Morning Notes

Strep Throat Diagnoses Rise in Fairfax County — “Data from emergency departments and urgent care centers in the community have shown an increase in the number of people who have been diagnosed with strep throat since late January 2023. For the week of March 5-11, there were more visits to ED and urgent care facilities for strep throat than at any time in the past 3 years” [Fairfax County Health Department]

BB Gun Appears During Fight at Annandale HS — “Video obtained by 7News captured a fight at Annandale High School in Fairfax County Wednesday where a BB gun ended up falling to the floor…Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) also confirmed to 7News the presence of the BB gun following the fight during a ‘class change.'” [ABC7]

Tysons Developers Pivot Away From Office — “Cityline Partners still has 4M SF of office space planned at its Scotts Run development in Tysons, but the only projects moving ahead at the vast site near the McLean Metro station are multifamily and hotel. With the region’s already weak office market not expected to recover in the near future, that trend is poised to continue.” [Bisnow]

West Springfield Student Wins Landmark Wrestling Title — “Elaina Primozic won the first Virginia girls wrestling state meet. Elaina entered the wrestling team as a manager, but after a few weeks, she emailed the coach to join the team. Elaina finished the season by winning the 156-pound title at the first Virginia High School League girls’ championships.” [FCPS/Facebook]

Board Chair Frustrated by Maryland’s Beltway Project Delays — “Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (D) called Transurban’s decision in Maryland a setback to needed improvements at the American Legion Bridge, one of Fairfax County’s biggest traffic bottlenecks, and said the outcome was not in the long-term interest of Virginia or Maryland.” [Gazette Leader]

Mount Vernon Post Office Stays in Place — “The post office at Mount Vernon Plaza will remain in business at its current location, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) confirmed March 15 to On the MoVe.” The Washington Business Journal reported in December that the shopping center’s property manager had “filed suit against the USPS for unpaid rent,” giving the post office until Feb. 28 to vacate. [On the MoVe]

Herndon Library Gets “Maker Lab” — “The Maker Lab @ Herndon is a space designed for people who love to learn, discover, and explore…You will have access to a variety of tools and equipment, including a 3D printer, sewing machines, robots and more.” The facility’s grand opening will be celebrated tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Library]

Fairfax Woman Competes in Beauty Pageant — “On Saturday, Fairfax City resident Amini Bonane will be pursuing her quest to become the first Congolese woman to be crowned Miss Africa USA…Patch recently interviewed Bonane to find out about her experience growing up in Fairfax City and what led up to her becoming a Miss Africa USA contestant.” [Patch]

Nearby: Baby Bald Eagle Hatches in Loudoun — “On Tuesday, the eaglet hatched in the nest along the Dulles Greenway. The eaglet’s parents — Rosa and Martin — have two more eggs they’re incubating in the nest in a wetlands area of Leesburg, so wildlife experts are watching closely for those to hatch sometime this week.” [The Washington Post]

It’s Friday — Possible light rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 60 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:18 am and sunset at 7:18 pm. [Weather.gov]