Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
đ News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 18, 2024.
- 8:15 am: Morning Notes | đŁď¸ Comments
- 9:30 am: Route 29 survey highlights pedestrian and bicyclist safety concerns, traffic woes | đŁď¸ Comments
- 10:15 am: Great Falls man pleads guilty to $1.8M in tax fraud | đŁď¸ Comments
- 11:00 am: Vienna to celebrate new pedestrian bridge to historic Freeman Store | đŁď¸ Comments
- 11:45 am: FCPD: Fairfax County is âsafestâ jurisdiction of its size, but shoplifting, officer assaults on the rise in 2023 | đŁď¸ Comments
- 2:30 pm: Pimmit Hills man arrested after being found with missing teen, police say | đŁď¸ Comments
- 3:15 pm: Driver of allegedly stolen vehicle charged with assaulting Virginia State Police during chase | đŁď¸ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Chase Bank hopes to add drive-thru lane for branch in Herndon | đŁď¸ Comments
đ Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
âď¸ Tuesday’s forecast
The weather will be mostly sunny with temperatures reaching around 55°F and west winds blowing at 11-14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. During Tuesday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low temperature of around 40°F, accompanied by a southwest wind at about 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Chase Bank is seeking Fairfax Countyâs permission to add a drive-through ATM to its Herndon location.
The company has submitted a special exception proposal requesting the ability to operate the ATM and a deposit box at Village Center Shopping Center (2401 Centreville Road).
The county’s land use database indicates that the application was submitted on March 14, but as of press time, staff were still awaiting the actual plans.
The location currently has two ATMs, and Chase Bank’s website indicates that it recently opened.
According to a Chase Bank spokesperson, the branch opened in October and was “built from the ground up.”
“All of our branches that have a drive-thru are locations where there is space and demand to give customers a variety of options for their deposit and withdrawal financing needs,” said Carolyn Evert, Chase Bank’s spokesperson for the D.C. region.
The shopping center, which is anchored by Giant, currently has three spaces available. The largest vacant space is a 44,460-square-foot location for a fitness tenant.
Image via Google Maps
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A Maryland man who fled police in a reportedly stolen vehicle is facing multiple charges of assault against Virginia state troopers.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers received an alert around 3:41 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) that a gray sedan reported to have been stolen might be traveling on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Huntington area.
The vehicle was spotted by a trooper who turned on his lights and siren for a traffic stop, but the driver instead “sped away and initiated a pursuit,” police said.
As the chase moved onto the Capital Beltway (I-495) and then onto southbound I-95, the driver rammed a state police patrol vehicle four different times, according to the VSP:
As the pursuit approached Route 1 and Interstate 495, the suspect vehicle twice rammed a State Police patrol vehicle. The pursuit then continued onto Interstate 495 westbound, where the suspect struck the same trooperâs vehicle a third time, and then onto Interstate 95 southbound, where the trooperâs vehicle was struck a fourth time.
Police ultimately used a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver to turn and halt the vehicle on I-95 near the Backlick Road exit, the VSP said.
“The driver then fled the vehicle on foot, but was taken into custody a few minutes later without further incident,” police said.
The driver — described as a 24-year-old man from College Park, Maryland — faces four charges each of assault on law enforcement, felony hit-and-run, misdemeanor hit-and-run and destruction of state property. He has also been charged with eluding law enforcement, grand larceny, driving without a license, not wearing a seatbelt and “being a pedestrian on the interstate.”
The last charge stems from the brief foot pursuit, a VSP spokesperson confirmed.
Police also arrested two adults who were passengers in the sedan on outstanding warrants.
The Fairfax County Police Department said in its year-end crime report for 2023 that it saw an uptick in assaults against police officers compared to 2022.
Image via Google Maps
Virginia Psychic Fair 2024
Many of the best psychics, mediums, healers, and readers of all types, along with related arts and crafts vendors from Virginia and the surrounding areas. Besides all types of readings done at tables their will also be related arts, crafts,
A Pimmit Hills man has been accused of possessing child porn and having sex with a teenager who was reported missing in New York.
Detectives arrested 20-year-old Muammer Steve Demir on Friday (March 15) after they found him with the teen at a house in the 7300 block of Sportsman Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Monday).
Demir was in possession of child sexual abuse material when police arrived at the house, according to the FCPD.
The FCPD says its Missing Person Unit and Child Exploitation Unit detectives were notified yesterday that a missing teen from New York may be in Fairfax County, and their investigation led them to Demir’s house.
“Detectives learned Demir drove to New York in August of 2023 and then brought the juvenile back to Virginia,” the FCPD said.
Demir has been charged with having carnal knowledge of a child and possessing child abuse material, but additional charges are expected, according to police. He’s currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The teen has been reunited with her family, the FCPD said.
After an arraignment on March 15, Demir is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 25, per Fairfax County General District Court records.
What do I do if school doesnât fit my kid?
Thatâs the question that so many of the parents and families ask when theyâre looking at small independent schools like The Howard Gardner School. There are any number of reasons that their current school might not fit. Â
- âMy son is surviving, but they definitely arenât thrivingâÂ
- âMy daughter stopped doing gymnastics, and doesnât ride horses anymore. She just does schoolwork.â
- âI donât think the school ever really âgotâ my kid⌠theyâre just differentâ
These are quotes pulled from parents looking at HGS this year. Our families are a diverse group from all different backgrounds. Our students are just as varied with all kinds of reasons for being at The Howard Gardner School. The common thread is that school wasnât working.
When school — as we think of it now — was invented, in the 1800s, it was in answer to the industrial revolution. Desks in rows and columns, classrooms with the same number of students as factories had workers in each shift. Even a curriculum contained by four walls and a textbook, set to a standardized approach for a standardized set of goals. Â
A few things have changed in the last two hundred years Â
Public school in the United States was and is a ground-breaking, crucial program with an audacious mandate: Educate every single citizen of the most diverse nation in the history of the world. Public educators are dedicated professionals seeking to do just that — but the mandate is virtually impossible. What works for one student might be antithetical to the needs of another. What makes one kid excited might make another kid anxious. As a result, typical schools seek to do the most that they can for as many students as they can. Itâs a laudable and practical approach to a truly difficult circumstance.
But what if your kid doesnât fit?
The parents, families, and kids who are exploring The Howard Gardner School are obviously considering a new school setting. Itâs a wonderful truth that this region has an incredible array of top tier public and private schools. In particular, this areaâs set of intentionally small schools is truly impressive. The Washington Small Schools Association and the Virginia Small Schools Association can provide interested families with information and ideas about how to find a school that fits.Â
In fact, the admissions staff at these small schools will take the time and effort to help each individual student find and access the best possible fit for them. Because each small school can be a different place — with programs, teachers, even campuses that fit different kinds of kids. Â
At The Howard Gardner School, we work with a very small number of students, in very small classes, designed around experiential programming. For instance, we take thirty-six field trips per year. Our students have multiple overnight travel opportunities each school year. And because of the needs of the teenage brain, we start the school day at 10 a.m. If sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, or slogging through another two hours of homework at night isnât the right fit for your kid, HGS could help you find a better one.
Our mission here at The Howard Gardner School is to help bright, creative, non-traditional students use their unique strengths to thrive academically, intellectually, and emotionally.Â
Please check out our website at www.TheHowardGardnerSchool.org, and call or email to learn more about how to find the best fit for your kid.
There is a place where each young person can find their fit and thrive. The process is a bit like being in a dark room — the hard part isnât turning on the light, itâs finding the switch.
The Howard Gardner School
Serving bright, creative, non-traditional learners in grades 6-12
Alexandria, VA & Sterling, VA
703-822-9300
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA and D.C. with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Last week you may have read some headlines about how the â6% real estate commissionâ as we know it is dead. There was a class action lawsuit that the National Association of Realtors ÂŽ agreed to settle last week for $418M. Hereâs what you need to know about how that impacts you:
What the lawsuit was about
There was an argument that real estate commissions were fixed and it wasnât clear that the seller was also paying the buyerâs commission. Worth noting: the original lawsuit was filed in Missouri where real estate practice may differ from the way we do things in the D.C. Metro area. We have ALWAYS had forms that the seller signs and that the buyer is required to sign to create representation agreements that clearly spelled out how, and how much, agents were getting paid. And buyers and sellers have always had options of how much service they want and what they were willing to pay for it — always.
What this means moving forward
Part of the lawsuit settlement, if approved, includes the following changes to how real estate is done — the MLS will no longer have a buyer agent commission (also known as selling agent) listed as part of the advertisement. In fact, the MLS will be prohibited from publicly offering one starting mid July of 2024.
There are lots of details to be worked out, including a court approving this settlement, but hereâs what you really need to know about buying and selling real estate in the coming months:
- Until July, you might see subtle changes but the big changes wonât take effect until then.
- Sellers CAN still choose to offer compensation to the buyer’s agent, but how thatâs advertised will be different — still TBD.
- Buyers who want their own representation will now have to pay for their own agent. You will have to discuss this with your real estate agent and have a signed agreement prior to seeing any houses.Â
- Buyers can ask for closing cost credit from the sellers as part of their offer to cover the commission of their agent, if they donât want to or canât come out of pocket to pay the agent directly as part of their closing costs. Sellers can agree or disagree.
There are parts that bother me that I think got severely overlooked:
- Buyers who plan to use a VA Loan (used by our Veterans and/or active duty military) are NOT allowed to pay any fees related to a real estate agent as part of their loan. They donât even have the option. So unless the VA figures out how to handle this new policy, thereâs a lot of uncertainty related to using a VA loan and representation.
- First time buyers and FHA buyers — usually believed to be smaller down payments (FHA is a 3.5% minimum and a conventional loan can be as little as 3%), will now also have to come up with more money to pay at closing to hire an agent unless they can get a seller credit to off-set the cost.
I believe the intent of this was to make the process clearer — and thatâs a good thing — but the experts think this will bring down home prices because prices were inflated to account for commission. However, I think theyâre actually making the entry into owning homes harder. Buyers donât know what they donât know and not having an experienced professional to guide them through the process and protect their interests will end up hurting them in this major life purchase.Â
More to come on this as things get cleaned up and new policies get put in place, but change is coming.
The Fairfax County Police Department touted the county’s status as the safest jurisdiction of its size following the release of its year-end crime report.
The report — which is based on violent crime rates among participating agencies evaluated by the Major Cities Chief Association — shows that Fairfax County’s rate is the lowest among jurisdictions of comparable size. Homicide offenses, sex offenses, burglaries, and robberies all declined between 2022 and 2023, according to the report.
âThe central message conveyed in this report is clear — Fairfax County stands as the safest large jurisdiction in America. Through data-informed enforcement strategies, FCPD played a pivotal role in reducing violent crime rates,â FCPD wrote in a press release.
At a safety and security committee meeting before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 12, Police Chief Kevin Davis said that all 17 murders last year were solved. Homicides were down 23% over the previous year.
FCPD also stepped up the number of traffic summonses, issuing nearly 40% more in 2023 than in 2022 for violations like speeding, reckless driving, and hands-free violations.
Theft of motor vehicle parts was a major focus this year. The number of thefts decreased from 1,516 in 2022 to 875 in 2023, a trend observed in the FCPD’s mid-year crime report.
But the decrease in the theft of motor vehicle parts was offset by an increase in shoplifting, which rose from 5,799 incidents in 2022 to 8,156 last year. Additionally, 126 more vehicles were stolen in 2023 than in 2022.
Most cars that were stolen were either Kias and Hyundais, particularly in the Mount Vernon District, according to FCPD. They were often later recovered in D.C. or Prince Georgeâs County.
Officers increased their presence in malls during the winter holiday season. Springfieldâs Christmas anti-theft team recovered more than $100,000 of stolen merchandise last year compared to $30,000 in 2022, according to the FCPD.
Davis noted that organized groups appear to be targeted high-end merchandise in large quantities, later reselling the items on Facebook Marketplace.
âEveryone is jumping up and down about what we need to do to prevent, mitigate, and hold these really organized groups better accountable,â Davis said, adding that the problem appears to be region-wide.
A one-day symposium is planned in April for regional authorities to explore âinnovativeâ solutions, Davis said.
The department also reported 472 assaults against its officers this year — an increase from 378 in 2022. Davis said 5% of all assault crimes were against law enforcement officers.
âIt has our attention and weâre taking steps to mitigate it,â Davis said.
Overall, there were 1,161 assaults between 2022 and 2023, according to the report, although most offenses were not aggravated. Most assaults are “domestic in nature or involve parties known to each other,” the police department says.
âFCPD worked hard to combat this issue by placing over 34,000 criminal charges on over 23,000 individuals responsible for crimes in Fairfax County last year,â the FCPD said in a news release.
While pedestrian fatalities decreased in 2023, which had nine deaths, FCPD has launched a collaborative effort with local transportation officials and other community partners to review pedestrian fatalities and significant injuries. Between 2019 and 2022, 77 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes.
Most incidents happened at night, Davis said.
Users of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail can now more directly access the Freeman Store and Museum — and, beyond it, the Town Green — in Vienna.
The town has opened a new pedestrian bridge over Piney Branch that links the regional trail to the historic site. Completed in November, the facility replaces a wooden bridge that collapsed in 2016 due to water damage and general deterioration.
“It looks as it did many years ago and restores an important link to the Townâs history, connecting past and present,” the Town of Vienna said of the new bridge.
The town will celebrate the bridge’s reopening this Saturday (March 23) with a ribbon-cutting and reception starting at 10 a.m. Refreshments will be provided, and the Freeman Store will unveil two new museum exhibits: “Exploring Books Throughout Time” and “Vienna Unveiled Through Maps.”
Have you noticed the new pedestrian bridge along the W&OD Trail? After months of anticipation, it's time to celebrate its completion! Everyone's invited to the official ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. See you there! Details: https://t.co/5bwEBgELgq. pic.twitter.com/zVcig20KRq
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) March 14, 2024
Vienna officials had been looking to build a new bridge since they closed the previous one in February 2016, but an initial lack of response from contractors and rising costs for lumber and other materials delayed the project.
Construction finally began in February 2023, requiring a temporary detour around the affected section of the W&OD Trail.
Measuring about 53 feet long and 5 feet wide, the new bridge was made out of steel and timber. It’s also ADA-compliant, serving as the only way for wheelchair users to access the Freeman Store.
“Since the Freeman Store opened in 1859, it has been a store, a home, a train depot, a hotel, a hospital, an officersâ quarters, and a fire department, and the pedestrian bridge over Piney Branch to the storeâs side entrance has been an integral part of the structure,” the town said in a news release.
Designated as a historic Virginia landmark in 2011, the Freeman Store is run by the nonprofit Historic Vienna Inc. and sells candy, artist prints, pottery, mugs, used books and other Vienna-themed items.
Located at 131 Church Street NE, the Freeman Store is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday between March and December. The store closes on most federal holidays.
Photo via Town of Vienna/Twitter
A Great Falls man pleaded guilty on Friday (March 15) to failing to pay $1.8 million to the Internal Revenue Service.
Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, owned and operated several businesses, including laser tag facilities, and he worked as an Amazon reseller, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia.
âFrom 2015 to 2021, Rahim did not pay to the IRS the taxes withheld from his employeesâ paychecks or file the required quarterly employment tax returns reporting those withholdings,â the office said in a press release.
Authorities say Rahim hasn’t filed a personal income tax return since 2012 despite earning more than $34 million in gross income.
In addition, Rahim filed two personal income tax returns where reported owing “substantial” taxes but did not pay them when they were due. When the IRS attempted to contact him, he submitted a false form that omitted assets he owned, including a helicopter, property in Great Falls and a Lamborghini, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
From the press release:
Approximately two weeks later, Rahim transferred ownership of that Great Falls property to his wife. He also paid personal expenses from his business bank accounts, including more than $889,000 toward his mortgages and more than $669,000 to purchase or lease cars, including three different Lamborghinis. In addition, Rahim withdrew more than $1.1 million in cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid triggering currency transaction reports from the bank.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 21.
Photo via Google Maps