Morning Notes

Tuesday Storm Brought Record Rainfall — “Tuesday’s storm soaked the Washington region with record rainfall, toppled trees onto buildings, knocked out power, and flooded areas near rivers and streams…The 2.24 inches at Reagan National Airport, 1.76 inches at Dulles International Airport, and 2.62 inches at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport were all record amounts for the date.” [Washington Post]

Virginia House Selects First Black Speaker — “After making history as the first Black person chosen to lead the 405-year-old Virginia House of Delegates, new Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said the weight of the moment wasn’t lost on him as he looked out over the chamber…Scott’s ascension to the top House job was one of several historic firsts as the Virginia General Assembly began its 2024 legislative session.” [Virginia Mercury]

Justice HS Addresses Drug Abuse After Fatal Overdose — “Parents need to establish strong bonds with their kids and talk to them about the dangers of fentanyl, school officials advised during a town hall on drug abuse Jan. 8 hosted by the Justice High School PTSA. ‘Kids are dying,’ said PTSA President Kim Lanoue, referring to Justice 10th-grader Madeline Valeria Mora Centeno, who died Dec. 3 from a fentanyl overdose.” [Annandale Today]

Police Report Productive DUI Crackdown — “The FCPD’s DUI Enforcement Squad wrapped up 2023 ensuring Fairfax County roads were kept safe, successfully making over 500 traffic stops and more than 40 DUI arrests during the 2023 Safe December initiative.” The squad’s staffing increased from Dec. 4-29 “to promote sober driving, pinpoint impaired drivers, and increase officer presence on the roadways.” [FCPD]

Falls Church Lands New Ice Cream Shop — Ice Cream Jubilee will open its third D.C. area shop at West Falls this summer, joining other tenants announced for the mixed-use development in Falls Church, including Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls and BurgerFi. Ice Cream Jubilee is also planning to open a location in Reston Town Center this spring. [WTOP]

GMU Starts Recycling Glass in Fairfax — “George Mason University has launched a pilot glass-recycling effort at its Fairfax campus. Glass bottles and jars can be recycled at bins located in several areas on campus. They must be clean but can be of any color glass and can include lids and labels.” [Gazette Leader]

McLean Firm Launches Tech Startup Investment Fund — “McLean investment and incubation firm Red Cell Partners LLC, armed with a new $91 million fund, opens 2024 with an intention to infuse that capital into the early-stage companies it recently helped to create. The new fund, called RCIF I, will support the nascent technology startups…in the health care and defense sectors.” [Washington Business Journal]

Metro Closures Planned for MLK Day Weekend — “If your long weekend plans — or your Friday commute — include Metrorail, you might want to plan ahead. Metro will close the Rosslyn and Court House stations for maintenance starting Friday, January 12 through Monday, January 15, affecting Blue, Orange, and Silver Line service.” [DCist]

It’s Thursday — The weather will be sunny with temperatures reaching a high near 50 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind blowing at 5-11 mph. At night, expect mostly clear skies with lows settling around 33 degrees. There will be a west wind at 5-7 mph, which will become light and variable after midnight. [Weather.gov]