hollow, residents will find themselves in a close-knit enclave without having to sacrifice any of the regional access desired for work and recreation.
In just moments, a short drive will take you from Hudson Quarter to nearby retail and dining hubs at the Mosaic District and Downtown Falls Church. Local farmers markets, grocery stores and outdoor recreation are even closer. Homeowners will also be able to get to Washington, D.C., Tysons and more with ease via nearby commuter routes.
Interest in Hudson Quarter has been steadily growing since the community officially opened for sale. Prospective home shoppers can find additional information at HudsonQuarterInFallsChurch.com or schedule a private appointment with Iman Elagazy at [email protected] or 703-844-8440.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A new bill that would let Virginia law enforcement use facial recognition technology is headed to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 741, which was proposed by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), would let local law enforcement agencies use the technology to investigate specific criminal incidents related to certain acts of violence and to identify deceased individuals and victims of online child sexual abuse material.
