County Advertises Flat Real Estate Tax Rate — “The advertised real estate tax rate is $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That is the county’s current rate and was proposed to remain the same under County Executive Bryan Hill’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal. The same rate or a lower rate can be adopted during the budget process, but a higher rate can not be considered.” [Patch]
Eight Displaced by Pimmit Hills House Fire — Fairfax and Arlington county firefighters were dispatched to the 2000 block of Griffith Road at 9:02 p.m. on Monday (March 6) after an unattended candle ignited a fire in the one-story house. No one was injured, but eight people were displaced and the fire caused about $30,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
No Reelection Bid for Fairfax County Delegate — “Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), the first woman and first person of Jewish faith to serve as speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates, said she will not seek reelection this fall, adding to a historic loss of senior lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session. Filler-Corn said she plans to work to get other Democrats elected” and may run for governor in 2025. [The Washington Post]
Archaeologists Start Digging in Vienna — “An archaeological dig is taking place on our grounds! It’ll be fascinating to learn what the archaeologists uncover. The public is invited to stop by and observe the dig, see the excavation in action and talk to the archaeologists. Please visit on March 8, 11, 14, 17 during the hours of 1-3pm.” [Freeman Store & Museum/Instagram]
Majority Oppose Co-Ed Sex-Ed in Survey — “About 85% of people who responded to a Fairfax County Public Schools survey oppose proposed changes that would put boys and girls in the same classroom for certain sex education lessons…[FCPS] discussed proposed changes to its family and life education curriculum last spring, but opted in May to delay a vote on the recommendations.” [WTOP/Inside NoVA]
Search Continues for Suspect in Kingstowne Murder — “Monday marks one year since Fairfax County woman Hannah Choi vanished…Fairfax County police continue to look for [suspect Joel Mosso] Merino, who was charged in Choi’s murder. He is being charged with second-degree murder and the disposal of a body.” [ABC7]
Metro Regulator Questions Plan to Auto-Pilot Trains — “Metro announced Monday it is aiming to convert the system to a self-piloting system…by December, with the possibility of Red Line automation weeks sooner. The nearly 50-year-old rail system was designed to operate automatically and did so until a deadly train crash in 2009 prompted Metro to disable the system.” [The Washington Post]
Springfield Town Center Hops Into Spring Events — “Springfield Town Center will be celebrating the start of spring with the Bunny, the Mad Hatter and other special guests. Family photos with the Bunny and a Mad Hatter Tea Party will be held at Springfield Town Center starting later this month.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 30. Sunrise at 6:32 am and sunset at 6:09 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 5:24 p.m.) Cathy Hudgins, Fairfax County’s former Hunter Mill District supervisor, has been found after she was reported missing earlier today (Tuesday).
Hudgins was last seen leaving the 2200 block of Colts Neck Road in Reston at 1:20 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department said.
She was considered endangered “due to mental &/or physical health concerns,” according to the police.
The FCPD described her as a 5-foot-7, 162-pound woman with grey hair and brown eyes. She was seen wearing a gray jacket, blue jeans, and gray sneakers.
Hudgins represented Reston, the Vienna area, and the rest of the Hunter Mill District on the Board of Supervisors for 20 years until she retired in 2019. The Southgate Community Center was renamed after her in 2021.
#Missing 79-yr-old Catherine Hudgins last seen 1:20 pm leaving the 2200 block of Colts Neck Rd in Reston. 5’7″, 162lbs, grey hair, brown eyes, gray jacket, blue jeans, gray sneakers. Endangered due to mental &/or physical health concerns. Call 703-691-2131. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/WIbGR3jLsO
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 7, 2023
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Over the past two years, salaries have ticked up for local elected officials across Northern Virginia, and Fairfax County doesn’t want to get left out.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 today (Tuesday) to consider raising the annual pay to somewhere in the $125,000 to $130,000 range for board members and up to $140,000 to $145,000 for the chairman at a public hearing later this month.
Current Board Chair Jeff McKay earns $100,000 per year, while the supervisors earn $95,000 a year.
“I recognize all the challenges we have with compensation,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, who introduced the motion. “We’re all committed to addressing them as best we can, but I just think we should be able to move forward with this and ensure future board are adequately compensated.”
In accordance with Virginia law, the new salaries would go into effect when a new board takes office on Jan. 1, 2024, if they’re approved. The Board of Supervisors last got a pay raise in 2015.
According to data collected by staff, Fairfax County pays its board chair and supervisors more than any other locality in Northern Virginia, where the next highest salaries can be found in Loudoun County. On the low end of the scale, Alexandria City Council members receive just $37,500, and its chair gets $40,000.
The proposed ranges would bring Fairfax County closer to D.C. and Maryland, where legislators are compensated as full-time employees. In Virginia, even state lawmakers officially work part-time, an approach that some argue is outdated and untenable.
Foust, who is retiring after this year, said he views his position as a full-time job, noting that supervisors participate in regional groups like the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and are “rightly” expected to be responsive around the clock, thanks to the availability of email, texting and social media.
From Foust’s board matter:
A reasonable compensation increase recognizes the growing responsibilities and expectations of this job and will help Fairfax County attract Board members who are able to meet those demands, reflect the age, gender, and racial diversity of our County, and who do not need to rely on outside employment or personal wealth to do so. Compensation should not be a barrier to run for, or serve in, public office.
However, some board members balked at the idea of raising their own salaries at a time when the county is grappling with high real estate taxes and inflation.
While agreeing that the life of a supervisor is busy, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity lamented that board raises are being considered when the county’s starting pay for police officers is reportedly the lowest in the D.C. region, according to ABC7.
He also noted that the budget for fiscal year 2023, which began on July 1, allocated an additional $1.1 million to cover personnel and operating expenses for the chair and district superviors offices. Read More
The exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of Tephra (Photo corutesy Cognate Collective)
A new exhibit opening this week at Reston’s Tephra Institute for Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) celebrates the richness and complexity of the immigrant experience.
Partly powered by a partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute of Mexico’s embassy in the U.S., the exhibit “Hacia la Vida/Toward Life” features work from artists of Mexican descent: Baltimore-based Hoesy Corono and the California duo Cognate Collective.
The exhibit, which opens on Saturday (March 11), aims to create a new framework to understand the position of immigrants. Registration for the free event is open online.
“There is a fearlessness in this exhibition that I find so compelling,” Tephra ICA Associate Curator & Festival Director Hannah Barco said. “Just as these artists do not shy away from the daunting political issues of immigration and climate change, they are not afraid to be bold, colorful, and vibrant; and to work with the quotidian, the simple objects, and materials around them. They are not afraid to follow their joy.”
The exhibit is the first of three planned to mark the 50th anniversary of Tephra, which launched in 1974 as the Greater Reston Arts Center.
This is Tephra’s first time partnering with the Mexican Cultural Institute. It will host workshops with the artist team during the exhibit.
“The Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, DC is committed to enriching the relationship between Mexico and the United States and we are very excited to partner for the first time with Tephra ICA for this program celebrating life, art, and its 50th anniversary,” said Min. Ix-Nic Iruegas Peón, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Institute.
Corona will headline a performance at this year’s Tephra ICA Arts Festival — formerly known as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — on May 20 and 21.
The festival, which is presented by Reston Community Center (RCC), will feature an artistic performance that explores migration and displacement caused by climate change.
“RCC is delighted to present a riveting and spectacular performing arts experience in combination with this exceptional Festival,” RCC Board Chair Beverly Cosham. “We look forward to immersing ourselves in beauty and thought-provoking creativity at Reston Town Center.”
Cognate Collective primarily develops research projects, public interventions and experimental teaching programs with communities across the U.S. and Mexico border.
A workshop with the collective is slated for March 11 from 11-12:30 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Institute in D.C. A date for the workshop with Corona has not yet been announced.
An artist talk and opening reception is slated for March 11 from 5-7 p.m. at Tephra ICA (12001 Market Street, Suite 103). Visitors will active the installation by lighting a candle and reciting an incantation to express solidarity with migrants. Cognate Collective will lead the interactive performance.
An expansion of the criminal charges eligible for record-sealing in Virginia has led to a surge in petitions for expungement to Fairfax County’s courts.
Faced with that increased caseload, the courts have moved to streamline the process by no longer requiring those petitioning for an expungement to attend a hearing, the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney announced last week.
As of March 1, a court hearing is only required if a petition is rejected.
“Previously, individuals would have to come to court for a one-minute hearing, which is a considerable burden if you’re unable to take off work, get childcare, or have other barriers to attending,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “Now, individuals can petition for an expungement by filing paperwork, which will be reviewed weekly.”
The process change was initiated by the Fairfax County Circuit Court judges, according to Court Clerk John Frey. It was implemented in a partnership between the judges, the clerk’s office and county prosecutors.
In Virginia, expungement removes criminal records from public view and prohibits access to them without a court order.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court received 701 expungement petitions between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023 — about three times more than the 211 petitions taken up the preceding year, according to data provided by Frey.
The court has taken in a total of 1,438 expungements over the past five years, including 168 petitions from March 1, 2018 to March 1, 2019, 200 in 2019-2020 and 158 in 2020-2021.
Frey attributes the increase over the past year directly to new laws adopted by the General Assembly in 2021 that introduced automatic sealing and significantly expanded the kinds of charges that can be sealed with a petition.
“The General Assembly made it much easier to obtain an expungement,” he said.
Currently, Virginia only expunges records if the petitioner is found not guilty, has the charges dropped or dismissed, or gets pardoned. In other words, a conviction will be public forever, regardless of how much time passes or the type of crime.
Under the 2021 law, which will take full effect in 2025, the state will automatically seal dismissed charges, acquittals, certain misdemeanor convictions, and cases where the person completes a “deferred disposition program,” such as Fairfax County’s specialized drug and mental health dockets.
Misdemeanors eligible for automatic sealing include simple marijuana possession, underage drinking, shoplifting, trespassing and disorderly conduct. The person must wait seven years since the conviction and have no new convictions during that time to have their record sealed.
The law also allows individuals convicted of other misdemeanors and Class 5 or 6 felonies to petition for expungement.
While automatic sealing won’t begin until 2025, the law has simplified the petitioning process by eliminating a fingerprint requirement, according to the Legal Aid Justice Center, which says expunging a criminal record typically takes at least nine months.
“A person’s criminal record can follow them around for a lifetime — even if they haven’t been convicted of the charges — potentially limiting their ability to get a job, benefits, or housing,” Descano said. “For people who want to start fresh, old criminal charges can prevent them from stabilizing their lives.”
Gym-goers will soon expect a change of scene at Gold’s Gym in Reston.
The Plaza America location is expected to close sometime this summer and relocate to 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive, according to the company.
While the company’s media department did not return multiple requests for comment, a store employee told FFXnow that an exact date for the closure of the Plaza America location has not yet been determined.
The Sunrise Valley Drive location is expected to open in the summer, according to the company’s website.
FCPD Uses Tech to Track Guns Used in Crimes — “A computer technology that can match the unique marks a gun makes on cartridge casings is helping detectives in Fairfax County, Virginia, to track down people suspected of violent crimes more quickly…Fairfax County is the only local department in the region with the system.” [NBC4]
County Highlights Women’s Stories — “In honor and recognition of Women’s History Month, we are sharing a few stories of amazing women leaders throughout Fairfax County, as well as events in March that highlight compelling stories about women’s contributions to society.” [Fairfax County]
McLean Woman to Plead Insanity in Murder Trial — “Potential jurors were told Monday that a Fairfax County, Virginia, woman charged with killing her 5- and 15-year-old daughters in their McLean apartment in 2018 will use an insanity defense…Youngblood is accused of shooting her daughters, 5-year-old Brooklynn Youngblood and 15-year-old Sharon Castro, in their home in August 2018.” [WTOP]
Independent Joins School Board Race — “Saundra Davis…announced her candidacy Monday for one of the three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board. Davis, who lives in Burke with her family, said she is running for the school board partly in response to the county school system’s policy of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Patch]
Dunn Loring Fire Caused by Smoking Materials — “On Saturday, March 4, at 6:02 p.m., units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Arlington County Fire Department were dispatched for a house fire in the 2100 block of Tysons Executive Court.” There were no injuries, but three people have been displaced, and the fire caused approximately $100,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
Open Strollers Now Allowed on Metrobus — “Effective immediately, open strollers are welcome on Metrobus, replacing a policy that required strollers to be folded before boarding. The public is invited to learn more about the policy and enjoy kid-friendly giveaways…March 7, from 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. near Eastern Market Station” [WMATA]
Former Herndon Delegate Will Seek Senate Seat — “[Ibraheem] Samirah originally planned to run for the 26th House District this year but decided to run for the 32nd Senate District after its incumbent, John Bell, announced last week that he would not run for reelection while he seeks treatment for prostrate cancer.” [Washingtonian]
Overnight Lane Closures on Maple Avenue — “Commuter Alert! Due to utility work, lane closures on Maple Avenue, between Glyndon Street and Branch Road, will begin at 9 p.m. [Monday]. The utility work and lane closures will occur from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday, March 9. Please use caution when driving in the area.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Route 1 Widening Requires Bank to Relocate — “The Wells Fargo branch located in the Colonial Revival-style building at 8770 Richmond Highway in Woodlawn will relocate to the opposite side of the highway later this spring as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements project.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 37. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 6:08 pm. [Weather.gov]
A two-vehicle crash on Monroe Street near the Dulles Toll Road in Herndon drew a big emergency response earlier tonight (Monday).
One of the vehicles involved in the crash flipped over, trapping its occupant inside, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson William Delaney said.
The person was transported to the hospital with injuries that were reportedly life-threatening, according to Delaney.
The crash occurred around 7 p.m. near the Woodland View Drive intersection. Emergency vehicles blocked Monroe Street in both directions while responding to the crash.
https://t.co/BMaWGFNAe7 pic.twitter.com/GBCeWqM2mm
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) March 7, 2023
Photo by Thresher Capital/Twitter
Fairfax County could be getting more money from opioid settlements, funding that local leaders said is desperately needed to stem a growing crisis.
Opioid Task Force Coordinator Ellen Volo spoke to the Board of Supervisors’ Health and Human Services Committee at a meeting last Tuesday (Feb. 28).
“Across the state, there’s been a shocking increase in overdoses in the last couple of years,” Volo said. “We’ve seen an increase across all ages locally as well.”
Volo said Fairfax County has seen a concerning increase in youth overdoses. Nearly all of them involved fentanyl.
The report to the Board of Supervisors said fatal and non-fatal overdoses for youth trended higher in 2022 compared to previous years.
The report also indicated that 6 out of every 10 counterfeit prescription pills in a Drug Enforcement Agency test contained a lethal dose.
Volo said Fairfax County’s focus is on expanding substance abuse treatment facilities.
“The big bucket of work has been enhancing and expanding substance abuse treatment for youth,” Volo said. “When you look at the nation, certainly the region as well, there is a scarcity of appropriate treatment options.”
Volo said a regional, multi-pronged approach is needed to build capacity for substance abuse treatment, but Fairfax County has hit some stumbling blocks along the way.
“It’s been difficult to find providers of detox and residential service,” she said. “We’re working to establish partnerships. It’s ideal to have this capacity in the region and in-house.”
For the opioid settlements, Volo said the situation is “very fluid” in terms of how much money is available, but it’s clear that the funds must be used for abatement purposes.
In the near-term, Fairfax County should apply this spring to the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to fund detox and treatment services at a regional level, Volo said. The county should also launch a survey to gather local and regional input on substance abuse treatment services and other opioid resource needs.
In the October 2023 to April 2024 time frame, Volo said the county should undergo an internal process to organize requests for funding to opioid-related projects and an Opioid Settlement Executive Committee will vet the proposed projects.
County leaders said the help can’t come soon enough.
“We lost a 17-year-old student in my community last summer,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said. “We’ve heard consistently [there’s a] need for additional treatment service, for inpatient and outpatient services, but the outpatient ones are critical.”
Photo via DEA/Flickr
An aging office park on Centreville Road could get new life as a developer moves to replace the property with a residential development.
An affiliate of K. Hovnanian Homes hopes to redevelop an office building at 3078 Centreville Road and a neighboring lot into a residential development called Lincoln Park II. The new complex would have 84 stacked townhouse units and 93 traditional townhouse units.
First reported by the Washington Business Journal, the proposal aims to complement Discovery Square, a residential development to the south of the property, according to a March 1 application submitted to Fairfax County.
Owned by the McLean company Toto LLC, the nearly 94,000-square-foot existing office building was built in 2001 and is not fully leased. A second office building that got approved for the site was never built, according to the application.
In the application, the developer says the redevelopment proposal is the “best” opportunity to advance the mixed-use vision for the Dulles Suburban Center.
“As has been the situation with many suburban, non-transit-oriented office parks, the market for additional office/light industrial never fully emerged for this Property and the unbuilt portion has remained vacant for more than 20 years, despite being site plan approved for development at a similar level to its sister parcel,” David Gill, a land use lawyer representing the developer, said in a statement of justification.
The 177-unit development, if approved, would front Eds Drive and Centreville Road. A central green is planned, along with several pockets of open space.
An existing curb cut on Eds Drive and Centreville Road will be used for vehicular access.
The county is also currently reviewing another application — submitted through the Site-Specific Plan Amendment plan process — that could redevelop land south of Discovery Square into 50 townhouses and four live-work units.
Construction of a new walkway on Fox Mill Road in Reston is nearly halfway complete.
The project — which includes the installation of a walkway from Reston Parkway to Fairfax County Parkway — is 40% complete, according to Robin Geiger, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
Based on the current timeline, the walkway will be completed in April.
“The contractor has briefly stopped working because they are waiting delivery of structures that should arrive soon to resume work,” Geiger wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
Work will then resume on the western end of the project by Fairfax County Parkway. The project includes roughly 2,000 linear feet of an 8-foot-wide asphalt walkway, including curb and gutter, on the north side of the road.
A separate project with more intersection improvements is currently in the design phase.
It includes the installation of a permanent traffic signal at the intersection of Fox Mill and Pinecrest Road, the construction of left-turn lanes on northbound and southbound Fox Mill, the addition of four crosswalks, and an 8-foot-wide walkway and curb ramp on the southeast corner of the intersection.
The $5.7 million project is financed through Fairfax County funds.
A temporary traffic signal was installed in the area in August 2021. Right-of-way acquisition will begin in the summer, followed by the beginning of construction in the fall of 2024, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Several parks in the county will get a funding boost for renovation work through a matching fund grant approved by the Fairfax County Park Authority earlier this month.
The grant program, Mastenbook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant, will power community-led restoration projects at three parks and the batting facility at Chantilly Park.
So far, the FCPA has allocated roughly $31,000 for the projects, which are expected to cost nearly $72,000.
The largest grant allocated $20,000 to the expansion of the Chantilly Park batting facility, which will replace the two existing cages with three hitting stations, while keeping four “soft-toss stations for additional practice space,” according to the park authority’s news release.
A chemical treatment plan to restore the habitat in the Churchill Road and Lewinsville parks in McLean will be funded by roughly $4,000 from the FCPA.
The project will follow work by the McLean Trees Foundation, which planted and maintained 28 native trees in the area and managed the removal of invasive plant species.
“Progress on these efforts has been slowed by the persistent regrowth of invasive species,” the park authority says. “MTF has proposed to launch a more sustainable chemical treatment plan to be implemented by an FCPA-managed contractor to accelerate the habitat restoration.”
Additionally, roughly $7,340 was allocated to restore a family garden next to the recently restored Miller’s House at Colvin Run Mill.
The funds were requested by Friends of Colvin Run Mill to clean the area, repair the stone border, remove invasive plants, plant, much and install interactive markers in the area. The organization will contribute $7,338 to complete funds for the project.
The Mastenbook grant program was established to bridge the gap between bond funding and community desires for new neighborhood facilities. Since it started in 1999, the program has awarded roughly $2 million in grants.
Regional Earthquake Fundraiser Officially Launches — “On Friday, March 3, Northern Virginia elected leaders and officials gathered to launch a fundraising effort organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) to collect money to purchase food packages for those impacted by the earthquakes” that hit Turkey and Syria in early February. [Fairfax County]
Person Burned in Herndon Townhouse Fire — “Units are on scene of a townhouse fire in the 300 block of Reneau Way in Herndon. Arriving units found and quickly extinguished a fire on a deck. One person transported with burn injuries. No reported firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Strangulation Cases Rise in Fairfax County — “In 2022, there were 217 instances in which Fairfax County authorities charged someone with strangulation, or knowingly applying pressure to a person’s neck, according to data provided by police. That is an increase of 83 cases from the year before…But authorities say that although arrests are rising, prosecutions that end in convictions remain sparse.” [The Washington Post]
New Turkish/Greek Restaurant Opens in Franconia — “Smyrna Restaurant, an Aegean kitchen located at Hayfield Shopping Center, is owned by executive chef Zeynep Gungoren and her husband Alp who serves as business manager…The couple, who live in the City of Alexandria, decided to launch a start-up restaurant at the Telegraph Road location, and it opened its doors in January.” [On the MoVe]
Tysons-Based EV Company Plans Manufacturing Plant — “Scout Motors Inc., the spinoff electric vehicle company of German automaker Volkswagen AG, said Friday it will build a $2 billion manufacturing plant near Columbia, South Carolina…The headquarters may ultimately settle in South Carolina, but Scout is currently advertising about a dozen jobs in the D.C. area” [Washington Business Journal]
Livestreaming Paused for Herndon Council Meetings — “During the month of March, the Council Chambers will be undergoing an audio-visual upgrade. There will be no live broadcasts/webcasts throughout the duration of the upgrade work; meetings that are normally broadcasted live will be recorded and posted by the end of the next day at Herndon-va.gov/Meetings.” [Town of Herndon]
Statewide Tornado Drill Tomorrow — “Every school, business, workplace and family in Fairfax County (and across the Commonwealth of Virginia) is strongly encouraged to participate in the statewide tornado drill, Tuesday, March 7, at 9:45 a.m., a part of Virginia’s Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 6-10).” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Learn About Early American Female Poets — “Celebrate Women’s History Month and join Tamara Harvey, @GeorgeMasonU Associate Professor of English, at Pohick Regional Library Monday as she discusses early American women poets and how they were treated as exceptional in their own time.” [Fairfax County Public Library/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 36. Sunrise at 6:35 am and sunset at 6:07 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 12:55 a.m. on 3/4/2023) A Herndon resident has officially thrown his hat in for an at-large seat on the Fairfax County School Board.
Kyle McDaniel, an entrepreneur and father of two, is seeking a Democratic Party endorsement for a countywide seat on the school board, he announced Wednesday (March 1).
He says his top priority is ensuring every child lives up to their full potential.
“It’s no secret that parents, teachers, and kids struggled to weather the COVID pandemic. We have an opportunity to learn, do better, and emerge stronger,” Daniel said in his announcement. “As a parent, I understand that moms and dads across the County are frustrated. Our teachers and staff are tired. Our children are struggling. I am running to lead our schools out of a post-COVID fog, and into a bright tomorrow.”
He says that he hopes to charge his vision for FCPS over the coming months.
His campaign did not immediately address a request for comment from FFXnow. But his website states that his platform is based on several priorities, including providing safe ands secure schools, feeding hungry kids and building world case schools and educating global citizens.
“Over the coming months, I will lay out my vision for FCPS,” his announcement said. “It is one of hope, optimism, and courage. A vision where equality and excellence coexist, and school lunch debt is eliminated. We’ll bolster academics, and build a world where active shooter drills are a thing of the past. Together, we will accomplish great things.”
McDaniel graduated from George Mason University and and American University with degrees in public policy, budgeting and finance. He transitioned to the private sector with a corporate startup in 2015, following work on the state and local government levels.
The Herndon resident is also an airline transport pilot and flight instructor. He owns a flight school that has locations across the state.
The school board has three at-large seats, currently filled by board chair Rachna Sizemore-Heizer, Abrar Omeish and Karen Keys-Gamarra.
Sizemore-Heizer announced last month that she will instead seek to replace the retiring Megan McLaughlin as the board’s Braddock District representative. Omeish and Keys-Gamarra have yet to publicly share their plans for the Nov. 7 election.
All 12 school board seats will be on the ballot. So far, Providence District Representative Karl Frisch and Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren are the only two incumbents to confirm they will run again for their current positions.
The Fairfax County Police Department has agreed to undergo an independent review of its policies and practices after seeing an increase in shootings by officers over the past year.
The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a D.C.-based nonprofit that has looked at the department before, will conduct a “broad examination” of officer shootings since 2021 to “identify any performance patterns, deficiencies, or trends,” the FCPD said today (Friday).
“PERF will share training and policy recommendations to ensure FCPD continues to adopt industry best practices,” the department said. “PERF will begin its work immediately and will present its findings and recommendations to FCPD in a brief report.”
In the news release, Police Chief Kevin Davis stresses that the review will not constitute “a focused, independent examination” of the most recent shooting, where two officers shot and killed Timothy McCree Johnson in response to an alleged shoplifting attempt at Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22.
Johnson’s mother and local civil rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the incident, questioning why officers used their firearms on a man accused of only stealing sunglasses and Davis’s description of Johnson as someone with a “violent criminal history” in the shooting’s immediate aftermath.
PERF previously reviewed the FCPD’s use-of-force policy and practices in 2015 as part of the county’s effort to reform the department after Springfield resident John Geer was fatally shot in 2013.
With this new review, the nonprofit will provide guidance on a potential policy dictating when officers should engage in foot chases, according to police.
The Fairfax County NAACP and ACLU People Power Fairfax have urged the FCPD to adopt a foot pursuit policy in the wake of Johnson’s death, noting that one was recommended by a separate 2021 use-of-force study by the University of Texas.
Fairfax County police officers have been involved in eight shootings since Davis became chief in 2021, including six incidents in 2022. According to FCPD data, there were nine officer-involved shootings total from 2013 to 2020.
