Morning Notes

Early Voting Begins in Fairfax County — Three locations will open for early voting, starting with the Fairfax County Government Center at 8 a.m., and more will follow on Oct. 26. The Nov. 7 general election ballot includes all local and state races, along with a $435 million school bond referendum. [Fairfax County Government]

Coastal Flood Watch Issued for Saturday — “A Coastal Flood Watch is effective late Saturday night. The worst flooding will be with the Saturday afternoon and evening high tides. Turn around, don’t drown. More than half of all flooding deaths occur in vehicles!” [Ready Fairfax/Twitter]

Plan for Housing at Former Topgolf Site Revived — The Fairfax County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday (Sept. 27) on a proposal that would allow 174 residential units on the Kingstowne property, which now hosts a Rudy’s golf facility. EYA’s project has been scaled back after previous plans that included retail and more housing got shelved in response to “community concerns.” [Washington Business Journal]

Hunter Mill School Board Candidate Faces Lawsuit — “In the middle of a contentious election year, Fairfax County School Board candidate Harry Jackson is facing a lawsuit from a fellow Republican parent who wants him out of the race. Stacy Langton filed an $850,000 defamation lawsuit against Jackson over a fake Twitter account” that she says he created after she expressed opposition to his candidacy. [WUSA9]

Potential Federal Goverment Shutdown Looms — “More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown.” Congress must pass at least a short-term budget bill by midnight on Sept. 30 to avoid a funding gap that could affect over 140,000 federal workers in Virginia. [Virginia Mercury]

Metro Expands Lost and Found Accommodations — “Metro this week announced it will now keep a wider list of lost items left behind on trains, buses, at stations, and other Metro facilities. The new policy updates changes made due to pandemic-related budget constraints in 2021 that restricted Metro’s lost and found storage to wallets and electronics such as phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras only” [Inside NoVA]

County Rec Centers Will Be Free for a Day — “On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Fairfax County Park Authority Rec Centers will be opening their doors to everyone for free…Enjoy free Rec Center admission all day, but visit between 4 and 7 p.m. to participate in special programming and fun events.” [FCPA]

Restored Gunston Hall Gardens Set to Open — “Gunston Hall’s fully restored, 18th century Riverside Garden — scheduled to open to the public Sept. 29 — may have taken just four years to construct and grow, but it took four decades to fully realize…Other construction projects are also in the works at the historic property.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies during the day with a high near 74°F. At night, rain is likely after 2 am, and the weather will be cloudy, with temperatures dipping toward 60°F. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch. [Weather.gov]