Road paving and striping season has arrived.
The Fairfax County and Virginia transportation departments will hold multiple public meetings this month on proposed pedestrian crossing and road changes for 2022.
The changes include narrowing several roads to an 11-foot standard and upgrading crosswalks. Bicycle lanes are also slated for several areas across the county.
The most significant change appears to be in Sully District, where bicycle lanes — potentially buffered — have been proposed where possible on Braddock Road between Belle Pond Drive and Sully Station Drive.
A dine-in theater will replace Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston Town Center.
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas plans to open its first location in Virginia in the final quarter of 2024, a company representative told FFXnow.
“The Reston theater will be fully renovated which includes adding a kitchen for the dine-in auditoriums,” Melissa Gotto, a spokesperson for the company, wrote in a statement. She added that no other details were ready for public dissemination.
Fairfax County’s budget season is in full swing.
The Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings at 3 p.m. today through Thursday (April 12-14), giving residents, community groups, and other stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their concerns and priorities for the spending plan that will take effect on July 1.
About half of the county’s general fund spending goes to Fairfax County Public Schools, which allocates the money based on its own adopted budget. The rest goes to county services, such as the fire and police departments, parks and libraries, public transportation, and more.
Johnny Depp Fans Wait at Courthouse — “Fans who stood outside the main entrance of the Fairfax County Courthouse with the hopes of glimpsing actor Johnny Depp as he appeared for the first day of his defamation trial were disappointed. The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star skipped the crowds and entered the courthouse through another door.” [Patch]
Sen. Mark Warner Visits for Affordable Housing Talk — “Every community needs access to affordable housing. Glad to deliver funding to Fairfax County today to create up to 250 affordable housing units and talk to local leaders about how we can further support their initiatives at a federal level.” [Mark Warner/Twitter]
Trees Cut Down for Mount Vernon Bicycle Trail Project — “Construction to improve and link the Mount Vernon Bike Trail along the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway is in its early stages and to clear the way, a significant number of trees have been cut down along the road. According to the project team, there is no plan to replant additional trees when the project is completed, a county spokesperson said.” [The Connection]
Tysons Real Estate Leaders Explore Nats Sale — The Lerner family, which is behind the Tysons II development master plan, has hired an investment bank to explore potential investment partners for the Washington Nationals, The Washington Post reported. Mark Lerner, the baseball club’s managing principal owner, called the move “exploratory” with “no set timetable or expectation of a specific outcome.” [Patch]
County Unemployment Rate Declines — “Inflation may be eating away at their earnings, but a larger share of Fairfax County residents had jobs in February than a month before, according to new federal data…The county’s unemployment rate for the shortest month of the year stood at 2.5 percent, down from 2.9 percent a month before.” [Sun Gazette]
Local LGBTQ+ Advocates Worried About New Law — “Under a new law, Virginia school districts must notify parents whenever instructional materials include sexually explicit content and must provide parents alternative, non-explicit materials if requested…FCPS Pride said the bill ‘creates an adversarial relationship between teachers and parents or guardians.'” [The Washington Post]
Public Safety Workers Honored in Reston — “Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce officials on March 31 honored police, fire-and-rescue and Sheriff’s Office employees for their outstanding acts of public protection. More than 600 people attended the 44th annual Fairfax County Valor Awards, held at the Hyatt Regency Reston.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Herndon Plans Town-Wide Clean-Up — “The annual spring clean-up, an opportunity for residents to place large or bulky items curbside for pickup, takes place April 27-29. Pickup is on your trash day only.” [Town of Herndon]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 72 and low of 53. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]
Reston’s Shadowood pool, which will be closed this season, is slated for mid-level upgrades.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors selected a plan to bring the ailing pool out of the shadows.
Of the three proposals under consideration — less costly repairs, a mid-price refurbishment plan, and full-scale renovations — the board chose the mid-tier plan, which is expected to cost between $750,000 and $1 million.
The Fairfax County Police Department is asking for the public’s help as it continues to train officers for how to handle potentially dangerous situations on the road.
The county’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Center, located in Chantilly south of the Dulles airport, is looking for used-vehicle donations for training exercises and driving simulations on its 1.1-mile roadway.
The facility is where officers get required training to perform the precision immobilization technique (PIT), a controversial maneuver for stopping high-speed vehicles that Fairfax County police have been using since 1988.
Fairfax County’s COVID-19 transmission level is still well below where it was this past winter, but a rise in cases that was barely perceptible a week ago has started to solidify into a more concrete trend.
The Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax and Falls Church cities, is averaging 167 cases a day for the past week. That’s the highest weekly average since Feb. 18 (169 cases) and more than twice this year’s low point of 77 cases on March 22, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
UPDATE – garden apartment fire in the 2200 block of Stone Wheel Drive in Reston. Fire is out. Second Alarm units being placed in service. Fire Investigators on scene to determine cause. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/0YW5suYb2p
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 11, 2022
Depp-Heard Defamation Trial Starts Today — “Three years after actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic abuse, the case is going to trial on Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Man Indicted for Animal Cruelty — “Sheheryar Kamran, a 20-year-old resident of Reston, Virginia, was indicted on three federal charges related to animal cruelty for allegedly creating and posting videos on social media showing him abusing and killing hamsters. Kamran pleaded ‘not guilty’ in a federal court in Alexandria on February 24, 2022. He is currently awaiting trial set for May 16, 2022.” [FOX5]
TJ Admissions Lawsuit Could go to Supreme Court — The Coalition for TJ, a community group opposed to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s new admissions policy, has filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to vacate a stay of a judge’s order striking down the changes. Chief Justice John Roberts gave the Fairfax County School Board until Wednesday (April 13) to respond. [Associated Press/WTOP]
Portion of I-66 West to Close Overnight — All westbound lanes will close at Route 28 between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. today (Monday) through Friday, requiring a detour. Crews will install bridge beams for the new Route 28 South bridge as part of the sweeping project to add express lanes on I-66. [VDOT]
Chantilly School Introduces “Walking Club” — The introduction of recess at Rocky Run Middle School this year inspired a teacher to supervise a ‘walking club’ for students and teachers who spend the break taking a stroll outside. The activity is part of a countywide pilot in anticipation of Fairfax County Public Schools requiring recess for middle schools this fall, a policy set to be approved Thursday (April 14). [WTOP]
Tysons Dim Sum Restaurant Enters D.C. — “After opening two grand dim sum parlors in the suburbs, restaurateur Chris Zhu is ready to expand to DC. The China Garden (Rockville) and Han Palace (Tysons) owner will open a 70-seat branch of her Cantonese restaurant in Woodley Park on Sunday, April 10.” [Washingtonian]
McLean HS Lands New Football Coach — “Prior to accepting the job as the new McLean High School head football coach, Joe Cockerham held a variety of positions on different high school and college staffs. Cockerham, 34, believes those experiences will help him build a consistent winner of the Highlanders at McLean.” [Sun Gazette]
Hybla Valley Walmart Shoplifting Leads to Assault — Police responding to a shoplifting complaint at 7910 Richmond Highway reportedly found a 35-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman concealing merchandise. The woman ran, and the man assaulted officers. The man was arrested and taken to the hospital for injuries not considered life threatening. [FCPD]
McLean Symphony Marks 50th Anniversary — The McLean Symphony held a concert at Capital One Hall on Saturday (April 9) to celebrate 50 years of existence, all of them led by conductor Dingwall Fleary. The concert featured two premieres of original compositions, including one by a local student, and the attendance of Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 7:43 pm. [Weather.gov]
We’re a couple weeks into spring now, but that won’t stop a chill from settling in Fairfax County early tomorrow morning (Monday).
The National Weather Service has issued a Frost Advisory set to take effect in the D.C. area from midnight to 9 a.m.
…FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT MONDAY…
The weekend is almost here. Before you romp over to the nearest playground or head to bed for some much-needed sleep after avoiding those pranksters, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
In an effort to shore up its water and sewer fund, the Town of Herndon is considering increasing water and sewer rates.
If approved, the quarterly service charge for water would increase by nearly 18% or roughly $10.54. For water rates per every 1,000 gallon used, the charge would be more nominal — a little over 3%.
The quarterly service charge would increase by $7.40. Billing schedules are determined based on the size of the meter.
County Elections Director Resigns — “Fairfax County’s general registrar has resigned after less than a year on the job and now the former election manager will serve as registrar until the term expires on June 30, 2023, county officials said. Scott Konopasek announced his intention to resign as general registrar during a closed session of the Electoral Board on March 24.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Depp-Heard Defamation Trial Will Be Televised — “Court TV will carry the televised feed of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, which is scheduled to begin next week in Fairfax County, VA. The network will be the pool feed provider for the trial, and plans to provide coverage of the proceedings.” [Deadline]
Centreville HS Students Behind Blood Type Bill — “Fairfax County high school students spearheaded a bill that will allow Virginia residents to indicate blood type on their license. Sen. George L. Barker, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 345 during the regular General Assembly session. The Senate and House approved the bill, which will take effect in July 2023.” [The Roanoke Star]
Fairfax County Has Strong Showing on “Best Places to Work” List — Of the 47 Northern Virginia-based companies to make the Washington Business Journal’s annual list of the “Best Places to Work in Greater Washington,” 28 are located in Fairfax County. The ranking is based on employee surveys about topics like leadership, culture, and benefits. [Fairfax County EDA]
Vienna Hires New Planning and Zoning Director — “Town officials chose David Levy after conducting a nationwide search and receiving applications from candidates in 10 states. Levy will assume his new job May 9 at a salary of $161,000.” [Sun Gazette]
Colvin Run Miller’s House Opens — “Ceremonies took place on Sunday, April 3, 2022, to officially cut the ribbon and open the doors of the historic Miller’s House at Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls…After extensive renovation, the house now offers an interactive design representing home life in the early and late 1800s.” [FCPA]
Blood Drive Coming to Reston — “The Reston District Police Station is hosting a blood drive with the INOVA Bloodmobile on Monday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center…Registration is required. Your blood donation will support Fairfax County Police Department’s Helicopter Division’s whole blood carrying program for medevac services.” [Hunter Mill District News]
It’s Friday — Possible light rain in the evening and overnight. High of 56 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:43 am and sunset at 7:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
