Google to Buy Reston Company for Billions — “Reston, Virginia-based cybersecurity company Mandiant will be acquired by Google for $5.4 billion. Mandiant, founded in 2004, has about 2,300 employees, including more than 600 consultants and more than 300 intelligence analysts responding to thousands of security breaches a year.” [WTOP]
Court Hears School Masking Lawsuit — Attorneys for parents of immunocompromised children and Virginia made arguments on Monday (March 7) for and against letting schools mandate masks in some situations to accomodate students with disabilities. The Fairfax County School Board filed a brief in support of the parents, calling the state’s optional mask law unconstitutional. [Inside NoVA]
Historic District Approved for Hollin Hills — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday (Tuesday) to designate Hollin Hills near Hybla Valley as a Historic Overlay District. The move requires property owners and developers to get the Architectural Review Board’s approval for some projects, including demolitions and home additions. [Fairfax County Government]
Local Ukrainian Americans Fear for Families — “Three Ukrainian Americans contacted by Annandale Today are stressed out, barely able to sleep, and worried about their relatives back home, as the brutal invasion by Russia continues.” [Annandale Today]
Saslaw Leads Negotiations on Possible NFL Stadium — “Virginia would kick in no more than $350 million in state tax revenue to build a potential home for the Washington Commanders under a new plan…Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax), who had first estimated that the state would forfeit about $1 billion for a stadium, said Tuesday that he had insisted on the cap in recent negotiations with the team.” [The Washington Post]
Cars Preferred Over Metro Despite Worsening Traffic — “The latest numbers from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments indicate traffic in our area is about 95% of what it was pre-pandemic, while Metrorail numbers show as of last week riders were only taking about 29% of the number of trips they took pre-pandemic on an average weekday in 2019.” [ABC7]
McLean High Alumnus Takes Center Stage — “A graduate of McLean High School is coming home to Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia. Alex Stone stars in the national tour of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Friday through Sunday.” [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Rain is expected, mainly before 2 p.m. The high today is near 41 and low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The sun rose at 6:27 a.m. and will set at 6:10 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity wants police to get paid more, citing concerns over vacancies and burnout.
In an email and during a Board of Supervisors meeting today (Tuesday), Herrity called for the county to allocate $20 million to increase salaries by 10% for Fairfax County Police Department employees with the rank of second lieutenant and below in the upcoming budget.
Hikers at Turkey Run Park now have safer access to trails alongside the Potomac River, thanks to the hard work of more than 100 volunteers.
The National Park Service and the nonprofit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club officially reopened a half-mile section of trail in the McLean park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday (March 5), the NPS announced.
It was the federal agency’s largest volunteer-designed and built project in the D.C. area, according to a press release.
After receiving two complaints in the last year, Fairfax County’s Police Civilian Review Panel is recommending that the police department address swatting incidents before one turns tragic.
In its annual report, the panel urged the Fairfax County Police Department to adjust how it handles “swatting incidents” — when police are called on someone as a hoax, putting residents and officers in danger.
Sunglass Hut has set its sights at the Mosaic District.
The international sunglasses retailer, which has its roots in Florida, plans to open up shop at 2920 District Avenue.
The company did not return multiple requests for comment from FFXnow.
County permits indicate that the business has received permits for its sprinkler system and is actively working on completing the new layout.
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.
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.
