Morning Notes

Officer in Fatal Tysons Shooting Had Drawn Gun Before — “In the 13 months before a Fairfax County police sergeant shot and killed an unarmed man suspected of stealing sunglasses from a major shopping mall, the officer twice drew his gun on other suspected shoplifters, spurring criticism that he was acting too aggressively and possibly violating department policies.” [Washington Post]

Fairfax Connector Strike Continues — “Fairfax Connector bus service will remain suspended through Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Operating Status for the rest of the week (February 27-March 1) will be updated as information becomes available. We encourage our users to consider alternative methods of travel and we apologize for the inconvenience and truly appreciate your patience.” [Fairfax Connector]

Loan Approved for Seven Corners Housing Project — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 21 approved a $9.7 million loan from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority to Wesley Housing for an affordable housing project between Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads. The loan will facilitate the development of Kindred Crossing at 6165 Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]

D.C. Area News Site Shut Down — “A Friday morning visit to DCist.com, one of the most beloved local news sites in the District, won’t take you to insightful articles about local politics, transportation or businesses, or to quirky only-in-D.C. culture pieces. Instead, it will take you to a temporary popup message, announcing the death of a local institution.” [NBC4]

FCPS Student Journalists Named Among Best in U.S. — “McLean High School was among three Fairfax County schools and 28 nationwide selected as recipients of the 2024 First Amendment Press-Freedom Award. It is the seventh consecutive award for the high school’s journalism program. Locally, Chantilly and West Springfield high schools also were saluted.” [Gazette Leader]

New Reston Firm Helps Launch Restaurants — “While food truck operators and food hall vendors might have mad skills with a chef’s knife and a skillet, that doesn’t mean they have the skills to start their own brick-and-mortar restaurants. That’s why Reston real estate firm Winmar Advisory has launched a consulting platform to help them determine sales projections, sign their first lease and operate efficiently, Managing Partner Lance LJ Marine told me.” [Washington Business Journal]

Silver Line Ridership on the Rise, Metro Says — “Exciting update! Metrorail ridership is up over 22% since last year, and guess what? These Silver Line stations are absolutely crushing it with even higher growth than the systemwide average! Let’s keep the region moving!” [WMATA/Twitter]

New Principal Needed for Mount Vernon HS — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is kicking off a nationwide search for a new principal at Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) following the announcement that current principal JoVon Rogers will soon be departing for a new position as an executive principal in Region 6. Effective April 1, MVHS assistant principal Karen Boyd will assume the role of acting principal through the end of the school year.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies with a high near 63 degrees and a southwest wind between 3 and 7 mph during the day. The evening will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 46 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind of about 6 mph. [Weather.gov]