Fairfax Station Doctor Sentenced for Fraud — Physician Leonard Rosen was sentenced on Friday (March 18) to two years of probation, with six months of at-home confinement for his involvement in an $8 million fraud scheme where doctors prescribed expensive drugs to patients in exchange for bribes from pharmacists. [The Washington Post]
Connolly Announces Reelection Bid — “On Thursday, March 17, during his 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day Fete, held online, [Rep. Gerry] Connolly announced he would seek reelection to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District…The newly-drawn 11th District lies within the boundaries of Fairfax County…and includes Tysons, Fairfax City, Chantilly, and Reston.” [Potomac Local News]
Georgetown Pike Lane Closure Starts Today — “Great Falls: On Mon 3/21-Fri 3/25 for several hours beginning at 9AM daily, Georgetown Pike (Rt 193) will be down to one lane on the Difficult Run bridge for ongoing pedestrian crossing work. Crews will continue to stage in the @fairfaxparks lot.” [VDOT Northern Virginia/Twitter]
McLean Neighborhood Installs License Plate Readers — “Due to the fact that some high-profile people live in the area, FOX 5 is not disclosing the location to respect their privacy. Residents like Phil Horvitz, who is also an HOA board member, have been rattled after seeing an increase in crime, so they installed three high-tech license plate reader cameras.” [FOX5]
Person Assaulted with Pipe in Lincolnia — A person waiting for a rideshare vehicle in the 6200 block of Little River Turnpike on March 14 was assaulted with a metal pipe by a man who got out of an unknown vehicle. The victim was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and police say it doesn’t appear to have been a random act. [FCPD]
Fairfax County Firefighter Develops Behavioral Health Program — “A daily routine immersed in life-or-death situations can take a mental toll on first responders, and ‘The Mental Mayday’ program teaches members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia how to ask for help. It was developed by 10-year veteran of the department Lt. Adam Bartman.” [WTOP]
Fairfax Station Park to Get New Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin the Popes Head Park playground replacement project, which will require closure of the playground during the construction period. Contractors will be mobilizing on site shortly, with active construction activities beginning at the end of March 2022.” [FCPA]
McLean Citizens Association Changes Presidents — “Scott Spitzer, who has served as MCA First Vice President, was elected President to replace Rob Jackson. He said, ‘Rob Jackson’s deep knowledge of community issues, his wisdom and guidance, and his repeatedly answering the call to serve MCA and our community will be missed by all of us. We thank him for his exceptional public service.'” [MCA]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 40. Sunrise at 7:12 am and sunset at 7:23 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Before you step outside to take in the cherry blossoms or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Commuters passing through Vienna will need to last another week without their Starbucks fix.
The drive-thru cafe at 362 Maple Avenue East has been closed since Sunday (March 13) for renovations, as indicated by multiple signs posted around the building.
However, the coffee chain’s absence from town won’t be felt for long. The store will reopen on March 26, a Starbucks spokesperson told FFXnow.
“As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers,” the spokesperson said in an email. “…The store will reopen with new furniture, art, and handoff counter to better serve customers in the Vienna, Va., community.”
Fairfax County Park Authority officials and others are calling for changes in funding to ensure people are able to access recreational amenities and address repairs.
Staff and community groups like the Fairfax County NAACP say the upcoming budget being considered by the county Board of Supervisors is inadequate for addressing the park system’s needs. It could even take longer to take care of those needs with a proposal to lengthen the amount of time between bond votes.
Fairfax County Public Schools is moving forward with plans to convert the Dunn Loring Administration Center into an elementary school, despite questions from some school board and community members about the project’s urgency.
The Fairfax County School Board voted 10-0 with two abstentions on March 10 to let staff re-negotiate an existing architecture and engineering contract with the firm Samaha Associates, initiating a planning process that typically takes about two years, according to FCPS Executive Director for Facilities and Transportation Services Jessica Gillis.
Stuff the Bus Drive Returns Tomorrow — “Since inception, Stuff the Bus has collected over 220 tons of food to feed people experiencing food insecurity in Fairfax County. Donate to Stuff the Bus at any of these locations on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.” [Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services]
Reston Cooking Class Raises Funds for Ukraine — A borscht-making class raised nearly $179,000 to become one of the top fundraisers in World Central Kitchen “Cook for Ukraine” campaign, Reston Patch reported. Radhika Murari, the founder of Reston-based OmMade peanut butter, came up with the idea by helping two Ukrainian sisters promote their class. [Fairfax County EDA]
Fort Belvoir’s Name to Remain for Now — “The Naming Commission, tasked with choosing new names for Army installations that had been named for Confederate generals, has removed Fort Belvoir from consideration, according to a commission announcement this morning.” [Inside NoVA]
WeWork to Subsidize Rent for Local Startups — “Companies must commit to a six or 12-month lease in one of four WeWork D.C.-area locations — Metropolitan Square at 655 15th St. NW, the program’s hub, 1775 Tysons Blvd., 200 Massachusetts Ave. NW and Midtown Center — between now and the end of August, according to the terms and conditions.” [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Community Center Board Candidates Announced — “Early voting has started for the annual McLean Community Center governing board election. There are 12 candidates running for seats in 2022. The candidates include nine adults and three teens running for three adult positions and two youth positions.” [Patch]
British Consulting Firm Opens Tysons Office — “Buro Happold, a global engineering consultancy firm, has set up shop in the Washington, D.C. area, among five new cities the firm has entered. Roger Chang has been named principal and will head up the D.C. office, which is currently at 1775 Greensboro Station Place in Tysons, Va., with plans to operate space in the District as well.” [Commercial Observer]
Herndon Police Officers and Volunteers Recognized — “With community spread of COVID-19 remaining at low levels, the Herndon Police Department decided it was safe to finally host a public ceremony to recognize all of the officers and volunteers who’d received awards from 2019-2021.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 48. Sunrise at 7:16 a.m. and sunset at 7:20 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Tysons Galleria visitors can get a taste of West African cuisine this weekend, when the new Ghanaian pop-up Hedzole opens for business.
Expanding on regular appearances at local farmers’ markets, the stall will have a three-hour soft opening tomorrow (Friday) before officially opening on Saturday (March 19), Hedzole founder and owner Candice Mensah told FFXnow.
Fairfax County Public Schools will officially end the use of seclusion as a tool for managing student behavior when the next school year begins on Aug. 22.
The practice of confining a student to a room is already prohibited in most schools, but the Fairfax County School Board approved an update on March 10 that expands the ban to include the Key Center School, Kilmer Center, and private day and residential schools, starting with the 2022-2023 school year.
Plans for the massive development in the West Falls Church Metro station area were revised to provide new details on three of the project’s five buildings.
Known as FGCP-Metro LLC, developers EYA, Rushmark Properties, and Hoffman & Associates have partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to build more than 1 million square feet of residential, office and retail space on 24 acres of land currently occupied by parking.
Fairfax County officials are looking at ways to avoid drastic jumps in tax bills for vehicle owners.
The Board of Supervisors’ Budget Committee discussed options for providing relief on the county’s annual personal property tax with county staff on Tuesday (March 15). Assessment values on vehicles have spiked, leading to a potential increase from $229 to $415 for the average bill.
