Morning Notes

Elected County Officials Sworn In — “Family, friends and area leaders all came together to mark new terms of office for our Board of Supervisors, constitutional officers and Soil and Water Conservation District directors. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Government Center on Dec. 13 for these local officials, who will guide the county for the next four years.” [Fairfax County Government]

Fairfax Delegate Proposes Discrimination Protections for Ethnicity — “With the recent spike in reports of antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias, lawmakers will soon consider whether to add ethnicity to Virginia’s hate crimes and discrimination law. Del. Dan Helmer…introduced a bill — HB 18 — that would expand the groups protected against unlawful discrimination.” [WTOP]

Fairfax City Restaurant in Fire Station Gets Ribbon-Cutting — “Join us on December 15th at 3:00 pm as we celebrate the ribbon cutting of The Old Firestation #3. They will be serving soda, water, iced tea, and various appetizers. This no-frills restaurant and bar, located in an old fire station, is the perfect place to hang out and enjoy Greek, American, and Italian dishes.” [Fairfax City Economic Development/Instagram]

Survivors of Hamas Attack Share Stories — “Survivors of the terror attack that sparked the war in Israel are visiting Northern Virginia and sharing their stories. A Jewish Community Center in Fairfax hosted ‘Heroines and Heroes of Light.’ News4’s Walter Morris reports.” [NBC4]

County Seeks Funding for Bus and Bicycle Services — “Fairfax County supervisors on Dec. 5 authorized the county’s transportation director to apply for nearly $8.9 million in regional funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC).” The money would support Fairfax Connector bus routes and an expansion of the Capital Bikeshare system around the Vienna and Dunn Loring Metro stations. [Gazette Leader]

Comfort Food Restaurant in Groveton Closed — “The Boston Market restaurant, a longtime fixture at Beacon Center, no longer seems to be in operation. The darkened storefront has a ‘closed’ sign on the front door and leasing information in the window…The pad site is located at 6650 Richmond Highway between Bank of America and TGI Fridays.” [On the MoVe]

Increases in Park Authority Fees Approved — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved the proposed adjustments to the 2024 Park Authority Fee Schedule at its Dec. 13 meeting. All fee adjustments are scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.” Affected services include the golf courses, recreation center admission, park amusements and more. [FCPA]

Meteor Shower Caught on Video — “Video sent in by a FOX 5 viewer shows several fiery streaks of light moving across the sky over Fairfax County. The Geminids shower is one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, according to NASA.” The shower was scheduled to peak yesterday (Thursday), but meteors may be visible as late as Dec. 17. [FOX5]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 55 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures reaching a low of about 34 degrees and a steady west wind of around 6 mph. [Weather.gov]