Author: FFXnow.com

New FCPS Superintendent Seeks to Restore Trust — “Schools are back in session in Fairfax County — and they’re under the direction of a new superintendent, Michelle Reid…Reid says that as superintendent she is trying to listen deeply to community members, and she sees part of her charge in Fairfax as restoring public trust in public education.” [WAMU]

Victim and Suspect in Hybla Valley Shooting Identified — The man who died on Tuesday (Aug. 30) after a shooting at the Mount Vernon Square apartments was D’Mari Norris, 21, of Alexandria. Fairfax County police say Francisco Juares, 22, of Alexandria, shot Norris “multiple times in the upper body” before being held down by “a nearby witness” until officers arrived at the scene. [FCPD]

Vehicle in Capital Beltway Shooting ID’d — “Virginia State Police have identified a suspect vehicle involved in last Thursday’s shooting incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County. According to a news release, it is a blue 2010 Honda Civic with Virginia license plates TWW 9398.” [WTOP]

Potomac Banks Could Be Virginia’s First TID — “In September, Visit Fairfax will hold meetings with local hotel and restaurant industry leaders as part of a campaign to turn Potomac Banks into a tourism improvement district, or TID, which would impose fees to fund tourism boosting activities and improvements and would be administered through a nonprofit.” [Virginia Business]

IRS Data Shows Exodus in Northern Virginia — “Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County all saw more people move out in 2020 than move in — basically everything in Northern Virginia except for Loudoun County and outlying areas such as Fauquier County and Stafford County.” [Cardinal News]

Lake Accotink Celebrates Past, Prepares for Future — “The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27…The next big thing to happen at Lake Accotink Park will be a major dredging operation to prevent the lake from filling up with sediment.” [Annandale Today]

Superintendent Addresses Handling of Former Glasgow Counselor — “Fairfax County parent Staci Ali-Ibrahim sat at the end of a long table at Glasgow Middle School Thursday night, and asked Superintendent Michelle Reid why Virginia’s largest school system doesn’t have a clear plan in place to ensure they are notified by law enforcement when a staff member is arrested and charged with a crime.” [WTOP]

Springfield Students Upbeat After First Week of School — “Everyone at Forestdale seems to be having plenty of feelings this week. The prevailing one is joy at being back together again, and hope that this year — the second one back full time after pandemic lockdowns — will be even less disrupted by COVID-19 than the last one.” [DCist]

Former Glasgow MS Counselor Faces New Charge — “A former counselor at a northern Virginia middle school has been charged with providing false information to the state’s sex offender registry. Virginia State Police said they arrested Darren Thornton, 50, on Thursday in Richmond. Thornton’s tenure as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School…has prompted multiple investigations.” [Associated Press/WTOP]

Counselor Conviction Raises Reporting Questions — “Fairfax County leaders and Virginia’s Attorney General are calling for changes after a counselor convicted of sexually soliciting a minor stayed employed at a middle school years after his arrest.” A letter asks the General Assembly to look at “how Virginia handles information sharing regarding the arrest and conviction of people between jurisdictions within the state and across state lines.” [WUSA9]

County Lags Behind Regional Affordable Housing Goals — Producing just under 7,500 new affordable housing units over the past three years, Fairfax County is nearly 5,000 units behind a goal set by the Metropolitan Council of Governments in 2021. Inflation, rising construction costs and “skyrocketing” housing values could complicate the county’s efforts to meet its ambitious target for the next decade. [DCist]

McLean Man Arrested for Soliciting Minor — “Montgomery County police said they believe a Virginia man charged with sexual solicitation of a minor may have solicited other victims. Jose M. Jimenez, 34, of McLean, Virginia, was arrested after starting a social media conversation on Aug. 11 with a Montgomery County detective who was posing as a 15-year-old girl.” [WTOP]

Nine Displaced by Herndon Townhouse Fire — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to a fire in the 2100 block of Monaghan Drive at 5:46 p.m. on Monday (Aug. 22). Investigators determined it was ignited by a malfunctioning electrical circuit above the second-floor bathroom. There were no reported injuries, but the fire displaced nine people and caused about $70,000 in damages. [FCFRD]

Courthouse Road Lane Closed in Vienna — “The southbound traveling lane of Courthouse Road SW (south of Maple Ave and north of Nutley Street SW) will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the preparation of storm, sanitary, and waterline tie-ins. Please use caution when in the area.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

Police Make Arrest in Reston Sexual Assault — “A man is in custody in connection to last night’s sexual assault in Reston. Charges are forthcoming. More information to follow at a press conference planned for [Tuesday] at PSHQ.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Students Return for First Day of School — “There were celebrations across Fairfax County this morning as students greeted their classmates and teachers and administrators welcomed them back to the classroom. Students arrived at Fairfax County schools this morning, excited and ready to learn!” [FCPS, The Washington Post]