Morning Notes

Downed Wires Close I-66 in Fairfax — Fallen power lines completely shut down I-66 at Route 50 in Fairfax City for about 45 minutes during rush hour this morning, prompting warnings of travel delays. The Virginia Department of Transportation said at 8:15 a.m. that all lanes had reopened. [FCFRD, VDOT]

Last Day to Apply for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals — “Apply for Free and Reduced-Price Meals by the deadline of Thursday, October 6. Any family interested in free or reduced-price meals MUST submit a new application, even if your child has received free meals in the past.” [FCPS/Twitter]

IT Issues Slow Voter Registration Processing — The Virginia Department of Elections warned local officials on Friday (Sept. 30) that “unspecified technical issues” had created a backlog of voter registration applications. Fairfax County, “where 10 staffers routinely work on voter registrations,” received a surge of about 11,000 applications overnight. [The Washington Post]

Reston Arts Center Would Be Funded With Bond — “Residents of Small Tax District #5 in Reston would not be solely responsible for funding the performing arts center being considered for Reston Town Center’s Block J property. Joseph Lahait, a debt coordinator with the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget, told a group of about 50 people at a town hall meeting Tuesday night that all county taxpayers would be responsible if such a project were approved by the Board of Supervisors.” [Patch]

School Board Sees Need for Better Communication With Special Education Families — “Researchers found the school system could do a better job communicating with parents while developing, implementing, and then tracking a student’s individualized education program, or IEP. Hayes said doing so ‘can help proactively reduce conflict between families and schools’…School board members agreed that improving communication between parents and schools would be helpful.” [WTOP]

Man Arrested for Sexual Assault and Robbery in Fairfax — “Detectives said a 37-year-old man was arrested and charged for his alleged involvement in a sexual assault turned robbery in Fairfax on Monday. Officers responded to the 13200 block of Leafcrest Lane around noon for a report of a robbery and sexual assault. Police claim Nolberto Sanchez Hernandez assaulted the victim before taking off with her property.” [WUSA9]

ATM Burglary Attempts Continue — “The latest incident occurred between 4:00 and 4:10 a.m. on, Saturday, October 1. In this incident, two men arrived in a white Ford truck at the NextMark Credit Union at 6506 Loisdale Road in Springfield. The men placed a tow strap around the ATM machine and attempted to steal it, but were unsuccessful.” [FCPD]

Herndon Candidates’ Forum Tonight — “Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Herndon Candidates Forum Thursday at 7 p.m., in the Herndon Fortnightly Library at 68 Center St. This will be a chance for town residents to meet candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot” [Patch]

McLean Pet Fest Returns This Month — The McLean Community Center’s annual celebration of all things pets will be held at McLean Central Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16. The event will include a pet parade, a photo booth, “pet demonstrations, pet-related information and a variety of exhibitors.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 72 and low of 51. Sunrise at 7:10 am and sunset at 6:45 pm. [Weather.gov]