FFXnow is the definitive local news source for Fairfax County, featuring countywide coverage and hyperlocal reporting on the Reston and Tysons areas. This article was written by an editor or other member of FFXnow's full-time staff.
Copies of the GazetteLeader newspapers (staff photo)
FFXnow’s parent company has acquired the GazetteLeader amid an expansion of local news coverage.
Arlington-based Local News Now acquired the newspaper’s assets, including its archives, from Arizona-based O’Rourke Media Group, which operates 50 local publications in more than three dozen markets across the U.S.
The Meadow at Great Falls Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Task Force Activated for Tropical Storm Response — “VA-TF1 has been activated by @fema as an 80-person, 4-canine Type 1 US&R team for TC Helene.” The task force prepared “over 30 tons of equipment, including tents, boats, and rescue equipment,” before leaving Chantilly yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon for Florida. [VA-TF1/Twitter]
Langley Student Hit by Car on Way to School — McLean resident Nadia Leonova recalls the morning of Aug. 21, when her son “was struck by a car as he was trying to cross Georgetown Pike near Pine Hill Road. There is no crosswalk at the intersection. In fact, there are no crosswalks between the street on which the Langley freshman lives and his school.” [Patch]
GW Parkway Views to Be Restored — “Drivers on the George Washington Memorial Parkway may soon have clearer views of the Potomac, but they should also expect weekend lane closures during restoration work. The National Park Service announced…that crews will ‘rehabilitate’ 15 scenic vistas between the North Donaldson Overlook and Spout Run Parkway.” [ARLnow]
Metro to Bring Back Self-Driving Trains — “Metro’s Red Line trains will drive themselves starting in December, and the self-driving trains will be used across the rail system by spring 2025…The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority used to use automation to operate trains, but pulled the system after the 2009 Red Line crash at Fort Totten that killed nine riders.” [WTOP]
Potomac River Water Critical to Region, Report Shows — “Think of this the next time you kayak, drive over, run by or, simply, stare at the Potomac River: Its ruin would cost the D.C. region nearly $15 billion in the first month, according to a report released Tuesday.” [Washington Post]
Annandale Road Diet Gets Support — Fairfax County transportation staff detailed their proposal for a road diet on Annandale Road “between Little River Turnpike and Gallows Road at virtual community meeting on Sept. 23…The seven people who commented on the proposal at the meeting all said they supported it. Several people called for more bike lanes on other roads.” [Annandale Today]
Fairfax City Offers Grants to Nonprofits — “The City of Fairfax has established a grant program to help support nonprofit human services organizations that serve city residents…Applications will be accepted from Sept. 23 through 4 p.m Nov. 4. Recipients will be announced Dec. 10.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 60% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. Patchy fog may occur between 7am and noon. The day will be cloudy with a high near 73 and a southeast wind around 9 mph. Wednesday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with cloudy conditions and a low around 68. [NWS]
Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
⛈️ Wednesday’s forecast
Expect showers, potential thunderstorms before 2pm, and patchy fog before noon. Conditions will be cloudy with a high near 72 and a southeast wind at 6 to 9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with new rainfall amounts between 0.1 and 0.25 inches. For Wednesday night, there’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, followed by a slight chance of showers. The night will be cloudy with a low of around 67 and a south wind at 6 to 8 mph, with a precipitation chance of 30%. See more from Weather.gov.
An I-95 exit out of the Springfield Mixing Bowl (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Man Found Shot Near Herndon Park — “Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday evening in the vicinity of Hutchinson Park.” Officers found a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the lower body in the 13000 block of Parcher Avenue. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was shot during a fight that “broke out near where the man was found.” [Patch]
Construction to Start on Mount Vernon Apartments — Developer Elm Street Communities anticipates starting site work on its new residential building between Richmond Highway and Buckman Road within the next couple of weeks. The 280-unit Elms Mount Vernon apartments are “the first phase of the broader Mount Vernon Gateway project.” [On the MoVe]
Herndon Police See Tire-Slashing Spree — “Herndon PD has received calls for multiple tires slashed in town over the past week and half. A total of 15 vehicles have been identified at the following locations: 9/14/2024: 3rd Street/Stanton Park Court, 9/14/2024: 1100-blk Casper Court [and] 9/19: 12900-blk Alton Square.” [Herndon PD/Instagram]
Fairfax Block Party Raises Funds to Fight Cancer — A Fairfax neighborhood raised over $87,000 for the Pancreatic Action Network with a block party that drew over 400 people. The tradition began last summer to help a resident’s relative Kyle, who died this past June from pancreatic cancer. Organizers decided “to continue their tradition in honor of Kyle’s memory by raising funds for others going through their own cancer journeys.” [WUSA9]
GMU to Accept Students Without Applications — “Some Northern Virginia seniors will be admitted to George Mason University without having to fill out an application, as part of a pilot program that aims to address the falling number of underrepresented students applying to college. The initiative, which is part of the university’s Direct Admissions Program, includes a partnership with several D.C.-area school divisions.” [WTOP]
County to Extend Lease for WellnessServices — At its meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to authorize an Oct. 22 public hearing on a lease extension for Inova Health Care Services. Inova has leased the top floor of the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health in Merrifield since 2015 for community wellness services. [Gazette Leader]
Reston Eye Doctor Wins Lottery Money — “A Reston optometrist was blown away after winning $195,543 on the Virginia Lottery’s VIP game recently…[Dr. Michael] Khalil, who works at the Khalil Eye Care in the North Point Village Center in Reston, has no immediate plans for his winnings.” [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph; the chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will have a 50% chance of scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am with a low around 65. [NWS]
Expect scattered showers and patchy fog before noon, followed by cloudy conditions and a high around 69°F, accompanied by an east wind at 7-9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40%. During Tuesday night, there will be scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am. The sky will remain cloudy with a low around 64°F, and an east wind at 8 mph. The chance of precipitation increases to 50%. See more from Weather.gov.
An arts and crafts exhibit set up for the Taste of Thai Festival at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Early Voting Brings Out Crowds in Fairfax County — “Lines were long at early voting locations, including at the Fairfax County Government Center where hundreds stretched from the front door to the parking lot.” Fairfax County general registrar and director of elections Eric Spicer called the turnout for the first day of early voting in the Nov. 5 general election “record-breaking territory.” [WTOP]
Missing Campaign Signs UnderInvestigation — “When Mayor Catherine Read and a member of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee arrived at City Hall around 7:35 a.m. on Friday, they discovered that someone had removed campaign signs they’d placed outside the polls on Thursday.” The missing Harris-Walz signs, which appeared to have been replaced with Trump signs, were reported to police. [Patch]
Guns Stolen from Newington Store — Fairfax County police are searching for four people who allegedly stole 14 guns from Dominion Defense on Fullerton Road around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 18). The theft of over 50 guns from the same store in May led to prison sentences for two men who pleaded guilty to the crime. [WUSA9]
Kids Design New Fairfax City Voting Stickers — “Since 2020, the City of Fairfax has given voters and future voters custom stickers at the polls. These stickers are designed by city students. The city has selected new stickers for the Nov. 5 General Election, and the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts and the City of Fairfax Electoral Board honored the two young artists who created them at a special reception on Sept. 17.” [City of Fairfax]
Floor and Wall Store Opens in Bailey’s Crossroads — “A huge store that sells almost nothing except flooring and wall materials had a grand opening on Sept. 19 in Bailey’s Crossroads. Floor & Decor took over two large commercial spaces formerly occupied by A.C. Moore and Bed Bath & Beyond at the Crossroads Center on Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]
Mental Health Crisis Center Helps Address Trauma — “When [Wellness Circle Crisis Stabilization Unit Program Manager Amy] Miller and her staff began to track trends in the behaviors and needs of the individuals they were serving, the demand for a specialized program that addressed trauma was at the top of the priority list…The Trauma Resilience Program launched at Wellness Circle earlier this year.” [Fairfax-Falls Church CSB]
South Lakes Kicker Breaks Barrier — “Lila Jaster is the first girl to ever score a point in a football game for South Lakes, whose program dates back to the mid-1970s.” The junior varsity kicker first made a point-after kick against Falls Church High School last year, and she had a repeat on Friday (Sept. 20) when South Lakes High School enlisted her to make the kick with a 28-point lead. [Patch]
It’s Monday — Expect drizzle in the area starting around 11am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72. The drizzle will continue into Monday night, mainly between 11pm and 2am, while it remains cloudy and the temperature lowers to approximately 62 . [NWS]
Partly sunny skies with a high of 81 and a light south wind at 3 to 7 mph. Saturday night brings a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 am, and a low around 64. New rainfall amounts will range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.
We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
A U.S. flag waves outside the senior living community Sunrise of McLean Village (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
County Releases New Youth Survey — “Young people in our community report noticeably lower rates of mental health concerns compared to prior years, according to the 2023-2024 Fairfax County Youth Survey. Overall, youth in Fairfax County report prevalence rates near historic lows for risky behaviors…However, there remain some challenges.” [Fairfax County Government]
CIA Veteran Sentenced to Prison — “A longtime CIA officer who drugged, photographed and sexually assaulted more than two dozen women in postings around the world was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Wednesday after an emotional hearing…Prosecutors say the 48-year-old Raymond’s assaults date to 2006 and tracked his career in Mexico, Peru and other countries.” [Associated Press]
Herndon Police Issue Scam Alert — “Multiple residents have reported receiving emails in which their home address and a photo of their home (from Google Maps) is included. The email requests bitcoin and threatens to release compromising photos of the recipient if demands are not met. This is a scam. Do not engage with the sender and do not send any kind of payment.” [Herndon Police/Twitter]
Fairfax Restaurant Nears PublicDebut — “Former Clarity chef Jon Krinn has been quietly operating a tasting menu restaurant in Fairfax as ‘invitation only.’ To snag a seat at Elyse, you had to be in the know and subscribe to Krinn’s email list to book a reservation. But after some final touches to the 30-seat dining room, the restaurant is gearing up for its public debut on Wednesday, October 9.” [Washingtonian]
Mars ‘Excited’ by Planned Kellanova Merger — “One of a string of Mars’ acquisitions in recent years, the deal will have massive implications…The combined company would generate more than $63 billion based on 2023 figures. That would make the 113-year-old Mars the third-largest private company in the U.S. based on revenue, up from No. 4 now.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Tysons-Bethesda Bus Celebrated — “Fairfax County held a ribbon cutting event [yesterday], Sept. 19, 2024, to officially kick off the new Fairfax Connector Express Route 798 bus service…Route 798 provides regional connectivity between Tysons West*Park and Tysons Metrorail Station in Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland.” [FCDOT]
Annandale Road Diet Proposed — “Annandale Road currently has two traffic lanes in each direction. Under the road diet plan, there would be one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and bike lanes in both directions. FCDOT invites the community to a virtual meeting on reconfiguring Annandale Road on Monday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.” [Annandale Today]
Metro Finishes Installing Taller Fare Gates — “All 98 stations across the Metrorail system now have more secure, retrofitted faregates to deter fare evasion. The improvements have led to an 82% drop in fare evasion…More than 1,200 five-foot-tall gates and taller fences have been installed across all stations. The project began in July 2023.” [WMATA]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies today as temperatures reach a high near 84. A north wind of around 6 mph will shift east during the morning. Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy and cool, with lows around 63, and a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
☀️ Friday’s forecast
Expect sunny skies and a high near 83 degrees, as the north wind at 5 mph shifts to the east in the morning. Friday night will be mostly clear with a low around 62 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind between 3 and 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Here in Fairfax County, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive townhouses sold last month (August 2024).
