Police recently seized over a dozen firearms and some drugs from a Maryland house in connection to an armed robbery at a hotel in Tysons.
Officers were called to the Residence Inn at 8400 Old Courthouse Road at 3:46 a.m. on Dec. 19 for the reported robbery, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“The suspects displayed a firearm and pistol whipped the victim before stealing money,” the FCPD said.
The resulting investigation identified a 33-year-old man from Maryland and a 26-year-old woman from Sterling as the suspects, police say.
It also led detectives to search a home in Prince George’s County where they found 13 firearms, three of them reported stolen, and four pounds of a substance believed to be meth. The Prince George’s County Police Department assisted with the search.
The man and woman were arrested by the FCPD’s Fugitive Track and Apprehension Squad. They’re both being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond and face charges of robbery and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
The woman has also been charged with crimes related to transporting and possessing drugs, including transportation of over an ounce of a Schedule I/II substance into Virginia, possession of a firearm with Schedule I/II narcotics, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a non-violent convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute Schedule I/II narcotics.
Image via Google Maps
D.C. Area Restaurant Week Extended — “The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington has decided to keep Winter Restaurant Week going from Jan. 22 to Jan. 28, doubling the amount of time visitors to participating D.C. restaurants can get multi-course meals at high-end restaurants for much cheaper prices. RAMW decided on the extension after this week’s snowstorms moved through the area.” [NBC4]
Fairfax Man Pleads Guilty to Having Machine Guns — “A 67-year-old Fairfax man pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of possessing an unlawful machine gun, according the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. [The man] admitted in court that he possessed four fully automatic machine guns” without “a valid Federal Firearms License or a Special Occupational Tax.” [Patch]
Taco Rock Ready for Lorton Opening — “Cordero Hospitality, a group of restaurant concepts run by chef and restaurateur Mike Cordero, plans to open its newest Taco Rock location Jan. 24 at Liberty Market in Lorton. The grand opening event starts at 11 a.m., and the first 50 guests will receive a free classic taco and a Taco Rock swag bag, according to a flyer from the store.” [On the MoVe]
New Police Conduct Standards Move Forward — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office has advanced temporary regulations meant to hold law enforcement officers accountable that are slated to go into effect in March, more than two years after state law required them to be in place. The delay appeared to be at least partially related to the administration’s so-far unsuccessful effort to revise the standards behind closed doors.” [VPM News]
Local Civic Groups Set Priorities for 2024 — “Civic associations in Great Falls, McLean, Vienna, Oakton and Providence District are not letting up in their monitoring of local affairs, advocacy with government officials and provision of community events.” Concerns include the county’s anticipated budget shortfall, school capacity issues and the impact of development. [Gazette Leader]
Chantilly Rec Center Adds Drop-In Child Care — “Great News for Parents at Cub Run Rec Center! We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new Drop-In Childcare service! Now, you can hit the gym, swim, or even take a fitness class knowing your infants and toddlers are in safe and caring hands. Visit the childcare room and meet with staff on Saturday, Jan. 27 to learn more!” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Facebook]
McLean-Based Mars Opens Chocolate Testing Facility — Last week, Mars Inc. “opened a $42 million research and development hub at its Goose Island campus in Chicago, where the headquarters of its snacking business is located. The 44,000-square-foot facility will allow the candymaker to create and refine new products, and is seen as a key component of its efforts to double the revenue of its snacking business — which includes famous brands like M&M’s and Snickers — to $36 billion in the next decade.” [Washington Business Journal]
Burke Teen Helps Launch Research Competition — “Emma Tukhi, a Robinson High School junior, is part of the first International Research Olympiad, created and run by student science researchers. In the past, Tukhi said, students grades 6-12 who were looking for research opportunities at local universities and summer programs lacked the research skills to make a practical contributions to such programs. The IRO competition is working to change that.” [WTOP]
It’s Tuesday — The weather will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature near 41 degrees and calm wind. Tuesday night, there’s a 30% chance of rain primarily after 1am, accompanied by mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature around 34 degrees with a light east wind. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) A state-level push to ease restrictions on accessory residential units could put Fairfax County at odds with one of its own senators.
The proposed Senate Bill 304 from state Sen. Saddam Salim (D-37) would require localities to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in residential districts and prohibit them from setting certain conditions, including the provision of dedicated parking for the unit.
Fresh off a primary upset of longtime senator Chap Petersen and a comfortable general election victory over Republican Ken Reid, Salim says he’s “proud” to sponsor the bill in his first term representing the 37th Senate District, which includes Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, Oakton and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
The legislation was crafted “to help Virginians with the skyrocketing cost of housing,” he told FFXnow in a statement. Filed on Jan. 9, the bill was referred to the Senate’s committee on local government, which met this morning (Monday) but didn’t list this on its docket.
“I have heard from so many Virginians who are being priced out of our communities due to a shortage of diverse and creative housing options,” Salim said. “This bill promotes housing affordability and addresses the growing housing crisis by taking action to increase our housing stock. ADUs provide additional living spaces, accommodating diverse housing needs without the need for extensive new construction.”
Defining an ADU as an independent, secondary unit on a single-family lot with its own living, bathroom and kitchen space, the bill would bar localities from requiring a special permit for the units, which must instead be permitted in residential districts as an accessory use. In Fairfax County, that means they would be generally permitted with only an administrative review.
Localities could impose a permit fee of up to $100 and require a one-ADU-per-lot limit, a rental period of at least 30 days, replacement of the main dwelling’s parking if it’s eliminated by the accessory unit, a maximum square footage of 75% of the main dwelling, and compliance with building codes, stormwater standards and other zoning rules.
However, localities wouldn’t be allowed to require dedicated parking for the ADU, lot sizes or setbacks that exceed the ones for the primary residence, a relationship or “affinity” between the primary and accessory dwelling occupants, owner occupancy of either unit, or “redundant water, sewer, or septic capacity for the ADU.”
The prohibitions on special permits and parking and ownership occupancy requirements clash with the regulations that Fairfax County adopted first in 2021 and, again, in May 2023 as part of its Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project, or zMOD.
With its first comprehensive zoning code update since 1978, the county allowed accessory living units (ALUs) — a renaming of ADUs to avoid confusion with affordable dwelling units — via administrative permit if they’re located in a basement or otherwise fully contained by the main dwelling without any exterior changes.
To be eligible for an administrative permit, rather than a special permit, which comes with its own standards, ALUs must meet size limits, have at most two occupants and two bedrooms, and have at least one parking space in addition to what’s required for the main residence. The county also requires that the property owner live in the primary or accessory dwelling.
Even with those restrictions, the addition of an administrative option expanded the viability of ALUs in the county, which previously limited them to residents 55 and older and people with disabilities. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Jeff McKay has compared the changes to the end of single-family-only zoning in Arlington and Alexandria in their potential to address the region’s constrained housing supply. Read More
Construction is underway to convert a warehouse in Tysons into an indoor pickleball facility.
The Pickleball Club of Tysons is now accepting membership reservations on its website after receiving the necessary approvals from Fairfax County to begin work at 8520 Tyco Road last week, according to co-owner Alesya Semukha-Greenberg.
With construction expected to finish this spring, the business is currently aiming for an April 1 grand opening.
“I’m most looking forward to [the club] being full all the time and getting the right person to run it and making everyone happy,” Pickleball Club of Tysons co-founder and CEO Marc Greenberg told FFXnow.
Located in an industrial park just southeast of the Route 7 and Dulles Access Road interchange, the recreational facility will feature six dedicated pickleball courts available for lessons, open play, competitive leagues and other events.
Like many other players, Greenberg developed an enthusiasm for pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a surge of interest in the half-century-old sport. He was introduced to the racket-based pasttime about a year and a half ago by fellow Pickleball Club of Tysons founder and chief operating officer Tarlika Amin, who raised the idea of opening her own club to address a lack of indoor courts in the area.
“There really is nowhere to play during the winter time,” Greenberg said. “In fact, the only people sort of creating courts are the counties and the country clubs, so those are two opposite ends of the spectrum. The county’s are public courts, and they’re good, but they’re outdoors and there’s a lot of noise issues, and the country clubs are very expensive and they take away from tennis courts. So, there are very few middle market clubs and that’s where I thought we could make a difference.”
As a real estate agent who lives in McLean, Greenberg agreed to help identify possible locations, and he immediately focused in on Tysons, though he ultimately looked across Northern Virginia, particularly inside the Capital Beltway (I-495).
“Tysons was my number-one choice,” he said. “The odds weren’t great, but then I found this space and the size was right, and most importantly, the column spacing was right so that we could put the courts in.”
The space presented some challenges. The club needed to get a special permit from the county to allow the pickleball courts, and since the warehouse only had heating, not air-conditioning, new HVAC units have to be installed — the project’s biggest expense.
Still, the industrial setting has benefits as well, saving the facility from the concerns about noise that have turned many residential neighborhoods against outdoor pickleball courts.
“There won’t be a noise issue on the outside because it’s 6-inch cinder block on the outside of the warehouse,” Greenberg said, acknowledging that indoor noise levels might still be a challenge.
While the Fairfax County Park Authority continues to add outdoor courts, the Pickleball Club of Tysons will eventually have some company in meeting the demand for indoor facilities. The new business Down the Line Sports Center will open two locations this year: a 10,000-square-foot facility in Fairfax City and a 50,000-square-foot, 18-court complex in Annandale.
Greenberg says it’s “great” to see that other facilities are in the works, since he believes “the demand is there.” The Pickleball Club of Tysons team hopes to expand to other locations in the future, but right now, they’re focused on making sure the Tyco Road one works.
Finding the right site is the biggest challenge to building indoor pickleball courts, according to Greenberg.
“You have the appropriate column spacing and you have the appropriate parking and the ceiling height,” he said. “So, you know, I think you can have a dozen of these in Fairfax County, but the land and the real estate is really not conducive to it, so it’s hard to do.”
Screenshot via Pickleball Club of Tysons/YouTube
Fairfax County’s only electric scooter provider will continue operating even after filing for bankruptcy last month.
The company, Bird, will also maintain its scooters in Fairfax City, where it’s one of two companies in a pilot program.
“We expect to continue operations in Fairfax and Fairfax County as normal and we look forward to working with the city and county administration as a partner into the future,” a Bird representative wrote in an email to FFXnow.
The county and city have both been told by the company that service will go on. Bird has permission to operate 300 devices in Fairfax County, while the City of Fairfax generally permits up to 250 devices per company.
Bird and Superpedestrian’s LINK got permission to bring their products to Fairfax County in July 2021 following a November 2019 county board ordinance regulated shared mobility devices. Superpedestrian recently stopped all U.S. operations, though it had already been dropped from the county’s operator list after failing to renew its permit in January 2022.
The county doesn’t appear to have any new partners in the offing at the moment.
“Anyone may submit a Shared Mobility Device Operator Permit Application for review,” wrote Rebecca Makely, director of the county’s department of cable and consumer services, in an email to FFXnow.
Bird’s shared mobility devices saw nearly 20,000 rides between July and December 2023, according to data provided by the county, with an average ride distance of just over a mile during that period.
FairfaxCity authorized a shared mobility pilot program of its own in May 2019, but has yet to establish a permanent program. Bird and San Francisco-based Lime are currently authorized under the pilot, which the city council unanimously voted to extend through June 30, 2024 at a Jan. 9 meeting.
City staff expects to develop a proposal for a more permanent program by the time this extension ends.
“There was a lot of bumpiness during Covid, but a lot of the operations and usage have stabilized, and we feel like we can now begin to transition to a more permanent, long-term program,” Chloe Ritter, the city’s multimodal transportation planner, said at the meeting.
While the city doesn’t expect Bird’s bankruptcy filing to have immediate effects, it could inform program planning.
“We can’t predict what’s going to happen in six months or two years, but I think it’s a good reminder for us to keep our program flexible to respond to those kinds of things,” Ritter said.
In neighboring Arlington County, scooter and e-bike provider Veo recently declined to renew its permit, citing market conditions. Superpedestrian is also exiting Arlington as it shutters its U.S. business.
Bird and Bird-owned Spin still operate in Arlington, as does Lime, which announced near the end of 2023 that it had logged 500 million total rides on its devices.
N. Va. Officials Push State to Pay More for Metro — “In Virginia (as usual), the funding picture is more complicated. The state pays a little less than half of the regular bill for Metro, with the six Northern Virginia jurisdictions served by Metro picking up the rest of the tab. Now, those jurisdictions say they’re counting on the state to also go halfsies on the stopgap funds.” [DCist]
Rules for Temporary Outdoor Dining Advance — “Proposed new outdoor-dining rules, modeled on ones implemented during the pandemic, on Jan. 10 earned the unanimous recommendation of the Fairfax County Planning Commission.” Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter got support for a motion to have no size limits on outdoor dining areas and an amendment to require the same operating hours as the restaurant. [Gazette Leader]
Housing Filling Up on Richmond Highway — “Between mid-July 2023 and early January 2024, the unit availability rate at two of the corridor’s newer higher-end properties, South Alex and The Belhaven, fell significantly, according to CoStar data…The increase in occupancy came despite the two properties’ average rent of over $2,300 per month, which is among the highest around the corridor.” [On the MoVe]
Chantilly Area an Outlier in Office Market — “Fourth-quarter reports from several major brokerage houses show a curious pattern: The office vacancy rate in Fairfax County’s Route 28 South submarket is relatively low. Cushman & Wakefield, for example, has vacancy in Route 28 South at 13.8%, well below…21.5% for Northern Virginia as a whole.” An “atypical confluence of government agencies and the contractors they attract” may explain the difference. [Washington Business Journal]
Youngkin Signs A.I. Directive — “As artificial intelligence becomes easier to access than ever before, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed an order that will implement guidelines in state schools and businesses…Youngkin said that $600,000 of the state’s ‘Unleashing Opportunity’ budget will be used to ‘launch pilots’ that evaluate the effectiveness of the new standards in the executive order.” [WTOP]
Legislators Urge Support for Nonprofit That Helped Afghan Refugees — “Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS), which coordinates the region’s services during mass-casualty events, stepped in with aid for thousands of Afghans during what was a lapse in federal support in the weeks after the Taliban took control of Kabul…After repeated attempts to recoup nearly $700,000 in costs incurred during that period, the State Department has still not paid the nonprofit, states the letter” from Virginia’s senators and Democratic representatives. [Washington Post]
Police Stop Erratic Driver in Vienna — “Fairfax County police on Jan. 12 at 3:47 p.m. issued a lookout for a man in a vehicle who was driving erratically and recklessly on Maple Avenue, at times driving onto the sidewalk, Vienna police said.” The man was ultimately apprehended after parking at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church and attempting to run away from pursuing officers. [Gazette Leader]
Dog Licenses Due at End of the Month — “Every dog four months or older must be licensed yearly with Fairfax County, and licenses are valid until Dec. 31 each year. Licenses cost $10 — except for service dogs which are given licenses for free. PetData charges a $2 service fee for credit or debit card payments.” [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high around 37 degrees as a calm wind shifts to the south at 5 to 8 mph during the morning. For Monday night, conditions become partly cloudy with a low of around 25 degrees and a southwest wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
As the Virginia General Assembly reaches its deadline for legislators to file bills for the 2024 session, Fairfax County’s representatives hope to pass bills on rent gouging, campaign finance reform and opioid prevention in schools.
The General Assembly convened in Richmond last Wednesday (Jan. 10) for a 60-day session ending March 9. With Democrats controlling the House of Delegates and the Senate, lawmakers could see at least some of their proposals become law. Here are some notable measures put forward:
Local anti-rent gouging authority: SB 366 would allow any locality to adopt provisions that prevent landlords from significantly raising rents and require them to notify tenants two months before an increase. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-33), would require notice and a public hearing prior to adopting any legislation.
Transportation
- Expanding the use of speed cameras: The identical bills HB 20 and HB 905 would allow local governments to install speed cameras in “any location deemed necessary.” Introduced by Del. Mike Jones (D-77) and Irene Shin (D-8), the legislation would allow for penalties up to $100.
- Funding for electric vehicle charging stations: Introduced by Sen. David Marsden (D-37), SB 457 would create a Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund to help developers cover some costs associated with installing electric vehicle charging stations.
- Towing fee regulations: SB 450, also from Marsden, tells the State Corporation Commission to analyze current regulations of towing fees “and identify policy options for the commission to assume all or part of such regulation.” The proposal requires the SCC to report its findings to the General Assembly by Nov. 30, 2024.
Special grand juries: Sponsored by Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-7), HB 167 requires a circuit court to impanel a special grand jury when a law enforcement or correctional officer kills an unarmed person. The bill also directs the court to appoint a special prosecutor who can be present during an investigation and interrogate witnesses if requested by the special grand jury. Last year, a special grand jury indicted the Fairfax County police officer who fatally shot Timothy Johnson in Tysons.
Prohibited personal use of campaign funds: HB 40 “prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee to personal use.” The bill from Del. Marcus Simon (D-53) lets any individual subject to the ban request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections. It advanced out of a subcommittee on Wednesday (Jan. 17) with amendments.
Education
- Tax to support schools: Sponsored by Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-29), SB 14 would authorize all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax of no more than 1% to fund the construction and renovations of schools.
- Naloxone policies and requirements: SB 387, sponsored by Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-36), requires each local school board to develop plans and policies for every public elementary and secondary school relating to opioid overdose prevention and reversal.
Invasive plants: HB 47 would require all retail sellers to provide signage identifying invasive plant species. The bill, sponsored by Del. Holly Seibold (D-35), would require the signs to say, “Plant with caution: invasive plant species. May cause environmental harm. Ask about alternatives.”
The deadline for state legislators to file bills with the clerk is 3 p.m. today (Friday).
Arguing that cleaning up these areas would reduce safety concerns, encourage more pedestrian traffic and improve property values, the developer soon met with Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who represents most of Tysons, and offered to test its concept by sponsoring the Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge Road interchange.
Once studied as a possible park, the site is “highly visible” and “perhaps the worst in terms of being overgrown,” Wilson says. He also highlighted its proximity to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, whose headquarters overlooks the interchange.
“I thought it would be good for them to see the neighborhood getting cleaned up,” Wilson said. “…You don’t really want to have this overgrown situation right at the same location as your economic development authority that’s promoting how wonderful and beautiful Fairfax is.”
The pitch won over Palchik, who then brought county staff and the Virginia Department of Transportation into the conversation.
“Everybody agreed it was a good thing to do,” Wilson said.
SCG is funding the clean-up with the help of a $10,000 contribution from fellow developer Comstock Companies and engineering and design services from VIKA Engineering. The company also worked with an arborist who identified trees that can be preserved, though most were dead or dying.
However, the actual plantings and landscape enhancements will be undertaken by the Tysons Community Alliance, whose mission as a community improvement organization includes creating attractive public spaces.
The TCA is currently developing a design and working to assemble funding for that second phase of the project, which isn’t expected to start until this fall or possibly even spring 2025. After clearing the existing vegetation, a process prolonged by the recent snow, SCG plans to monitor the site in case further treatment is needed when plants pop back up this spring.
“It’s going to take a while to continue to treat and eradicate the invasive species that are in that area. So, it’s not like the planting is going to happen tomorrow,” Le Blanc said, noting that some temporary “coming soon” signage will be placed at the site in about a month.
If the pilot is a success, the TCA hopes to use it to encourage businesses and community members to beautify other locations.
While no commitments have been made yet, Wilson is confident that other property owners will participate “once they see that it can work.” Capital One, for example, has expressed interest in cleaning up spots near its headquarters, and he hopes that Tysons Corner Center developer Macerich will get on board.
SCG is already planning to fix up a triangle of green space in the southeast quadrant of the Route 7 and I-495 interchange, near the office building at 1750 Old Meadow Road that it’s redeveloping as workforce housing.
“We’re excited by, so far, everybody’s working together and have a clear vision of what they want it to be at the end,” Le Blanc said. “I think that speaks very highly to, again, that collaboration and people coming to the table with a like-minded vision.”
Updated at 6 p.m. — The GW Parkway has reopened after closing for the snow, the National Park Service announced, though both north and southbound traffic is limited to a single lane in the construction area.
Earlier: Like the snow that triggered them, facility closures and service delays are piling up in Fairfax County.
After Fairfax County Public Schools determined last night that it will have a snow day today (Friday), the Fairfax County government announced shortly before 7 a.m. that it will instead close and grant employees administrative leave — a reversal of an earlier plan to operate as usual.
The closure includes the Fairfax County Government Center, which means that early voting for the 2024 presidential primaries won’t start today as scheduled. Instead, early voting will begin tomorrow (Saturday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County government centers.
The closure also applies to all Fairfax County Park Authority facilities and the county’s circuit, general district and juvenile and domestic relations courts. Neighborhood and Community Services has also preemptively postponed the “Stuff the Bus” food collection event that was scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) outside the West Falls Church Giant (7235 Arlington Blvd).
Due to the snow, the start of #earlyvoting has been rescheduled to tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 20.
Three locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: https://t.co/ma58h6E061#VoteEarly #GoVote pic.twitter.com/LHHTXAI2yc
— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) January 19, 2024
Inclement Weather Update (Friday, January 19, 7 a.m.)
FCPA facilities are closed all day.
Please check the website for more info on closures before visiting: https://t.co/mv3MG2V0md pic.twitter.com/jOs3ypYZFf— Fairfax County Parks (@fairfaxparks) January 19, 2024
For the second time this week, the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway from I-495 in McLean to Spout Run in Arlington has been temporarily closed to traffic due to the weather.
“This closure is necessary to ensure the proper treatment of the roadway and to restore the parkway to safe travel conditions,” the National Park Service said. “Crews will work diligently to treat the road for safe passage of drivers. Drivers should anticipate delays in reopening the northern section of the parkway as crews are required to use smaller equipment than usual to accommodate the lane widths and configurations.”
The NPS has said that it will shut down the roadway, which is under construction, if two or more inches of snow are forecast.
Other travel impacts include reduced Metrobus service, including some suspended routes and detours. Fairfax Connector is operating regular service, but some routes are making detours, particularly in the Herndon area.
A light snow is expected to continue falling into this afternoon, potentially adding another one to two inches, according to the Capital Weather Gang, which reported that more than three inches had already been recorded at Dulles International Airport before 9 a.m.
That snowfall comes on top of the two to five inches that fell on Monday and Tuesday, most of which hadn’t yet melted. That storm was the first time that the D.C. area had gotten over an inch of snow since 2022.
The National Weather Service, which has a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for the D.C. area through 7 p.m., warns that visibility will stay reduced along the I-66 and Route 50 corridors.
Light to moderate snow and reduced visibilities continue along and north of I-66/US-50 through this afternoon. Slick travel concerns will continue with a refreeze tonight as low temperatures fall into the teens. #MDwx #VAwx #WVwx #DCwx pic.twitter.com/p8klfUSsqV
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 19, 2024
8:47 am: Light snow falling now seems likely to persist into afternoon. Some bands moderate/briefly heavy. 1-2″ can fall before it winds down: https://t.co/fqTPCFWPIS
So far..
2.3 inches at National (6.4 this week)
3.1 inches at Dulles (7.5 this week) pic.twitter.com/ZGjmA15RKh— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 19, 2024
Audit Identifies Metro Safety Issues — “Metro workers responsible for maintaining key safety systems that help prevent collisions are not following internal procedures, and the engineers who are supposed to oversee them sometimes don’t notice because they aren’t looking at the data, according to an audit by the transit agency’s independent regulator.” [Washington Post]
Bomb Threat Reported at Lake Braddock School — Security at Lake Braddock Secondary School was stepped up yesterday (Thursday) after an anonymous student made a threat to bomb the school on TikTok. Activities continued “as regularly scheduled after the building was cleared” ahead of students arriving at 7:30 a.m. [WUSA9]
Investigation of Annandale Shooting Continues — Fairfax County police detectives are looking for a male suspect and two “associates” in connection to Tuesday’s shooting at the Fairmont Gardens apartments. The victim, an adult woman, was driven by a friend to a hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. [FCPD]
Fairfax City Pauses Yard Waste Collections — “Curbside collection of brush and debris will be suspended for the rest of the week (through Jan. 19) due to winter weather conditions. Please leave items at the curb until they are collected. Refuse and recycling collection will continue without interruption.” [City of Fairfax]
Missing Man Found Dead in Herndon — “Fairfax County Police Department officers were called to the 2400 block of Masons Ferry Drive for a death investigation around just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Someone had found a body behind an apartment building in the area.” Police identified the body as a man who went missing on Jan. 11, stating that “no foul play is suspected.” [WUSA9]
Meals Tax Revenue Dips in Vienna — “The Vienna town government is on solid financial ground midway through fiscal year 2024, although its meals-tax revenues have taken a minor hit and housing costs continue to escalate. ‘We are in good financial shape,’ town finance director Marion Serfass told the Vienna Town Council when presenting the town’s mid-year financial report Jan. 8.” [Gazette Leader]
Fire Department Adds Medical Specialists — “This week #FCFRD launched 3 EMS Specialist postions to support our EMS providers. 3 Lieutenant/Paramedics will provide support during emergency incidents allowing for a greater skillset & more advanced interventions available. They will also provide EMS training throughout FCFRD.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Advocates Urge Virginia to Let Localities Ban Leaf Blowers — Members of Quiet, Clean NOVA let loose on four gas-powered leaf blowers outside the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 11 “to raise awareness” of the noise and air pollution they generate. Bills introduced by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Great Falls) and Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Fairfax) would give cities and counties the authority to prohibit the tools. [Patch]
It’s Friday — Snow is expected mainly before 1pm, with a high near 34 and a 90% chance of precipitation. New snow accumulation will be less than an inch. Friday night, there is a slight chance of snow showers before 1am, with partly cloudy conditions and a low around 19. The chance of precipitation drops to 20%. [Weather.gov]
