In-person Absentee Voting Underway — This past weekend, in-person absentee voting opened at 13 locations in the county. Locally, the Herndon Fortnightly Library will be open Mondays through Fridays from 3-7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Library Coalition Proposes County Plan — “The Coalition to Expand Library Access formally launched its “It’s About Time” campaign with an information meeting for community groups on Feb. 6 at the George Mason Regional Library in Annandale.” [Fairfax County Times]
County Police Mourns Passing of K9 — The Fairfax County Police Department is remembering K9 Doby, the department’s “four-legged brother” who died unexpectedly while responding to an armed robbery. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
More Delays for Phase Two of the Silver Line — Yes, you read that right. Originally expected to open in 2016, the extension of Metro’s Silver Line likely won’t open until the spring of 2021, according to general manager Paul Wiedefeld. [WJLA]
Reston Association Phone Service Down Later Today — If you’re trying to reach RA offices later today, you might want to try again. Phone service will be down between 5:30-6:30 p.m. today (Friday) and on Tuesday (Feb. 25) from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The organization is moving to Verizon. [Reston Association]
County Schools to Host Free Sessions on Digital Learning — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students, families, and community members are invited to attend any of five upcoming digital learning and digital citizenship events. All sessions are being held free of charge.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
New Tip Line Number for County Schools — Fairfax County Public Schools officially have a new text number: 888-777. All information is treated as anonymous and confidential. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Reston Association Board Meets Tonight — The Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. in RA headquarters. The meeting will be live-streamed online. [Reston Association]
Outdoor Lighting Standards Changed — “Fairfax County is updating our outdoor lighting standards to reduce glare and excessive illumination and match the expanded use of LED lights, which can improve the quality of life for county residents.” [Fairfax County Government]
Herndon Mayor Endorses Pete Buttigieg for President — Mayor Lisa Merkel announced her endorsement of the presidential candidate ahead of his town hall on Sunday, Feb. 23. In a press release, she says he’s committed to “bringing the local executive leadership to Washington and making Washington look more like best-run cities and towns.”
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
High Honors for Lakeport Cluster Association — “The Lakeport Cluster Association was named “Community Association of the Year” by the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute. An article will be included in the March edition of the chapter’s magazine.” [Reston Association]
A Recap of the Audubon Photographer Award Winners Exhibition — “There’s still time to visit the traveling 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition presented in association with Nature’s Best Photography. Running through Feb. 26, the photos covering a range of species and geographic locations can be viewed for free at Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive in Reston.” [The Connection]
Virginia Program for Veterans Certifies 1,000th Employer — “Shortly after Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell started a program in 2012 to provide jobs to Virginia veterans, it aided roughly 5,000 veterans. Since then that number has jumped to nearly 60,000. Tuesday morning, current Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced the 1,000th employer to earn certification in the Virginia Values Veterans program–the Reston-based technology solutions provider Carahsoft.” [WJLA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Northern Virginia’s Growth and Its Impact on Leasing — “From Arlington to Herndon, the economic upswing following 2008 continues to spur growth throughout many parts of Northern Virginia. According to JLL Research, the region reported its highest positive net absorption in nearly a decade by the end of 2019. Spearheaded by the “War on Terror,” the last comparable development and expansion period came from government and defense contractors vying for space in the early 2000s.” [Washington Business Journal]
Stateside: Ban on Assault Weapons Fails — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s push to ban the sale of assault weapons has failed after members of his own party balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates.” [WTOP]
Fairfax County Reconsiders Mother-in-Law Suites — “Fairfax County could soon substantially loosen its regulations governing accessory dwelling units, perhaps following the lead of D.C. and other local jurisdictions looking to expand available housing options for renters.” [Washington Business Journal]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Registration Now Open for Presentation by Master Flutist — experience the history of women in jazz during a lecture and live performance by master flutist Galen Abdur-Razzaq at Reston Regional Library. The events takes place on March 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Leading the World in Data Centers — “Northern Virginia is by far the largest data center market in the world… data centers are centralized locations where computing and networking equipment is concentrated for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
Registration Now Open for Reston Camps — Registration for Camps Reston is now open for all. More information about this year’s offerings is available online. [Reston Association]
Photo by Jay Westcott
Lake Braddock Secondary Schools to Work with ARTSFAIRFAX — “Students at two Fairfax County public schools will explore a deeper engagement with the arts as part of the ARTSFAIRFAX Artist Residency Program. Rocky Run Middle School and Lake Braddock Secondary School art students will work with artists who connect 3D art exploration through mosaics and dance to history, language arts, and creative writing for engaging, unique, and innovative learning experiences.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Potomac River Cafe Honored — The cafe was among nine winners in the county’s Carrot Gold Food Safety Excellence Award. Winners were chosen from more than 3,800 permitted establishments inspected annually. [Fairfax County Government]
New State Laws on the Horizon — “In the 35 days since the 2020 legislative session began, Democratic lawmakers in Virginia advanced laws to restrict access to guns, raise the minimum wage, decriminalize marijuana and ease restrictions on abortion. They sprinted to pass hundreds of bills before a deadline: February 11th, ‘crossover day,’ when all bills must be passed by at least one chamber or be scrapped.” [WAMU]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Nominations Sought for Annual Volunteer Service Awards — Reston Association is seeking nominations for the ward by Friday, Feb. 28. [Reston Association]
Hours Extended at Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion — Hours will be extended on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. due to President’s Day. [Reston Town Center]
Reston-based Tech Firm Acquires Danish Company — “Reston-based federal contractor and tech firm SOS International LLC (SOSi) has acquired Denmark-based analytics software company NorthStar Systems, SOSi announced Tuesday, making it the company’s fifth acquisition since 2016, including New World Solutions, Defense Group Inc., STG Group Holdings Inc. and Vykin Corp.” [Virginia Business]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
State House Votes to Abolish Lee Jackson Day — Virginia moved one step closer to abolishing the holiday that honors two Confederate generals. The bill would remove Lee Jackson Day as a state holiday and Make Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, a state holiday instead. [WAMU]
County Seeks 911 Call Takers — The county is seeking call takers for the emergency line. Applications are due by Feb. 14. [Fairfax County Government]
School Board Approves Capital Improvement Program — “The FY 2021-25 CIP addresses uneven growth throughout the division because of changes in population, new development, and net migration. It continues to include potential capacity and capital solutions to schools which are currently or projected to be over capacity.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Restaurants Recognized for Safety Practices — Founding Farmers at Reston Station and the Hyatt Regency in Reston Town Center were recently recognized for promoting safety through actively managing practices. [Fairfax County Government]
Where to Report Potholes — “VDOT’s online reporting tool makes it easier to pinpoint exactly where you see a pothole. You can also report potholes directly from your mobile device and include images (**but NOT while driving!).” [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via R. Dawson/Flickr
Update: Kiln & Co. to Close Temporarily — The company is closed for renovations and plans to reopen by the summer of this year. Last year, Reston Now reported that the Lake Anne location appeared to have closed. [Reston Now]
Business Licenses Due March 2 — Fairfax County businesses must renew their business licenses by March 2 — or face a 10 percent penalty. Renewal notices were mailed to business owners in January. [Fairfax County Government]
Voter Registration Deadline Approaches — “The registration deadline to vote in the March 3 Democratic presidential primary in Virginia is rapidly approaching, even as the results from the Iowa caucuses have yet to be fully tabulated. Virginia residents must register by Feb. 10 in order to be eligible to vote in the state’s Democratic primary.” [Reston Patch]
Photo by R. Dawson/Flickr
Donations Sought for Diva Central Dress Drive — Reston Community Center is looking for formal dresses, shoes, jewelry handbags, and accessories for the annual prom and middle school formal dress giveaway. Donations will be accepted through Feb. 29. [Reston Community Center]
It’s All Business for Reston Chamber’s New President — “When Mark Ingrao, the former CEO and president of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce announced he was leaving in June 2019, the Chamber went on a national search to find his successor. In the end, the organization opted to choose someone from within — Charles Kapur, a local banker who was then serving as the Chamber’s chairman of the board.” [Reston Patch]
Accident Closes Spruce Street in Herndon — An accident that happened around 4:30 a.m. this morning has prompted the closure of Spruce Street. Drivers should use Locust Street or Vine Street to detour around the accident scene. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A review of The Capital Grille in Reston Town Center — “Which came first? The hamburger or the hamburger restaurant? In the case of The Capital Burger, the new Reston Town Center restaurant, the hamburger came first, specifically a French-onion style burger with caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru Gruyère and shallot aioli.” [Reston Patch]
Reston Market Up By Five Percent — “We reached the end of a decade and the statistics for 2019 real estate transactions in Reston have been tallied. The news is good! The numbers are up 5 percent from 2018, with 1,383 total transactions* in 2019, an increase from 1,316 total transactions in 2018.” [The Connection]
Court at Newbridge Tennis Courts Closed — Court two is closed for maintenance purposes, but courts one, three and five will remain open. [Reston Association]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Reston Sophomore Helps Elementary School Students — “South Lakes High sophomore Andrew built a simple sitting bench last summer for the fun of it. He then considered building an improved bench that he could donate to a worthy cause. A few brainstorms later, he contacted Herndon Elementary garden lady Jill Vinson and floated the idea of creating a planters table.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
A Senior Caught in a Dating Scam — A 72-year-old senior from Reston shares a story about how she was caught in an online dating scam. She says the man convinced her to sell her condo and give him large amounts of cash. [WAMU]
Reston Association Seeks Volunteers for Design Review Board — Lisa Heath, the DRB’s meeting manager, discusses the need for architects, land planners and landscape architects on the board. [Reston Today]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Town of Herndon Looks to Simply Cash Donation Process — At a meeting tomorrow, the Herndon Town Council will consider a plan to simplify the way community non-profit organizations receive cash donations. [Town of Herndon]
Zainy’s Flying Grill Swings By Sunrise Valley Drive — The new food truck, which specializes in puffy tacos, will be at Reston Campus (12525 Sunrise Valley Drive) today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Sprint B2B]
Photo via Dario Piparo/Flickr
