Author: FFXnow.com

Toddler Killed by Truck Driver in Chantilly — “Officers responded to the 4200 block of Airline Pkwy in Chantilly [on Saturday, Nov. 16] where the driver of a truck had struck a 3-year-old in the roadway. The child was declared deceased on scene. The driver remained on scene.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Virginia to Fund New Workforce Housing — “Virginia will help fund housing construction near major business developments, Gov. Glenn Younkgin announced [last] week. A new executive order … sets a goal of investing $75 million towards localities that want to bolster housing supply tied to new job creation over the next five years.” [Virginia Mercury]

Silver Line Phase 2 Marks Anniversary — “Happy 2nd birthday to the Silver Line Phase 2! The extension added 11.4 miles of track outbound from Wiehle-Reston, 6 new stations, and extended service to @Dulles_Airport and Ashburn, VA. Over 8M trips later, it’s keeping the region on the move!” [WMATA/Twitter]

Falls Church HS to Get Athletic Improvements — “Many of the improvements in the Falls Church High School renovation/expansion project have been completed, but much more work needs to be done.” Mason District School Board Representative Ricardy Anderson shared on Nov. 13 that the project will now include athletic field improvements previously “cut due to cost increases.” [Annandale Today]

Children’s Art Studio to Open Fort Hunt Space — “Hooray Art! is slated to open at Hollin Hall Shopping Center in January 2025. The children’s art studio, founded in 2023 by local resident Paige Bradford, will occupy the space between the Hollin Hall Variety Store and Nature’s Nibbles at 7908 Fort Hunt Road.” [On the MoVe]

GMU ‘Body Farm’ Supports Forensic Research — “O’Toole now heads the George Mason University Forensic Science Program, which includes a facility informally called a ‘body farm’ — one of only 10 in the world… The outdoor forensic research lab provides hands-on training and research, in the blending of science and the search for justice.” [WTOP]

Chefs Reflect on First Year in Tysons — “Ometeo has carved out a niche with its Tex-Mex offerings, helmed by chefs Manuel Perez and Gabe Erales. As the restaurant celebrates its first year, the duo … reflected on the challenges and triumphs of introducing authentic Tex-Mex cuisine to a region where tastes and traditions differ.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

McLean Citizens Association Celebrates 110 Years — “Thursday night at the McLean Community Center, one of many institutions that owes its existence to the McLean Citizens Association (MCA), local luminaries mingled with dozens of McLean area residents to toast MCA on its 110th Anniversary. As the County’s oldest continuously operating civic association, MCA had plenty to celebrate.” [MCA]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 67 degrees and a northwest wind ranging from 5 to 9 mph. The night will be partly cloudy with a low around 46 degrees and a slightly lighter northwest wind at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

McKay Worried About Trump’s Impact on Local Economy — “A second Trump presidency could have a devastating effect on the Fairfax County economy, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay warns.” He’s also concerned about potential cuts to federal health and housing programs, but says the county’s Trust Policy provides some protection for undocumented immigrants, as Trump promises mass deportations. [Annandale Today]

Man Gets Life in Prison for 2022 Shootings — Jordan Cochran was sentenced to life in prison yesterday (Thursday) after being “convicted in August of fatally shooting 18-year-old Kebbren Leigh-Gaye at a bus stop in the Hybla Valley area of Richmond Highway in a disagreement that began over a pair of shoes.” He then shot a man who declined to give him a ride, permanently blinding him. [Washington Post]

Uptick in Pneumonia Cases Reported — “D.C.-area urgent care centers are reporting a big uptick in ‘walking pneumonia’ cases … According to MedStar, which operates 33 urgent care centers in the D.C. region, it saw 1,758 cases this October — a 358% increase from the 391 cases seen in October of last year.” [WTOP]

Cybersecurity Firm Opens Tysons Office — Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Censys has signed a four-and-a-half-year lease for 4,471 square feet at 8260 Greensboro Drive in Tysons. Expected to have 20 workers, the new office is the company’s first in the D.C. area, bringing it closer to federal customers like the defense and homeland security departments. [Washington Business Journal]

Retired Firefighter With Cancer Honored by Friends — “On a pristine Saturday along Pohick Bay in Fairfax County, Va. a parking lot full of first responders and military dignitaries gathered in unison. They weren’t there for an emergency, but to honor a gifted colleague who was forced to retire after 25 years of service to focus on the fight of his life.” [WJLA]

Nonprofit Launches Annual Holiday Donation Drive — “Britepaths, a Fairfax-based nonprofit, is seeking donations from the community to provide holiday meals and gifts for children of Fairfax County area families in need. Last year, Britepath’s holiday program helped 265 children during the holiday season.” [Patch]

How N. Va. Private Schools Are Using A.I. — “Many independent K-12 schools are … forming policies and educational standards that aim to utilize AI’s potential benefits without compromising the quality of instruction students receive. Here’s how some members of NoVA’s private-school community are addressing AI now and for the future.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Lorton Neighborhood Working to Add EV Chargers — “This past summer, the Mount Vernon District registered its first participant in Charge Up Fairfax — the county’s program designed to help residents of community associations more easily access electric vehicle (EV) chargers.” The Shepherd Hills Homeowners Association hopes to have its charging stations in place next spring. [On the MoVe]

It’s Friday — With patchy fog clearing by 9am, the sky will transition from cloudy to mostly sunny, with temperatures reaching a high near 56 degrees. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. Night will be mostly clear, with a low temperature around 45 degrees. [NWS]

McLean Mansion Allegedly Bought with Stolen Money — “The way Nigerian authorities tell it, their country’s former national security adviser misappropriated more than $2 billion from his own government, routing some of it to a family friend — the man who bought the mansion in McLean. In the United States, according to Nigerian authorities, the man sought to launder the money in part by purchasing homes.” [Washington Post]

Congressman Arrested for Being Drunk at Dulles Airport — “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul was detained by police at Dulles International Airport earlier this month in an incident that he described as ‘the result of a poor decision’ to mix Ambien and alcohol.” He has been charged with being drunk in public for the Nov. 4 incident. [Semafor]

Suspect Wanted in Armed Tysons Robbery — “On October 25, at 5:14 p.m., officers responded to the 2000 block of Chain Bridge Road in Tysons for a robbery call. The victim reported that a suspect entered the business with a firearm and demanded money. The suspect then fled out of the business with cash from the register and into a vehicle. The victim was not harmed.” [FCPD]

FCPS to Address Crowding at Lincolnia School — “Community meetings have been scheduled to discuss options for easing overcrowding at Parklawn Elementary School, Mason school board member Ricardy Anderson announced.” A virtual meeting is planned for Nov. 25, followed by an in-person forum on Dec. 11 in the school’s cafeteria. [Annandale Today]

Fairfax Connector Gives Riders Safety Lights — “Be Smart. Be Safe. Be Seen. We’re lighting up Fairfax County by providing bus and rail riders with safety lights. Our Fairfax Connector team handed out dozens at the Huntington Metro this evening.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]

Animal Shelter Seeks Owners of Found Pets — “Do you recognize these found pets? Please help us find their families by sharing this post!” The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is looking to get several dogs, a cat, two rabbits and one parakeet found around the county between Nov. 4 and 12 to their proper homes. [FCAS/Facebook]

Mediterranean Restaurant Lands in Falls Church — “Cafe Zevian, a Mediterranean concept by Adem Kaplan, will be located at the bottom of The Kensington senior living facility at 700 W. Broad Street … The new eatery will open in the former space of Famille, a French-inspired restaurant that closed in 2022. It’s scheduled to open for business by the end of the week.” [ARLnow]

FFXnow Has Joined Bluesky — While FFXnow isn’t joining outlets like NPR and The Guardian in fully leaving Twitter (at least for the time being), we’ve added Bluesky and Threads to our growing roster of active social media platforms, which also includes Facebook and Instagram. To keep up with all our stories, you can also sign up for our email newsletter.

It’s Thursday — Expect rain in the afternoon, with cloudy skies and a high of 52. Rain will continue until 4am, accompanied by patchy fog and a low of 45. The chance of precipitation increases from 70% to 90% at night, with potential amounts between a quarter and half an inch. [NWS]

FFXnow Gets Approval to Publish Legal Notices — “ARLnow’s sister site, FFXnow, received a separate court authorization to publish legal notices for Fairfax County. ARLnow and FFXnow are the first online-only sites in the D.C. area to receive such authorization.” [ARLnow]

Former Delegate Launches Attorney General Bid — “Jay Jones, a Democratic former state delegate from Norfolk, on Tuesday announced his bid for Virginia attorney general at two separate events in Norfolk and Richmond.” Jones campaigned for the job in 2021 but lost the Democratic nomination to then-incumbent Mark Herring. [Virginia Mercury]

Filipino Restaurant in Annandale to Close — “Sari, the family-owned Filipino restaurant in the Bradlick Shopping Center in Annandale will close by the end of the month. Owner Juan Canlas owns six restaurants in D.C. and Maryland and says he is closing two because it’s become too difficult to manage all of them.” [Annandale Today]

Virginia Shares Public School Performance Data — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Friday rolled out a new state website aimed at giving parents and teachers more information about Virginia’s K-12 public schools, including performance data and comparisons among school systems around the state.” However, critics say there’s a lack of clarity to what the data means. [Washington Post]

Fairfax City’s Largest Private Employer to Stay — Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) “has successfully worked with Zeta Associates, Inc., the city’s largest private employer and office space user, to maintain its 225,000 square feet of office space that serves hundreds of high-skilled jobs in the city.” The software company will get help renovating the building in WillowWood Plaza. [FCED]

Data Centers Fuel Energy Demand — “The rise of data-hungry artificial intelligence is driving an explosion in data center construction both statewide [in Virginia] and across the country… What’s clear is that data centers will help shape the region’s energy landscape for decades to come — prompting investments in both renewables and gas infrastructure.” [WHRO]

Tysons Nonprofit CEO to Retire — Second Story CEO Judith Dittman will retire at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years with the nonprofit, which provides housing and other services for youth and families in crisis. She will be succeeded in January 2025 by Jade Leedham, who has been serving as executive vice president in anticipation of the transition. [Second Story]

Some Farmers Markets Extend Season — “This year, three Fairfax County Park Authority farmers market locations will be extending their season into December. The Reston, McCutcheon/Mount Vernon, and Burke markets will now be closing various dates in December.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 52 with a north wind at 7 mph, shifting to an eastward direction in the afternoon. As night falls, the sky will become mostly cloudy and temperatures will drop to around 37 degrees. [NWS]