Fairfax County fared well overall in recently released rankings of the best places to live in America, but it couldn’t quite compete with neighboring Loudoun County.
Fairfax County was named the 25th best county to live in nationally and the third best in Virginia by Niche, an online data platform that reviews localities with the goal of helping families choose schools and neighborhoods.
“Fairfax County is one of the best places to live in Virginia,” Niche said in its profile of the county. “…Most residents own their homes. In Fairfax County there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Fairfax County and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Fairfax County are highly rated.”
In the 2023 rankings published on March 20, Fairfax County trailed Loudoun, which placed at No. 12 in America and at No. 1 in Virginia, and York County (No. 15 nationally, No. 2 statewide).
The primary culprit in Fairfax County’s lower ranking appears to be housing, where it scored a “B” compared to the “A” given to Loudoun and “A-” for York.
Niche says the housing grade is calculated based on home values, property taxes, housing costs, local schools and more. Housing is among the most heavily weighted factors in the Best Counties to Live ranking, behind the percentage of residents with a higher education degree and the cost of living.
According to Niche, Fairfax County has a median home value of $569,100 and a median rent of $2,033 — about twice as high as the national averages of $244,900 and $1,163, respectively.
The county also trailed Loudoun when it came to jobs, getting a B- where its neighbor got an A. Those scores were based on employment rates, job and economic growth, and cost of living, where both counties earned C grades.
Fairfax County received marks of A or A+ for its public schools, health and fitness, diversity, family-friendly living, and outdoor activities. It got A- for nightlife, B- for weather and C+ for commute times and methods.
With its high grades for schools and health, Fairfax County snagged the top spot on the list for Healthiest Counties in Virginia and the No. 2 spot for Counties with the Best Public Schools in Virginia, behind York County. Nationally, it landed at No. 6 for health and No. 32 for schools.
Niche has named Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood of Philadelphia, as the best place to live in the country for four consecutive years.
A proposal for improvements to the Hook Road Recreation Area in Reston is currently under review by the county.
The plan would include new pedestrian walkways, traffic safety measures, improvements to existing pedestrian walkways, a restroom pavilion and the repositioning of a baseball field on the site.
At a Reston Association Board of Directors’ meeting on March 23, capital projects director Chris Schumaker said a site plan has been resubmitted to the county after an initial round of comments. RA is also working on drafting an application that will go before the Design Review Board.
A timeline for both initiatives was not known, but members noted that the county must respond to RA’s submittal within 45 days of receipt.
Board member John Farrell pushed staff to stay on top of the expeditious review of the proposal. He said he was gravely concerned about the need for traffic safety improvement measures.
Years ago, when he coached at the park, Farrell spent most of his time trying to keep kids or their siblings out of the street, he said.
“We can’t move those backstops and get those kids out of those streets without this site plan approved. I’ve been banging on this before I even got on the board and I don’t want to have a seven year old get killed on that street,” Farrell said.
RA CEO Mac Cummins said staff is working on the issue and would receive Fairfax County’s approval soon. Permit fees are currently being processed for payment, Schumaker added.
The project is in the early phases of design, architecture and engineering. Procurement will follow after the current phase is completed.
The recreation area was developed in 1965 with the addition of tennis and basketball amenities in 1973.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County high school students will soon have access to free mental health services. Starting April 10, Hazel Health will provide students with weekly virtual therapy sessions at no cost to families.
The school system’s website says Hazel’s therapists can help students with mood or behavior changes, anxiety, social skills, bullying, family relationships, and academic stress.
In a statement to FFXNow, the school system said it included funds for telemental health services “to reduce access barriers for youth requiring mental health services beyond those provided by FCPS school-based mental health professionals.”
Last year, the Fairfax County Youth Survey showed that students were more depressed than at any other time in the past decade. The report also found that specific groups, such as female, Hispanic, and LGBTQ students, were more likely to experience depression.
The data mirrors a nationwide issue. Last year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported poor mental health among teens and children nationwide, with the pandemic compounding existing challenges like poverty and bullying.
FCPS said it contracted Hazel following a competitive process that began last spring and that the company previously provided services to several large school divisions.
The school system allocated $500,000 in its current budget to hire the company, which was initially expected to launch a pilot program in January but got delayed, WTOP previously reported.
“Hazel is HIPAA and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)-compliant, and their services incorporate practices that encourage parent engagement and ensure student safety,” the school system said in its statement.
How to access services:
- Parents permit FCPS to share basic demographic information with Hazel
- Request mental health services by visiting the Hazel website
- Provide consent for Hazel Mental Health Services on the Hazel website
According to FCPS, the teletherapy will be available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Therapists will be locally-licensed clinicians; 50% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC); and 40% of whom are bilingual,” FCPS said in a newsletter earlier this month. “More than 15 languages are available.”
Hazel will help connect students to long-term care if needed after therapy sessions are completed.
A new rental community for older adults has officially opened its doors in Herndon.
Brightview Senior Living opened its 46th community at Dulles Corner (13700 Magna Way) this month. The 196-unit apartment building is part of a project with a library, fitness studios, pub, movie theater, salon and art studio, along with an outdoor garden area with a covered porch.
Doug Dollenburg, president and CEO of Brightview Senior Living, said the placement of the Herndon location follows a trend of embedding senior living communities into the larger community.
“Innovation Center Station is a $1B+ investment with the intent to offer a thoughtful live, work and play neighborhood in a convenient location,” Dollenburg wrote in a statement. “With Brightview in that mix, it provides residents and their families a truly multi-generational experience. Vibrancy and socialization are at the core of Brightview’s method; and this location ensures residents can stay active and involved beyond the walls of Brightview.”
The Herndon location is the company’s fourth in Fairfax County, joining facilities in Great Falls, Fair Oaks and Annandale.
It includes a mix of independent living, assisted living and memory care rental apartments. The units are available with no major entrance fee, according to the company.
Why D.C. Area Could Smell North Carolina Wildfire — “Weather models indicate that low-level winds, around or below 2,500 feet, have been generally blowing from eastern North Carolina toward D.C., Maryland and Virginia at about 20 to 45 mph since early Monday morning. That probably was strong enough to transport the smoke into the D.C. area by about midday” [Capital Weather Gang]
Route 1 Widening Already Displacing Local Businesses — “Stubbs’ angst about his shrinking business is due to the expansion of a 3.1-mile section of Richmond Highway in the Alexandria portion of Fairfax County, near Mount Vernon — a project that is already starting to displace businesses along the strip even though construction isn’t expected to start until 2027.” [DCist]
FCPS Considers Dress Code Changes — “Changes may be coming to Fairfax County Public Schools’ dress code, including one that would prohibit students from wearing pajamas or sleepwear to class…Students also wouldn’t be allowed to wear jackets with hoods up during class time or in the time in the hallways between classes.” [WTOP]
McLean Woman Convicted of Murder Faces 78 Years in Jail — “A Fairfax County jury recommended Monday that a 37-year-old McLean, Va., woman be sentenced to 78 years in prison for fatally shooting her two daughters in her apartment in 2018. Veronica Youngblood was convicted Wednesday of two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of her daughters” [The Washington Post]
FCPS Employee Joins School Board Race — “A longtime former Fairfax County Public Schools interpreter and family liaison employee announced Friday that she is running for the open Franconia District seat on the county school board. Marcia St. John-Cunning, who currently serves as the community school coordinator at Mt. Vernon Woods Elementary School…is hoping to succeed Tammy Derenak Kaufax, who announced in January that she would not seek re-election” [Patch]
Springfield House That FCPS Students Helped Build Hits Market — A single-family home in the Spring Village Estates at 7429 Foundation Way will hit the market Thursday (March 30) for $1.3 million. The house was built with the assistance of students in the Foundation for Applied Technical Education Inc., or FATE, a career education nonprofit. [Washington Business Journal]
Army Museum Working on New Event Space — “Construction is largely complete, and landscaping has begun on the National Museum of the U.S. Army’s new outdoor space known as Warriors’ Plaza and Field, according to the Army Historical Foundation…Warriors’ Plaza will include stones collected from the Pentagon after the 9/11 attack,” among other features. [On the MoVe]
Vienna Parking Lot to Close for a Day — “The parking lot right off Ayr Hill Avenue NE and directly across from the Train Depot will be closed for scheduled maintenance this Thursday, March 30.” The procedure is needed to ensure the lot can continue draining water. Vehicles parked there after dark tomorrow (Wednesday) night will be towed. [Town of Vienna, W&OD Trail/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 44. Sunrise at 7:00 am and sunset at 7:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
Local organizations are exploring the possibility of creating a new icon for Reston.
The icon would serve as a local, visible symbol that would be memorialized in sculptures across the community. The symbol would be available for local businesses, corporations and residents to display as a fundraising effort that will provide money for public art.
Friends of Reston, Reston Association, Public Art Reston and other community partners are collaborating on the project.
At a March 23 meeting of the Reston Association Board of Directors, chairwoman Sarah Selvaraj-D’Souza presented the project, following up on a previous presentation to the board in July. RA is the funding beneficiary of the project, while Friends of Reston is leading the fundraising efforts.
The icon will be selected from a list of four choices: a blue heron, woodpecker, a fox, or a write-in animal.
“The infrastructure is us, which is our underpasses and our spillway,” D’Souza said. She hopes that the project will be unveiled at RA’s annual membership meeting on April 11.
Jennifer Jushchuk said she was confused about RA’s role in the project.
“Is there money that’s involved? Is there staff time that is involved?” Jushchuk inquired.
Board member Travis Johnson said he was confused about the scope of the project and the placement of the icon.
“I see the word ‘icon’ and it just concerns me a little,” Johnson said.
The winning selection will be fabricated into a cast sulphur to be painted and auctioned off for future public art projects in Reston.
Selvaraj-D’Souza noted that other communities have similar projects. Norfolk has a mermaid, while D.C. has donkeys and elephants — the animals representing the country’s two major political parties — as well as pandas. She hopes the funds will be used to pay for public art projects on RA’s underpasses.
Board member John Farrell noted that the Walker Nature Center — which is operated by RA — already uses a pileated woodpecker, suggesting that additional animal-centric icons could create confusion.
But board member Margaret Perry, who expressed support for the program, noted that the center also uses a squirrel and turtle in some of its programming.
“We’ve already shot ourselves in the foot there,” Perry said.
(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) Many D.C. area residents who have ventured outside today (Monday) have reported a smoky or burning smell from a wildfire unfolding in North Carolina.
The scent has been reported from D.C. to Arlington and into McLean. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that it has gotten calls from around the county, as previously reported by FFXnow’s sister site ARLnow.
The department confirmed that the smell is being carried over by winds from a large wildfire currently burning in North Carolina, citing the National Weather Service.
“A wind shift has caused smoke from the NC wildfires to migrate widely,” the FCFRD said. “Low wind speeds in our area prevent the odor and haze from dispersing.”
#FCFRD has been getting reports of a burning smell and haze throughout @fairfaxcounty. According to @NWS a wind shift has caused smoke from the NC wildfires to migrate widely. Low wind speeds in our area prevent the odor and haze from dispersing. @FairfaxCountyPD #weather pic.twitter.com/VW7t1xNxSo
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 27, 2023
Scanner traffic indicates that Fairfax County’s dispatch center received calls from numerous schools, prompting the fire department to send units to some locations until they realized that it appeared to be a countywide issue.
“We’re getting a lot of different calls throughout the county about a smoke smell,” a dispatcher said. “Not sure what’s going on yet, but just a head’s up, we’re getting calls from multiple schools on this.”
“I too smell a strong odor of either wood burning or something similar to that,” a school security contact said.
Fairfax County Public Schools issued a message recommending that any schools “experiencing burning odors” stay inside.
“Fairfax County is experiencing burning odors. Fairfax County fire department is aware. We recommend students and staff remain inside,” the school security announcement said.
One principal reported trying to get through the phone lines for 15 minutes.
“Right now, our phone lines are jammed,” FCPS school security said on the scanner at 1:12 p.m. “State, federal, local officials, meterologists and others are aware of this. It’s a wildfire from North Carolina. We recommend you bring kids inside from the schools due to underlying health conditions such as asthma.”
An FCPS spokesperson said students haven’t been told to shelter in place, but public safety officials recommended that students remain inside if smoke was detected.
“If smoke is detected in the air, it has been recommended to principals that they keep their students inside,” the spokesperson told FFXnow. “This is a school by school decision to be made by individual principals, however.”
@nbcwashington @ffxnow @ARLnowDOTcom
People are talking about the strange burnt smell across the DMV, any news on what this is???
— Steph Ger (@MrRednWhite) March 27, 2023
Terrible in McLean as well. Know there is a wildfire in NC near OBX. Wondering if it’s from that.
— Mean Streets of McLean (@MeanStreetsMcL) March 27, 2023
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a new policy last week that could offer incentives to developers to replace the affordable housing lost to new development.
The new policy wouldn’t just require a one-to-one replacement of units set aside as affordable — known as committed affordable units — but would incentivize the replacement of those that were naturally affordable — meaning market-rate affordable.
In effect, if a new development brings units to a site previously affordable for those making less than the area median income, the developer would be offered incentives to include an equal number of affordable units in the new development. Those incentives could include additional density, building height and financial assistance.
The sole voice against the new amendment at the meeting last Tuesday (March 21) was Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who said the county can’t subsidize its way out of the regional housing crisis. According to Herrity:
The requirement to replace market-rate affordable units could inhibit the delivery of much needed housing, especially if incentives fail to cover the cost of the preserved affordable units. It’s a lot of those incentives that are basically making housing unaffordable for many of our residents, because those incentives are paid by our residents. Our young adults and our seniors are priced out of housing. We’re not going to be able to do enough government-subsidized housing to fix this problem. Where we need to start is reducing the cost of housing. I’m not going to be supporting this, that’s probably no surprise to the board, but I think there are better ways to attack this problem.
The rest of the board, though, was enthusiastic in its support of the new policy.
“This is a good next step for us,” Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said. “The issue is: how do we ensure this distribution of housing is countywide? I think this starts to tackle that issue by highlighting and identifying where those issues and where those needs are. I’m looking to support far more housing that’s affordable in many other areas.”
Storck said the policy is part of the county’s commitment to ensure residents can afford to stay in the county even as overall housing prices continue to rise.
“I have a statement that I say often and my staff will probably roll their eyes when I say this again: we need to make sure we leave no one behind,” Storck said. “If you’ve lived in our community for a while, we need to make sure there are options for you. To get those options, we need to build more housing.”
The policy change was approved in a 9-1 vote.
Following adoption by the Board of Supervisors, staff will work to put together a draft of new guidelines in May and present those to the board later this summer.
Local police are seeking the community’s help in identifying a man who has reportedly exposed himself to multiple women at a Reston hotel.
Most recently, Fairfax County police believe the man exposed himself outside a room in the Extended Stay at 12190 Sunset Hills Road on Friday (March 24). A woman was inside the room with her two children when she saw the man.
Two similar incidents happened in February at the same hotel, according to police.
“Detectives canvassed the area following the February incidents, but additional information was not developed,” the FCPD said.
The previous incidents happened on Feb. 18 and 19, according to police.
Police issued the following description of the the subject:
The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s, approximately 5’10, 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black sweatshirt with black jeans and black Jordans with a blue accent stripe on the heels.
Anyone with information is urged to call the police department using the following methods:
Detectives would like to speak to anyone who may have information about this case or other similar cases. Those with information are asked to please 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 and follow the steps to “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.
Vienna Ice Skater Gets Bronze at World Championships — “Japan’s Shoma Uno repeated as world figure skating champion, performing the total package of jumps and artistry immediately after 18-year-old American Ilia Malinin attempted a record-tying six quadruple jumps in his free skate to earn the bronze medal…Malinin is the only person to land a quad Axel in competition and did so again Saturday.” [NBC Sports]
GMU Students Petition Against Youngkin Speech — “George Mason University students are petitioning against the college’s decision to host Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as the graduation commencement speaker in May. Senior Alaina Ruffin started the petition Thursday…The petition has received more than 4,000 signatures since then.” [WTOP]
GW Parkway Repairs Delayed — “Emergency repairs to the concrete pavement in the southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway near Waynewood Boulevard will take place the weekend of March 31 instead of March 24 due to the inclement weather forecast [last] weekend, according to the National Park Service” [On the MoVe]
Metro Police Add Body Cameras — “Metro Transit Police will start wearing body-worn cameras in a new program being rolled out starting in April…According to Metro, there will be a total of 315 Metro officers wearing body-word cameras by the end of the summer.” [WTOP]
Reston Man Accused of Scamming Businesses — “A man from Reston, Virginia, is accused of helping scam more than a million dollars from businesses across the country using hacked or fraudulent emails. Federal investigators said Patrick Allen Womble helped scam eight businesses out of at least $1.3 million from September 2020 through April 2021 using a business email compromise scheme.” [WTOP]
Three Arrested for Vienna Restaurant Robbery — “A February burglary at a family-owned restaurant in Vienna has led to three arrests. On Feb. 28, Skorpio’s Maggio’s Greek Family Restaurant at 421 Maple Avenue E. reported a burglary that happened the night before.” [Patch]
Former South Lakes HS Classmates Teach Auto Classes Together — “When sophomore Dominic Prakash and freshman David Plum became friends during auto mechanics classes at Reston’s South Lakes High School 40 years ago, they had no inkling of what the future held. But today, the two are still side by side, teaching auto technology in adjoining classrooms at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Charitable Donation Site Now Open in Kings Park — “Cut the ribbon for the new Green Drop donation bin location at the Kings Park Shopping Center. Green Drop provides a win-win for our residents, they have a way to recycle useful items and at the same time contribute to great organizations like the American Red Cross.” [Pat Herrity/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Possible light rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 57 and low of 47. Sunrise at 7:02 am and sunset at 7:28 pm. [Weather.gov]
A day after neighboring Arlington County made waves by ending single-family exclusive zoning, Fairfax County saw its own zoning reforms reversed two years after they were approved.
The Virginia Supreme Court declared the county’s Zoning Ordinance Modification Project (zMOD) void yesterday (Thursday) because the new code was adopted at a mostly virtual meeting — a ruling could have consequences for other actions taken during the first years of the pandemic, as noted by Inside NoVA, which first reported the decision.
The county is now operating under its previous zoning ordinance, which had been in place since 1978, according to the zoning administration division’s website.
“We are currently evaluating the Virginia Supreme Court decision and considering our options,” Tony Castrilli, the county’s director of public affairs, said. “In the meantime, the 1978 Zoning Ordinance is presently in effect and available for reference on the County website.”
In a 29-page opinion, Justice Wesley Russell sided with four residents who argued that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s open meeting requirements by not holding an in-person public hearing or vote.
The county contended that an ordinance adopted on April 14, 2020 gave it the flexibility to hold public meetings on the zoning update and other subjects electronically during the Covid state of emergency.
The Supreme Court disagreed that the ordinance allowed the county government to conduct all regular business electronically, finding that the zoning update doesn’t qualify as “necessary to ensure the continuation of essential functions and services.”
“The modification of a 40-year-old zoning ordinance after a five-year revision process does not satisfy this standard,” Russell wrote. “It is not a time-sensitive matter, and its adoption is not and was not necessary to allow the County to continue operations.”
The residents behind the lawsuit — David Berry, Carol Hawn, Helen Webb and Adrienne Whyte — filed a complaint in Fairfax County Circuit Court on March 5, 2021 seeking to prevent the board from adopting zMOD at a public hearing on March 9, 2021.
The circuit court denied the request and ultimately dismissed the complaint on Sept. 9, 2021, stating that it had been rendered moot by the adoption of zMOD on March 23, 2021 and that the county board’s emergency powers gave it the authority to act at an electronic meeting.
According to Russell’s opinion, the circuit court found that zoning “is inherently an essential act of local government” that’s especially “critical…in the context of a national emergency and state emergency because civility between neighbors is the foundation of domestic tranquility.”
In overruling the lower court, Russell pointed to the five years spent on the zoning code update, which began in 2016, and the fact that the previous ordinance had been in place for 40 years as evidence that its passage wasn’t time-sensitive and, therefore, not “essential”:
Everything about the history of Z-Mod suggests that the adoption of Z-Mod could have waited days, weeks, or months without throwing the County’s operations into even minor distress let alone chaos. Simply put, the consideration and adoption of Z-Mod was not time-sensitive, and thus, acting on it in March 2021 was neither essential nor necessary to allow for the continued operations of Fairfax County government.
The court acknowledged that Virginia adopted a new law more broadly allowing virtual public meetings during states of emergency, but that didn’t take effect until Sept. 1, 2022. The opinion doesn’t comment on the substance of the zoning changes.
Publicly launched in 2017, zMOD was intended to simplify and improve the accessibility of the existing code, which topped 1,000 pages in length.
The county also sought to update the document to better reflect modern trends in land use and development, introducing new categories like solar power facilities that didn’t exist in the 1970s and eliminating ones no longer considered relevant.
Proposals to ease restrictions on accessory living units and home-based businesses and limit the heights of flag poles emerged as the most controversial elements, inspiring five-hour-long public hearings before the board and Fairfax County Planning Commission.
As it determines how to proceed, the county says individuals and businesses can refer to the Department of Planning and Development website for updates.
In response to calls for additional legal assistance, Fairfax County is poised to establish a self-help resource center in the library of its courthouse complex.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (March 21), the board approved a board matter that would allocate $96,000 in fiscal year 2024 to support the project. The board matter was proposed by Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and Chairman Jeff McKay.
Reportedly the first of its kind in the state, the center would provide legal information, referrals, forms and resource materials on topics related to court issues. The board matter states that it would serve as an alternative option for people who can’t afford legal services and don’t have pro bono help available.
“In my District, we have had constituents contact my office desperate for legal differential last hey are unable to obtain legal aid services. In one instance, a child custody case, the parents had no idea what to expect at their court hearing and thus were not able to prepare for or understand the court process,” Lusk said in the board matter.
First pitched by the Fairfax Bar Association, which runs the law library, the proposal is being led by Fairfax County General District Court judges Susan Stoney and Dipti Pidkiti-Smith.
A 2019 study by the bar association found that the cost of hiring an attorney and the belief that cases can be handled alone are among the top reasons litigants didn’t have a lawyer.
“Access to justice for self-representative litigants is a significant issue facing the legal community today,” the board matter said.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity noted that the challenge is not limited to “Black and brown communities.”
Responding to Herrity, McKay emphasized that the board matter specifically refers to economically challenged residents and other communities who are most in need.
He said that statement was “absolutely factual” and “all encompassing.”
Police took two people into custody yesterday (Thursday) after a reported armed robbery in Great Falls turned into a dizzying pursuit from Tysons to Herndon and back again.
Officers were called to the Safeway at 9881 Georgetown Pike at 12:05 p.m. for a report of a man and a woman stealing merchandise, the Fairfax County Police Department says. The suspects allegedly pointed a gun as they left the store.
According to the initial police dispatch, the individuals took Tide detergent from the store. The vehicle tag was traced to a man with an outstanding felony warrant for robbery in Prince William County.
“The two left in a car with a child in the backseat. Officers saw the car and attempted a traffic stop that resulted a pursuit,” FCPD spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Pearce said.
Per scanner traffic, the chase began on southbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) at Georgetown Pike before exiting to the westbound Dulles Toll Road toward the airport, as officers asked for a helicopter to assist.
After feinting an exit multiple times in the Reston area, the driver turned off at Centreville Road in Herndon and swung back around to the eastbound toll road. The screech of tires can be heard on the police radio.
“Do not PIT the vehicle,” a supervising officer said, referring to a maneuver used by law enforcement to stop moving vehicles. “At most, try to bring the car to a stop slowly. I do not want any reckless driving behavior to endanger the child’s life inside the car.”
The pursuit continued into the Dulles Toll Road’s airport lanes and exited onto Route 7 (Leesburg Pike), where the driver jumped a curb to cross from the eastbound to the westbound lanes.
After turning onto Trap Road, back onto the toll road, and off at Dolley Madison Blvd in McLean, the chase made its way onto the Beltway and finally ended in the northbound lanes near Lewinsville Road, where the driver was arrested.
: Wreck on 495.https://t.co/ZCXBmMXPPj
— Henry Bright (@HCBright10) March 23, 2023
The woman was also taken into custody, according to the FCPD.
“No injuries were sustained as a result of the incident,” Pearce said. “The child is safe and is currently with caregivers. No crashes were reported during the pursuit. Detectives are actively investigating. The names and charges will be released once charged.”
Close to 40 police vehicles were involved in the chase, including both local and state agencies, according to a tipster who said they followed part of the saga on Route 7 and the Dulles Access Road. At one point, an officer said on the radio that there were “too many vehicles” in the pursuit.
Photo via @notaveryh/Twitter. Hat tip to Alan Henney, Henry Bright and KKirkhart.
Police have identified the couple that was found dead in Reston Tuesday (March 21) afternoon in what they say was a murder-suicide.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Herndon resident Richard Garerick, 75, shot his wife, Patricia Garverick and then later killed himself.
The couple was found dead around 3 p.m. on a trail near Stratton Woods Park (2431 Fox Mill Road). The couple was found by a community member with gunshots wounds to their upper bodies.
Their car was found in the parking lot of Stratton Woods Park, along with cartridge cases and a firearm. They were pronounced dead on the scene by fire and rescue crews.
“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be completing autopsies to confirm manner and cause of death,” FCPD wrote in a statement.
Supreme Court Tosses County Zoning Update — “The Virginia Supreme Court has voided a massive zoning modernization plan approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2021 because the board’s approval occurred during a virtual meeting. The court’s ruling, issued Thursday, could call into question scores of routine decisions made by local governing bodies during the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Inside NoVA]
D.C. Cherry Blossoms Reach Peak Bloom — “The National Park Service announced that Washington’s cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin reached peak bloom Thursday. Peak bloom occurs when 70 percent of cherry tree buds are flowering…The National Cherry Blossom Festival started Monday in coordination with the flowering of the cherry blossoms.” [The Washington Post]
Fire Department Advises Properly Disposing of Cigarettes — “During March, there have been two significant house fires caused by improperly discarded smoking materials…In addition, there have been a few, relatively minor, fires caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Improperly discarded smoking material fires are totally preventable!” [FCFRD]
Public Hearings Set on Parking Changes — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors say they will take the time to get proposed ‘Parking Reimagined’ zoning, policy and procedural changes done right, rather than force them through despite concerns that continue to fester in the community.” Public hearings will be held by the planning commission on April 19 and the board on June 6. [Gazette Leader]
Tech Industry Finds Home in Northern Virginia — “HQ2 may be facing a hiccup, but local tech companies specializing in defense contracts, AI, space, cloud computing and healthcare are thriving. Northern Virginia is home to 17,000 tech companies, nearly half of them in Fairfax, a concentration that has led to an insatiable thirst for workers.” [FCEDA]
Park Authority Calls for One Hour Without Lights — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is encouraging participation in the annual One Dark Hour event, Saturday, March 25…To participate in One Dark Hour, simply turn off your outdoor lights on Saturday, March 25, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.” [FCPA]
Herndon HS Band to Play at Pearl Harbor — “It’s a big year for the Herndon High School Band: The Pride of Herndon which is celebrating its 75th year as a band. Amidst the celebrations, the band received the invitation to be Virginia’s ambassador at the 2023 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade.” [Patch]
Hayfield SS Graduate Reflects on Journey to NASA — “Hayfield Secondary School alum Swati Mohan is making history as an aerospace engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Mars 2020 mission. But in high school, Mohan didn’t imagine that’s where her career was going…until she was inspired by her FCPS physics teacher and two vastly different Science Fair projects.” [FCPS/Facebook]
It’s Friday — Rain throughout the day. High of 71 and low of 48. Sunrise at 7:07 am and sunset at 7:25 pm. [Weather.gov]
