Vehicle pursuits have come to a near halt amid new rules to avoid overly aggressive policing that can endanger people and communities.
The Fairfax County Police Department recently reported that vehicle pursuits went from above 100 per year in 2019-2021 to one per month as of May 17.
In addition to adding more entries to the recent string of vehicle tampering incidents, the Vienna Police Department spent the week preceding Memorial Day weekend responding to crime reports that ranged from alarming to simply odd.
According to the weekly highlights for May 20-26, a citizen told Vienna police around 10:20 a.m. on Thursday (May 26) that he had overheard “two subjects inside a public transportation vehicle” discussing a bomb left at the Navy Federal Credit Union (820 Follin Lane SE).
Governor Attends Vienna Memorial Day Ceremony — “Vienna residents joined Gov. Glen Youngkin and other dignitaries at the Town Green today to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. In his remarks, Rear Admiral Fred Kacher noted that for Gold Star families, every day is Memorial Day.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
West Falls Church Apartment Fire Displaces Residents — Assisted by Arlington and Fairfax City, Fairfax Count fire investigators are looking into a two-alarm apartment fire that damaged 12 units in the 2900 block of Dover Lane on Sunday (May 29). There were no reported injuries, but an “unknown number” of residents were displaced, including a dog. [FCFRD/Facebook, Twitter]
Transgender Woman Sues Fairfax County Jail — A former inmate at Fairfax County Adult Detention Center alleges in a lawsuit that she was housed with men and experienced harassment after officials learned she was transgender. The case is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. [The Washington Post]
Lack of Defibrillators Keeps Reston Pools Closed — “Due to supply chain delays, the following five RA pools did not receive new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in time for Memorial Day weekend: Autumnwood, Ridge Heights, Hunters Woods, Golf Course Island, and Tall Oaks, according to an RA announcement.” [Patch]
Great Falls Pipeline Project Halted — “The Virginia Department of Transportation on May 24 issued a stop-work order for a Washington Gas pipeline-installation project on Georgetown Pike after receiving complaints from the Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA).” [Sun Gazette]
Woman Killed in Annandale Crash Was Community Advocate — “[Eileen] Garnett, 83, was a longtime advocate for revitalizing Annandale. On the day of the crash, she was with a group of county and state officials on an inspection tour of Annandale hosted by the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee.” [Annandale Today]
“Above-Average” Hurricane Season Forecast — “NOAA is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to six major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Centreville Park Gets Lighting Upgrades — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin a basketball lighting upgrade project this week at Chalet Woods Park, located at 14912 Cranoke St., Centreville, in the Sully District. The project scope includes removal of the existing poles and fixtures, followed by installation of new poles, fixtures and a push button for basketball court lights.” [FCPA]
It’s Tuesday — Humid throughout the day. High of 90 and low of 72. Sunrise at 5:47 am and sunset at 8:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
It’s not too late to enroll for the fall semester!
The Arlington-based Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University has extended the fall application deadline for domestic applicants to July 15.
The Schar School offers flexible part-time or full-time options for graduate certificate and master’s degree programs designed to teach applicable, real-world knowledge for in-demand careers. Learn more at the upcoming open house. Don’t miss our upcoming virtual open house for a chance to your future program director, chat with our admissions team, and get your questions answered, as well as learn about the new online options available for nearly all of our graduate programs.
Prospective master’s and graduate certificate students who attend this event will be provided with an application fee waiver for the Fall 2022 graduate application.
Master’s and Certificate Virtual Open House
June 8 at 6 p.m. Eastern
This will be the final open house until fall semester
This virtual event is the perfect opportunity to:
- Explore the school’s top-ranked master’s degree and graduate certificate programs
- Meet Schar School Dean Mark Rozell, program directors, alumni and admissions team
- Find out how the program works around a full-time job
- Learn about your program of interest in depth, including the curriculum, admissions requirements, and career opportunities
- Ask admissions team members specific questions about the application process
Master’s Degree Programs
Part-time, full-time, and online options available
- Biodefense, MS
- International Commerce and Policy, MA
- International Security, MA
- Organization Development and Knowledge Management, MS
- Political Science, MA
- Public Administration, MPA
- Public Policy, MPP
To learn more about graduate programs at the Schar School, register for the virtual open house or fill out our inquiry form.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Memorial Day weekend is almost here. Before you start planning how to spend the holiday 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.
With summer on the horizon, visitors are expected to flock to Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, but the Fairfax County Park Authority is warning now: leave the coolers, alcohol, and swimming suits at home.
The park authority and Fairfax County Police Department will step up enforcement of the nature preserve’s rules starting this weekend (May 28-29), a move that has become routine in recent summers.
Tysons Corner Center’s Summerfest is back.
The annual line-up of free events at the mall’s Plaza ushers in Memorial Day weekend tomorrow (Friday) with a 7 p.m. screening of the Disney film “Encanto,” the first of five planned outdoor movies.
Scheduled for the last Friday of every month through September, the family movie nights will include complimentary popcorn and soft drinks as long as supplies last.
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. While there will be plenty of activities to keep Fairfax County occupied, the holiday also means closures and schedule changes on Monday (May 30) for many public facilities.
Public schools
- All Fairfax County Public Schools and offices will be closed for the holiday, with classes resuming on Tuesday (May 31).
Fairfax County offices and facilities
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Watch around 6:20 a.m. today (Friday) that’s in effect until 2 p.m. for Fairfax County and the D.C. region.
Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible, the NWS said in an alert. A watch means tornadoes are possible, and the NWS Baltimore-Washington said on Twitter that scattered gusts could possibly reach 70 mph.
First Case of Monkeypox Hits Northern Virginia — “A Northern Virginia woman likely has monkeypox, the Virginia Dept. of Health announced today.” [ARLnow]
Man Settles Lawsuit with FCPD — “An unarmed Black man who was shocked with a stun gun wielded by a white Fairfax County police officer in June 2020 has reached a settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit, WTOP has learned.” [WTOP]
Closing Arguments Begin in Celebrity Case — After six weeks of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial causing some commotion at the county courthouse, it’s set to come to a close soon. Both sides rested their case on Thursday afternoon, and closing arguments are set to begin today. [WJLA]
Virginia Chamber Orchestra Performing at Botanical Gardens — The VCO is holding weekend concerts at the Korean Bell Garden at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Wolf Trap. The next performance is this Sunday (May 29) from 3-4 p.m. [VCO]
Local Teacher Helps Ukraine — “A teacher from Fairfax County, Virginia, is back from a trip to Poland, where she helped feed refugees who were fleeing Ukraine. Meredith Hedrick, who teaches English as a second language at Annandale High School, took a 10-day trip to participate in humanitarian relief efforts at the busiest border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, which includes vehicle, foot and train traffic.” [WTOP]
Vienna to be Featured on WETA — Vienna will be featured in an episode of “If You Lived Here” on WETA, spotlighting the town. The show is expected to air early next year. [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
FCPD Frees Turtle Stuck Under Tire — Fairfax County police tweeted a photo of an animal protection officer holding what appears to be a “smiling” snapping turtle that was rescued from under a car tire and freed. [FCPD/Twitter]
It’s Friday — Rain throughout the day. High of 70 and low of 65. Sunrise at 5:49 am and sunset at 8:26 pm. [Weather.gov]
