Author: FFXnow.com

Fatal Fairfax County Parkway Crash — “According to Fairfax County Police, officers responded [on Jan. 10] to a fatal crash at Fairfax County Parkway and Huntsman Boulevard in Springfield. Police said the driver, an adult female, was pronounced deceased at the scene.” [FOX5]

Survey Shows Child Care Challenges — “Virginia’s employers say the lack of affordable, high-quality child care is hurting businesses, with 88% of survey respondents reporting employee lateness or absences, and 65% reporting reduced work hours, according to results published last month by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, the Richmond Fed and the Virginia Chamber Foundation.” [Virginia Mercury]

Drone Helps With Crisis at Fair Oaks Mall — “After receiving multiple reports of a man armed with a bow and arrow threatening people outside the mall, police activated a drone as part of its Drone as First Responder initiative.” The drone showed the man was only holding a stick while experiencing a mental health crisis, so officers could “dial down their response,” Police Chief Kevin Davis told ABC 7News. [Patch]

Tysons Company Moves HQ to Alexandria — “A financial planning firm headquartered in Tysons Corner will soon be relocating to Old Town. Pillar Wealth Partners will embark on its next chapter when it opens in the Atrium Building at 277 S. Washington Street on Feb. 1. An office warming and ribbon cutting will be held Feb. 10 to celebrate.” [ALXnow]

Smoothie Cafe Under Construction — “A Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe is coming to a long-vacant building in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fairfax County issued a building permit for a commercial addition/alteration for the property at 5807 Leesburg Pike on Jan. 1, stating the tenant will be Bora Bora.” The manager at the Tysons location told FFXnow the Bailey’s Crossroads one is expected to open in a couple of months. [Annandale Today]

Sports Card Shop Owner Retired From Pentagon Police — Before opening Goatz Sports Cardz in Herndon on Jan. 3, owner Bryan Janick served for four years in the Marine Corps and 12 years with the Pentagon police. While he had been a sports card collector since he was a kid, he “got back into it, hard core” during the pandemic and “jumped at the chance” to retire and open his own store when the Trump administration began offering “deferred retirement options” last year. [Washington Business Journal]

Vienna Wawa Paid With Prop Bill — A customer at Wawa in Vienna paid for a purchase “using a fake bill that was marked ‘Movie Prop Use Only'” on Jan. 4, police say. “The man later returned to the store, stating that he realized he had paid with a fake bill, and he wanted to pay for his earlier purchase. The store did not suffer any monetary loss, and the fake bill was turned over to the police department.” [Vienna Police]

Reston Represented at Capitals Youth Hockey Night — “On Jan. 3, the Capitals hosted Youth Hockey Night ahead of their game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena, part of Youth Hockey Weekend in the nation’s capital region. Reston was represented at Washington Capitals Youth Hockey Day by … Stephen Reider, a Herndon–South Lakes varsity high school player, and Paxton Worthy, a 14U player from the Reston Raiders.” [Reston Letter]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs reaching around 46 degrees, accompanied by west winds at about 8 mph that will shift southwest later in the afternoon. The night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 31 degrees; southwest winds around 6 mph will become calm as the evening progresses. [NWS]

Health Center Project Votes Raise Concerns — “In a Dec. 28, 2025, letter … Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill invited Mayor Catherine Read and Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay to a joint meeting to reach an agreement on how to best move forward with” the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center project. Hill expressed concern that funding could be threatened after the Fairfax City Council only narrowly approved key zoning allowances in October. [Patch]

State Senator Ebbin Resigns — State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39), whose district includes Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, “announced Wednesday night that he will be resigning to join Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration” as a senior advisor at the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and former delegate Mark Levine have declared their candidacy for the vacated seat. [ALXnow]

New Data on Federal Job Losses — “The D.C. region shed about 72,000 federal government jobs last year, according to unemployment figures released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.” The 24,900 jobs lost in Maryland since January 2025 was the most of any state, while the District and Virginia followed at 24,000 jobs and 23,500 positions, respectively. [Washington Post]

Metro Finds Groove in 2025 — “Alongside New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Washington’s buses and trains have seen some of the best ridership recovery rates in the country. On top of that, fare evasion and crime on the system have dropped substantially in the last few years and customer satisfaction has risen.” [Governing]

FCPD Units Monitor Potential Threats — The Fairfax County Police Department’s Threat Assessment Management Team and Criminal Intelligence Unit “investigated or were consulted on over 800 threat cases in 2025, Police Chief Kevin Davis told WTOP … The threats are typically not crimes, Davis said. Instead, they’re First Amendment-protected speech aimed at an elected official, community leader, someone in the business or health care communities.” [WTOP]

Metro Launches Annual Food Drive — “Each January, Metro partners with the Capital Area Food Bank to help combat hunger by providing meals across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Through the Fill-A-Bus campaign, Metro honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by turning service into action.” Virginia’s drop-off location is the Giant Food in Arlington (3450 Washington Blvd). [WMATA]

Regional Newspaper for Seniors Sold — “The Beacon Newspapers Inc. reported Jan. 7 that the print and online publications have been purchased from owners Stuart and Judy Rosenthal by the company’s longtime executive vice president, Gordon Hasenei … It currently has print editions in the Washington and Baltimore metro areas as well as in Howard County, Md., along with an online presence.” [ARLnow]

Herndon Hosts Dodgeball Tournament — “Get ready for high-energy action at our 1st Annual Dodgeball Tournament! Gather your squad and jump into a double-elimination, bracket-style showdown where co-ed teams battle it out for glory, bragging rights, and prizes.” Registration is still open for $100 per team, with the first round starting at noon tomorrow (Saturday) at the Herndon Community Center. [Town of Herndon]

It’s Friday — Rain is possible after 4pm with clouds increasing and a high near 56. On Friday night, there’s a 70% chance of precipitation, likely after 1am, with temperatures dropping to around 49. Precipitation amounts could range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]

Virginia U.S. Attorney Challenged — “A federal judge Tuesday ordered Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to call herself the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia even though another judge determined in November that she had been unlawfully appointed to the position.” [NBC News]

Bill Would Restrict National Guard Deployments — “Virginia lawmakers are proposing a plan that would allow them to review any federal deployment of the state’s National Guard members … The bill would prohibit the Commonwealth’s National Guard from being used to interfere in an election and ensure there’s a legal review of any deployment. It also requires information about how deployments are funded, Del. Dan Helmer said.” [WTOP]

Falls Church Could Introduce Ranked-Choice Voting — “Falls Church will be able to hold ranked-choice City Council elections as early as 2027, if current Council members want to make the switch. The city is on track to acquire new voting equipment that would accommodate the ranked-choice format in time for the 2027 elections, city elections director David Bjerke told the Falls Church Electoral Board on Monday.” [ARLnow]

Lawmakers Seek to Update Social Services Tech — “Social services staffers around Virginia have for years grappled with outdated technology and are now preparing for extra workloads … House Bill 66 by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, would direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Social Services to modernize the information technology they use to provide social and medical programs to Virginians.” [Virginia Mercury]

Rep. Walkinshaw on Goals for New Year — Rep. James Walkinshaw, who was elected to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District last fall, cites the Jan. 30 deadline to pass a new federal budget as the “biggest challenge” facing Congress at the start of 2026. He also says “the health care affordability issue is very real and very urgent …  so we’ve got to find a way to deal with that.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Drunk Driving Prevention Program Hits Milestone — SoberRide, which gives free rides during holidays to discourage impaired driving, has now served more than 100,000 people since it launched in 1991. Washington Regional Alcohol Program, the Tysons-based nonprofit that operates the initiative, says 1,446 people used SoberRide for last week’s New Year’s holiday alone. [Inside NoVA]

‘Queer Eye’ Reboot Ends With D.C.-Area Season — “Alexandria was home to the reality TV show ‘Queer Eye’ last summer as the Fab Five filmed their tenth and final season in the D.C. area. The Netflix show held its production headquarters in a warehouse at Van Dorn Station during a five-week shoot from late June to August 2025, Visit Alexandria spokesperson Allison O’Keefe told ALXnow.” [ALXnow]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks state alcohol license; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 53 degrees and light, variable winds. Moving into Thursday night, the skies will become mostly cloudy with a low around 40 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

Police Chief on Effect of ICE Ramp-up — “As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to focus on federal immigration enforcement, there’s no evidence it has impacted community trust in Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Chief Kevin Davis said.” According to Davis, domestic violence calls can be one indicator of whether people feel comfortable calling the police, and Fairfax County saw no “substantial change” to that data in 2025. [WTOP]

Route 29 Widening Closes Lanes — “Weather permitting, the northbound Route 29 right lane between Clifton Road/Stringfellow Road (Route 645) and Sandy Point Lane (Route 7983) will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 7; Thursday, Jan. 8; Friday, Jan. 9; and Monday, Jan. 12, through Friday, Jan. 16, between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day for paving-related work as part of the Route 29 widening project … Drivers should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.” [VDOT]

Spanberger Shares Priorities Before Inauguration — “Democrat Abigail Spanberger will soon be sworn into office as Virginia’s 75th governor, making her the first woman to lead the Commonwealth. Spanberger will take her oath of office outside the Virginia State Capitol Building on Jan. 17 … Spanberger joined WTOP’s Shawn Anderson and Anne Kramer to discuss her plans as she prepares to serve as Virginia’s governor for the next four years.” [WTOP]

Man Charged After Allegedly Fleeing Traffic Stop — “A 63-year-old Fairfax man who tried to escape from a traffic stop early Sunday morning in Fairfax City faces nine charges, including one felony, according to authorities. Fairfax City police officers were on patrol shortly after 2 a.m. when they spotted a vehicle speeding and swerving near the intersection of Fairfax Boulevard and Fair Woods Parkway.” [Patch]

Tysons IT Contractor Buys Reston Company — Government contractor 22nd Century Technologies, which also goes by TSCTI, acquired “BT Federal Inc., the Reston-based subsidiary of London publicly-traded telecommunications firm BT Group” on Dec. 30, “marking its fourth acquisition in a little over two years. The company did not disclose a deal price, but [CEO Anil] Sharma said the acquisition is TSCTI’s largest to date.” [Washington Business Journal]

Vienna Soccer Player Goes Pro — “Vienna resident Audrey McKeen of the Virginia Development Academy has signed a professional contract with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Racing Louisville. The deal makes her one of the youngest players in the league. The 17-year-old will officially join the club in 2026. The deal is through the 2028 season.” [Inside NoVA]

Virginia Wine Ranked Among U.S.’s Best — “A signature red blend from Barboursville Vineyards has earned a place among the Top 50 U.S. Wines of the Year. Decanter, one of the United Kingdom’s most respected wine publications, chose Barboursville’s Octagon 2017 for its annual list. The publication reviewed more than 3,500 American wines for the ranking.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Council Selects Mayor — “Falls Church’s incumbent mayor narrowly won reappointment to a new two-year term yesterday (Monday). Letty Hardi was selected by colleagues to continue in the post on a 4-3 vote, with new Council member Arthur Agin delivering the slim margin of victory.” [ARLnow]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC wine/beer on/off-premises license; objections due 30 days. [Public Notices]

New Legal Notice — ABC off-premises wine/beer license sought; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies during the day with a high temperature of around 57°F. The northwest wind will be blowing at 6 to 11 mph, and it could gust up to 23 mph. For Wednesday night, the sky will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 36°F. The northwest wind will diminish to around 6 mph and become calm by the evening. [NWS]