D.C. Area Sees Record High Temperatures — “It’s official: Thursday is Washington’s warmest Feb. 23 on record and one of the toastiest afternoons so early in the year. The high temperature at Reagan National Airport hit 81 degrees, breaking the previous record of 78 degrees set on Feb. 23, 1874…The high was 80 degrees at Dulles, surpassing the previous record of 77 degrees on Feb. 23, 2017.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Dulles Toll Road Ramp to Close Overnight in Tysons — “The ramp from eastbound Dulles Toll Road/Airport Access Road (Route 267) to northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) is scheduled to close during overnight hours beginning on or about this Friday night, Feb. 24 through early morning, Monday, March 12. This ramp closure is necessary for crews to demolish the eastern section of the bridge from northbound I-495 to eastbound Dulles Toll Road” [VDOT]
Man Arrested for Assault in Herndon — “A Herndon man was arrested for assault on Saturday in connection with an altercation that occurred at a residence in the 600 block of Dulles Park Court, according to the weekly crime report.” The 26-year-old man has been charged with “aggravated assault (strangulation), abduction, preventing a call to emergency services, and assault.” [Patch]
State Bill Expands Alcohol Permits at Dulles Airport — “The legislative tweak, which extends mixed-beverage carrier licenses to financial institutions…will allow McLean-based Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF) to serve more than cranberry juice, soda and tea when it opens its long-awaited lounge at Dulles International Airport later this year, and, later, its Capital One Landing at Reagan National Airport.” [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons Old Navy Gets New Home — “Get a jump start on your spring wardrobe and celebrate the grand opening of Old Navy’s NEW location at Tysons Corner Center on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10AM. The first 100 visitors will receive a free tote bag and the first 200 visitors will receive $15 off a $75 purchase!” [Tysons Corner Center/Facebook]
Stray Guinea Pigs Found at Lorton Park — “A person was walking their dogs at the Laurel Hill Equestrian Center when they saw a ‘tiny black and white animal.’ After searching through the thorny blackberry bushes for nearly an hour, they caught 14 guinea pigs, according to Fairfax County Animal Shelter.” [ABC7]
Metro Proposes Design Change for New Trains — “Metro is exploring a drastic change to its upcoming new 8000-series trains: an open gangway. Open gangway trains have no doors between cars, allowing riders to freely move through parts of or the entire length of the train. It can improve train capacity, and provide more space for people who use wheelchairs and people with bikes, strollers, or luggage.” [DCist]
Local Companies Make “Best Places to Work” List — “Twenty-eight Fairfax County-headquartered companies placed on Virginia Business magazine’s 13th annual Best Places to Work list. In all, 41 of the 100 companies on the list have a presence in Fairfax County.” Herndon’s SmartEdge IT LLC topped the small employers list, while Fairfax-based MBP came in second for large employers. [FCEDA]
Vacant Annandale Bank Building Draws Interest — “There is ‘lots of interest’ in two vacant spaces in the former Bank of America building at 7220 Columbia Pike in Annandale, says real estate agent Michael Falcone of Century 21 Commercial New Millenium…Falcone says businesses that have expressed interest in the building include a grocery market, banks, cafés, bakeries, and an aerial aerobics company.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 68 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:49 am and sunset at 5:57 pm. [Weather.gov]
A new vitamin therapy business is coming soon to Reston.
The DRIPBaR, a business that relies on intravenous therapy and boosting cellular health with IV drips, is opening in the Home Depot Center (1675 Reston Parkway), according to Renauld Consulting.
The lease was signed for a 1,000-square-foot space at the center, according to the commercial real estate firm.
Customers who make appointments can select specific “drips,” which take between 20 minutes to one hour to administer.
Options include “lifestyle” drips that reportedly target vitamins and nutrition to cells, “health support” drips that the company says are engineered to help the body heal, and “IM” shots that include full vitamin infusion.
The company also offers other services like botox, red light therapy and hydrafacials. Drips are made to order and not premixed, according to the website.
Dripbar has multiple locations in Virginia, including Charlottesville, Richmond and Virginia Beach. There are also other locations throughout the country.
The company did not return multiple requests for comment from FFXnow.
(Updated at 3:35 p.m. on 2/24/2023) Four candidates have officially entered the now-crowded race for the House of Delegates seat in District 7, as longtime legislator Ken Plum plans to retire this year.
Plum, a Democrat, announced that he will not seek reelection after more than four decades in office.
Paul Berry, Shyamali Roy Hauth, Mary Barthelson, and John Farrell will compete in the June 20 Democratic Primary. No Republican candidates has come forward yet.
Berry, a Fairfax County Public Schools teacher who works in data science and previously was a budget and policy advisor to Gov. Ralph Northam, says his top priorities are education, the environment and creating jobs.
“The number one challenge is the cost of living and attainable housing,” Berry’s campaign said. “Paul believes that discussing either separately creates an artificial divide along socioeconomic categories when we need to be addressing economic inequality and the way people work and live in the same space in the post-Covid economy in a holistic manner.”
Hauth is an 10-year Air Force veteran and community organizer who worked with Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn up until this week. She is also mother, former educator and community organizer who helped Virginia become a state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, according to a release.
She told FFXnow that her top priorities are mental health care, climate change and attainable housing that people can afford.
“There is a great deal of intersectionality on these issues with my other priorities of standing up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, addressing gun violence, public safety, and ensuring we continue to have a top quality public education system,” Hauth said.
Barthelson, a systems engineer at SAIC who squared off against Plum in the 2021 Democratic primary. She received nearly 23% of the vote as the lone challenger against Plum.
“I am committed to using my engineering knowledge and expertise to ensure that Virginia’s laws keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, including areas such as green energy and data privacy,” Bartelson wrote in a statement. “In a time where technology has an increasingly significant impact on our daily lives, it is imperative to have legislators who possess a deep understanding of the associated policies and are not overly reliant on lobbyists.”
Her top priorities are housing, mental health and technology.
Reston Patch first reported that Farrell has filed his candidacy.
Farrell sits on Reston Association’s Board of Directors, where he’s currently seeking another term. He is president of the Colonial Oaks Homeowners Association. Professionally, he is an attorney at McCandlish and Lillard.
As he told Patch, Farrell says that, if elected to the General Assembly, his first bill would be to obtain a city charter for Reston.
“I want home rule for Reston,” he told FFXnow.
Early voting for the primary begins on May 6. Voters must register by May 29 to take part in the primary. The absentee ballot deadline is June 9.
In the Nov. 7 elections, Fairfax County voters will determine new representatives for the Virginia House of Delegates, State Senate, Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Board of Supervisors, and school board.
Fire at Commercial Building in Merrifield — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to a building fire in the 2800 block of Dorr Avenue in Merrifield around 6 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) that reached two alarms. The fire was extinguished after about an hour, and no injuries were reported. [FCFRD/Twitter]
Ribbon Cut on Penn Daw Development — “I was thrilled to speak at the South Alex ribbon cutting ceremony. In 2020 this entire building complex fell victim to a devastating fire, and now just three years later, we are here celebrating the completion of the renovations!” The grocery store Aldi is set to open at the development next week. [Jeff McKay/Twitter]
McLean Students Encourage Donations for Earthquake Relief — “Students at a number of FCPS schools are using their ethical and global citizen Portrait of a Graduate skills to aid those who were affected by a recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria…Copper Middle School students, including one who lived in Turkey and another who has family in the region, talked to Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid about how they and others can help those in need, and why they should.” [FCPS]
Poetry Events Coming to Local Parks — “Poet Laureate Danielle Badra will launch a new series of public programming called ‘Poetry in the Parks’ this spring. In close partnership with ArtsFairfax and Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA), Badra begins her new initiative with three distinct events that invite area poets and parkgoers to consider the relationship between nature and poetry.” [ArtsFairfax]
Gynocology Office Now Open in Annandale — “There’s a new healthcare option for women in Annandale. The Elite Gynecology Center will open on Feb. 21 at 3301 Woodburn Road, Suite 309. The founder, Dr. Nadine Hammoud, provides preventive care, annual exams, screenings, and minimally invasive surgery.” [Annandale Today]
What’s Happening With Transportation in Mount Vernon Area — Virginia Department of Transportation officials and local elected leaders recently provided updates on the Richmond Highway and southern George Washington Memorial Parkway projects. The Route 1 widening is now expected to begin in 2027, preceded by construction on Fairfax County’s bus rapid transit system. [On the MoVe]
Metro Launches Art Contest — “Young artists in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have an opportunity to get their artwork on a Metro bus for Earth Day. Metro’s Art in Transit program invites students in kindergarten through sixth grade from the DMV to submit artworks celebrating the role played by public transit in protecting our environment, combatting climate change, and supporting sustainable livable communities.” [WUSA9]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 76 and low of 55. Sunrise at 6:51 am and sunset at 5:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Registrations for Fairfax County’s School Age Child Care (SACC) summer program will reopen tomorrow (Thursday) after technical issues disrupted its scheduled launch yesterday.
Camp Fairfax started allowing families to register at 8 a.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 21), but the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS), which oversees the program, reported at 9:13 a.m. that “technical difficulties” had taken the system down.
“The registration system…experienced a system failure following the opening of SACC summer program registration,” NCS said in a news release. “Staff responded by immediately pausing all summer registrations. Staff continues to work diligently to resolve issues and ensure the system can adequately respond to demand.”
An NCS spokesperson confirmed that “high demand/traffic volume created the system failure.” The department anticipates all issues will be fixed today, enabling it to restart registrations at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
NCS’ SACC/Camp Fairfax registration system is currently experiencing technical difficulties; we are working to resolve the issue and will share registration availability once this issue has been resolved. Thank you for your patience. @fairfaxcounty https://t.co/DBlCq9nUm5 pic.twitter.com/76dr8k95rI
— Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services (@FairfaxNCS) February 21, 2023
However, enrollment will now be “staggered” based on the name of the 35 locations where the camps will be held:
- Beginning Thursday, Feb. 23: Sites beginning with letters A-J (Aldrin Elementary School to James Lee Community Center)
- Beginning Friday, Feb. 24: Sites beginning with letters K-P (Kent Gardens Elementary School to Providence Community Center)
- Beginning Monday, Feb. 27: Sites beginning with letters S-W (Springfield Estates Elementary School to Wolftrap Elementary School)
Open to rising first to seventh graders who live in Fairfax County or Fairfax City, Camp Fairfax operates in week-long sessions from late June through early or late August, depending on the location. Each camp session has three “cabins” with activities aimed at artists, performers or athletes.
Camps located at the county’s community centers will run from June 20 to Aug. 18, while school sites will run from June 26 to Aug. 4.
The fees for this year’s camps will be determined by the county’s upcoming budget, a draft of which was presented to the Board of Supervisors yesterday. The cost can be adjusted based on a family’s income, with last year’s fees ranging from $10 for a family earning under $53,000 to $281 for a family earning $132,500 or more.
Registration will be available online and by phone (703-449-8989), though NCS advises not logging into the system before 8 a.m.
“Neighborhood & Community Services is committed to providing all Fairfax County and City of Fairfax residents equal access to high-quality camp and childcare opportunities,” NCS said. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to meet the demand for these services in our community.”
(Updated at 10:45 a.m. on 2/23/2023) Fairfax County is seeking federal funds to complete a cycle track on Sunrise Valley Drive.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday), the board unanimously approved a $13.5 million grant funding request for the project.
The county plans to reconstruct Sunrise Valley Drive to include a one-way separated bicycle lane in each direction from Carta Way to Edmund Halley Drive.
“[The] plan [is] to add raised bike lanes within the existing curb by narrowing the existing travel lanes and medians to improve bike access to Innovation Station Metro, Herndon Metro and [the Reston] Town Center Metro,” Fairfax County Department of Transportation spokesperson Robin Geiger said.
The project is expected to cost around $24 million, including roughly $10 million that has already been secured.
“Sunrise Valley Drive is a challenge for pedestrians and bicyclists due to conditions such as wide intersection and high vehicular volumes,” county staff said in a memo.
With additional traffic expected with the opening of phase two of the Silver Line late last year, the county is eyeing ways to improve safety.
The county is seeking funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.
RAISE targets programs that result in major local or regional impacts, particularly passenger transportation, intermodal and road projects.
Del. Ken Plum is ending a 44-year-long career in the Virginia House of Delegates.
The Democrat, who has represented Reston, will not seek re-election, Plum confirmed today (Wednesday).
In a statement, Plum said he is proud to be part of progressive Democrats who controlled the General Assembly in 2020-2021.
“We have made significant strides, but as the current session of the General Assembly has shown we need to be vigilant and continue our efforts,” Plum wrote in a statement.
Of his years of service, Plum said that issues related to the ratification of the Equal Rights amendment, expansion of human rights protections for the LGBTQ+ population and the protections of women’s reproductive rights stood out.
Here’s more from his letter to constituents:
I could not be prouder than I am of the members of the Democratic caucus who succeed me. The caucus is made up of more women than men, persons of color, a different generation, and a broader perspective than has ever been represented in the State Capitol.
Even Capitol Square looks different than it did when I first arrived. The oversize statue of Robert E. Lee that dominated the original House of Delegates chamber has been removed. The statue of Governor and later Senator Harry F. Byrd that stood by the sidewalk between legislative offices and the Capitol is gone as is the tight hold of his conservative grip on state government that stifled the state’s development for more than a half-century. Signifying the changes that have occurred over recent years is a memorial dedicated to the Indigenous people who occupied the area we now call a state for thousands of years before the English arrived. A unique memorial pays tribute to the women who contributed mightily to the state’s history, and a civil rights memorial now stands featuring Barbara Johns who led a school walkout that launched the Civil Rights Movement in the state and led to the end of school segregation.
Plum said he entered politics to pursue a lifelong dream that Virginia could “do better than being a backward Southern state.” When he entered the House of Delegates in 1978, it was made up of 76 members who were Dixiecrats and a few Republicans who he described as “more moderate.”
He has previously served on the boards of Celebrating Special Children, the Virginia Literacy Foundation, and the Dulles Corridor Rail Association Board. He was a teacher from 1967 to 1997.
Plum, a former teacher and school administrator, served as a member of the house of delegates in 1978. His current position representing the 36th district kickstarted in 1982.
Following his announcement, Paul Berry — a former budget and policy advisory to previous Gov. Ralph Northam and a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools — announced his candidacy for the seat.
(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) The proposed 2024 budget has real estate taxes once again increasing for many, as home values across Fairfax County continue to rise.
At yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed fiscal year 2024 budget. The $5.1 billion budget is up $280 million from last year — an increase of about 6%, largely due to real estate taxes going up.
While the budget calls for the tax rate to stay the same as last year at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value, the average bill is set to increase by about $520 for homeowners, thanks to a nearly 7% rise in real estate assessments.
Hill warned in November that assessments were likely to go up, and Board Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow last month that he expected real estate taxes to be a big discussion point during the budget debate. But the extent of the increase nonetheless elicited strong reactions from supervisors.
McKay said that, given last year’s numbers, the tax rate is “far too high,” while Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity called the increase “unacceptable.” They signaled strong support for finding a way to provide residential tax relief to residents.
The proposed budget includes $90 million in unallocated funds that can be used at the “Board’s consideration.” A huge chunk of this, if not all, could be used to lower residents’ tax burden in some form, as was the case for the current fiscal year 2023.
The county’s budget continues to rely on real estate taxes, more than three-fourths of which come from residential property owners.
Nonresidential real estate values also increased this year, but by less than residential values. This means that real estate taxes make up more of the tax base than in FY 2023, increasing by about 0.75%.
While seemingly a small tick up, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the trend is going in the wrong direction and that commercial real estate taxes should make up at least 25% of the tax base. It currently only makes up just over 16%.
“Clearly, we are off. It’s not good and very disconcerting,” he said. “We need a plan or a strategy to address these issues.”
Hill’s budget plan proposes a $144 million increase in funds provided to Fairfax County Public Schools, which typically gets over 50% of the overall budget. That represents more than a 6% hike from FY 2023, which began on July 1, 2022.
The FY 2024 Advertised Budget proposal includes a 6.3% or $144.1 million increase for @fcpsnews in addition to support for programs like Head Start, school health, behavioral health services, crossing guards, field maintenance and other costs. pic.twitter.com/8cNyztgNbJ
— Fairfax County Government
(@fairfaxcounty) February 21, 2023
But that number is about $15 million lower than what Superintendent Michelle Reid initially requested.
As expected, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers doesn’t agree with this proposal, writing in a statement that it “strongly encourages the Board of Supervisors to fully fund the FCPS budget request.”
One of the bigger questions hanging over this year’s school budget is if the state will rectify a calculation error expected to lead to FCPS getting about $18 million less than anticipated. That includes about $13 million missing from the FY 2024 budget.
It remains unclear if the state will reimburse the missing money, or provide any extra, from its $2 billion surplus. When Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust asked when the state will make a decision on its budget, a few chuckles arose from staff about the uncertain situation.
Christina Jackson, Fairfax County’s chief financial officer, said the county is optimistic and is in a “better position” to see much-needed funds headed their way from the state.
As anticipated late last year, this year’s budget process may be one of the “one of the most challenging” in years. This is due to inflation, staff retention challenges, and surging real estate values.
“Balancing the impacts of inflation, the labor market and other economic pressures with the need to fund critical programs and services has made this a difficult budget year,” Hill said in a county press release. “But I am very proud of the work of our budget staff and all our employees in managing through these challenges and moving forward to meet the needs of our residents.”
Hill led off his presentation to the board by emphasizing that the aim of this year’s budget is maintaining and “stabilizing our core,” meaning county staff and existing programs.
“I know that the Board remains concerned about the retention and recruitment issues that our agencies have been facing over the past two years, and I have spent considerable time with my leadership team developing ways in which to tackle these issues,” Hill wrote in his budget message to supervisors.
In the budget is a $134.5 million increase in county disbursement, including a 2% market scale adjustment for most county employees. That’s lower than even what staff had recommended in order to stay competitive in hiring and retention. They had calculated a rate of 5.44%.
“The proposed Fairfax County budget misses the mark when it comes to giving workers the wages we deserve, ” Tammie Wondong, SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax’s president and a 33-year county employee, said in a statement. “In fact, when the county funds the market rate adjustment (MRA) at only 2% when it should be 5.44%, let’s call it what it is — a pay cut.”
Inflation also adds $18 million to the budget this year, associated with cost increases to cover utility and information technology contracts and lease adjustments.
Supervisors will host a number of public meetings over the next few months to allow residents a chance to provide feedback on the proposed budget.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote and adopt the FY 2024 budget on May 9.
Photo via Machvee/Flickr
County Task Force Back After Assisting With Turkey Earthquake Rescues — “After an intense 11 days searching for survivors in the wreckage of collapsed buildings, members of Virginia Task Force 1 have returned home. They arrived at their base in Chantilly just before midnight on Monday, to a hero’s welcome organized by family and friends.” [WTOP]
Firefighters Tackle Brush Fires in Springfield — “As winds picked up across the DMV Tuesday evening, crews in Fairfax County dealt with several outside fires. According to a spokesperson from the Fairfax County Fire Department (FCFD), crews worked to extinguish multiple outside fires on Old Keene Mill Road near Harwood Place in West Springfield.” [WUSA9]
Gum Springs Residents Wary of County — “About 70 Gum Springs residents, including the newly elected officers of the New Gum Springs Civic Association, lambasted Fairfax County officials for what they termed years of neglect and disrespect at a Feb. 16 meeting at the Gum Springs Community Center.” [On the MoVe]
Man Exposed Himself to Kids in Vienna — “Fairfax County Police said they are looking for a man who exposed himself to three children on Feb. 15 in Vienna. Police said they have passed out more than 600 fliers in an attempt to raise awareness for the man for whom they are searching.” [ABC7]
Herndon Girl Arrested in D.C. Carjacking — “A 15-year-old girl from Herndon was arrested Sunday in connection with a pair of carjacking incidents and a stabbing that occurred over the weekend in Washington, D.C., according to a police release…MPD officers arrested the two suspects a short time later after the stolen vehicle was involved in a traffic accident in the 900 block of 17th Street, Northeast, according to the release.” [Patch]
Redevelopment Possible for Falls Church’s Eden Center — “When word spread that there could be plans for new retail and residential development surrounding the Eden Center, concern grew that it could lead to increased rent prices and drive out business owners…Known as the East End Small Area Plan, the new development proposal began with a community kickoff in November of 2021.” [DCist]
Loudoun Schools Spokesperson Seeks to Move Perjury Trial — “[Wayde] Byard was indicted on Dec. 12. He’s accused of lying to a special grand jury on Aug. 2 about when he learned about the sexual assault in a Stonebridge High School bathroom on May 28, 2021…In asking that Byard’s trial be moved to Fairfax County, Leffler argued that the attorney general’s office stated purpose of seeking justice for Loudoun residents disqualified county residents as jurors.” [Loudoun Times-Mirror]
Public Input Sought on Metro Budget — “Metro has opened the public comment period for the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget that seeks to expand service on Metrorail and Metrobus, provide more equitable fares, implement a low-income fare program, enhance public safety, and maintain a safe and reliable system through capital investments.” [WMATA]
McLean Kids’ Toy Store to Celebrate Relocation — “Come and join us to celebrate the New Year, New Neighborhood, and New Beginnings for our new McLean store location! On Saturday, February 25th, stop by in-store for giveaways, craft tables, and so much more. We’ll see you there!” [Child’s Play/Facebook]
It’s Wednesday — Possible light rain in the morning. High of 54 and low of 42. Sunrise at 6:52 am and sunset at 5:55 pm. [Weather.gov]
Opioid overdoses have been on the rise in Fairfax County since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
After declining between 2017 and 2019, overdoses increased in the Fairfax Health District from 285 in 2019 — 83 of them fatal — to at least 366 in 2022, including 63 fatalities, as of Sept. 30, according to the data dashboard that the Fairfax County Health Department launched last fall.
The department updated the dashboard last week to better illustrate two trends: the presence of fentanyl in nearly all overdose deaths and an increase in overdoses among youths, including kids and teens.
The dashboard now lists people 17 and under as a distinct age group and provides data specifically on fatal overdoses involving fentanyl “to help Fairfax County residents better understand the threat that opioids, including fentanyl, pose in the community,” Director of Epidemiology and Population Health Dr. Benjamin Schwartz said.
The platform previously only highlighted fatalities based on whether they involved prescription opioids or heroin, though the health department notes that overdoses may stem from multiple drugs.
Of the 63 deaths reported in 2022 through September, 61 or 97% involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be used for pain management like morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. In 2021, fentanyl was used in 103 fatal overdoses, compared to 23 for other prescription drugs and 12 for heroin.
“There is an urgent need to bring information to light to make sure teens and families know that the risk is real and that fentanyl poisonings are happening here in our communities,” Schwartz said, stating that the epidemic continues to affect people of all genders and all racial and ethnic groups.
Fairfax County has recently focused its efforts to combat opioids on teens after seeing “a concerning number” of nonfatal overdoses in early 2022, specifically in the Richmond Highway corridor.
The Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, saw five nonfatal overdoses among kids 17 and under just this past January, according to the opioid dashboard. There were 27 nonfatal overdoses in that age group in 2022.
Drug use in schools has emerged as a concern in light of overdoses in Alexandria City and especially Arlington County, where a 14-year-old student died earlier this month.
As of Feb. 4, the Fairfax County Police Department had responded to 26 overdoses among youths 17 and under since Aug. 1, 2022, including one death. Police responded to 30 youth overdoses — five of them fatal — between Aug. 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022.
FCPD spokesperson Tara Gerhard says none of the fatalities occurred on school grounds, noting that the provided statistics “are subject to revision based on lab results and or additional investigation.”
In response to the continued prevalence of overdoses, the county advises community members to talk to their kids or others affected by substance misuse, and to dispose of unused or expired medications. It also suggests taking a training class for administering naloxone, the overdose-reversing drug that could soon be available over the counter.
The FCPD has partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board to give presentations about drug issues at local schools. Over 20 in-person sessions have been scheduled this year through March, and a virtual session will be held on March 21, according to Gerhard.
Led by the county’s Opioid and Substance Use Task Force, efforts to curb youth overdoses have also included expanding the availability of naloxone to FCPS staff, working with the court system to provide educational and intervention services, and pushing for more treatment options, Gerhard said.
She noted that the county also has programs focused on adults, since the majority of overdoses still involve people between the ages of 20 and 64.
The county has a few options for accessing its substance use-related resources:
If the situation is immediately life-threatening, call 911. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel carry medication that can prevent deaths from opioid overdose.
Call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) Entry & Referral line at 703-383-8500, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to access behavioral health services, including substance use treatment services for youth and adults.
If it’s after business hours, call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000; both are available 24/7.
CSB Peer Outreach Response Team (PORT) provides outreach, engagement and resource navigation to individuals who have serious opioid and other substance use challenges. If you or someone you know could benefit from PORT services, call 703-559-3199.
Photo via DEA/Flickr
The high winds on Friday (Feb. 17) proved too much for public artwork installed by South Lakes High School’s STEAM club on Lake Thoreau’s spillway.
After high winds blew off several pieces of the artwork “Cerebral,” the exhibit was removed from the platform. Composed of aircraft cable, barrel swivels, wire, paint, solar panels and wood, the artwork was installed in June.
“RA’s CSF team safely recovered all the artwork pieces that ended up in the lake and removed the remaining pieces from the spillway on Saturday morning,” RA spokesperson Mike Leone said.
The pieces were returned to the school. As of now, it’s unclear if reinstallation is planned. Another artwork is planned for the same area this summer.
The county was under a wind advisory throughout Friday evening. Winds were reportedly traveling at 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Developed under the guidance of SLHS art teacher Marco Rando, the sculpture aims to conceptualize the complexity of the brain. The brain and body is depicted as a cohesive force, challenging the idea of humans being left brained or right brained, according to nonprofit organization Public Art Reston.
The artwork is the eighth installed by the STEAM club. Students present designs to Public Art Reston and Reston Association’s Design Review Board for approval. According to Public Art Reston, the design is tested for durability, constructed by students, disassembled and then reinstalled on the spillway.
Fairfax County hopes to make use of American Rescue Plan funding to help provide housing for some of those most in need.
In a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Housing Committee last week, staff from the Department of Housing and Community Development said a tranche of federal funding could help local residents in more extreme levels of poverty than most affordable housing programs in the county assist.
“This is a rare funding opportunity specifically targeted to reducing homelessness and can serve populations at the extreme low end of the spectrum,” said Thomas Barnett, deputy director of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. “This provides not just housing, but money for supportive services that we know people need.”
Fairfax County was awarded $7.88 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
According to the presentation to the committee:
HOME-ARP funds must be used to primarily benefit individuals or families from the following qualifying populations:
- Homeless
- At risk of homelessness
- Those fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking
- Other families requiring services or housing assistance to prevent homelessness
- Households at greatest risk of housing instability
Barnett said there are around 88 permanent supportive housing projects in the pipeline that the nearly $8 million in federal funding could go toward. The funding comes as Fairfax County deals with an uptick in people experiencing homelessness, caused in large part by the pandemic and related economic turmoil.
“Chronic homelessness has increased disproportionately during the pandemic,” Barnett said. “[It’s] up 34% in the last 5 years.”
Even within that category, some supervisors said they’d like to see funding targeted specifically on addressing youth homelessness. The most recent Point-in-Time Count — a survey of people experiencing homelessness in the span of one night — found 91 people between the ages of 18-24 experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.
“We have, as you point out, a rare funding opportunity with a big infusion of funds,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said. “I’m still troubled by, when we get that Point-in-Time Count, that homeless youth count…I would like more information coming back as to what strategies we might employ to help with that, to use this rare opportunity funding to solve what we know is always a difficult thing to work with under normal circumstances, can any of this be used to accelerate that.”
The renovation of Crossfield Elementary School in Herndon is moving forward.
At a Fairfax County School Board meeting on Feb. 9, the board voted to award a $33.3 million contract to R.J. Crowley, Inc. for the project. The overall project is expected to cost $49 million.
A 2021 and 2019 school bond referendum will fund the project, which includes a nearly 11,600-square-foot addition and renovations of nearly 89,000 square feet of space.
New additions include an administration suite, library, classrooms, courtyard and a front entry area. Existing classrooms, art rooms, cafeteria, gym, music areas, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing areas will also be renovated.
The school is ranked 42 out of 63 schools in the FCPS renovation queue, which was developed in 2009.
According to the school system’s proposed Capital Improvement Plan for 2024-2028, the school is at 89% of its capacity utilization for the current academic year — a number that increased slightly over last year’s figure (86%) and dipped from the 2020-2021 academic year (94%).
Construction is expected to kick off sometime in the spring. The project will be completed in the spring of 2025.
The school first opened in 1988 and is named after A. Scott Crossfield, an aeronautical pioneer who lived nearby the school.
The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is expanding the use of automated license plate reader technology across the county, despite concerns from civil rights groups.
The department will install 25 automated license plate readers (ALPRs) around Fairfax County by the spring, FCPD spokesperson Sergeant Hudson Bull confirmed to FFXnow.
This expansion of the program comes after an eight-week “test period,” where the camera system was placed in two locations and assisted in “over 35 cases which have led to over 60 arrest charges,” Bull said.
Based on that data, the trial period has now been extended an additional 10 months to Oct. 31, 2023.
Over the next nine months, cameras will watch more than two dozen “high-crime” areas in the county.
“The camera placement is based on data showing where most stolen vehicles are recovered and where most crime occurs that we believe these cameras could assist us in solving,” Bull said.
The camera system comes from Flock Safety, which has installed ALPRs in more than 2,000 localities across the county.
The ALPR cameras capture license plates, vehicle color, make and model, and send a “real-time alert” to law enforcement when a stolen car or a vehicle used in a crime is detected within a database.
During the initial trial period in November and December, FCPD says the system helped it recover six stolen cars worth an estimated $350,000. In one car, fentanyl and methamphetamines were found, and another had more than five pounds of marijuana, police say.
The system also helped police locate two missing persons when the cameras detected vehicles associated with those cases.
“Two persons were quickly located by officers and safely returned home after alerts were sent,” Bull wrote. “The officers can also search the cameras in cases when a person has been missing for several hours but there is a delay in reporting.”
While Flock Safety and FCPD tout ALPRs as crime prevention and solving tools, local civil rights groups have a number of ethical and privacy concerns about the county expanding the program.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU-VA) said it wasn’t aware of the program’s expansion prior to being contacted by FFXnow.
“The ACLU is always concerned about the efforts to expand mass surveillance,” ACLU-VA senior staff attorney Matt Callahan told FFXnow. “We consider the privacy of individuals and their freedom of movement to be a core value of society.”
He noted that the organization believes decisions to use ALPRs and other tracking or surveillance technology should be “in the public’s hands” and not solely left to law enforcement or individual vendors like Flock.
“What we often see is that the public doesn’t favor the kind of widespread expansion of surveillance technology for law enforcement,” Callahan said. “At a minimum, they ask for additional privacy safeguards, like individual audits by outside agencies to make sure that the information is not being misused.”
Flock Safety noted that the cameras “capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, not people or faces,” and “are not intended for minor traffic or parking violations.”
Data retention has also been a source of debate in the county and Virginia for a number of years.
A Fairfax County judge ruled in 2019 that maintaining a database of photos of vehicle license plates violated Virginia privacy law. A year later, the Virginia State Supreme Court overturned that decision, saying police could keep this data indefinitely.
In 2021, a bill proposed in the State Senate would have limited the storing of data collected by ALPRs to 30 days if there’s no warrant or ongoing investigation. That bill failed, but a similar one is currently being considered in the General Assembly.
The FCPD confirmed that it can collect and store license plate data for up to one year, but Flock Safety’s system only stores data for 30 days.
“Because the storage of LPR data is provided in the initial cost of the Flock Safety system, the FCPD will only keep the data for 30 days…collected by the Flock cameras,” Bull said.
While storing data for a month is less problematic than a whole year, Callahan says it still brings up plenty of worries when it comes to privacy.
“It still lets law enforcement go back and map out travel patterns of people who come under suspicion later. They can basically reconstruct where someone’s been a month at a time,” he said. “That’s…different than merely checking if a stolen car is in a specific place at a specific time.”
Bull said FCPD has heard these concerns, particularly from the NAACP’s Fairfax County branch, and has “directly responded” by ensuring data is used only for “law enforcement purposes.” The department is keeping records of each officer’s use of the system.
There’s an auditing feature as well “supervised by administrators of the system,” and in accordance with the county’s Trust Policy, FCPD has “opted out” of gathering information regarding “immigration status violations,” Bull said.
Despite those promises, the Virginia ACLU remains concerned.
“A license plate is enough often to link that to a person’s identity. The whole point of this technology is to use that information to figure out who was traveling where and when they are in a specific place,” Callahan said. “This information has significant implications for the privacy of individuals who use Virginia’s roads and highways.”
Fire Danger Heightened Today — “There is an increased fire danger for Tuesday, February 21st. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged during this time and remember to properly dispose of smoking material.” [Ready Fairfax/Twitter]
Mount Vernon School Board Rep to Retire — “Karen Corbett Sanders, the Mount Vernon District representative to the Fairfax County School Board, announced Feb. 15 that she will not be running for a third term later this year…Corbett Sanders told On the Move that her decision not to pursue a third term was difficult and one that she didn’t take lightly.” [On the MoVe]
Five-Vehicle Crash Closes I-495 — Two people were evaluated for injuries not deemed life-threatening after a five-vehicle crash on northbound I-495 before I-66 in the Dunn Loring area. The crash closed the Capital Beltway for about an hour, and first responders had to extinguish a fire around one car. [FCFRD/Facebook]
Virginia Among States Scrutinizing AP Course — “At least four more states will review the new Advanced Placement African American studies course to see if it conflicts with their policies or laws restricting the teaching of race…Officials in Arkansas, Virginia, North Dakota and Mississippi said they had questions and planned reviews before deciding whether the new class may be taught in their classrooms.” [The Washington Post]
Springfield Woman Convicted in Gang Case — “A Springfield woman was sentenced Thursday to 15 months in prison for witness tampering in connection with a federal trial against four people accused of violent gang activity in Virginia, California and other states, according to federal prosecutors.” [Patch]
Staffing Still a Challenge for McLean Police Station — “Residents learned that the McLean police district still has a 30-percent vacancy rate among officers, the same vacancy rate as a year ago…The police district has 38 open positions that it needs to fill, [Captain Carolyn Kinney, who heads the McLean police station] said.” [Patch]
Mount Vernon Celebrates George Washington’s Birthday — “While George Washington’s actual birthday is Feb. 22, large crowds gathered at his estate outside Alexandria, Virginia, to celebrate and learn a little more about the nation’s first president…Overall, Mount Vernon staff estimated Monday’s daily attendance at nearly 20,000 visitors.” [WTOP]
Spring Water Flush Begins — “Each spring, Fairfax Water flushes its water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. During this time, the treatment process switches from using combined chlorine to free chlorine.” Treatment began for the McLean and Falls Church areas yesterday (Monday) but isn’t set to start for the rest of the county until March 20. [Fairfax County Government]
County Summer Camp Registration Opens — “Registration for 2023 Camp Fairfax begins on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 8 a.m. The summer day camp is open to rising first through seventh graders living in Fairfax County or the City of Fairfax. Camp Fairfax gives campers the opportunity to explore interests in performing arts, visual arts and sports/team-building.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 61 and low of 45. Sunrise at 6:53 am and sunset at 5:53 pm. [Weather.gov]
