Cranes are working on the West Falls development in Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) Vienna Area Voters Elect New Delegate Today — “The special election to fill the Virginia House of Delegates 35th District seat is set for Tuesday. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m… The special election’s candidates are Democrat Holly Seibold and Republican Monique Baroudi.” [Patch]
Stolen Tractor-Trailer Holds up I-495 — “Officers from our Auto Crimes Enforcement Unit conducted a traffic stop on a stolen tractor trailer on I495 SB just past Braddock Rd. The driver is in custody and tow truck [en route]. Lanes temporarily blocked as detectives investigate.” The vehicle was stolen in Florida, police told FFXnow. [FCPD/Twitter]
Superintendent on Virginia Teacher Shooting — “The news of another school shooting in Virginia is unsettling, even more so knowing the suspect is a six year-old child. Our wishes for a full recovery are with Abby Zwerner, the first grade teacher who was injured. Our thoughts are with the entire Richneck Elementary School community as they grapple with this senseless tragedy.” [FCPS]
FCPS Revives Salad Bar Push — “In coming months, Fairfax County Public Schools…will gradually restore salad bars at elementary schools that offered them prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then begin adding salad bars at the remaining elementary schools, according to an FCPS spokesperson.” [On the MoVe]
Vienna-Based, Reston-Trained Ice Skater on Historic Feat — “If you don’t know the name Ilia Malinin already, take note. The 18-year-old champion figure skater from Vienna has jumped and spun his way into sports history, and eyes all around the world are watching to see what he will do next.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fairfax County Gets New Deputy Police Chiefs — “Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis announced the promotion of two deputy chiefs on Friday. Brooke D. Wright and Eli Cory have a combined 50 years of public safety experience in Fairfax County.” [FCPD]
Tech Hiring Fair Coming This Month — “Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is leading a free, two-day networking and hiring event Jan. 31- Feb. 1, 2023, welcoming talent to build a purpose-driven career in Fairfax County…Candidates will have the opportunity to network with dozens of hiring organizations from Fortune 500s to government agencies and rising start-ups.” [FCEDA]
Former Vienna Mayor Relocates to Japan — “As an empty-nester who recently had stepped down after six years as Vienna’s mayor, Laurie DiRocco last spring began a new adventure: living in Japan…DiRocco’s husband, Rob, was assigned a stint as CEO of Japan operations for technical-support firm Asurion. His time there originally was to begin in October 2021, but was delayed to last April because of the pandemic.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Tuesday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 45 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
As the Virginia General Assembly convenes this week for its 2023 session, local lawmakers hope to pass bills highlighting campaign finance reforms, raising teacher pay, paid sick leave, and other issues.
The General Assembly will meet in Richmond on Wednesday (Jan. 11) for a 46-day session lasting until Feb. 25, though special and reconvened sessions later in the year are possible.
Members have been allowed to pre-file bills since November, and Fairfax County’s delegation held a public hearing on Saturday (Jan. 7) where community members shared their thoughts on what should be prioritized.
Members have until Wednesday morning to pre-file bills.
Facing a divided General Assembly, with Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats holding the Senate, local representatives likely won’t see all of their bills become law, but here are 12 proposals worth noting:
Campaign finance reform
- Limit political donations to $20,000: Introduced by Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34), SB 803 would prohibit individuals from making a single donation to anyone vying for state office for more than $20,000.
- Prohibit contributions from public utilities: Also filed by Petersen, SB 804 would prohibit candidates from accepting contributions from any public utility company. Petersen has introduced versions of this bill before but hasn’t succeeded in getting it passed.
- Prohibit personal use of campaign funds: The potential new law HB 1552, introduced by Del. Marcus Simon (D-53), would ban candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, something that’s already prohibited in many other states.
Education
- Alternative learning assessments in schools: SB 819, pre-filed by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), aims to allow each local school district “to use any nationally recognized, research-based assessment or screener” as an alternative to Virginia Department of Education-approved tests. This comes after new state-proposed history standards were rejected by the Board of Education in November. Revised draft standards were released Friday (Jan. 6).
- Higher teacher compensation: Del. Kaye Kory (D-38) is co-introducing HB 1497, which calls for state funding to be used to compensate public school teachers at or above the national average. Currently, the average pay for teachers in Virginia is about $7,000 below the national average.
Gun Control
- Unattended firearms in motor vehicles: SB 901, introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), would make it illegal to leave a firearm unattended in a motor vehicle unless it’s locked up in its own compartment or container.
Health care
- Prohibit warrants for menstrual health data: SB 852 would prohibit the issuing of warrants for the search and seizure of any device containing digital information related to menstrual health data. Filed by Favola, the bill addresses fears from some that period-tracking apps could be used against someone considering an abortion.
- Paid sick leave for health care and grocery store workers: Introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), SB 886 would require health care and grocery store employers to provide paid sick leave. As noted in the bill, current law only requires paid sick leave for some home health care workers. A version of this bill passed the Senate last year but failed in the House.
- Treatment for “problem gambling“: With sports gambling now legal in Virginia, Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) is proposing HB 1465, which would establish a committee to help “reduce the negative effects of problem gambling.”
Rights
- Bars insurrectionists from holding public official: Del. Dan Helmer (D-40) is introducing HB 1562 to bar those “convicted of participating in an insurrection” from ever holding a position of “public trust.”
- ASL interpreters in courtrooms: Surovell’s SB 814 lets the court appoint a certified American Sign Language interpreter itself for the courtroom.
- No arrest for assault on law enforcement in mental health emergency: HB 1561 from Del. Vivian Watts (D-39) exempts individuals from being arrested or prosecuted for assaulting a law enforcement officer if they’re experiencing a mental health emergency. A study done last year showed that about 10% of those charged with assault on law enforcement officers had a history of mental illness.
Transportation
- Pedestrian signals apply to bicycles and scooters: Favola’s SB 847 calls for pedestrian control signals to also apply to those riding bicycles, mopeds, electric bikes, scooters, and all other forms of electric motor transportation. A companion bill is being filed by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48) in the House.
Photo via Doug Kerr/Flickr
The development team behind four parcels of land on Rock Hill Road in Herndon want to see more housing on the nearly 24-acre site near the Innovation Center Metro station.
DWC Holdings and Origami RE Growth GP have filed a Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) — an ongoing process for exploring changes to Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan — to increase the amount of housing on the site.
“Given the uncertain future of the office market, the proposed amendment is essential to ensuring the development of the property in a manner that achieves important county goals and capitalizes on the region’s substantial investment in the Silver Line,” the Oct. 21 application said.
Currently, the county’s plan calls for one of two options for the site: either a mixed-use development with housing, offices, hotel and retail uses, or a project with all of the above except residential uses.
The applicants want to go with the first option, increasing the site’s development intensity. That would up the floor area ratio (FAR) within a quarter-mile of the Metro station from 2.8 to 5.0 and 1.6 to 2.5 FAR within a half-mile of the station. In total, the change would mean a 3.75 FAR for the property.
The development team also wants eliminate the county’s desired proportions for the mix of uses on the site — a move they argue is “critical” to enhance the “flexibility” of the property and maintain a development that encourages rail ridership.
“The proposed amendment will not only support the County’s important place-making and transit ridership goals, but also provide additional, much needed housing opportunities,” the application states.
The proposal suggests that county and Virginia Department of Transportation officials explore vacating their existing Innovation Avenue right-of-way to “seamlessly” integrate the development into the Metro station.
The proposal also says a “significant” but unspecified number of affordable or workforce dwelling units would be included.
The proposal is one of several moving through the SSPA process. The county plans to host a series of community meetings on the applications.
Of the 75 proposals the county received in the fall, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors selected 70 to move to the screening phase.
At 13, the Hunter Mill District has the most accepted proposals, most of which expand residential development in transit-oriented areas.
Residents can also submit comments online.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will review the nominations in public workshops next month and in March. The nominations will move forward for formal study in a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program.
A board vote is anticipated in the spring.
Winter Restaurant Week is scheduled to kick off next week, and over 20 eateries across Fairfax County are signed up to offer special offerings as part of the event.
During Restaurant Week — a bi-annual event sponsored by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — participating restaurants in the D.C. region offer special menus to encourage locals to try new locations around the area.
“Participating restaurants will offer multi-course brunch and lunch menus for $25 per person, and multi-course dinner menus for $40 or $55 per person for on-premises dining,” RAMW said in a release. “Many restaurants will also offer RW-To-Go dinner meals and cocktail pairings, giving more variety for diners wanting to partake in the program. RW-To-Go dinner packages will be available at two price points: $70 or $100 for two people and $140 or $200 for four people.”
The following restaurants around Fairfax have signed up for Restaurant Week this year:
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive) — French cuisine in Falls Church
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive) — Greek/Mediterranean/Turkish in Tysons
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Italian food in the Mosaic District
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road) — Steakhouse in McLean
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley) — American food in the Mosaic District
- Bellissimo Restaurant (10403 Main Street) — Italian food in Fairfax City
- Big Buns (Herndon, Reston, Vienna, Fairfax City locations) — American food chain with locations across Fairfax
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive) — American food in Tysons
- Founding Farmers (Tysons and Reston locations) — locally sourced food and bar
- Hamrock’s Restaurant (3950 Chain Bridge Road) — Southern cuisine in Fairfax City
- Makers Union (1811 Library Street) — Gastropub in Reston
- Matchbox (Mosaic District and Reston locations) — American bistro
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street) — Steakhouse in Reston
- North Italia (Reston and Tysons locations) — Italian cuisine
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) — Seafood restaurant in Reston
- The Capital Grille (Fair Lakes and Tysons locations) — A steakhouse and seafood restaurant
- TRIO Grill (8100 Lee Hwy) — American food in Falls Church
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive) — Steak and seafood in Tysons Galleria
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South) — Japanese restaurant in Tysons
- Zenola (132 Branch Road) — Lebanese restaurant in Vienna
A Reston man has been arrested and charged in connection with a June 11 shooting of three people in Sterling.
Isaias Lainez-Alvarado, 19, was arrested at a home in Reston on Thursday (Jan. 5), according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
He has been charged with three counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony and three counts of malicious wounding in connection with the shooting on North Fillmore Avenue.
The suspect is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Another teen under the age of 18 was arrested and charged in connection with the incident in June. That individual faces one count of attempted aggravated murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 11, a woman was shot several times, and two other individuals also had minor injuries after returning to the crime scene following the involvement of police, according to the sheriff’s office.
All three victims were released from the hospital.
LSCO worked with the Fairfax County Police Department to arrest Lainez-Alvarado.
TikTok Video of Fake Fairfax Bus Sign Goes Viral — “The City of Fairfax does not want you to run over jaywalking pedestrians in order to teach them a lesson…A video posted to TikTok by the user @hamandgreenpepperomelette shows the back of a Fairfax City CUE bus with a bogus sign that reads: ‘Don’t stop for pedestrians if they jaywalk. Let them learn a lesson.'” [Patch]
Route 28 South Closure in Centreville Tomorrow — “Overhead sign installation on Route 28 South approaching I-66 will require overnight closures of the Route 28 South collector-distributor lane, the ramp from Braddock Road/Walney Road to Route 28 South and I-66 East, and the ramp from I-66 West to Route 28 South nightly, Tuesday, January 10, through Thursday, January 12.” [VDOT]
Police Issued Over 600 Traffic Tickets Last Month — “Our Safe December Squad, comprised of 11 officers and two supervisors, helped remove dangerous drivers from our roadways. These officers made 750 traffic stops which resulted in 41 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 5 arrests for driving while under the influence of drugs and over 600 tickets being issued.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Annandale Food Festival Returns — “After a two and a-half-year break, the Taste of Annandale will be back in 2023. The family-friendly community festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., along Tom Davis Drive in the center of Annandale.” [Annandale Today]
New History Education Standards Released — “The Virginia State Superintendent of Public Instruction is out with another revision of the standards of learning for history and social science…When the proposed revisions first came out last fall, there was a lot of criticism, with some saying it was them whitewashing history.” [WTOP]
The Story Behind Herndon’s Beanstalk Farms — “A farm replacing a data center in Northern Virginia — is that even possible? This reversal of development trends happened in September, when Beanstalk Farms, the brainchild of Alexandria brothers Mike and Jack Ross, opened at what was an abandoned data center in downtown Herndon.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
What to Expect From the Park Authority This Year — Linwood Gorham, who represents Mount Vernon District on the Fairfax County Park Authority board, says his priorities for this year include an initiative to improve park access and equity. Notable projects include Overlook Ridge Park at the old Lorton Landfill, the North Hill Park along Richmond Highway, and new garden plots at the NIKE Site. [On the MoVe]
Dulles Airport Visitors Share Memories — “Once derided as a ‘white elephant’ and nicknamed ‘Lonesome Acres,’ Dulles International has grown into one of the nation’s largest airports over its six decades…As Dulles marked its 60th anniversary in November, we asked readers to share their most memorable moments of Dulles through the years.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Possible drizzle in the morning. High of 45 and low of 37. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:05 pm. [Weather.gov]
A West Coast company has officially leased data center space at 12100 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston.
According to the Washington Business Journal, which first reported the deal, Backblaze, a San Mateo-based company, is occupying part of space that owned and run by CoreSite, a information technology company that’s based in Denver.
Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, says the lease offers further “validation” that the county is a choice location for strategic data center use.
“Data centers are choosing Fairfax County for great reasons — real estate availability, power availability, technical talent pipeline, proximity to customers, and our pro-business approach,” he told FFXnow. “The diversity of our business base, which includes data centers, is one of our greatest strengths and has a direct impact on our thriving and stable economy here in Fairfax County.”
CoreSite’s Reston data center is part of a campus with more than 1.3 million square feet of colocation space at full build-out, according to the company.
The campus can reportedly provide access to “any cloud, network or managed service providers you need to support your digital transformation journey in the U.S. and abroad.” It’s being marketed as an attractive alternative to Ashburn with tax incentives and commute options.
Here’s more from WBJ on the lease:
Backblaze started storing live customer data at the Reston data center on Dec. 7, said Gleb Budman, the company’s chair, co-founder and CEO. He said in an interview that his company had been eyeing an expansion into Northern Virginia because “it’s often considered the heart of the internet.”
Neither Backblaze nor CoreSite would disclose how much space Backblaze is occupying or any other terms of their agreement. Budman said only that the lease is a “multiyear” deal.
Backblaze typically uses third-party data centers and co-location facilities to store its customers’ information. One of its key services is allowing its customers to store data at one regional site and access it at another, and the Reston facility provides a closer option for Backblaze’s East Coast customers as well as a replication option for customers elsewhere, Budman said.
“When it’s full…we’ll have over an exabyte of customer data,” Budman said. (An exabyte is equal to one billion gigabytes. To put that into perspective, the average smartphone can store 64 gigabytes of data.)
Photo via Jordan Harrison/Unsplash
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
Happy New Year Fairfax!
As we are jumping right into 2023, I want to connect you with our Fairfax family and help you achieve your 2023 goals. Based on several surveys, here are the top 6 New Year’s Resolutions — I like to call them Goals — along with links to local and digital resources for each.
Exercise More: many of these businesses are offering membership sales this month.
Eat Healthier: bowls, smoothies, and organic produce are still popular!
- Playa Bowls
- Naked Lunch
- True Food Kitchen
- Boyla Fresh Bold Kitchen
- Roots Natural Kitchen
- PokeHub
- South Block
- Pressed
- PLNT Burger
Save More Money: Advisors suggest you begin with a budget, review your expenses, and set financial goals. Check out these Best Money Saving Apps suggested by Bankrate.com.
- Digit — Best for optimizing savings decisions
- Qapital — Best for those who are motivated by visuals
- Long Game — Best for a game-like experience
- Chime — Best for effortless savings
- Current — Best for young adults seeking a banking alternative
- Acorns — Best for novice investors
- Mint — Best for financial newcomers
- Qoins — Best for those with debt
Spend More Time with Family and Friends: a game night at home is always fun, but here are some ideas to get out and about together!
- MUSE — paint bar
- Bad Axe — axe throwing
- Board & Brush — DIY wood sign workshop
- The Winery at Bull Run
- Maple Ave Restaurant — try brunch at this modern European bistro
- Bowlero Tysons — 36 lanes, an arcade, air hockey, you could even join a league
- Escapology — Fairfax’s live escape room
- Chubby Squirrel Tasting Room — and the crispy tots are great, too!
- The Boro — check out events and the latest restaurants in this vibrant neighborhood
- The Block Foodhall — food, ice cream, and a bar
- Go for a run or walk — check out some of my favorite trails here
Reduce Stress: these popular meditation apps are great tools to help with relaxation and better sleep.
Refresh Yourself: save at least one night a week to do something that refreshes you.
- Order in your life
- Enjoy the outdoors
- Listen to music
- Serve others/volunteer
Explore Fairfax with Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney.
Sharmane Medaris | Live Fairfax | www.soldbysharmane.com | [email protected] | @soldbysharmane | 813-504-4479 | 374 Maple Avenue Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Bestselling and award-winning author Kwame Alexander and illustrator Dara Coulter will visit Reston later this month for a book signing and reading.
Alexander and Coulter will take part in the event at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) on Sunday at 4 p.m. The team is celebrating the release of “An American Story,” a picture book that tells the story of teacher struggling to help her students understand the history of American slavery.
Leah Grover, the communications and events manager for Scrawl Books, said the bookstore is looking forward to welcoming both authors and illustrators.
“Kwame is a friend of the store, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving of the widespread love and admiration he’s received. It’s always a pleasure to work with him,” Grover said. “If you’re not familiar with Dare Coulter, you’ll be blown away by her artwork! Her illustrations are as affecting and complex as Kwame’s words.”
Participants are encouraged to register online for the event.
Alexander is currently on a book tour featuring his latest release. He has authored 36 books, including “The Door of No Return” and “The Crossover.”
He has received several rewards including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor and three NAACP Image Award nominations. He writes in a penthouse in London, where he now lives, according to his website.
Tysons Corner Center Sees Uptick in Arrests — “Arnest supervises the [Fairfax County Police] Tysons Urban Team. It’s a unit that launched in 2013. Data shared with WUSA9 shows the unit made 787 arrests in 2022. That’s compared to 377 in 2021 and 406 in 2020. They say…those number[s] were likely smaller because of the pandemic.” [WUSA9]
Nashville-Style Chicken Sandwich Chain Coming for Hybla Valley — “A rapidly expanding restaurant chain has plans to open a new location in the Hybla Valley section of Alexandria. Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken recently signed a lease with KLNB to occupy an end space at 7508C Richmond Highway.” [On the MoVe]
McLean Mail Carrier Robbed — “Two men went up to the United States Postal Service letter carrier and demanded the worker’s ‘blue box’ keys just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday on Greensboro Drive in McLean, police said. One of the men implied he had a weapon, and the postal worker gave them the keys, police said. The carrier was not hurt.” [NBC4]
District 35 Candidates Share Priorities — “Democrat Holly Seibold and Republican Monique Baroudi are vying in a Jan. 10 special election to succeed former Del. Mark Keam (D) in the 35th House of Delegates District.” The candidates share their top legislative priorities and views on subjects from education to whether town elections should be held in May or November. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Pedestrian Safety Priority for Region — “When asked what were the most pressing transportation issues facing Fairfax County and the region at large, [Providence District Supervisor Dalia] Palchick said pedestrian safety…topped the list…Drivers in Fairfax County struck and killed at least 29 pedestrians in 2022, the most pedestrian deaths in a single year in the county since at least 2010, according to state data.” [Patch]
GMU to Launch Climate Change Center — “The Virginia Climate Center is expected to launch in late January…Initially, it will be focused on helping the communities in the northern part of the state, providing data to localities to make better decisions about public health, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, and natural resources.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Metro Police Add Naloxone to Toolkit — “Medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose will be issued to officers with the Metro Transit Police Department. The move comes following a rise in calls…reporting suspected overdoses, from 27 incidents in 2021 to 43 incidents in 2022, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.” [WTOP]
State Legislators to Hear Public Tomorrow — State senators and delegates representing Fairfax County in the Virginia General Assembly will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) ahead of the legislature’s 2023 session, which begins Wednesday (Jan. 11). The meeting will take place at the Fairfax County Government Center and is open to all county residents. [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 53 and low of 41. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County ended 2022 with a “medium” level of COVID-19 in the community, the first time it reached that level since August.
Continuing an upward trend that began around Thanksgiving, the county is averaging 291 cases per day for the past week, the highest weekly average since Aug. 13, per Virginia Department of Health data.
However, increased hospitalizations are what pushed the county from “low” to “medium,” as of Dec. 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the county’s case rate of 147.19 cases per 100,000 residents is below the CDC’s 200-case threshold, there have been 11 new hospital patients admitted with Covid for every 100,000 residents over the past seven days. In addition, 6.4% of all staffed, inpatient beds are being occupied by people with Covid.
Those numbers changed slightly earlier this week. As of Monday (Jan. 2), 7.6% of beds were being used by Covid patients, and the hospitalization rate dipped to 9.2 patients per 100,000 residents, which would put the county back in “low” territory.
The CDC is supposed to update its local community level classifications on Thursdays, but the dashboard still said “medium” by press time.
Despite the recent resurgence in the coronavirus, which remains far from the heights seen last winter, the Fairfax County Department of Health says it’s “unlikely” to bring back the face mask requirements that were in place until last February, unless a mandate is recommended by the CDC or the state.
The county’s approach reflects a national shift away from mandates in the public health response to the pandemic.
“To help prevent spread of COVID, FCHD does strongly recommend that our residents stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations,” department spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said by email. “In addition, handwashing, getting tested if symptomatic and/or staying home when ill will also help stem the spread of COVID in the community.”
While the county’s mobile testing and mass vaccine sites were phased out last month, the FCHD still offers both services at its district offices, though anyone in need must call 703-324-7404 to make an appointment. Testing sites can be found through the VDH, and vaccine options are at vaccines.gov.
There have been 2.8 million vaccine doses administered to residents of the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church as well as the county.
According to the FCHD, 86% of residents have gotten at least one dose, including:
- 93% of people 18 and older
- 99% of 16-17 year olds
- 95.6% of 12-15 year olds
- 64.2% of 5-11 year olds
- 22.7% of kids aged 6 months to 4 years old
As of yesterday, 942,162 residents — or 79.6% — are fully vaccinated, including 86.7% of adults. Booster uptake remains under 50% for all age groups under 45.
The district has reported a total of 259,627 cases, 5,273 hospitalizations and 1,729 deaths during the pandemic.
A daycare provider from a Montessori school in McNair has been arrested for assaulting a child.
Wesal Houd Abu Issa, 42, of Herndon was arrested on yesterday (Wednesday) for allegedly restraining an 18-month-old to a chair using tape at Little Oaks Montessori Academy (12525 Dulles Technology Drive), according to Fairfax County police.
Police were alerted after an employee of the facility informed daycare staff and Child Protective Services a day after the incident on Dec. 8.
After investigating, detectives obtained a warrant for assault on Dec. 21.
The Fairfax County Police Department asks anyone with additional information to contact its detectives using the following methods:
We are asking anyone with information regarding these incidents to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. 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 “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.
Little Oaks serves kids in Northern Virginia aged 3 months to 6 years. The school didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
Within the next six to nine months, the inventory of burial sites at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in the Town of Herndon will be maxed out.
That’s why the town is embarking on an expansion of burial sites within the existing cemetery property, according to Cindy Roeder, the director of the town’s parks and recreation department.
“There is currently a site plan under review, and we anticipate that will be approved in the near future and construction to prepare the site will begin shortly after,” Roeder told FFXnow.
The town expects to add burial sites that are enough to handle capacity for the next 15 to 20 years. The cemetery currently has an abundance of options for cremation and mausoleum burials, according to the town.
“In order to sustain the cemetery options and continue to serve the Herndon community, the development of this section is essential,” Roeder wrote in a statement.
The project also includes cleaning the underbrush and scrub trees, stormwater management, and planting new trees along the boundary with neighboring homes. Once that is completed, work to prepare burial sites will begin.
Roeder expects the project to take around two years.
According to a presentation before the Herndon Town Council yesterday (Tuesday), the project will likely begin sometime this month.
Budgetary materials note that a “favorable cash position” exists to complete the project, but the town needs to ensure it can cover the costs until the expansion is completed.
A November 2024 completion date is estimated, according to the town.
The cemetery is a community heritage resource that spans 25 acres. The Chestnut Grove Cemetery Association, which operated the cemetery from the early 1950s, deeded the cemetery to the town in 1997.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County property owners are officially required to contain running bamboo on their property — or face potential fines.
Effective as of Jan. 1, the county’s new running bamboo ordinance calls for property owners to get the invasive grass species under control and imposes civil penalties on property owners who let it “spread to adjacent properties or any public right-of-way.”
The ordinance was approved by the Board of Supervisors back in March 2022, along with a fine structure that includes $50 for the first complaint or violation, $200 for subsequent violations, and a $3,000 cap on fines over a 12-month period.
Officials have reiterated that staff will first seek to educate and allow for violations to be corrected voluntarily before imposing fines. When the issue went to a public hearing in February, several residents and supervisors expressed some concern about the financial implications of the fines.
In March, though, Fairfax County Director of Code Compliance Jack Weyant suggested fines would only be invoked for cases that have gone on for a year or longer.
Running bamboo is a fast-growing, invasive grass with an even more aggressive root system (rhizomes) that can spread underground up to 15 feet per year.
“Once planted, running bamboo can eventually take over yards and travel across property lines, creating issues for adjacent property owners and local jurisdictions,” Weyant told FFXnow. “Roots can push through brickwork, drains, cavity walls, patios, and exploit cracks or weaknesses in concrete.”
Weyant noted that the new ordinance “does not ban bamboo” but requires property owners to prevent it from growing on adjacent properties, including public property.
The county has set up a webpage to advise residents on the best methods to contain, prevent overgrowing, and dispose of bamboo.
Options include setting up a metal and plastic “bamboo root barrier” that deflects rhizomes back towards the bamboo owner’s property, encouraging the plants to grow vertically instead of spreading horizontally.
The county also suggests mowing bamboo often and using herbicides to prevent further growth. All cut bamboo should go in trash pick-up, not yard waste, per the county.
The complete removal of bamboo from a property is extremely difficult.
“Digging out bamboo requires heavy equipment and coordination with Virginia 811,” the website says.
In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that let localities impose financial penalties on property owners who allow bamboo to run wild. However, Virginia still allows commercial sales, an issue that Fairfax County supervisors have previously said needs to be corrected by the state.
The county itself will also have to adhere to the new ordinance.
The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) manages about 204 acres of bamboo that draw 10 to 20 complaints a year from neighboring homeowners. FCPA removes two to three bamboo sites a year, but it’s expensive.
In April, the FCPA told FFXnow that a recent removal of about an acre of bamboo cost about $35,000, mostly due to herbicide treatment costs.
Summer Camp Registration Coming Up — “Registration for Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) summer camps serving children ages 3 to 16 will begin Jan. 10, 2023. Registrations fill up very quickly, so families are encouraged to visit the Park Authority Camps webpage to view more than 1,000 programming options to prepare” [FCPA]
Attorney General Launches Investigation of TJ — Jason Miyares said Wednesday that his civil rights office will probe Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for delaying notifications to students who were commended by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Fairfax County Public Schools, which ordered its own review, has denied deliberately withholding the information, attributing it instead to “human error.” [The Washington Post]
Metro Worker May Have Operated Train While Drunk — “A Metrorail operator was arrested on Friday, December 23, 2022, on suspicion of operating a train while intoxicated (DWI), according to a public Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) document.” The Blue Line train failed to stop at the Van Dorn station, “coming to a stop for more than 30 minutes before safely discharging customers at Franconia-Springfield Station,” Metro said. [Greater Greater Washington]
Warrant Service Leads to Extended Standoff in Vienna — A Vienna resident was charged with assault and stalking on Monday (Jan. 2) after police received several calls about “disorderly conduct” at his home. When police tried to serve the warrants, the man began “throwing things off his balcony and threatening others,” leading to an hours-long standoff that ended around 10 p.m. without incident. [Patch]
Vienna Sandwich Shop Will Resurface in Arlington — “[Tim] Ma’s well-regarded Chase the Submarine, which closed in Vienna about five years ago, is making a comeback at Westpost on S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, the chef confirmed…The sandwich shop is moving into the relatively small ‘cube’ space in the development’s plaza which was home to Bread and Water until this fall.” [ARLnow]
Virginia Rail Seeks More Funds from Fairfax County — “Fairfax County taxpayers would be on the hook for additional funding to help subsidize Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service in the next fiscal year, but the total funding from Fairfax County tax coffers would still be down from pre-pandemic levels.” [Sun Gazette]
Route 29 Widening Outside Centreville Expected This Spring — “In the next few months, Virginia Department of Transportation plans to begin construction to widen 1.5 miles of U.S. Route 29…from four lanes to six, between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive. According to VDOT, approximately 30,000 vehicles a day travel the congested stretch of state roadway.” [WTOP]
Lincolnia Park Getting New Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has begun work to replace the playground equipment at Glasgow Park. The project will require the park to close until the installation of the new equipment is complete…Contingent on the weather, the new playground is expected to open in February 2023.” [FCPA]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 67 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
