Morning Notes

Report Recommends Options for Closing Metro Funding Gap — “The report, issued Tuesday by a working group of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, suggests boosting local jurisdictions’ collective subsidies to Metro by as much as $462 million, plus various additional compromise measures.” Suggestions include fare increases and “targeted service reductions” that could be less drastic than the partial Silver Line closure proposed by WMATA. [Washington Business Journal]

Three Arrested for Theft and Fraud at Tysons Clothing Store — “The Tysons Urban Team (TUT) detectives arrested a crew believed to be responsible for multiple fraudulent transactions and recovered property belonging to U.S. Postal Service (USPS). At 2:14 p.m. on December 15, detectives responded to the Diesel store in the McLean area for a suspicious person call. A store employee recognized several suspects from a fraudulent purchase that was made a few weeks prior.” [FCPD]

Winter Lights Festival Returns to Reston Lake — “Residents on Lake Thoreau decorate their lake-facing homes and boats with lights, and generous Restonians pledge to make donations to local nonprofits…Lake Thoreau residents that want to participate should have their boats and homes lit on Thursday, Dec. 21 for the official count, weather permitting.” [Reston Letter]

FCPS Sticks With Employee Health Insurance Provider — “Employees and retirees of Fairfax County Public Schools got a Christmas present — or perhaps better put, a New Year’s Day present — their counterparts [in] one locality to the east did not.” At a Dec. 14 meeting, the school board approved a renewal of an agreement with Kaiser Permanente “to provide health services to about 5,550 FCPS employees and retirees and their 4,921 dependents.” [Gazette Leader]

Vegetarian Vietnamese Restaurant Opens in Lake Barcroft — “There’s a new dining option for vegetarians — Chay, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant in Barcroft Plaza, had a soft opening on Dec. 18. It’s located at 6351 Columbia Pike next to Jake’s Ice Cream.” The owners say permitting “took forever” but they’re now glad to “offer healthy alternatives.” [Annandale Today]

Affordable Housing Waitlists Open Next Month — “Those interested in applying to affordable housing waitlists have the opportunity to do so beginning Monday, January 8, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. through Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. for select properties,” including two-bedroom apartments at One University in Fairfax and studio units at Audubon Apartments in Hybla Valley. [FCRHA]

Christmas Trees Still Available at Reston Market — “If you’re still in need of a live Christmas tree, there are plenty to choose from at the Reston Farm Garden Market. Bonita Weinstein, co-owner of the Reston Farm Garden Market, joined Eileen in-studio to talk about all they offer during the holiday season and beyond.” [WJLA]

FCPD Offers Inside Look at SWAT Team — “The FCPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of our Special Operations Division has been handling high-risk and critical incidents for nearly 50 years.” The team was originally created as a part-time unit in 1975 “in response to the high-profile relocation of the Exxon Headquarters to Fairfax” and has since become one of only two full-time teams in Northern Virginia. [FCPD]

It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 46°F, accompanied by a north wind at around 7 mph. As for Thursday night, the skies will be mostly cloudy, experiencing a low of around 30°F, while the north wind will continue at a speed of 3 to 5 mph. [Weather.gov]