Ornery Beer Company Public House is officially coming to Herndon.
The restaurant and pub, which already has locations in Fairfax and Manassas, is set to open at Arrowbrook Centre (2340 Silver Arrow Way), a development that is currently under construction at the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Centreville Road.
The business was started by Randy Barnette, a craft beer enthusiast and restaurant owner, in 2015 to offer a “more casual stye” brewpub. He’s also behind other concepts in the area, including Hard Times Cafe in Manassas and Mad Fox Brewing in Falls Church.
Barnette estimated the location will open in the third or fourth quarter of 2023, emphasizing that the expected opening is an estimate.
The full-service restaurant will include a three-barrel brewery.
“Our brewing capacity is supplemented by our production brewery in Bristow. Our business model is smaller pub-like restaurants with scratch kitchens, no walk-in freezers, offering great food that pairs well with our beer,” Barnette said.
Barnette said he chose the location because of the business demographics of the area and the mixed-use nature of the project. Herndon is also home to Barnette, who grew up from Herndon and graduated from Herndon High School. He now lives in Bristow.
Items on the menu include variety of beer and ciders, soups, salads, and pizzas.
The Arrowbrook Centre development is planned for more than 600,000 square feet of office space across three buildings,
The initial phases of the development will include 34,000 square feet of ground floor retail and a 274-unit apartment building. Additional development is planned.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County Police Department’s in-car radio system (via FCPD/Facebook)
The new year got off to an awkward start for one Fairfax County police officer whose decidedly not-safe-for-work choice of late-night entertainment got some professional airtime.
The police radio channel picked up about eight minutes of pornographic sounds shortly after midnight on Sunday (Jan. 1), local public safety watcher Dave Statter reported. Statter observed that the noises suggested that someone was having sex or watching porn.
As it turned out, the latter theory was more accurate. The errant broadcast came from an off-duty police officer who was listening to “audio porn” while driving in his personal vehicle, the Fairfax County Police Department confirmed.
“Our investigation revealed that the off-duty officer was listening to ‘audio porn’ over his Bluetooth in his vehicle, which was captured on his activated police radio,” the department said. “The ‘audio porn’ in question has been positively confirmed as the same file broadcast over our police radio system.”
NEW: Steamy start to the new year for @FairfaxCountyPD & it wasn’t the humidity. For 8 mins this morning a stuck radio microphone gave a very strong impression someone, somewhere was having sex or watching porn. Will pass along any details from either #police or 911 as available. pic.twitter.com/Zz3QRJL7ra
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 1, 2023
The officer in question was interviewed by the FCPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Police determined that the officer forgot to turn off a portable radio left in the car’s trunk and that it “inadvertently activated” while he was driving, according to the news release. There was no one else in the car at the time.
The unnamed officer isn’t the first law enforcement official to land in hot water after accidentally broadcasting sexual activities over police air waves.
A sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles came under scrutiny last month when a hot mic caught her getting busy with a partner during a work break. The sheriff’s department rules meant the woman could be suspended or fired for the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The FCPD said its internal investigation into the New Year’s Day misconduct is still ongoing. The department declined to comment or speculate about any potential discipline the officer could face.
Its general orders allow for anything from oral or written reprimands to termination, depending “upon the severity of the misconduct and the employee’s previous disciplinary history.”
Photo via FCPD/Facebook
EEOC Finds Support for Sexism Claims Against Fire Department — “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wrote a letter [last] month supporting [Kathleen] Stanley’s 2018 claim that the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department retaliated against the battalion chief by changing the terms and conditions of her employment after she stepped down as the interim women’s program officer.” [The Washington Post]
Man Fatally Shot on New Year’s Eve in Lorton — Fairfax County police are investigating a homicide that occurred Saturday night (Dec. 31) in the 9500 block of Unity Lane in Lorton. Police say they found Nahom Beyene, 42, of Lorton, in the threshold of a doorway with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. He died at the scene. [FCPD, WTOP]
Fair Oaks Chick-fil-A Closed — Chick-fil-A closed its location in Fair Oaks Mall on Friday (Dec. 30) after 22 years of operations. The fast-food company didn’t explain its decision, which was announced just one day earlier on Facebook, but there are still other locations in the area, including in Fairfax City, Fair Lakes and Vienna. [Patch]
Lorton Community Center Gym Now Open — “The new Lorton Community Center and Library were unveiled to the public at a highly attended ribbon-cutting ceremony in mid-October officiated by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. The facility’s gymnasium remained closed to the public at that time since its flooring was installed incorrectly.” [On the MoVe]
Postmodern Belgian Writer Dies in Reston — “Claude Krijgelmans, Belgian postmodern Flemish writer, died in his sleep on Dec. 5, 2022, at his home in Reston. He was 88. Known for illustrative prose and experimental language, producing his first book at 19, Krijgelmans published some 16 works.” [Patch]
How Fairfax County Became a Tech Hub — “While government contracting has been a boon for the region, Fairfax County has also grown to attract commercial technology companies, Taylor adds. In the county alone, there are 44,000 open jobs, about 30% of which are in the tech industry, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).” [Virginia Business]
McLean Historical Society Nears 30 Years — “The McLean Historical Society will celebrate its 30th anniversary Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. There will be several speakers who will offer brief vignettes of early McLean, including Palmer Robison, Dan DuVal, Lindesay Aquino and Carole Herrick.” [Sun Gazette]
Get Preview of 2023 General Assembly Session — “Before Virginia’s 2023 legislative session convenes on January 11, get a preview from area State Senators Chap Petersen (Dist. 34) and Jennifer Boysko (Dist. 33) on January 4. The 7:00 pm program will be held via Zoom hosted by the Patrick Henry Community Library and Vienna Area and Reston-Herndon AAUW Branches.” [FCPL]
It’s Tuesday — Possible light rain overnight. High of 66 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, closing out an exciting first year for FFXnow.
Since officially launching on Feb. 22, the new home of Tysons Reporter and Reston Now has pushed to bring the local news reporting from those sites to other corners of Fairfax County, from Chantilly to Huntington, while maintaining their focus on the Tysons and Reston areas.
2022 had more than its fair share of challenges. Pedestrian fatalities reached heights not seen in at least a decade, and gun violence by both community members and police was a recurring concern. Meanwhile, Covid continued to ebb and surge, as remaining pandemic health measures like mask requirements and mass vaccine clinics disappeared.
However, this year also brought some key milestones, from the long-awaited opening of Metro’s Silver Line extension into Herndon and beyond to the relegation of Lee District and the names of two highways to history.
In quirkier news, the county welcomed its first medical cannabis dispensary and a pack of rescued beagles. Colby the llama got lost and found, and remember those tornadoes that touched down in Tysons and Centreville?
Before you start writing up new year’s resolutions or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s close out 2022 by revisiting FFXnow’s 10 most-read stories of the year:
- Three people injured while evacuating Tysons Corner Center, now closed after gunfire
- McLean ride-share startup seeks to challenge Uber and Lyft by putting drivers in control
- Fairfax County approves fines for running bamboo, starting next year
- Black bear filmed strolling by Adaire Apartments in Tysons
- Silver Line extension opening date pushed once again to summer 2022
- JUST IN: Wegmans announces opening date for Reston location
- Here’s a ‘LOOK’ at what’s replacing Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston
- Here’s what will replace Clyde’s in Reston Town Center
- BREAKING: Bow Tie Cinemas to leave Reston Town Center
- Trash troubles persist in Fairfax County, with residents reporting missed pick-ups
We hope you enjoyed reading FFXnow this past year and hope to bring even more timely, comprehensive coverage of everything Fairfax County in 2023. As always, you can share tips, photos and general feedback at [email protected] or our anonymous tip form.
The new year will ring in the beginning of a new construction project in Herndon.
Nearly $23 million in improvements to East Spring Street are slated to begin Tuesday (Jan. 3), according to the Town of Herndon.
The project will widen a quarter-mile of Spring Street from just west of Herndon Parkway to Fairfax County Parkway, creating space for additional through and turn lanes. More turn lanes are also under construction at the Spring Street intersection.
“The project, administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), will enhance the safety and efficiency of East Spring Street between the Fairfax County and Herndon parkways,” the town said.
The project will also connect the new Herndon Metro station the Washington & Old Dominion Trail through a sidewalk and eight-foot-wide cycle track along northbound Herndon Parkway.
Periodic lane closures are expected at the 100 block of Spring Street and the 400 block of Herndon Parkway.
A new sidewalk along eastbound Spring Street from Sunset Park Drive to Fairfax County Parkway and enhancements to existing pathways on both sides of spring street are also planned.
The project is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2024.
Metro Rides Free for New Year’s Eve — “Take the train, bus or paratransit service starting at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31, and #YourMetro ride will be free of charge. As a bonus, service is being extended. Metrorail will run until 2 a.m. and late-night Metrobus service on selected routes will operate until 3 a.m. for customers connecting from train to bus.” [WMATA]
McLean Company Faces Bankruptcy and Lawsuit — McLean cybersecurity company IronNet Inc. is struggling with a plethora of crises as a loss of $77 million and 35% of its staff pushes it toward potential bankruptcy. The public company also may be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after failing to file a required financial report, and a class action lawsuit alleging executives misled investors is pending in federal court in Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]
Pizza Restaurant Opens in Fairfax City — Marco’s Pizza had a soft launch yesterday (Thursday) that will continue from noon to 8 p.m. today. Located at 10160 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 100, the franchise is is the second that owner Niten Sabharwal and his wife Sonia have opened in Northern Virginia, joining a location in Fairfax Station. The chain is also planning an expansion to the Reston area next year. [Patch]
Get Ready for More Express Lanes Work in 2023 — Work will continue next year on the I-495 widening and the I-66 Trail, which the Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to complete by Bike-to-Work Day on May 19. VDOT is also studying whether to allow two-way travel on the I-95 Express Lanes from Springfield to Dale City and whether to extend toll lanes on the south side of I-495 to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. [The Washington Post]
County’s Sewage Plant Helped Preserve Electrical Grid — “During the generational Christmas Eve Cold Snap, the PJM electrical grid that serves the District of Columbia and 13 Mid-Atlantic states, which includes Northern Virginia, became severely overloaded…So, when PJM called Noman Cole at 4:20 a.m., staff answered.” [DPWES]
State Laws to Take Effect With New Year — “The minimum wage in Virginia will bump up to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, up from $11. The increase is dictated by legislation passed by Democrats in 2020 that pushes the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.” Other scheduled changes include a decrease in Virginia’s grocery tax rate and the addition of a 5-cent plastic bag tax in Fairfax City. [DCist]
American Legion Bridge Traffic Headaches Persist — “The American Legion Bridge, a chronic source of misery for thousands of D.C.-area drivers, marks its 60th anniversary Saturday, highlighting the aging span’s pivotal role in the region’s crushing traffic congestion…Mounting maintenance needs have forced a debate about when the Beltway bottleneck should be rebuilt and how any expansion should jibe with broader traffic-relief efforts.” [The Washington Post]
McLean HS Student Chosen for Senate Leadership Program — “Only two students from each state are selected each year for the United States Senate Youth Program. This year, one of the Virginia delegates is from McLean High School. Congrats, Saehee Perez!” [FCPS/Facebook]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 34. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
A new dashboard looking at transit around the region illustrates Fairfax Connector’s slow climb back to pre-pandemic ridership levels.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission recently released an interactive website that lets users break down ridership at various local transit services and compare and contrast those figures.
For Fairfax Connector, data from the last year of ridership shows a stark upswing that started in June and has gradually brought the system back up to pre-pandemic levels.
The bus system had a promising start to 2020 with 669,501 riders that January — higher than numbers for that month in previous years. Those numbers dove over the next two months as the Covid pandemic kicked into gear, dropping to a low of 248,866 riders in April.
Ridership only marginally recovered through the rest of 2020 and 2021, but the pace of recovery picked up in 2022 and shot up from June to July, reaching a post-pandemic high of 738,968 riders in August 2022. In September, Fairfax Connector surpassed pre-pandemic ridership for the same month for the first time since February 2020.
The Connector isn’t alone in this recovery. DASH in Alexandria and the CUE bus in the City of Fairfax saw similar recoveries in the second half of 2022.
In Alexandria, DASH’s dramatic uptick in ridership seemed fueled in part by switching to a fare-free system. Fairfax County was considering a similar move for the Connector, but that was tabled by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month in favor of a discounted rate for low-income passengers.
Overall transit ridership in the area, though, remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels — in large part due to Metro accounting for more than 78.6% of the region’s ridership.
Metro didn’t have quite the same dramatic return to pre-pandemic ridership in Virginia that Fairfax Connector experienced.
While Metro’s combined ridership for rail and bus was higher every month in 2022 than it was in 2021, it’s still half what it was in 2018 and 2019. In Virginia, Metro’s ridership for September was roughly 4.1 million — less than half of the 9.2 million riders in 2019.
Fairfax County doesn’t have the same high percentage of access to transit — around 61.3% of the total population — compared to neighbors like Arlington and Alexandria, but that’s to be expected given that it’s significantly larger with less urbanized areas.
A Maryland man has been arrested in connection with a robbery at Wells Fargo in Reston’s North Point Village Center, police announced today.
Police believe the suspect — 37-year-old Zachary Allen Hunter — may be involved with multiple other robberies in the region.
Yesterday morning (Wednesday) shortly before 9:30 a.m, Hunter allegedy entered the bank at 1498 North Point Village Center and demanded cash while implying he had a firearm, police say. He left the area in a Mercedes.
An off-duty police officer was able to track the suspect in Tysons. When the vehicle was seen turning in Lincoln Lane but failing to exit, the officer coordinated with other law enforcement to search the area.
“Hunter was found slouched inside the vehicle and was taken into custody,” police said.
Detectives plan to charge the suspect with additional charges. Yesterday, he was charged with one count of robbery and was held without bound.
The stolen cash was also recovered, according to police, who didn’t identify the amount taken.
Bank robber caught. https://t.co/2JziAxgTjU #FCPD pic.twitter.com/yHQulwDIRL
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 29, 2022
A portion of the new Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run near Vienna is expected to open for traffic this week.
Vehicles will shift onto one lane of the new bridge between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road starting around 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced yesterday.
“One lane of alternating traffic will travel across the newly constructed portion of the bridge while the existing bridge is demolished and the remaining portion of the new bridge is built,” VDOT said in the news release. “The alternating traffic will continue to be controlled by temporary signals.”
The traffic change had initially been anticipated on Wednesday, Dec. 21, but warnings of gnarly winter weather led VDOT to postpone the date. Tomorrow’s opening is dependent on weather as well.
Update: This is now scheduled for Fri 12/30 at 2PM. https://t.co/wsExiAvlq0
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) December 28, 2022
Expected to finish this coming spring, the Colvin Run bridge project is replacing a one-lane structure that was originally built in 1974 and could only hold up to 10 tons.
The new bridge will consist of two travel lanes separated by a median and abutments to set the stage for a trail crossing to the south, though the trail bridge will be built “at a future date” by Fairfax County.
Construction on the bridge replacement began in August 2021. Work ramped up this past September with the addition of some temporary traffic signals and Driveway Assistance Devices (DADs) to help manage thru, residential and construction traffic on the one-lane bridge.
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Melissa L. Watkins, Esq.
Just recently in October 2022, the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate topped 7 percent for the first time in more than two decades, a result of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes intended to tame inflation not seen in some 40 years.
It is anticipated that rates will continue to rise, at least through the early part of 2023. While the increase in mortgage rates has led to many individuals delaying the purchase of homes, some have opted to move forward with home purchases, accepting the higher rates. Unfortunately, with the housing market tightening in terms of inventory, home prices have not fallen commensurate with the increase in rates.
This means that buyers purchasing now are often accepting higher monthly payments than they would have been only a year or two ago. While the future is impossible to predict, some economic forecasts are suggesting that a housing market crash, or a broader recession, could be forthcoming. If this does happen, we could see homeowners forced into circumstances similar to those that were occurring in 2008 and the years thereafter, mainly foreclosures or short sales of their homes.
While there hasn’t been a significant jump in foreclosures to date, foreclosure starts have been on a steady quarterly rise since the federal government ended the Covid-19 foreclosure moratorium in September 2021. However, a key difference now compared to the last housing crisis is that many homeowners, and even those struggling to make payments, have had a large boost to their home values in recent years. That means they still have equity in their homes and are not underwater — when you owe more than the house is worth.
However, if home prices continue to decline, as has been the trend in recent months, homeowners could start to face a decline in home equity, bringing us back closer to the events taking place in 2008. One of the fastest ways to end up with a security clearance issue is have a significant, negative event take place with finances. In light of the uncertainty in the housing market, and economy more broadly, clearance holders should be cognizant of their options and how those options may impact their security clearance.
Foreclosure vs. Short Sale
If an individual gets behind on mortgage payments or if their mortgage is underwater (the home is worth less than the amount owed on the mortgage), homeowners have two primary options: a short sale or a foreclosure. The owner is forced to part with the home in both cases, but the timeline and other consequences are different in each situation. A short sale is a voluntary process. When the homeowner sells the property for an amount that is far less than what is owed on the mortgage, it is called a short sale.
For example, if a homeowner owes $300,000 on the mortgage, but a financial crisis forces them to sell the home quickly for $250,000 — the remaining amount on their mortgage ($50,000) plus any costs associated with the sale are still owed by the homeowner. A short sale requires the approval of the lender in advance, and generally, the approval comes with an agreement by the lender to forgive the remaining balance owed on the mortgage after the sale, but this is not required.
A foreclosure, on the other hand, is involuntary. In this case, the mortgage holder (the lender or the bank) takes legal action to seize the home after the borrower fails to make a specific number of monthly payments. In a foreclosure, the lender takes ownership of the mortgaged property and sells it to recover the amount owed to them on the mortgage. Another major difference between the two is the impact on one’s credit.
Generally, short sales are not significantly detrimental to a homeowner’s credit rating, while foreclosures are. A homeowner who has gone through a short sale may, with certain restrictions, be eligible to purchase another home fairly soon. A foreclosure, on the other hand, is kept on a person’s credit report for seven years.
How Does a Foreclosure or Short Sale Impact a Security Clearance
While both foreclosures and short sales can impact a security clearance, it is generally the case that a short sale is far less detrimental to a clearance holder than a foreclosure. There are several reasons for this difference.
One reason is that a short sale provides the homeowner with the ability to obtain forgiveness, or a deficiency waiver, of any balance that remains on the mortgage after the sale. Short sales also do not show as negative credit actions in the same way that foreclosure do. While a credit report will show that the mortgage was not paid in full, there will not be a foreclosure entry specifically.
The Department of Defense, Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, an entity that decides cases related to security clearance issues, has made decisions over the years suggesting that short sales are viewed more favorably in the context of clearance adjudications. One basis for the more favorable view of short sales is that a homeowner seeking a short sale, rather than allowing foreclosure to occur, generally shows financial responsibility and a willingness to play by the rules. Those are crucial traits during any security clearance investigation and will significantly suppress any questions about one’s ability and/or willingness to live within his/her means.
Other considerations that clearance adjudicators rely upon for financial issues include the circumstances and the amount of control an individual had over the circumstances leading to the financial issue, the likelihood of recurrence of the financial problem, and whether the individual acted responsibly under the circumstances. For each consideration, a short sale places the clearance holder or applicant in a better position to argue that he/she is not a security risk than a foreclosure would.
If you are an employee in need of security clearance representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook and Twitter.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Two major transportation projects in the Town of Herndon are vying for regional funding.
The Town of Herndon is seeking up to $1.5 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for street improvements and a widening of East Elden Street, along with up to $750,000 for improvements to town-wide sidewalks and trails.
The $57.3 million project will widen East Elden Street by accommodating a median and dedicated turn lanes, new travel lanes east of Herndon Parkway and dedicated bicycle lanes.
Streetscaping is also planned, including wider sidewalks, street trees, lighting, accessible pedestrian signals, and updated bus stop amenities. Decorative crosswalks will be installed, and the Sugarland Run Crossing will be updated with a bridge to tackle flooding, according to the town’s website.
Bicycle lanes will be added from Monroe Street to Herndon Parkway. A cycle track from Herndon Parkway to Fairfax County Parkway is also planned to “combine the user experience of a separated path with the on-street infrastructure of a conventional bike lane,” according to VDOT.
Intended to manage traffic in a congested area, the project is in the engineering design phase, according to the website.
“Between downtown Herndon and the Fairfax County Parkway, the street has seen increased congestion and reduced vehicular mobility in recent decades,” the town’s website says.
Construction on the duct bank is scheduled to begin in early 2023, and construction on widening is set to begin in early 2025, according to VDOT.
Funds, if approved, would be allocated through the Virginia Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2029 federal funding.
The project was approved on the Herndon Town Council’s consent agenda at a Dec. 13 meeting.
Fairfax County’s trails are ready for their close-up.
With 2023 right around the corner, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Foundation are once again inviting community members to take a hike and submit their best snapshots for potential prizes.
The annual First Hike Fairfax photo contest will return this weekend, encouraging both professional and amateaur photographers to capture the scene at any park authority-owned trail.
“The contest joins countless First Day Hike programs throughout America’s state parks and is open to hikers and photographers of any age and skill level,” the FCPA said in a news release. “It’s a great way of getting out and enjoying the new year with friends, neighbors and family.”
A link for submissions will go live on the contest website at 5 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 31) and close right at midnight on Monday (Dec. 2).
Prizes will be given in seven categories:
- People’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Judges’ Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Director’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Scenery/Landscapes): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (People): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Wildlife): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Pets): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
Each person can only submit one photo, though families or groups can send in individual submissions. Photos must be provided as a JPG or PNG, and they should include a date and the park or trail where they were taken, according to the FCPA.
The park authority oversees over 334 miles of trails, not including regional facilities like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
Tysons Corner Center Gets Post-Holiday Boost — “Thousands of shoppers visited Tysons Corner Center on Tuesday to make holiday returns and to take advantage of some post-holiday sales. Some people who spoke with WTOP at the mall say an annual post-Christmas trip to the shopping center is a tradition.” [WTOP]
ICYMI: Man Charged After Herndon Barricade Incident — “Police identified 66-year-old Paul Graves of Herndon as the man who barricaded himself inside a townhouse and held a person hostage on Tuesday night…[He] was cited on three felony charges, one for abduction, one for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one for shooting in an occupied building.” [Patch]
Local Congressman Goes Back to School — “It seemed study time would have to wait. That’s been the story of the year for [Rep. Don] Beyer (D-Va.), who has been moonlighting as a student at George Mason University in pursuit of a master’s degree in machine learning while balancing his duties as a congressman.” [The Washington Post]
Two Charged With Brandishing Gun in Fairfax — “City of Fairfax Police were summoned around 2:09 p.m., on Dec. 20, for the report of a man and woman pointing and waving a firearm in the 10800 block of Fairchester Drive. After locating the two subjects of the report, officers determined that the woman had a firearm and the man was intoxicated, according to the report.” [Patch]
County Pension Investments in Cryptocurrency Questioned — The CIO of Fairfax County’s Uniformed Retirement System says “the County Employees pension had over 10% of its assets invested in crypto at its peak and an even greater amount committed, yet-to-be invested. The County Police pension had over 13% invested at its peak” [Forbes]
Traffic Gardens Grow in Northern Virginia — “How can parents and teachers safely introduce kids to the rules of the road? In Northern Virginia and across the country, one solution has been gaining popularity: traffic gardens. Traffic gardens are small-scale models of streets, that allow kids to practice following traffic patterns in a safe, fun environment.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Vienna Payment Portal Goes Offline — “The Town’s online payment portal is down until Jan. 2 for a system upgrade. When the system is back online, utility customers must create a new online account to access the system. Payments can also be made in person at the Town Hall, 127 Center St. S, Vienna.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Workshop for Aspiring Business Owners Coming — “If starting a business is on top of your list for 2023, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is ready to assist you! Ashley Chen, founder and CEO of Fairfax County-based ActioNet will be the featured guest speaker during FCEDA’s next Entrepreneurship 101 (E-101) workshop scheduled for January 10, 2023, in Tysons.” [FCEDA]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 30. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax County Police Department has revised how its officers respond to “swatting” after seeing a noticeable uptick in such incidents in recent years.
“Swatting” is a form of harassment involving false 911 calls that are intended to draw a heavy law enforcement response, such as a SWAT team, putting the target in a potentially life-threatening situation.
As of Dec. 6, the FCPD had recorded 12 swatting incidents this year, a decline from the 30 seen in 2021 but still significantly higher than the three reported in 2018 and five in 2019, according to data provided to FFXnow. Incidents have climbed into the double digits since 2020, when there were 11.
“As you can tell they have risen over the years,” said Sgt. Lance Hamilton with the police department’s public affairs bureau. “As a result, we have updated our General Orders regarding the response to ‘Swatting’ events in August of this year.”
Effective Aug. 11, the department’s hostage and barricade procedures now includes a specific subsection on potential swatting incidents:
Officers should factor in, prior to attempting to make contact with any individual at a location where a report of a hostage or barricade incident has been communicated through the Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC), whether or not the incident constitutes a false “swatting” incident. Officers should consider whether the scene matches the 9-1-1 call description and follow-up with criminal investigations of making a false report to police whenever possible.
Officers should consider “if they have legal authority, what are the potential dangers posed to the community/officers, and is there a need for additional specialized resources from our Operations Support Bureau,” Hamilton said.
“In most cases, this is handled by the department’s de-escalation techniques of using time and distance to slow things down,” Hamilton said. “As you can imagine this is a difficult balance when someone calls 911 regarding an active event.”
The policy change came after community members filed complaints about two separate incidents with the county’s Police Civilian Review Panel, which reviews FCPD investigations into abuse of authority and misconduct allegations.
In one case, police were called to an Annandale townhome at 4 a.m. on March 8, 2020 after a man who claimed to be a neighbor called 911 twice, saying the women who lived there were yelling and fighting. The women said the responsing officers knocked excessively and didn’t identify themselves, leading them to not answer the door right away.
In the other, the FCPD sent a full SWAT team to a home after a 911 caller reported shots being fired “during a likely domestic disturbance,” according to the panel’s 2021 annual report.
While the panel found no misconduct in either case, it expressed surprise at the lack of a follow-up investigation into the 911 caller in the first case and suggested that the FCPD reconsider its policies.
“While the Panel is aware that certain rules concerning 9-1-1 procedures are set at the Commonwealth-wide level, it is our hope that the FCPD and the county can work together to make sure that procedures and laws are in place such that the frequency of such dangerous incidents is greatly minimized,” the annual report said.
The haziness around when an unfounded call reaches the level of a criminal false report, necessitating a follow-up investigation, may get cleared up by a bill that’s expected to be introduced in the Virginia General Assembly’s upcoming 2023 session.
According to FFXnow’s sister site, ARLnow, Del. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk) will carry a bill that defines swatting and designates it as a specific crime.
Though the FBI has warned against swatting since at least 2008, Virginia only addresses it right now under a law against filing false police reports. California became the first state to implement an anti-swatting law in 2014.
Graves’s legislation was spurred by Arlington County officials who identified combatting swatting as a legislative priority after multiple hoax calls alleging an active shooter prompted school lockdowns.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors didn’t include any similar requests in its 2023 legislative package, but Chairman Jeff McKay says he’s been monitoring policy changes related to swatting made by the police department and recommended by the civilian review panel.
“Swatting is a serious offense and should be treated as such,” McKay said in a statement. “I will ask our legislative staff to review any bills that come up that address this through state law. I appreciate the efforts by the [panel] and FCPD to ensure that police practices continue to protect public safety at all times.”
There are only a few days left before fee increases go into effect on the Dulles Toll Road.
Beginning Jan. 1, at the main line plaza, tolls will rise from $3.25 to $4 for two-axle vehicles, $6.50 to $8 for three-axle vehicles, $7.75 to $9.25 for four-axle vehicles, and $9 to $10.50 for five-axle vehicles.
The increase was approved by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors earlier this year. This is the first fee increase since 2019.
“Strategic debt management and refinancing efforts have kept toll rates lower than original projections through the years,” MWAA wrote in a statement.
The next toll increase will go into effect on 2028. Overall, hikes are expected every five years, according to MWAA. Increases are expected to continue through 2058.
At the ramps, tolls will increase from $1.25 to $2 for two-axle vehicles, $3 to $4 for three-axle vehicles, $3.50 to $4.50 for four-axle vehicles, and $4 to $5 for five-axle vehicles.
Toll booths will also be eliminated in the coming months, with the system switching to fully electronic payments.
Revenue from the tolls funds operating and maintenance costs, along with a portion of the construction costs for Silver Line. Service for the extension began in mid-November.
