Updated at 2:40 p.m. on 3/22/2024 — An 18-year-old from Herndon has been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting in McNair, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.
Earlier: A teen has died after getting shot at a hotel in the McNair area of Herndon near Dulles International Airport.
Fairfax County police were dispatched to the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the 13700 block of Coppermine Road around 3:33 p.m. for the shooting. A dispatcher reported that the suspect was seen fleeing on foot in the direction of Coates Elementary School, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
One teen was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Brooke Wright announced in a media briefing shortly before 6 p.m. that the teen had died.
“We have a teenager who’s dead and shouldn’t be, and I can’t imagine anything more devastating for that kid’s family,” Wright said. “We take this very, very seriously.”
Coates Elementary was put on “secure the building” status, meaning that there’s police activity in the area but it’s “unrelated to the school itself,” according to a Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson. Students are typically dismissed from classes at 4 p.m.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the shooting stemmed from a “physical altercation” between three teens who were all known to each other.
“At some point, they separated physically,” Wright said. “The suspect pulled a firearm and shot at least three rounds. We don’t know how many struck the victim…and there is also a victim who was also a teenager who was shot at and not struck.”
Police are still searching the area for an individual believed to be the shooter, Wright said, noting that the FCPD has “deployed a lot of resources.” Since the person is still believed to have the gun used in the shooting, the searching officers are “heavily armed.”
Officers are on scene of a shooting in the 13000 blk of Coppermine Rd in McNair. A teenager was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The suspect is described a Hispanic male wearing all black clothing. Call 911 w/ any info. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/0aO9QCuz6b
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 20, 2024
Image via Google Maps
Amid a surge in digital storage demand in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County is drafting stricter zoning regulations to enhance oversight of data center projects.
On Tuesday (March 19), the Board of Supervisors directed staff to update the county’s zoning laws to include new data center development criteria, such as increased residential buffers, size limits, energy efficiency standards and a mandatory noise study in the site plan.
“The increasing demand for data centers and the increased understanding of their potential impacts reveal a need to consider strengthening our current regulations,” Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said, emphasizing the “urgency” of the new rules sought by the board.
Potential changes include new requirements for data center developments to receive a special exception in zoned areas where they are currently allowed by right, meaning they can be built without county board or planning commission approval or public hearings.
Last year, the board requested research, findings and recommendations from county staff on possible new guidelines for data centers, including ways to mitigate their environmental impact, criteria for locating facilities and the approval process for data centers.
The report presented to the board in January found that, while data centers bring advantages such as high-paying jobs and significant tax revenue, they have also encountered resistance from residents worried about the noise, greenhouse gas emissions, and high energy usage of the facilities.
At a land use policy committee meeting on March 12, the county supervisors signaled that they support staff’s recommendations for amending the zoning ordinance with higher standards.
Northern Virginia remains the world’s leader in data centers with 51 million square feet of space, per a recent JLL report. Fairfax County has roughly a third of the square footage of neighboring Loudoun and Prince William counties, the region’s epicenter of development.
Supervisors noted that there’s been significant community pushback against large projects like the recently approved Digital Gateway in Prince William. At Tuesday’s board meeting, Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez said the county needs to make sure “we’re putting data centers where they belong.”
“We have very few [data center projects] on the horizon that we know of, but it’s important that we get the protections right and the guidelines right, and the quickest way to do that is to get these zoning ordinance amendments approved,” Chairman Jeff McKay said.
The county staff recommendations
In terms of land use and site design, staff suggested that developers secure special exception approval from the county before constructing data centers in most commercial and industrial districts.
Staff also recommended that, in industrial districts where data centers are permitted by right, the county could proactively implement height and size limitations, along with minimum distances for equipment, such as generators, from residential zones.
Due to the swift pace of data center development, staff also advise collaborating with utility providers, including NOVEC and Dominion Energy, to evaluate how future development might affect energy demand. Read More
The retail and restaurant mix in Dulles International Airport is getting a shake-up.
At a board of directors meeting today (Wednesday), the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority unveiled more than a dozen new concessions planned at Dulles and Reagan National Airport.
“Having a mix of local and national brands at our airports represents added value for passengers,” said Jaimini Erskine, Airports Authority vice president for marketing and concessions. “We continue to seek out new brands that showcase the Washington region experience.”
Though it’s not mentioned in MWAA’s announcement, the incoming eateries include the smoothie bowl and juice shop South Block, which is expected to open in Dulles Airport’s Concourse D, founder and CEO Amir Mostafavi confirmed to FFXnow.
South Block’s plan for an airport location was first reported by The Burn.
Mostafavi says the shop is on track to open in the late summer or early fall, becoming the company’s 18th location in the D.C. area. The business has other locations slated for Chantilly and West Springfield.
Dulles also has several new retail shops on the horizon, MWAA announced:
- Plum Market — Market with all natural, organic, local, and specialty items.
- Brighton –– Handcrafted accessories, jewelry, and leather goods designed by talented artists and artisans.
- The Goods @ IAD — Store combines an array of travel essentials and check-out with convenience of technology.
- IAD Express — Last-minute travel essentials.
- Capital Supply Co. — One-stop-shop travel essential needs.
- Starbucks — New location of the national coffeehouse chain.
- Washington Essentials (Pre-Security) — An array of necessities for travelers on the go.
- Relay — Travel essentials featuring gourmet snacks, health and beauty, gifts, books and apparel.
According to MWAA, these concessions will join recently opened newcomers to Dulles, including the bookstore Ink by Hudson, the health food restaurant Freshii, Potbelly, a Hudson news and gifts shop, Brookstone, and Market 1962, a grab-and-go market named after the year that the airport opened.
Some previously announced retailers, including Union Kitchen and Rappahannock Oyster Company, are also still in the works.
Over in Arlington, Reagan National Airport is set to get a new Lego store. The store will “showcase Lego activity sets, bricks and licensed gifts,” the Washington Business Journal reported earlier this week.
The smaller airport is also adding a Starbucks, the restaurants Mi Vida and Nalley Fresh, a location of the D.C.-based bookstore Solid State Books and others.
Work on all of the newly announced concessions will begin this year.
“These food, beverage and retail brands represent the latest awards of a multi-year program to redevelop more than 80 concessions at both airports,” MWAA said in a news release.
Settlement money from vape-maker Juul will help Fairfax County Public Schools bolster security at some high schools.
The Fairfax County School Board is set to vote tomorrow (Thursday) on adjustments to the school system’s fiscal year 2024 budget, including allocations of the $3.2 million it received from Juul after settling a class-action lawsuit over the company’s flavored e-cigarettes last year.
In a presentation to the board on March 7, FCPS staff recommended using the funding to “install security scanning technology at select high schools” as part of a new pilot program. If approved, the funds would add onto $3 million designated for the program in August, FCPS Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden noted.
However, FCPS has been tight-lipped about the pilot, including on the technology being implemented and how many schools are participating.
“At this time, we are not prepared to provide details of the program to the public,” an FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow. “This information will be released when, and as appropriate, to include the identification of schools. Safety and security physical and technical systems are needed to assist in operational safety planning.”
FCPS confirmed the safety and security screening pilot is separate from the security vestibules that it has been adding at dozens of schools around the county. Prioritized by the school board in response to the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the vestibules add an extra layer of verification for visitors seeking to enter school buildings.
Last April, Superintendent Michelle Reid detailed several other security measures that FCPS was either testing or considering, including vape sensors in bathrooms, panic alarm systems and a weapons screening system.
At the time, FCPS said the weapons screening system was in the pilot phase. It’s unclear if that’s the same as the screening technology pilot now poised to get additional funding.
The school board also approved funding in December for exterior security cameras at nine elementary schools, along with money to support continuous employee background checks.
Other changes proposed as part of the FY 2024 third-quarter review include a transfer of $3.3 million from a reserve fund to a fund dedicated to supporting FCPS’ summer school programs.
“Summer school focuses on executive functioning, acceleration of reading and mathematics foundation skills, enrichment programs at the elementary and middle school level, and course credit recovery to ensure on-time graduation at the high school level,” staff said in a summary of the third-quarter review.
The money will support programs for 35,000 students at 73 sites, according to Burden. FCPS had set aside a total of $6.7 million in August for enhanced summer learning programs, but that was before staff finalized the locations and enrollment projections.
The budget is also being adjusted to reflect a grant received for food services, new federal funding for adult education and an $143.5 million increase in “additional contractual commitments” for bond-funded renovation projects at Bren Mar Park, Brookfield and Lees Corner elementary schools.
(Updated at 4:20 p.m. on 3/25/2024) Schools in Vienna, Herndon and Fort Belvoir have or are at risk of losing their crossing guards due to budget constraints facing the Fairfax County Police Department.
The Vienna Town Council and Mayor Linda Colbert were informed at a recent work session that the county will no longer provide crossing guards for any schools in the town’s limits because of a lack of funding, Councilmember Howard Springsteen shared at the council’s meeting on Monday (March 18).
The nine affected crossings would instead need to be covered by the Vienna Police Department, which doesn’t have sufficient staffing to handle the added duties, according to Springsteen, whose comments were first reported by Patch.
“Schools are not our responsibility. It’s a county responsibility,” he said. “…I know the mayor’s been working on this and the council’s been pretty upset about this. We’re working on that, but people need to be aware of some of the issues we deal with behind the scenes.”
Vienna isn’t the only place affected. The FCPD said it would also eliminate coverage for one crossing each in Herndon and Fort Belvoir, according to a letter from Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
The Herndon Police Department says it was notified late last fall that FCPD was removing its officers from a crossing at Herndon Elementary School, effective Jan. 1. Because only one spot was affected, the town was able to fill the gap.
“Herndon does not have a school crossing guard program, but we take the safety of our kids very seriously,” HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon said. “Unlike the Town of Vienna, which has been left with multiple vacancies as a result of the crossing guards being removed, we have only one crossing and have managed to cover it with patrol officers each day.”
Fort Belvoir has also taken over crossing guard duties at its on-base school, according to March 19 memo from the FCPD to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The crosswalk covered by an FCPD officer was across Meeres Road in front of Fort Belvoir Upper School and the Child Development Center, Fort Belvoir Public Affairs told FFXnow.
The Army installation says it’s “currently working with FCPD, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Fort Belvoir Elementary school leadership to discuss a way ahead.”
“As we gather more information, Fort Belvoir will be in a better position to decide on the best way to ensure crosswalk safety,” Fort Belvoir Public Affairs said. “The safety of our children remains our number one priority.”
The FCPD indicated in a statement to FFXnow that discussions about how to handle the school crossings in Vienna are still in the preliminary stages.
“Given the primary jurisdiction responsibilities afforded to the Town of Vienna for law enforcement and public safety, the FCPD has engaged the Vienna Police Department in preliminary discussions surrounding school crossing coverages,” the department said. “As our conversations continue, all school crossing coverages will be handled by the FCPD.” Read More
Local police are searching for two suspects who reportedly attempted to rob a bank on Fox Mill Road just outside Reston.
Police believe that two men in a black Audi SUV entered the drive-thru of Wells Fargo at 2575 John Milton Drive on March 14 at 10:47 a.m. and demanded money via a note.
The note contained a message threatening the employee, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The two suspects then drove away with “nothing in hand.” No weapons were displayed during the interaction and no one was injured.
“Officers and detectives searched the area extensively, but the suspects were not found,” the FCPD said, describing the men as being in their early to mid-20’s and wearing dark clothing.
Here’s how to provide FCPD with information about the incident:
Those with information are asked to please call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 5. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web – Click HERE. Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App and follow the steps to “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.” Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.
Man Charged With Indecent Exposures at Local Malls — A 29-year-old man from Maryland was arrested on March 15 for allegedly exposing himself at Five Below in Springfield Town Center on Oct. 12 and again in Spencer’s at Fair Oaks Mall. Police believe there may be other victims “due to the repeated nature of these offenses.” [FCPD]
FCPD Shares Locations of Sobriety Checkpoints — “The Fairfax County Police Department will be conducting sobriety checkpoints around the county throughout the year to identify and remove impaired drivers from local roadways. The checkpoints, hosted by the department’s dedicated Driving Under the Influence squad and district stations, will occur between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.” [Gazette Leader]
Get Sneak Peek of Future Metrorail Cars — “Out with the old, and in with the new! Metro is set to showcase its newest trains and railcars on the National Mall from March 20 to April 3. At Fleet of the Future Expo, visitors can walk inside a mock-up rail car to experience their future ride on an 8,000-series rail car.” The trains aren’t expected to be deployed “en masse” until 2026. [NBC4, Washington Post]
Fairfax Station Road to Close for Pipe Work — “Fairfax Station Road (Route 660) between Colchester Road (Route 612) and Route 123 (Ox Road) will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, Monday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day to replace drainage pipes…Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT]
County Transportation Department Labeled “Bicycle-Friendly” — “The League of American Bicyclists recently recognized the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) with a silver level Bicycle-Friendly Business designation. The recognition was awarded after an extensive review of FCDOT’s facilities and programs to support its two-wheeled commuters, along with how the agency works to encourage bicycling in the community.” [FCDOT]
Jobs Agency Renews Reston Office Lease — “Employment agency Quadrant has renewed its 23,000-square-foot lease at 1881 Campus Commons Drive in Reston, Va. TF Cornerstone acquired the 245,755-square-foot office building in September for $25.1 million, adding to a larger campus it has been assembling since 2015.” [Commercial Observer]
Workforce Hub Could Help Military Veterans — The Workforce Innovation Skills Hub, which opened in Hybla Valley in fall 2022, is finalizing a program to provide entrepreneurship training to spouses and “transitioning” military personnel from Fort Belvoir. Conducted with George Mason University’s business school, the program “will train local residents and students on how to start their own businesses and provide them with options — either to work for a company or to start their own.” [On the MoVe]
Author Details History of Local Mixed-Race Community — “All that remains of Ilda is a historic marker and the name of the Ilda Community Recreation Association on Braeburn Drive…Tom Shoop, a former resident of that area, felt there was a lot more to the story and wrote a book, ‘A Place Called Ilda: Race and Resilience at a Northern Virginia Crossroads,’ which was published this year by the University of Virginia Press.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 62 degrees and breezes. Winds will start at 8-13 mph, then increase to 15-20 mph in the afternoon. Night will be mostly clear with a low of about 32 degrees, featuring northwest winds of 13-17 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. [NWS]
The Virginia General Assembly passed a measure three years ago allowing local governments to decrease roadway speed limits in their localities to as low as 15 mph. But recently, lawmakers found that the Virginia Department of Transportation denied seven of eight speed limit decrease requests, because, by state law, only the Commissioner of Highways can authorize changes on state-maintained roads.
Earlier this month, legislation advanced that would expand a locality’s speed-reducing authority to roadways within a business or residence district, including state-owned highways.
The number of requests represent a small fraction of the local governments in Virginia, including the 190 towns and 39 independent cities in the commonwealth, according to data from the U.S. Census. For the localities that are seeking to reduce speeding, though, the limits of the 2021 legislation are a challenge.
“Everybody can concede that there’s an issue here, but we have very little authority to do anything about it,” said Mayor Roger Vance, who represents the Town of Hillsboro, which was denied their request to lower the local speed limit to 20 mph last year.
The 2021 legislation did not extend localities’ speed reducing power to state-owned highways, which typically run through some towns like Middleburg and Hillsboro.
As proposed, the new bill would require local governments to conduct engineering and traffic studies as part of any effort to change the speed limit, post “lawfully placed” signs showing the reduced speed limit and notify the commissioner of the change.
The bill nearly failed in the Senate in February after Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears split a tie vote, but it was reconsidered successfully and sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for approval.
Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, the legislation’s sponsor, said she is working with the governor’s administration to ensure Youngkin signs her bill into law, but it could require an amendment.
Representatives from the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties, representing local governments in the commonwealth, said their members supported this bill.
“We firmly believe that this enhanced authority serves as an invaluable addition to our existing toolkit for implementing crucial safety measures,” said James Hutzler, government relations associate for VACO, in a statement. “With this legislation in place, counties will be empowered to take proactive steps towards safeguarding the well-being of our communities.”
Changing the speed limit
In Northern Virginia, the town of Leesburg is the only locality of at least three that submitted their studies and speed change requests to VDOT in February 2023. Leesburg was the only one allowed to adjust the speed limit to 20 mph.
“Speeding was most certainly a problem,” said Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk.
She said residents are “extremely happy” with the change and feel much safer crossing high-traffic streets.
The police have also been enforcing the speed limit, she said, and the town has “found it to be a very useful tool.”
The towns of Middleburg and Hillsboro had different experiences when they sought to lower their speed limits from 25 to 20 mph. VDOT denied their requests last year.
The two mayors said that with the increased number of visitors and pedestrians in their towns, it’s essential for them to find thoughtful traffic solutions, which the 2021 legislation provided.
“The moment it got passed, we wanted to take advantage of it,” Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton said.
He said that because the town of Middleburg has seen an increase in visitors, the pedestrian traffic and on-street parking on Route 50 — a major thoroughfare in Loudoun County — raised leaders’ speeding and safety concerns.
When VDOT denied the April request, representatives from the agency visited Middleburg to meet with leaders and conduct a speed and safety assessment. Even so, the agency still didn’t approve the request because “a reduction of the posted speed limit will be an ineffective way to get more drivers to travel at safer speeds in this context,” the VDOT study stated.
Hillsboro completed a large infrastructure project in June 2021 that helped to calm traffic, reduce congestion and improve pedestrian safety on Route 9, which runs through the town.
Still, Vance said, the authority to lower the speed limit from 25 to 20 would have a “positive impact” on traffic and pedestrian safety and could help Hillsboro’s economic activity, but only if they are able to exercise their agency to do so.
Littleton agreed.
“Just giving us the authority to go ahead and lower by five miles an hour is not a big deal,” Littleton said. “Government is best when it’s closest to the people. So [the legislation] is putting more authority closer to the people to be able to manage the unique nature of their community.
Pedestrian fatalities still remain high
Pedestrian fatalities are higher in urban areas compared to rural areas of Virginia, according to data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
According to the agency’s most recent data, in 2022,Virginia recorded 168 pedestrian-vehicle fatal crashes, compared to 124 in 2019.
“We have a road safety issue in this commonwealth, and it is in no small part due to a rise in speed-related crashes, which tend to be more fatal and more injurious,” said Mitchell Smiley, the Virginia Municipal League’s policy manager for transportation and natural resources.
In January, Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said Virginia has some work to do regarding traffic crashes during a Senate Transportation committee hearing.
He said preliminary data from the Virginia Highway Safety Office, which is under the Department of Motor Vehicles, shows that highway fatalities were down 11% in 2023 compared to the previous year, the likely result of launching two statewide campaigns targeting speeding and distracted driving.
“While there’s still too many deaths on our highways, an 11% decrease is significant — and that bucks the national trend of increasing fatalities,” Miller said.
According to DMV’s data, 20% of the 122,434 crashes in the state last year were speed-related, a 1% increase over the previous year. Virginia Department of Transportation crash data also shows that between 2018 and 2022, the annual number of traffic fatalities increased from 819 to 1,005.
Miller added that while Virginia has had around 1,000 traffic fatalities every year, he projected that number will fall in the commonwealth this year following the decrease in highway fatalities. He said reinforcement of the state rules and commitment to improving road safety are keys to decreasing the number of deaths.
“1,000 people every year die on the highways in Virginia,” Miller said, “and think about what it would be like if three fully loaded passenger airplanes crashed into the fields in Virginia every year and killed 1,000 people. … What do you think we’d do? We’d do something very different and so that’s where we are.”
This article was reported and written by the Virginia Mercury, and has been reprinted under a Creative Commons license.
In the nearly 60 years since it was founded, Reston has become host to a variety of community and public entities with often blurred lines and responsibilities.
To provide clarity, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn wants Fairfax County to develop an inventory of Reston’s community-level services and infrastructure, including who is responsible for what services and infrastructure and how they are funded.
The move was approved with no fanfare at a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting today (Tuesday).
Alcorn said it is important to ensure that community-level services and infrastructure are sustainable.
“Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment that will help guide our community growth into the future,” Alcorn said in the board matter. “With that process now completed, the next step is Plan implementation, and a review of Reston’s community-level services and infrastructure is an important step in Plan implementation.”
In some cases, organizations have assumed responsibilities above and beyond state requirements, such as cutting grass in and along Virginia Department of Transportation-owned streets, Alcorn noted.
Organizations that will be part of the inventory include Reston Community Center, Reston Association, Reston Town Center Association and the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee.
“As you can imagine, roles and responsibilities of these organizations are not intuitive to many residents, even for residents who have lived in Reston for decades,” Alcorn said, describing the collection of groups serving Reston as an “alphabet soup.”
Below is the full directive from Alcorn, which was unanimously supported by the rest of the board.
Board Matter
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn
March 19, 2024Inventory of Reston Community-Level Services and Infrastructure
Background:
As our community approaches the 60th anniversary of the founding of Reston, the time is right to take stock of the community infrastructure that by many accounts, including a recent article in The Economist, has created a very successful community within Fairfax County. Reston currently has several important community organizations that are dedicated to creating a cohesive community experience. These organizations perform essential community-level services such as maintaining the trails and open space, providing camps for our kids, operating recreation facilities of all types, and hosting places for the community to gather. And in some cases, these organizations have assumed additional responsibilities as the Commonwealth of Virginia has devolved some of their responsibilities such as keeping the grass cut in and along VDOT rights of way.These organizations now form a veritable alphabet soup in Reston – nonprofits like RA, RTCA, the YMCA, and county operations like RCC, FCPA, and NCS. And this does not even include advocacy and advisory groups like RCA, Reston P&Z, and the CHCCAC. As you can imagine, roles and responsibilities of these organizations are not intuitive to many residents, even for residents who have lived in Reston for decades.
For Reston to be the success the next 60 years it has been in its first 60, these community-level services and infrastructure must be sustainable – including financially. Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment that will help guide our community growth into the future. With that process now completed, the next step is Plan implementation, and a review of Reston’s community-level services and infrastructure is an important step in Plan implementation.
Motion:
Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct the County Executive’s office to coordinate with the Hunter Mill District office to develop an inventory of Reston community-level services and infrastructure including those noted above, and to include who is responsible for those services and infrastructure, and how they are funded.
Construction to replace the Hunters Creek Pedestrian Bridge is slated to begin in October, according to the Town of Herndon.
An assessment by the town found that the bridge — which connects to the Sugarland Run trails from behind the Hunters Creek Swim & Racquet Club (417 Queens Row Street) — needs to be replaced and that erosion of the stream needs to be addressed.
Final designs for the replacement bridge and stream restoration are expected this month. It will include a new fiberglass structure set on a new foundation.
But the town announced on Friday (March 15) that the project will take longer to get going than anticipated.
“Schedules have been extended because of the sensitivities of working in a wetland area and in a floodplain,” the project page says. “Working in the wetland area will require an Army Corp of Engineers permit, which typically takes up to 9 months. The Town will work with the Army Corp of Engineers in an effort to expedite the permit process.”
Construction is expected to wrap up by the spring of 2025.
The bridge will remain closed until the work is complete. Residents will need to use the Cavendish Street entrance or Runnymede Park entrance to access trails.
Local and state police are on the prowl once again for dangerous driving behaviors.
The Fairfax County Police Department and Virginia State Police announced yesterday (Monday) that they have launched a “Road Shark” enforcement and education campaign for a second year with the goal of reducing aggressive driving and crashes.
Phased out for a time after getting introduced in 1999, the initiative was revived last year in response to a surge in pedestrian fatalities in 2022. With the campaign, officers issued nearly 25,000 citations and warnings during four week-long “waves” involving increased visibility and enforcement of traffic laws, particularly in locations with frequent crashes or safety issues.
The FCPD says the first “Road Shark” campaign helped the county make “significant strides in promoting safer roads.”
“Through the efforts of our officers, partners, and engaged drivers, we saw a remarkable decrease in traffic incidents and a notable improvement in overall road safety last year,” the police department said.
According to state data, the total number of crashes in Fairfax County went up in 2023, as did the number of injuries, but fatalities dropped to 42 after soaring to 66 in 2022 — the most since Virginia’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) launched in 2010. Ten of the people killed in crashes last year were pedestrians compared to 32 in 2022.
Less than three full months into 2024, however, the county’s death toll has already reached nine for people killed in vehicles — most recently, in a head-on collision on Fairfax County Parkway — and five for pedestrians, two of them on Richmond Highway, two on I-495 and one on Buckman Road in Mount Vernon.
The I-495 and Buckman Road fatal crashes all occurred in the morning of March 10.
Like last year, this year’s “Road Shark” campaign will combine enforcement with education, all based on data collected by police, according to the FCPD:
- High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE): FCPD officers will be strategically conduct enforcement and education areas all over the county to deter unsafe driving behaviors. Officers will be looking for an array of traffic violations including aggressive driving, excessive speeding, driving under the influence, school zone violations, distracted driving, and others. A recent NHTSA synthesis of studies concluded that high-visibility enforcement efforts such as these reduced crashes and improved safety outcomes in study locations.
- Community Engagement and Education: FCPD encourages all community members to play an active role in road safety by adhering to traffic laws, promoting responsible driving behavior, and reporting any concerns to local law enforcement. Road Shark 2024 will involve community engagement, communication, and education to help educate our residents on safe driving practices and raise awareness about the importance of road safety.
- Data-Informed Decision Making: Fairfax County police officers, along with Virginia State troopers, will utilize data-informed enforcement strategies and operations that target areas with high crash concentrations to reduce crashes. This allows us to identify trends, address specific areas of concern, and implement effective strategies to best address road safety issues.
“The Road Shark campaign will once again bring together law enforcement, community organizations, and community members to address and mitigate traffic safety challenges,” the FCPD said. “Through increased patrols, targeted enforcement, and educational outreach, the FCPD aims to create a safer and more secure environment for all road users.”
Annandale House Fire Under Investigation — “Dozens of Fairfax County firefighters responded to a large fire early Monday morning that tore through a house in Annandale, Virginia. Initial 911 calls from neighbors just before 4 a.m. reported the sound of an explosion along with the fire in the 4200 block of Ann Fitz Hugh Drive,” but investigators said they haven’t found evidence of an explosion. [WTOP]
Five Caught Breaking Into Langley HS — Fairfax County police responded to the high school in McLean at 2:33 a.m. on Sunday (March 17) after school security reported “multiple activation alarms inside the school. When officers arrived, they found the school had no damage.” With the help of a helicopter, police caught five juveniles seen fleeing on foot in security videos. Petitions are pending for the juveniles, who were released to their parents. [FCPD]
County Launches Resource Portal for Business Owners — “Fairfax County officials on March 12 launched a new portal, Fairfax CORE (Connecting Opportunities & Resources for Entrepreneurs), which provides information and support to business owners of all ages.” The portal provides free resources from over 115 organizations about “counseling, support, education and even events.” [Gazette Leader]
Prank Planned for YouTube Leads to Arrests — Fairfax City police officers were called on March 5 “for the report of a person with their mouth covered in duct tap and wrists bound together lying inside the trunk of a vehicle in the Lowes parking lot.” Police determined that the person in the trunk and two people outside the vehicle “were recording a prank that they were going to post on YouTube.” [Patch]
Bill to Ban Invasive Vine Has Died — “Efforts to stem the spread of English Ivy in…Virginia continue on several fronts, despite the Virginia governor’s recent rejection of a bill introduced by a local legislator. Delegate Paul Krizek’s bill would have allowed local governments like Fairfax County to ban the sale of the plant,” but another bill that would require invasive species to be labeled is still awaiting a decision by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. [On the MoVe]
Hunter Mill Budget Town Hall Tomorrow — “I want to hear from you about the county executive’s proposed budget. Attend my in-person town hall this Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m., at the Patrick Henry Library. Or join the virtual town hall on March 25 at 7 p.m.” [Walter Alcorn/Twitter]
N. Va. Maintains Lead in Data Centers — “Northern Virginia remains, by far, the largest data center market in the world, according to a new report from real estate firm JLL, but the market is facing growing constraints — specifically land and availability of power…Data center leasing activity in 2023 reached a record high.” [WTOP]
Student Raises Money With Art Exhibit About A.I. — “Leah Zhang, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, organized pop-up exhibition at Reston Art Gallery and Studios earlier this month that raised more than $3,000 to help people with disabilities. The exhibit, entitled ‘AI & Us,’ featured 22 works that were submitted by 15 artists that addressed the impact of artificial intelligence.” [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies, reaching a high of 55 degrees during the day, accompanied by 10-14 mph west winds and gusts up to 23 mph. As for Tuesday night, skies will be partly cloudy, dipping to a low of 40 degrees with a calming southwest wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
Chase Bank is seeking Fairfax County’s permission to add a drive-through ATM to its Herndon location.
The company has submitted a special exception proposal requesting the ability to operate the ATM and a deposit box at Village Center Shopping Center (2401 Centreville Road).
The county’s land use database indicates that the application was submitted on March 14, but as of press time, staff were still awaiting the actual plans.
The location currently has two ATMs, and Chase Bank’s website indicates that it recently opened.
According to a Chase Bank spokesperson, the branch opened in October and was “built from the ground up.”
“All of our branches that have a drive-thru are locations where there is space and demand to give customers a variety of options for their deposit and withdrawal financing needs,” said Carolyn Evert, Chase Bank’s spokesperson for the D.C. region.
The shopping center, which is anchored by Giant, currently has three spaces available. The largest vacant space is a 44,460-square-foot location for a fitness tenant.
Image via Google Maps
The Fairfax County Police Department touted the county’s status as the safest jurisdiction of its size following the release of its year-end crime report.
The report — which is based on violent crime rates among participating agencies evaluated by the Major Cities Chief Association — shows that Fairfax County’s rate is the lowest among jurisdictions of comparable size. Homicide offenses, sex offenses, burglaries, and robberies all declined between 2022 and 2023, according to the report.
“The central message conveyed in this report is clear — Fairfax County stands as the safest large jurisdiction in America. Through data-informed enforcement strategies, FCPD played a pivotal role in reducing violent crime rates,” FCPD wrote in a press release.
At a safety and security committee meeting before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 12, Police Chief Kevin Davis said that all 17 murders last year were solved. Homicides were down 23% over the previous year.
FCPD also stepped up the number of traffic summonses, issuing nearly 40% more in 2023 than in 2022 for violations like speeding, reckless driving, and hands-free violations.
Theft of motor vehicle parts was a major focus this year. The number of thefts decreased from 1,516 in 2022 to 875 in 2023, a trend observed in the FCPD’s mid-year crime report.
But the decrease in the theft of motor vehicle parts was offset by an increase in shoplifting, which rose from 5,799 incidents in 2022 to 8,156 last year. Additionally, 126 more vehicles were stolen in 2023 than in 2022.
Most cars that were stolen were either Kias and Hyundais, particularly in the Mount Vernon District, according to FCPD. They were often later recovered in D.C. or Prince George’s County.
Officers increased their presence in malls during the winter holiday season. Springfield’s Christmas anti-theft team recovered more than $100,000 of stolen merchandise last year compared to $30,000 in 2022, according to the FCPD.
Davis noted that organized groups appear to be targeted high-end merchandise in large quantities, later reselling the items on Facebook Marketplace.
“Everyone is jumping up and down about what we need to do to prevent, mitigate, and hold these really organized groups better accountable,” Davis said, adding that the problem appears to be region-wide.
A one-day symposium is planned in April for regional authorities to explore “innovative” solutions, Davis said.
The department also reported 472 assaults against its officers this year — an increase from 378 in 2022. Davis said 5% of all assault crimes were against law enforcement officers.
“It has our attention and we’re taking steps to mitigate it,” Davis said.
Overall, there were 1,161 assaults between 2022 and 2023, according to the report, although most offenses were not aggravated. Most assaults are “domestic in nature or involve parties known to each other,” the police department says.
“FCPD worked hard to combat this issue by placing over 34,000 criminal charges on over 23,000 individuals responsible for crimes in Fairfax County last year,” the FCPD said in a news release.
While pedestrian fatalities decreased in 2023, which had nine deaths, FCPD has launched a collaborative effort with local transportation officials and other community partners to review pedestrian fatalities and significant injuries. Between 2019 and 2022, 77 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes.
Most incidents happened at night, Davis said.
A Great Falls man pleaded guilty on Friday (March 15) to failing to pay $1.8 million to the Internal Revenue Service.
Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, owned and operated several businesses, including laser tag facilities, and he worked as an Amazon reseller, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia.
“From 2015 to 2021, Rahim did not pay to the IRS the taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks or file the required quarterly employment tax returns reporting those withholdings,” the office said in a press release.
Authorities say Rahim hasn’t filed a personal income tax return since 2012 despite earning more than $34 million in gross income.
In addition, Rahim filed two personal income tax returns where reported owing “substantial” taxes but did not pay them when they were due. When the IRS attempted to contact him, he submitted a false form that omitted assets he owned, including a helicopter, property in Great Falls and a Lamborghini, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
From the press release:
Approximately two weeks later, Rahim transferred ownership of that Great Falls property to his wife. He also paid personal expenses from his business bank accounts, including more than $889,000 toward his mortgages and more than $669,000 to purchase or lease cars, including three different Lamborghinis. In addition, Rahim withdrew more than $1.1 million in cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid triggering currency transaction reports from the bank.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 21.
Photo via Google Maps