Morning Notes

Annual Homelessness Count Starts Tonight — “Fairfax County, along with the greater Washington D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virgina region, will conduct a ‘Point-In-Time’ count of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, beginning in the evening on January 24, 2024, and continuing through the morning of January 25.” [Housing and Community Development]

Region’s Economy Lagging, Forum Speaker Says — “The Vienna Department of Economic Development’s first-ever ‘State of the Economy’ event provided information, spectacle, tasty food and town-promoting swag to about 70 people who filled the Vienna Community Center’s auditorium Jan. 18.” Keynote speaker Keith Waters said the D.C. region’s “economic output has been lagging the nation’s for about 13 years.” [Gazette Leader]

New Fairfax City Music Venue Has Opened — ” Earp’s Ordinary moved into a 10,000-square-foot space at the end of 2023 with room for 290 patrons on Main Street in the City of Fairfax. The stage is much bigger than the one in Earp’s old space, and there’s a better sound system, says owner Michael DeMarco.” [Annandale Today]

Artists Wanted for Mural Projects — “The Fairfax County Community Revitalization Section invites artists to apply for a new murals program. ‘Paint It, Fairfax!’ is aimed at building a database of talented artists interested in creating community-focused public art in the county’s eight commercial revitalization areas.” [Annandale Today]

Bill on Retail Theft Punishment Dies — “A move to repeal a new Virginia law that makes organized retail theft a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison was defeated for this year after members of a House subcommittee voted Monday to send the bill to the Virginia State Crime Commission for further study. The new law, which went into effect in July, was passed by the state legislature last year with bipartisan support.” [Associated Press/WTOP]

Annandale Man Charged With Assault — City of Fairfax Police have charged a 34-year-old man from Annandale with assault, petit larceny, and disorderly conduct charges stemming from a recent incident at Giant Food. Officers were called around 4:19 p.m. last Thursday (Jan. 18) after a man reportedly began acting disorderly, pushing an employee and taking food without paying for it. [Patch]

County Creates Veterans and Military Families Commission — “Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who represents the Braddock District, which is home to several Purple Star Schools, introduced the proposal to create the commission as part of his board matters Tuesday morning.” The commission proposal comes after the county added a veterans coordinator position “to connect veterans, active-duty members, retirees, and military families with resources.” [Patch]

Reston Office Owner Defaults on Loan — “Reston Eastpointe at 11091 Sunset Hills Road is owned by a joint venture of Lincoln Property Co., Ritz Banc Group and Masic, which acquired the property in 2016. The venture’s $38M CMBS loan has gone into special servicing, and the lender has sent a notice of default…after the owners failed to pay off the debt ahead of a Dec. 1 maturity, the servicer, LNR Partners, wrote.” [Bisnow]

It’s Wednesday — Expect cloudy conditions with a high near 46 and a 40% chance of rain, as calm winds become southerly at 6 mph in the afternoon. There’s a 70% chance of rain Wednesday night, mainly after 1am, as temperatures rise to around 52 by 4am. [Weather.gov]