Statewide Tornado Drill Today — As part of its annual Severe Weather Awareness Week, Virginia will hold a statewide tornado drill at 9:45 a.m. today (Tuesday). The signal will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System, but there won’t be an actual tornado warning, which would mean that a twister is imminent or already underway. [Herndon Police/Twitter]
“Coastal” Tex-Mex Restaurant Planned for Tysons — “Long Shot Hospitality, which operates seafood-centric Salt Line and New Orleans hotspot Dauphine’s, is gearing up for a new project. Chef Kyle Bailey and partners will open an 11,000-square-foot Tex-Mex restaurant at the new Capital One Center in Tysons, Virginia, next year.” [Washingtonian]
Reston Company Carries Russian Propaganda — Reston Translator carries the FM radio signal in the D.C. area for the Capitol Heights station WZHF, one of just five U.S. stations that broadcasts Kremlin-approved “Radio Sputnik” programming. Despite Cold War-era tensions in the air, the owner of the South Reston-based company says he’s “a fervent believer in the First Amendment.” [The Washington Post]
Burke Brewery Toasts “Bunny Man” Legend — “The Fairfax folklore of the Bunny Man has brought scary stories to generations in Northern Virginia. Now, you can hear this wild tale over a pint of Bunnyman beer from a brewery celebrating this creepy story. Bunnyman Brewing, on Guinea Road in Fairfax, is just a few miles from a bridge at the center of an urban legend about a hatchet-wielding man in a bunny costume.” [NBC4]
Driver Evades Drinking-and-Driving Charge in Vienna — Vienna Police attempted to issue a summons to a driver who committed a traffic violation in the 2100 block of Chain Bridge Road at 1:53 a.m. on Feb. 25. The driver failed sobriety tests, but police learned that he had full diplomatic immunity. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
County Park Welcomes Baby Sheep — “It’s a sure sign of spring: baby animals at Frying Pan Farm Park! Fluffette delivered triplet rams (boys) on February 28. Lane delivered twins (one boy/one girl) on March 1. The sheep are all in Kidwell Barn and will go outside near the barn on nice days.” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Twitter]
Social Worker at Springfield School Awarded — “Claudia McDowell, a school social worker at Lynbrook Elementary School, has been named the 2022 National School Worker of the Year by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) for her commitment to the profession and for positively impacting the lives of the students, families, and staff of the communities she serves.” [FCPS]
It’s Tuesday — Today is mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. The low will be around 37. The sun rose at 6:29 a.m. and will set at 6:09 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Anyone in the market for some home decor might want to stop by Tysons Galleria next week.
The furniture company Crate & Barrel and its sister brand CB2 will open adjacent stores in the mall on March 17, a spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow.
For the new store, Crate & Barrel is relocating its nearly 35,000-square-foot, standalone outlet that originally opened on International Drive near Tysons Corner Center in 2000. It will remain the company’s only site in Fairfax County and one of only three in the D.C. area, joined by stores in Arlington and downtown D.C.
For the first time since November, Fairfax County has added fewer than 100 new COVID-19 cases on two consecutive days.
There were 51 new cases reported today (Monday) in the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. The 45 cases added yesterday represented the fewest daily cases since Nov. 16, when only eight new cases came in, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
There have been a number of different local organized efforts to raise funds to help Ukraine.
Some bakers did a “Bake for Ukraine” fundraiser, which sold out pretty quickly. Bobby’s Bagel Café in Oakton has blue and yellow bagels and cookies for sale (preorder only one day in advance), with a portion of proceeds going to the World Central Kitchen.
If you’re looking for more ways to support our friends in Ukraine, here are a few ideas:
If you’re able to provide items, my company — McEneaney Associates — is working with The St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral to ship the following items:
- Baby/kids/adults winter clothes
- All sizes winter shoes
- Blankets
- Feminine hygiene product
- First aid kits
- Thermal wear kids/adults
- Baby formula
- Baby bottles (!)
- Baby diapers
- Dry milk
- Dry potato powder
- Instant oatmeal
- Instant pasta/cup noodles
- Mac and cheese
- Crackers
- Coffee/tea
Items can be new or worn.
You can also donate funds to them directly on their website. If you have questions about this fundraiser you may contact Danielle Moran, Agent and Community Support at [email protected]. You can deliver or ship these items to the church at 15100 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20905.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Sewer service bills are slated to increase by $38 on average, even with Fairfax County lowering a series of annual increases.
Fairfax County unveiled a proposed budget in February, which would increase a variety of sewer costs. The county noted the increases are lower than what it approved last year in a five-year service schedule.
The proposed changes call for the following:
- The sewer service charge per 1,000 gallons of water, currently $7.72, would become $8.09 — a 4.8% increase — for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July to June. The rate would increase each subsequent year, becoming $8.41, $8.73, $9.21 and $9.67.
- The quarterly sewer base charge, currently $36.54, would become $40.14 — a 9.9% increase. The rate each subsequent year would then be $44.43, $49.09, $51.79 and finally $54.38. Rates would vary based on connection line sizes.
- One-time hookup charges are proposed to increase from $8,507 to $8,592, a 1% increase, for a single-family residence starting in July and 1% annual increases for the following four fiscal years.
The county commented on the potential increases in a proposed budget:
For the second time in as many weeks, a Tysons-based company has shared plans to expand its local operations.
The technology services provider Easy Dynamics Corporation will invest $100,000 in its Tysons office at 2000 Corporate Ridge, a move that will create 61 new jobs, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced today (Monday).
According to the news release, the new jobs will range from software engineers and business analysts to project managers and other business support roles.
Fairfax County government leaders are debating changes to property tax bills amid tensions with soaring home values.
During a regular meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors will likely advertise a property tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of assessed value. That is the same as last year’s rate, but bills are still expected to go up, due to soaring real estate assessments.
Woman Dies in Crash on I-495 — Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash on I-495 near the Eisenhower Avenue Connector in the Rose Hill area. The crash occurred at 9:27 p.m. on Saturday (March 5) when a sedan hit a disabled vehicle, causing it to catch fire. The driver of the disabled vehicle died at the scene, while the sedan driver suffered minor injuries and was arrested on multiple charges, including driving under the influence. [Virginia State Police, InsideNova]
Trial for McLean Murder Suspect Begins — “Fairfax County police quickly announced that what unfolded inside the large, yellow home in McLean in 2017 appeared to be a tragic murder-suicide…But after a 16-month investigation, police offered a stunning turnabout: what initially appeared to be a murder-suicide was allegedly a double killing. They claimed the scene had been carefully staged by the real perpetrator.” [The Washington Post]
I-66 to Close Overnight in Fairfax This Week — “All lanes of I-66 West approaching Route 50 will close nightly, March 9-12, to allow for installation of bridge beams for a new access ramp from the future westbound I-66 Express Lanes to Route 50 West as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]
No Injuries Reported in Reston Shooting Incident — Police responded to the 2200 block of Castle Rock Square around 11:17 p.m. last Tuesday (March 1) after members of the Shadowood Condominium complex community reported hearing gunshots. Officers found damage to a buildings and numerous cartridge cases in the area. [Patch]
Lorton Pizza Restaurant Robbed — According to Fairfax County police, a man entered Antonelli’s Pizza (8212 Gunston Corner Lane) around 9:53 p.m. on March 1 and assaulted an employee. The man walked behind the counter, discharged a firearm, and took property before leaving. The employee was treated for injuries considered not life threatening. [FCPD]
Sheriff’s Office Expands Mental Health Services for Staff — “Dr. Grace Davidson, Licensed Professional Counselor, recently joined the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office under contract full-time to provide behavioral health services for the agency’s 550 employees and their families.” [Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office]
McLean Teacher Gives Art Class to Support Ukraine Relief — “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pamela Saunders has used art as a way to keep children engaged during virtual learning. Now she can use her platform as a way to show support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.” [Patch]
Work Begins Today on New Lorton Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin work on a new playground at Laurel Hill Central Green. Construction is scheduled to start the week of March 7 and is anticipated to be completed next month.” [FCPA/Twitter]
New Sidewalk Built to Park in Groveton — “The Telegraph Road Walkway project features more than half a mile of new sidewalk along the south side of Telegraph Road from 500 feet north of S. Kings Highway to the entrance of Lee District Park and Rose Hill Road. Watch the ribbon cutting ceremony.” [Fairfax TV Channel 16/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 4 p.m. Today will have a high near 80 and low near 42. It will be breezy, with a southwest wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunrise was at 6:30 a.m. and sunset will be at 6:08 p.m. [weather.gov]
Fairfax County Public Schools has asked a federal court to let its current Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology admissions process stay in place while a legal battle over the new system continues.
U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton issued an order last Friday (Feb. 25) invalidating the school system’s overhaul, calling the elimination of a standardized test and other changes intended to increase student diversity at the magnet school discriminatory against Asian Americans.
The weekend is almost here. Before truck convoys potentially disrupt traffic in the D.C. area or you 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.
