Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Flash Flood Watch in effect tonight for Fairfax County

Published October 25, 2021 at 6:15PM

Fairfax County is under a Flash Flood Watch area for Oct. 25, 2021 (via Fairfax Alerts)

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of the D.C. area, including Fairfax County.

In effect until 2 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday), the alert says showers and thunderstorms could bring up to 4 inches of rain in some areas, potentially leading to rapidly rising stream and creek waters.

News

COVID-19 cases decline in Fairfax County as options for booster shots expand

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 25, 2021 at 2:00PM

An illustration of a coronavirus (via CDC/Unsplash)

Fairfax County’s COVID-19 case levels haven’t entirely come down from the late-summer Delta variant surge, but they appear to be headed in that direction.

The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, added 72 cases today (Monday) for a total of 92,739 cases over the course of the pandemic. 4,360 residents have been hospitalized by the novel coronavirus, and 1,209 people have died, including eight people in the past week.

News

Task force weighs potential cost and benefits of renaming Lee and Lee-Jackson highways

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 21, 2021 at 9:30AM

Fairfax County's Confederate Names Task Force convenes for a meeting on Oct. 18 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Though they have cropped up with increasing regularity both locally and nationally in recent years, conversations about how to handle symbolic reminders of the Confederacy remain as emotionally charged as ever.

That was evident in the most recent meeting of Fairfax County’s Confederate Names Task Force, which has been charged with determining whether the county should rename Lee and Lee-Jackson Memorial highways.

News

Fairfax County reports rise in COVID-19 deaths over past week

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 18, 2021 at 2:00PM

An illustration of a coronavirus (via CDC/Unsplash)

Fairfax County’s late summer, Delta variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 cases may have plateaued with fall’s arrival, but an uptick in deaths over the past week suggests the full toll of the pandemic’s most recent wave is only just starting to emerge.

The county has reported 10 deaths from the coronavirus in the past seven days, including one person who died today (Monday), according to Virginia Department of Health data.

News

Inova reports “urgent” need for blood donations with supplies low and beds near capacity

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 18, 2021 at 9:30AM

Inova Bloodmobile (via Inova Blood Donor Services/Facebook)

Local blood supplies have reached critically low levels, creating a potential crisis with hospitals operating at maximum capacity, Inova Health Systems reports.

The dangers of this imbalance between supply and demand became painfully clear last week, when the nonprofit health care system drained its Type B supplies and had to switch to Type O blood in order to stabilize one patient, according to an Inova spokesperson, who described the current need for blood donors as “urgent.”

News

Fairfax County seeks public input on Lee and Lee-Jackson highway names

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 15, 2021 at 9:30AM

For anyone who feels strongly about whether or not Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway should continue to bear those names, the time to share that opinion has arrived.

The Fairfax County Confederate Names Task Force launched a survey yesterday (Thursday), kicking off the community engagement phase of its review of whether to rename the highways.

News

Fairfax County poised to end fines for overdue library materials

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 13, 2021 at 2:00PM

Friends of Reston Regional Library have dedicated grants for new materials.

After a slight delay, Fairfax County Public Library has come to the same realization as dozens of other library systems in the D.C. area and across the country: that fining patrons for overdue materials doesn’t work.

The library’s Board of Trustees got informal but clear support from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a joint meeting yesterday (Tuesday) to stop FCPL’s practice of charging late fees for unreturned books, DVDs, and other resources.

News

Most Fairfax County government workers vaccinated against COVID-19 with mandate now in effect

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 12, 2021 at 2:00PM | Updated October 12, 2021 at 2:34PM

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) Fairfax County government workers must now show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. The vast majority have chosen the former option, the county says.

The county’s policy officially took effect yesterday (Monday).

News

EXCLUSIVE: Courthouse video seems to contradict sheriff’s office report criticizing Fairfax County prosecutors

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 8, 2021 at 9:30AM

Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano (left) and Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Kyle Manikas (right) after going through a courthouse security screening (courtesy Fairfax County Sheriff's Office)

Video of an encounter between Fairfax County’s top prosecutor and security personnel at the county courthouse does not appear to be consistent with some of the allegations leveled in a Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office incident report.

The report claims Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and a colleague lost their tempers during a courthouse security screening. According to the Sept. 30 report, Descano and Chief Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Kyle Manikas questioned and cursed at security officers when directed to go through a metal detector upon entering the Fairfax County Courthouse at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 28.

News

Inova temporarily closes urgent care centers in Reston and Tysons due to high patient volume

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 7, 2021 at 11:00AM | Updated October 7, 2021 at 9:30PM

Inova has temporarily closed four of its urgent care centers, including ones in Reston (1488 Northpoint Village Center) and Tysons (8357 Leesburg Pike), to manage an influx of patients without overwhelming exhausted staff.

Inova told FFXnow that it has consolidated staff from the shuttered urgent care centers at other sites “to better accommodate patient volume.” The other centers that have been closed are in Arlington, as reported by ARLnow, and Purcellville.