Firefighters, medics and other Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department employees will have a union represent them in the county’s first collective bargaining negotiations for public workers in over 40 years.
Over 800 FCFRD workers participated in a 13-day election last month to determine whether to have union representation for contract talks with the county government, which will establish pay, benefits and other working conditions.
The only union in contention, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 2068 won with a decisive 797 votes, or 95.2%. The only other option on the ballot was to have no representation, which received 40 votes, the union announced Friday (Nov. 18).
With 1,533 members, Local 2068 represents firefighters, fire marshals, mechanics, medics and emergency dispatchers employed by Fairfax County. 837 eligible voters — 54.6% — cast a ballot in the election from Oct. 12-31.
“This is a monumental day for the members of our department,” IAFF 2068 President Robert Young said in a news release. “But it’s also a monumental day for all Fairfax County employees, and all of the residents of our community. We’ve shown that when Fairfax County workers come together…we have the power to have a say in the decisions that impact our lives and the lives of the communities we serve.”
Last week our Election for Bargaining Representation was officially certified – Local 2068 won with over 95% of the vote (!!!)
Huge shoutout to the members of our department who voted – we look forward to negotiating/working w/ the County – Full media adv. attached#UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/MYwts1QdEd
— Fairfax Firefighters (@IAFF2068) November 20, 2022
After Virginia ended a 44-year ban on collective bargaining for public sector workers in May 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on Oct. 19, 2021 granting employees the right to organize, elect union representatives and participate in union activities.
Under the ordinance, the county will recognize separate bargaining units for the fire department, police and other county workers. Elections haven’t been held yet for the police and general government units.
With negotiations expected to begin in early 2023, Local 2068 says one priority will be addressing the staffing shortages that have affected the fire department and other county agencies, from police to the park authority and public library system.
Local 2068 says first responders have been forced to work mandatory overtime, adding 12 to 24 hours on top of their standard 24-hour shift “sometimes with little to no notice.” The union says its members have performed over 80,000 hours of “holdovers” — equal to 3,333 24-hour days.
“Having members work such excessive mandatory overtime isn’t just bad for their health, but it’s a potential hazard for the community members we serve,” Young said. “We look forward to addressing this issue at the bargaining table.”
Collective bargaining negotiations will last up to November 2023. A resulting agreement won’t take effect until July 1, 2024, when the county’s fiscal year 2025 begins.
Some issues could be addressed earlier as part of the upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget process, which will begin in earnest when County Executive Bryan Hill presents his proposed plan on Feb. 21.
Young said Local 2068 will advocate for merit and cost of living pay increases as well as funding for automated ambulance loaders — stretchers where the legs automatically fold up as the device is rolled into a vehicle.
“We’re the only jurisdiction in the region that doesn’t have access to these tools, tools that not only help prevent members from being injured, but also help us deliver faster and safer service to the community,” Young said.
Reston Town Center’s holiday parade is set for this Friday (Nov. 25), kicking off a series of holiday events for the season.
The annual parade, now in its 31st year, will march down Market Street at 11 a.m.
At the conclusion of the half-mile-long parade, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will arrive on a horse-drawn carriage. The event also includes balloons, entertainment, and marking bands.
Following the parade, the couple will be on hand for the town center’s annual Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m.
The parade is sponsored by Reston Town Center, Reston Community Center and Reston Town Center Association.
A character meet and greet is slated for 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Fountain Square. Mini-train rides are scheduled for 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the pavilion. Horse-drawn carriage rides take place between 6-10 p.m. at the pavilion as well.
Parking is free in all garages on Friday.
As in previous years defined by the pandemic, parade bells will not be distributed.
“We hope to continue this popular tradition in the coming years when social distancing is not an issue,” event organizers said.
The parade has once again been nominated for USA Today’s annual Readers’ choice awards for the best holiday parades in the country.
If you plan on driving the newly extended I-66 Express Lanes next month, make sure there are at least two other people in the car to avoid paying a toll.
The entire length of the I-66 toll lanes will shift from HOV2 to HOV3 in early December, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently announced.
Starting Dec. 5, only those with traveling with three or more people will be able to use the lanes for free. This is a change from the previous standard of two or more passengers.
Single riders or those traveling with just two passengers will have to pay a toll, with the price varying based on traffic volumes (known as “dynamic tolling”).
The change will apply to the entire 32-mile length of the I-66 Express Lanes, including the existing 9-mile section inside the Beltway (I-495) from Dunn Loring to Route 29 in Rosslyn. A new Beltway ramp to I-66 just opened this week.
That portion of I-66 operates as HOV on weekdays during peak hours and in peak directions. Otherwise, the express lanes are free and have no occupancy requirement.
VDOT also notes that, in order to use the lanes during rush hour, drivers need an E-ZPass transponder.
The state transportation agency said in a press release that the new requirements are “consistent with HOV requirements on the other express lanes in Northern Virginia.”
In a statement to FFXnow, a VDOT spokesperson said consistency and federal environmental standards were the biggest reasons for the change:
This change supports the National Capital Region’s Transportation Planning Board’s policy to change HOV-2 to HOV-3 throughout the region in order to move more people with fewer vehicles and comply with the federal Clean Air Act Amendment. This change is also consistent with the other express lanes in Northern Virginia on I-95, I-395, and I-495, and is aligned with Virginia’s policy that HOV-3 be the requirement for toll-free travel on all privately-operated express lanes in Virginia. This rule applies to I-66 Express Lanes Outside the Beltway, which are operated by I-66 Express Mobility Partners under a public-private partnership with the Commonwealth.
The switch from HOV2 to HOV3 was first approved in 2016 by Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board.
The portion of the express lanes inside the Beltway opened five years ago, accompanied by a good amount of griping about the high toll prices.
The 22-mile section outside of the Beltway is almost fully operational after about six years of work. A 9-mile stretch from Route 28 in Centreville to Route 29 in Gainesville opened in early September, and the westbound lanes from I-495 in Dunn Loring to Route 28 became operational yesterday.
The eastbound lanes could open as early as tomorrow, a few weeks ahead of schedule, VDOT says. Work in the corridor will continue through mid-2023 on other elements of the Transform 66 project, including new interchanges and a parallel shared-use path.
A version of this story appeared earlier on FFXnow’s sister site, ARLnow.
County Chair Reacts to Club Q Mass Shooting — “I want to be unequivocal: I stand with our LGBTQIA+ community. The repugnant violence we saw in Colorado Springs has no place in society. We will never give in to the forces of hate or oppression. My heart breaks for the victims and their families.” [Jeff McKay/Twitter]
Developer Hopes to Obtain Land for Housing at Innovation Station — “While the details haven’t been hammered out, Peterson hopes the county would sell or ground lease its parcel for some nominal price, Taylor Chess, Peterson’s president of development, said in an interview. Such a deal would help to make the project economically viable over the long haul” [Washington Business Journal]
Falls Church Man Spends Record Number of Days in Space — “Today, the Falls Church-born [Mark] Vande Hei isn’t just an astronaut, but a record-setting one. When he returned from 355 consecutive days in space this past March, he set an all-time record for Americans.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Virginia Celebrates First Kimchi Day — “On Saturday, in recognition of the milestone, the Korean American Women’s Association hosted a kimchi festival at Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Springfield, reenacting a familial ritual…Virginia’s Kimchi Day was established when Irene Shin (D)…proposed a resolution to make it official in January.” [The Washington Post]
Old Courthouse Road Gets Sidewalk — “Remember that old pedestrian path along Old Courthouse Road between Battery Park Street and Pine Valley Drive? Well, it’s a thing of the past as new ADA-compliant sidewalks, curb and gutter, and drainage improvements have been installed! The project isn’t complete yet, as roadway repaving and resurfacing begins this upcoming Monday, Nov. 21, through Wednesday, Nov. 23.” [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
Staff Shortage Affects Fort Belvoir Gate — “Since Oct. 31, Fort Belvoir’s Walker Gate — which reopened last February following the replacement of Dogue Creek Bridge — has experienced nearly daily schedule changes due to staffing challenges. The shortage of guards available to man the gate is not unique to the local garrison; it’s a problem throughout the National Capital Region (NCR).” [On the MoVe]
Fire Chiefs Organization Relocates HQ to Tysons — “The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Headquarters (HQ) offices will be moving from its current location in Chantilly to the Tyson’s Corner area in Fairfax County, VA in early December…This location will provide better headquarters access for IAFC leadership and members” [Firehouse]
Park Authority Spokesperson Reflects on Career — “In 21 years as Fairfax County Park Authority’s public-information officer, Judy Pedersen visited nearly all of the agency’s 420 sites, hosted countless community meetings about park projects and was the media’s go-to person during natural and human-caused crises.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 50 and low of 25. Sunrise at 6:59 am and sunset at 4:52 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Before you hop on (or lament) the latest addition to the I-66 toll lanes 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:
- BREAKING: Teen pedestrian killed in crash on Columbia Pike
- With opening day tomorrow, here’s what you need to know about Silver Line Phase II
- Fast-food chain Roy Rogers, named after Hollywood’s cowboy king, was born in Fairfax County
- Herndon house fire displaces eight people, cat rescued
- Redevelopment of former Sheraton Tysons Hotel could bring new public gathering spaces
- After decades of planning, Silver Line Phase II officially opens
- Two killed in separate vehicle crashes in Great Falls and West Springfield
- Fairfax County extends farmers market season into December for three sites
- Nintendo gaming pop-up coming to Tysons Corner Center
- Covid cases stay down, but other respiratory illnesses are surging, N. Va. health leaders say
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.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. Have a great weekend, Fairfax County!
Another child care facility is planning to add itself to the mix in Herndon.
Celebree School of Herndon, a private company that offers early childhood education, plans to open in the summer of 2023 at 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive — a Reston address that is on the border with Herndon.
The new location is one of four schools expected to open in the state by the end of next year. Other locations include Arlington, Alexandria and Dulles.
“After developing successful schools in our home state of Maryland, Virginia was a natural next step as a target growth area for our continued franchise expansion,” Celebree founder and CEO Richard Huffman said. “With strong demand for high-quality early childhood education and brand awareness from our successful corporate schools in a neighboring state, we’re eager to get these new schools open and operating to best serve the community.”
The company already has locations in Reston, Henrico, Ashburn and Tysons. It was founded in 1994 with the mission to “grow people big and small.” The business began to set up franchises in 2019.
Celebree offers programs for children between 6 weeks and 12 years old. Care will be available part-time and full-time.
Fairfax County’s new online platform for permitting, zoning and other land use activities has hit a speed bump.
A backlog of applications has emerged since the county finished rolling out its Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) on Oct. 31 due to issues with the technology, Fairfax County Land Development Services confirmed.
“Due to a technical issue, LDS is currently processing a backlog of applications following the launch of the updated Planning and Land Use System (PLUS),” LDS Director William Hicks said in a statement to FFXnow. “We are working to resolve the issue and temporary workarounds for customers are in place until a solution can be implemented.”
PLUS has been in the works for years, as the county’s planning and development agencies pushed to modernize and consolidate processes that had been siloed in a sprawling network of platforms.
The upgrade’s first phase launched in October 2020, moving materials related to food permits, street name and address changes, and zoning pre-application meetings over to the new system. Other transactions, from fire code permits to public facility reviews (known as 2232 reviews), followed over the next two years.
The rollout culminated in late October with the conversion of the permitting and inspections database (rest in peace, FIDO) and plans and waivers system (PAWS). The process required a 10-day shutdown of all land use systems starting Oct. 21.
Though the county announced on Nov. 1 that the full PLUS was now available, the transition has evidently not gone as smoothly as hoped.
An anonymous tipster told FFXnow that the system hasn’t been working since the temporary outage on Oct. 21, affecting occupancy and residential use permits:
Permits are not getting issued. This is also affecting tenants getting occupancy permit, not allowing them to move into the spaces, residents moving into their home because RUPs cannot be issued. The County has been at a dead stop for almost a month now and people are getting very upset. Fairfax also is not giving out any information on when the system will start to work again.
LDS didn’t specify what the technical issues are, but a spokesperson confirmed they’re affecting all applications, not just ones that migrated with the final phase of the rollout.
A new page added to the LDS website yesterday breaks down the known challenges with details about what happened and who to contact as staff try to fix PLUS.
For example, data for some development projects started before Oct. 21 got corrupted, preventing users from accessing their documents. The county has a complaint form that those affected should complete.
Hicks says customers with questions can call the LDS customer line at 703-222-0801, though there is currently an approximately 2-hour-long wait.
According to the alert issued at 3 p.m. yesterday, the county has over 1,000 building permits and plans to process, which could take over two weeks:
- Customer Walk-in Service (no appointment): approximately 30-minute queue
- Virtual Appointments with Customer Service: 3 – 4 business days
- Processing Building Permits and Plans: 2+ weeks (over 1,000 permits in the queue)
- Residential Inspections: 2 business days
- Commercial Inspections: Next business day
- Major Site Processing Time: +/- one week
- Minor Site Processing Time: +/- two weeks
- Other (e.g., waivers, plats, studies) Processing Time: +/- two weeks
Barnes & Noble is turning a page on its history at The Spectrum at Reston Town Center.
The company plans to open a location in the spring of 2023, 15 years after shuttering its location in the same shopping center at 11816 Spectrum Center. It will occupy nearly 28,000 square feet of space in the shell vacated by Office Depot.
“The tide has turned for real booksellers, with both Barnes & Noble and independent booksellers opening new stores at an unprecedented rate after well over a decade of declining numbers,” Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt said. “The return of Barnes & Noble to Reston is emblematic of this success. Further, we do so with the largest new bookstore to be opened anywhere in the United States in the last ten years. It will be a very exciting bookstore.”
The Reston location will also include a BN Cafe.
“We are building exceptionally beautiful new bookstores and it will be dramatic to do so across 28,000 [square feet] in our new Reston store,” said Barnes & Noble Vice President of Stores Amy Fitzgerald. “The bookselling team is eager to return and get to work curating an exceptional bookstore.”
As the company readies to open its Reston location, locally owned bookstores like Scrawl Books in Reston Town Center continue to cement their place in Reston’s book scene.
Scrawl Books at least has no intention of going anywhere, owner Rachel Wood said in a statement to FFXnow:
We opened after the big box chains left, but we have no intention of closing now that they’re coming back. We live here and we’re committed to being here. Reston is full of engaged, passionate people who appreciate what only a local bookstore can provide. We’ll continue to support local schools and libraries, and we’ll continue to connect readers with great books and authors. Everyone who comes in the door knows they’ve found a cozy space run by real book lovers. We’ll be here in our community for a long time to come.
Office Depot closed in The Spectrum nearly one year ago.
Barnes & Noble currently has five locations in Fairfax County, including stores in Tysons Corner Center, Merrifield’s Mosaic District, Seven Corners, Springfield and Fair Lakes. There is also a store at One Loudoun in Ashburn.
Photo via Google Maps
Tysons ID Verification Company Under Investigation — ID.me may have misled the public and Congress with “baseless claims” that the U.S. lost $400 billion to fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims. A House subcommittee says new evidence suggests the company used claims of “rampant” fraud “to increase demand” for its services, making it harder for those who needed aid to receive it. [Gizmodo]
Mixed Bag for Metro — “New Silver Line riders, an increase in train availability, shorter wait times and an apparent decrease in fare evasion provided tempered optimism to Metro leaders in the face of a new financial snapshot Thursday that showed rail ridership continuing to struggle…Metro said it recorded about 7,000 trips Tuesday at the new Silver Line stations.” [The Washington Post]
Man Pleads Guilty to Carrying “Ghost” Gun — An Alexandria man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to having a gun with no serial number despite being barred from possessing firearms. 28-year-old Ajee Whitter, also known as “Glockz,” was convicted of felony robbery in Prince William County before getting arrested in an undercover drug operation by Fairfax County police on April 11. [DOJ]
Pedestrian Safety Advocates Plan Vigil — “For William. For Eileen. For Chris. For Elise. For your 20 @fairfaxcounty neighbors killed by a person driving while walking to work, home, the store, to school in 2022. We REMEMBER, SUPPORT and ACT – World Day of Remembrance – Sunday Nov 20 0 1:30 Oakton High School” [Fairfax Families for Safe Streets/Twitter]
Annandale Field Renamed For Park Advocate — “Friends and family, local officials and members off the Fairfax Women’s Soccer Association will gather on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. to dedicate a field at Pine Ridge Park in honor of Wanda Rixon. The event is open to the public and honors Rixon, a longtime advocate and participant in women’s soccer.” [FCPA]
Affordable Apartments Open in Fairfax Corner — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is now accepting applications for single-occupancy affordable housing at Coan Pond Residences…Prospective applicants must have a minimum annual income of $19,940 and earn no more than $59,820. Rent is set at 30 percent of tenant income.” [Housing and Community Development]
Local Venues for World Cup Watching — “After four long years (or eight if you’re cheering for U.S. Soccer), it’s finally time to dive back into World Cup action. If you’re looking to get your football on, here are the can’t-miss World Cup events for fans of all ages.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fire Department Has Thanksgiving Cooking Tips — “Cooking is the main cause of home fires any time of the year, but it is especially common on Thanksgiving…The firefighters and paramedics of the county’s Fire and Rescue Department want you to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Help them to help you prevent an unexpected visit to your home from our firefighters on Thanksgiving Day!” [FCFRD]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 48 and low of 30. Sunrise at 6:56 am and sunset at 4:54 pm. [Weather.gov]
Comcast Corp. is planning to expand its network to more businesses in Reston by the end of the year.
The media and technology company says it plans to pump $3 million in an effort to boost the network in Reston, Chesterfield, Sterling, Fredericksburg, Woodbridge and Charlottesville, according to a news release from the company.
“High-speed Internet and secure networking services are a must-have to attract businesses,” Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Barry DuVal said in a press release. “The latest investments and network expansions across Virginia are a testament to Comcast Business’ commitment to fostering economic development in our local communities.”
The project is expected to expand Comcast’s broadband network to more than 250 businesses in the area. The network can deliver speeds of up to 1.2 gigabit-per-second or more for small and medium-sized businesses and up to 100 gbps for larger businesses.
Businesses will also have access to Comcast’s business products and services.
“Capacity, network performance and security are critical factors in doing business today. With Comcast’s latest fiber-rich expansion in Virginia, more local businesses will now have access to additional technology service options that will help them to be more successful and outpace their competition,” said Dan Carr, regional vice president of Comcast’s Beltway region.
The planned expansion in Reston and elsewhere follows a two-year, $28 million investment that built out Comcast’s network in the mid-Atlantic, including Tysons. That project was completed this past June, according to a company spokesperson.
Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced yesterday that the Commonwealth will receive about $5 million for broadband expansion projects. It is Virginia’s first allocation from the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program created by the bipartisan infrastructure law that Congress adopted last year.
Despite Fairfax County’s overall affluence and increasing urbanization, broadband coverage is uneven with gaps concentrated in communities of color and low-income households, a county analysis found last year. Staff reported in June 2021 that an estimated 4.2% of houses have no access to broadband internet, including 10.7% of households in north Reston.
A new hair salon is opening this weekend at Reston’s South Lakes Village Center.
Great Clips will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. with $7.99 haircuts.
Located at 11130 South Lakes Drive in Suite E, the salon will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“We are very excited to join the Reston community and provide convenient, reasonable-priced haircuts for the entire family,” said Sean Carroll, Great Clips franchisee and military veteran.
The Reston location’s staff includes a team of graduates from South Lakes High School.
The salon offers walk-in services and includes haircuts, shampoos and styling. The company has more than 4,400 salons in the U.S. and Canada.
The village center, which is nearly 110,000 square feet, is managed by the Chevy Chase Land Company. Other tenants includes Safeway, Chipotle, Red’s Table and UPS.
Drivers on the Dulles Toll Road can expect to pay higher tolls beginning next year.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Board of Directors voted yesterday morning to increase fees for users of the toll road — bringing tolls to $6 for the average driver.
The increase is expected to cover highway operations and maintenance costs, along with a dedicated set-aside for phase two of the Silver Line, which opened Tuesday (Nov. 15). The increase does not directly fund cost overruns associated with the project and has long been anticipated as part of a long-term funding plan.
At the main line plaza, tolls will rise from $3.25 to $4 for two-axle vehicles, $6.50 to $8 for three-axle vehicles, $7.75 to $9.25 for four-axle vehicles, and $9 to $10.50 for five-axle vehicles.
At the ramps, tolls will increase from $1.25 to $2 for two-axle vehicles, $3 to $4 for three-axle vehicles, $3.50 to $4.50 for four-axle vehicles, and $4 to $5 for five-axle vehicles.
The next toll increases is slated for 2028, according to MWAA’s board. “Modest” toll rate hikes are generally expected every five years, MWAA wrote in a statement.
MWAA also plans to collect a $1.60 administrative fee to process tolls for drivers who do not pay with the EZPass. The move comes as the toll road makes a shift to all electronic collections next year.
MWAA plans to eliminate toll boots at existing toll lanes in the coming months.
“Eliminating toll booths is expected to speed traffic flow and benefit the environment by reducing emissions that would have been produced by vehicles waiting in toll-booth lines,” MWAA wrote in a statement.
Reminder: I-495 Exit to Toll Road Changes Today — “Beginning on or about November 17, drivers traveling on northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) to westbound Dulles Toll Road will take an earlier exit, rather than the existing left exit (Exit 45), which is closing to allow room for construction of a new, replacement I-495 bridge over the Dulles Toll Road ramps.” [VDOT]
FCPS Considers Changes to Grading Policies — Fairfax County Public Schools is considering altering its high school grading policy for the first time in five years “after principals reported variation in grading processes from school to school.” Possible changes include whether to continue with a 100-point scale or shift to “a standards-based scale,” and how to determine a student’s final grade. [WTOP]
Silver Line from D.C. to Dulles Airport Reviewed — “Taking a 90-minute train ride instead of a 35-minute drive to catch a flight might not sound like an ideal transportation swap. But it’s a choice I made hours after the Silver Line extension opened and one that local officials hope you will make now that Metrorail goes to Dulles International Airport.” [The Washington Post]
Prince William Data Center Could Affect Fairfax County Water — “Action earlier in November by one of Fairfax County’s neighbors may negatively impact the Occoquan Watershed, primary source of water for Fairfax Water’s Occoquan Reservoir.” A comprehensive plan amendment approved on Nov. 2 by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors would allow a large, much-debated PW Digital Gateway data complex to be built. [The Connection]
County Offers Toolkit to Help Address Food Insecurity — Started by a local parent, the Fairfax County Health Department’s “Care to Share” initiative encourages schools and other organizations to donate extra food to food banks and pantries in need. The program is active at “several sites” in the county, and a new toolkit provides information for groups looking to start their own. [FCHD]
Fairfax Auto Dealer Acquired — “Springfield’s Safford Automotive has purchased Fairfax’s Brown Automotive Group in one of the largest dealership transactions in the country this year…With the acquisition, Safford adds Brown’s 14 franchised car dealerships, one used-car outlet and a muscle and classic car shop to its roster.” [Washington Business Journal]
FCPS Will Have Covid Testing After Thanksgiving — “COVID diagnostic testing will be available for FCPS teachers, staff, and students at five locations across the county November 28-30 from 5 to 8 p.m. This testing is for those who are either experiencing COVID symptoms or have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID.” [FCPS]
Virginia Gets $5 Million to Expand Broadband — “Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $4,999,975.50 in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding for…the Commonwealth. Awarded to Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, this first phase of funding will allow Virginia to develop their plans for deploying funding made available under the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand access to high-speed internet.” [Mark Warner]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 47 and low of 33. Sunrise at 6:55 am and sunset at 4:55 pm. [Weather.gov]
Connolly noted that public transportation was part of the original vision for Dulles Airport when it first opened six decades ago, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that the idea really started taking off.
“When we started to revive this [idea] 25 years ago, it was a lonely place and a lonely time. There weren’t many people who were enthusiastic about it,” Connolly said. “There were plenty of people who advised us against it. ‘You can’t. You shouldn’t try it. Don’t even think about it.’”
Even more recently, with the pandemic shifting work and commuting habits, there was some apprehension around investing in a major project that would move lots of people to offices that all of sudden didn’t have as many employees.
But Alcorn says the pandemic hasn’t reduced the future impact that the Silver Line Phase II will have on the county and region.
“We do have challenges, but I don’t see the pandemic as changing…the long-term good investment that Metrorail will have on this corridor,” he told FFXnow.
McKay agreed, saying an investment of this nature could actually drive people back to Metro, since it will now be accessible to thousands more.
“Today, opening these stations, we’re literally opening a whole new world of opportunity for people who never had [this type of] transit available to them,” he said.
For all the focus on Silver Line Phase II’s past challenges and future potential for long-term growth and economic development, longtime Del. Ken Plum (D-36) highlighted those who the new rail line is designed to support.
“It’s not about…wanting to talk about the ups and downs of getting the project [done],” he said as rain poured steadily outside the Innovation Center station. “It’s about those people who will be riding the Metro to work and the people who will be able to get home in a timely way. That’s what it’s really all about — those people who are being served.”
(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) Eight people in the Town of Herndon were forced out of their home last week by a fire that caused nearly $300,000 in damages.
According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the fire started early in the afternoon last Wednesday (Nov. 9) in the garage of a two-story house in the 800 block of Winterhaven Place.
There were four people at the home at the time of the fire, according to the fire department. FCFRD said the fire was discovered when one person went to the garage to reset a computer router that was not working.
“[That occupant] closed the door between garage and home, and alerted all occupants,” FCFRD said. “All safely evacuated the house. Smoke alarms were present but did not activate due to the location of the fire.”
One of the homeowners told FFXnow that the characterization of the fire in the news release is inaccurate, stating that she and her son-in-law were the only people home at the time and no one went to the garage to check a router.
“I actually was getting ready to leave for a doctor’s appointment, and it was my son-in-law that smelled smoke,” she said. “We were nowhere near the garage. We didn’t know there was a fire. We had no idea until a neighbor was banging on our door.”
An FCFRD spokesperson says the information released this morning came directly from its fire investigator’s official report, noting that the department uses “occupants” to refer to anyone present at the time of a fire, not just residents.
She said the investigator confirmed that there were four occupants at the house: two residents and two workers.
The homeowner confirmed that a cat was rescued by units from the Fairfax County, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Loudoun County fire and rescue departments, which collectively responded around 1:33 p.m.
An investigation found that the fire was accidental and “electrical in nature.” By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had extended to the house’s attic.
Red Cross assistance was accepted and no injuries were reported. The fire department estimates that property damages totaled approximately $298,000.
“The house was a complete loss,” the homeowner said, disputing the reported estimate. She said her insurance company is currently conducting a separate investigation.
The FCFRD spokesperson said “it’s unfortunate if she doesn’t agree with the estimate,” but that number is the one in the department’s official report and won’t be changed.
UPDATE – Town of Herndon House Fire Displaces Eight. One cat was rescued. @MWAAFireRescue and @LoudounFire assisted. Damages of $298,000. More: https://t.co/Yf9SJBJBO5 #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/4XFrcaKU1j
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) November 16, 2022
