Local Connection in Virginia Tech Slaying — Police in Blacksburg say victim in a weekend slaying was a senior from Vienna. A student and former student have been charged in the death of Samanta Shrestha. [Washington Post]
A Tale of Suburban Bikeshare — Fairfax County is currently conducting a feasibility study for a bikeshare operation in Reston, which would be the first of its kind in Fairfax County. But an analysis by the blog Greater Greater Washington shows Montgomery County Bikeshare, which launched in the fall with stations in Bethesda and Rockville, is off to a slow start. [Greater Greater Washington]
What Are Your Teens Up To? — Want to know what really goes on with teens on Saturday nights? Then make plans to attend the “Saturday Night in the Suburbs” program at Herndon High School at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The program for parents, developed by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County hosted by the Herndon High School PTSA, will feature a panel of high school seniors who talk openly about alcohol and drug use, teen parties, social media, parent supervision and enabling, and communication with parents. [Unified Prevention Coalition]
New CEO For Reston’s ComScore — ComScore, the digital measurement firm headquartered at Reston Town Center, has appointed a new CEO: Serge Matta. Matta has been with the company since 1999. [Washington Business Journal]
Pothole Patrol — Had enough of potholes in Northern Virginia? So has Phil the Pothole hunter. VDOT shows you a day in his life. [YouTube]
Fairfax County Police Shooting Investigation Stalled — Just what happened last summer when Fairfax County Police shot and killed John Geer outside Geer’s Springfield home? Internal conflicts are delaying investigation. Should this worry Fairfax County residents? [Washington Post]
Lax Registration Now Open — Registration Herndon Reston Youth Lacrosse is now open and player evaluations will be held several dates in February. [HRYL]
SLHS Writers Earn Kudos — South Lakes High School students were among the Fairfax County Public Schools winners of the 2014 Scholastic Writing Awards. Fifty seven FCPS students overall received awards for dramatic scripts, flash fiction, humor, journalism, personal essays-memoirs, persuasive writing, poetry, short stories, science fiction-fantasy, and writing portfolios. [FCPS]
Parents Want Paul VI To Stay Put — Paul VI Catholic High School, the Fairfax parochial school, is considering a move to Loudoun County. The school, located in an aging building, would have more space and a new state-of-the-art facility if the school moves. The community of parents and students has started a social media and petition campaign to stop the move. [WTOP]
Repairing the Parkway — The Virginia Department of Transportation is readying to repair the bicycle and pedestrian trail adjacent to the Fairfax County Parkway between Route 7 and Route 29 from March to September of this year. The $345,000 project will improve safety and reliability on the trail. [VDOT]
Fundraiser Fun — There is still time to buy tickets to a raffle that will benefit Herndon High Sports Boosters. Among the prizes: Walt Disney World tickets; restaurant gift cards; and a night at Great Wolf Lodge. Drawing is March 13. [Herndon Patch]
Answers About Metro — Metro General Manager Richard Sarles answered questions about frequent user complaints in an online chat last week. See if your concerns are addressed. [Washington Post]
Photo courtesy of David Madison Photography.
Paying More To Help Those Who Have Less — As Reston gets ready to expand with transit-oriented development, Fairfax County is considering using developer contributions to offer more affordable housing options, particularly in transit centers. [Fairfax Times]
Let’s Bowl — Pinstripes, the combo bowling alley, bocce court and upscale bar and restaurant, may be eying a Reston location. The company’s CEO says the chain, which just opened in Georgetown and also inked a lease for Rockville, would like to open a branch in either Tysons or Reston eventually. [Washington Business Journal]
Play Ball (Soon) — Registration for Reston Little League is open and runs through Feb. 15. RLL also has openings in winter skills clinics. [Reston Little League]
Playing Politics: Better Drinking — What changes has new Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe brought to the Governor’s Mansion? For starters, he has upgraded the bar offerings with top-shelf liquor at his own expense. The move is part of a broader effort to win over Republicans. [Washington Post]
Langley Community In Mourning — Students at Langley High School are mourning the deaths of two students this week. Both students were boys and the deaths are reportedly being investigated as suicides. The school and the Fairfax County Police are giving few details, however the student community is rallying together with a #SaxonStrong social media campaign. [McLean Patch]
FCPS Employee Charged — Patrick Wietz, a 24-year-old IT specialist with Fairfax County Public Schools, was charged by Fairfax County Police for attempting to take indecent liberties with children under 15 years old and with the use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children. Wietz had been employed at Glen Forest Elementary in Falls Church the last two years. [Fairfax County Police]
Big Cash Influx For Reston Company — Reston-based Continental Building Products Inc., which manufactures drywall and related products at four plants across North America, raised $165.2 million in an initial public offering Wednesday. [Washington Business Journal]
SLHS Boys On A Roll — South Lakes High School’s boys basketball team topped Madison 74-51 on Tuesday for its sixth win in a row. The Seahawks are 12-7 overall and 4-0 in the Liberty Conference. Clayton O’Neill led the Seahawks with 23 points against Madison. [Washington Post]
Pick Up Some Mystery Books — The Friends of Reston Regional Library is hosting a mystery and adventure used book sale Thursday through Sunday at Reston Regional. Pick up some good reads for a low price and help the library at the same time. [Friends of Reston Regional]
Photo by George Mesthos via Twitter
Know A Top New Teacher? — Nominate them for Fairfax County Public Schools’ Outstanding First-Year Teacher awards. The system is looking for candidates with outstanding instructional skills and great interaction with students and community, among other things. Nominations due by Feb. 14. [FCPS]
Burritos Tonight? — The South Lakes High School All Night Grad Party is holding a fundraiser at South Lakes Chipotle tonight from 4 to 8 p.m. Download the flyer or show on your smartphone and 50 percent of the proceeds go to the Class of 2014’s annual bash [Chipotle flyer]
Birth Control For Deer in Fairfax — Taking a look at the sedate, catch and spay to control deer population in Fairfax City? Would it work in Fairfax County [State of NoVa Blog]
Students Records Accidentally Posted — Personal info for nearly 700 Fairfax County Public Schools were accidentally posted online. While the information has been taken down, this brings up the bigger issue of privacy and security. [The Washington Post]
Photo courtesy David Madison Photography.
Kudos, Young Scientists — There were 27 first-place winners and a wide variety of experiment subjects at the South Lakes High School Science Fair last week. They advance to the Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair. [2014 Science Fair Winners]
Fairfax, Loudoun Keep Growing — Fairfax County had a population growth of 3.3 percent, exceeding the 1 percent growth by the state overall, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Loudoun’s population increased by more than 11 percent. [Washington Post]
Think Summer — It is only February, but registration for Fairfax County Public Schools summer programs is now open. Among some of the offerings: Institute for the Arts, Tech Adventure Camp and STEM Camp. [FCPS]
Reston Market Strong — Boston Properties Executive Vice President Ray Ritchey says he thinks the Reston Town Center office market will remain strong even though lots more space is being built in Tysons Corner. Meanwhile, Boston Properties President Doug Linde told investors that Reston “is unequivocally the strongest submarket in the entire D.C. region.” [Washington Business Journal]
South Lakes Girls Fall — The Seahawks girls basketball team, ranked No. 6 by The Washington Post, suffered its first local defeat of the season on Wednesday. McLean (16-1) defeated South Lakes 48-44, ending SLHS’ seven-game winning streak. The Seahawks are now 15-2 overall. [South Lakes Athletics]
Reston Earns Intergenerational Award — Reston has been selected as a 2014 Best Intergenerational Community Award winner from Generations United and the MetLife Foundation. The winners will be formally recognized at a ceremony later this year. [Reston Association]
More Traffic Talk for Oakcrest School — Oakcrest School, a private middle and high school located in McLean, will continue the saga of changing traffic patterns near a new school site at Hunter Mill and Crowell Roads in Reston. The school was approved to build the school in 2010 provided it build a roundabout to improve traffic flow. The school, unable to purchase the property for a roundabout, now wants a traffic light and other changes, which is not sitting well with the community. Dozens of students spoke at a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting this week, but the supervisors made no decision. [Fairfax Times]
Flickr pool photo of Reston’s Used Book Shop by Vballslife.
We’re No. 1 — in Texting and Driving — Northern Virginia gets the dubious distinction of being the part of the state with the most testing-while-driving conviction. There were 725 in the latter half of 2013. Forty percent came from here. [WTOP]
Kudos, Herndon High Dance Team — The Hornets are off to the nationals. [Herndon Patch]
Did Metro Pass the Test? — MWAA conducted a large test of the glitchy software on the Silver Line over the weekend. They are still waiting for analysis. The software issue was one of the problems causing the latest delay in the rail line opening. [Washington Post]
Should Northern Virginia Be Its Own State? — This article outlines why this part of the commonwealth, which largely funds the rest of the state, should get to keep its money and be its own boss. [Washingtonian]
Where’s the Dave Grohl Statue? — WaPo writer Tom Jackman wonders why Fairfax County has not honored its favorite music son. Dave Grohl. Grohl, who grew up in Springfield, picked up two Grammy Awards Sunday for a total of 14 and counting. This year’s awards were for the documentary Sound City, which, incidentally, is how Grohl met and collaborated with Reston band RDGLDGRN. [State of Nova blog]
Share Bikeshare Thoughts Wednesday — Interested in a bikeshare system coming to Reston? Attend a public meeting at 7 p.m. at Lake Anne Elementary School. There is a feasibility study underway, and principles involved in the project want to get the community’s input. [Reston Now]
Supervisors Pass Transportation Package — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $1.4 billion transportation proposal package that should alleviate congestion on roads such as Route 66 and the Dulles Toll Road. [Washington Post]
Virginia Tax Refunds Returning to Paper? — A bill that will enable Virginia residents to receive their state tax refund via old-style paper check passed the Virginia Senate and will now go to the House. In 2013, the commonwealth opted to go to debit cards or direct deposit. [ARLnow.com]
Sunset over frozen Lake Audubon photo by Jennifer Burke.
Educating Students About Teen Sex Trafficking — Fairfax County Public Schools will air a film, Tricked: Inside the World of Teen Sex Trafficking, on Channel 21 and on the FCPS website this week. The movie was produced by FCPS to address the issue of teen sex trafficking in Fairfax County. [FCPS]
Taking Aim at MWAA’s Books — The office of the U.S. Inspector General says that said that Metro’s poor financial management practices allowed MWAA to receive federal dollars for items that were not eligible for federal reimbursement. The funds in question are part of the $900 million in federal money Metro received for Silver Line Phase 1. [Fairfax Times]
More Love for McElveen — More snow days have meant even more adulation from Twitter star (and FCPS at-large school board member) Ryan McElveen. [Washington Post]
Flickr photo by Vballslife
FCPS Class Sizes On the Rise? — The Fiscal Year 2015 Fairfax County Public Schools’ $2.5 billion budget proposal includes bigger class sizes to cope with staffing costs. The draft asks for an increase of 0.5 students per teacher in elementary and middle schools and 1.0 student per teacher in high school. That accounts for $15.2 million in savings to help close the school system’s $132 million deficit overall, says Superintendent Karen Garza. But what will that mean to the schools in the long run? [Fairfax Times]
The Science of Crash Reconstruction — Discovering just what happened in an auto crash takes forensic skill in Fairfax County. [The Connection]
Flu Hits Northern Virginia — Virginia Department of Health says the state has been hit hard. How can you avoid catching it? [Vienna Patch]
Webb to Retire — Reston’s Alan Webb, a 2004 track and field Olympian and former American high school recordholder in the mile, will end his pro racing career this winter. He will retire after next month’s Milrose Games and then will train for triathlons. Webb, 31, is a South Lakes High School graduate. [Runner’s World]
Toughen up, Fairfax — The Capital Weather Gang points out that Fairfax County Public Schools needs a new plan. Three snow days for a few inches of snow shouldn’t cripple the school system. [Capital Weather Gang]
Think Summer — On Saturday, Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will host a camp fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Put down the snow shovel and see what’s happening around Reston for kids in summer 2014. [Reston Now]
New Job For Ray LaHood — Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who was instrumental in uniting stakeholders in an impasse over Metro’s Silver Line Phase 2 in the summer of 2012, has a new post at a major D.C. law firm. [Washington Post]
How Cold Was It? — It was -2 at Dulles early Thursday, the coldest day in 18 years. Who is ready for spring? [Washington Post]
Photo courtesy Vballslife via Flickr
Fundraiser for Scanlan — Friends of Damien Scanlan, a former bartender at O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Herndon, are hosting a fundraiser there tonight to raise money to fly Sanlan’s body back to Ireland for burial. Scanlan was found dead in a Herndon creek last week. [Herndon Patch]
Wexton Wins — Democrat Jennifer Wexton defeated two veteran Loudoun County politicians Tuesday to earn a seat in the Senate of Virginia and give Virginia Democrats majority power in Richmond for the first time since 2009. Wexton topped Republican John Whitbeck 53 percent to 37 percent. Former Republican state Del. Joe May, running his Senate race as an independent, earned nearly 10 percent of the vote. The special election was to fill the 33rd District seat vacated by Sen. Mark Herring, Virginia’s new attorney general. The 33rd covers Herndon, Oak Hill and part of Loudoun County. [Loudoun Times Mirror]
Silver Line Slow Going — The repeated delays may push the Silver Line into an April opening – nearly five months later than originally estimated. Is May a possibility now? Either way, the impact at Tysons Corner will be significant [The Tysons Corner Blog]
Photo courtesy of Heather Warstler
More “Les Miz” — The Reston Community Players have extended the run on Les Miserables at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage. The show opened last weekend with sold-out performances. New performances have been added for Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. [Reston Community Players]
Boost the Herndon High Sports Boosters — The Herndon High Sports Boosters are offering more than 30 great prizes in a raffle to aid Herndon High Sports Boosters. Among the prizes: a three-month Reston YMCA membership, Disney World tickets and a $100 Reston Town Center gift card. [Herndon Patch]
Animal Shelter Has a Banner Year — New programs and policies for the Fairfax County Animal Shelter paid off in 2013. The shelter had a record placement level of 92 percent. More than 4,200 animals came through the shelter’s doors in 2013. [Fairfax County]
Photo: J0nathan via Flickr
