Author: FFXnow.com

Milder Winter Expected — “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released its winter weather outlook for 2025-2026, and this winter could look different from what we’ve seen in recent years … Fairfax County falls within the region expected to see warmer-than-average temperatures this winter.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Key Vote on Energy for Data Centers Set — Some D.C.-area lawmakers are urging PJM Interconnection, the electrical grid operator for the region, to adopt a proposal “that, among other things, incentivizes data center owners to provide for their own power, cooling and other infrastructure resources, rather than relying solely on a utility grid.” PJM’s board of directors is scheduled to vote on how to manage data center connections today (Wednesday). [WTOP]

FCPD Sees Increase in Seized Guns — “Since its official launch on January 1, 2024, the Fairfax County Police Department’s (FCPD) Operation Press Check (OPC) has delivered measurable success in keeping firearms out of the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them.” The county has seized 112 firearms and successfully prosecuted 104 cases involving felons possessing firearms over the past two years. [FCPD]

Fairfax City Hires New Manager — “Fairfax City Council voted unanimously at its regular meeting on Tuesday night to hire Daniel C. Alexander as the city’s new permanent city manager … Alexander succeeds acting City Manager Melanie R. Zipp, who was appointed to the role following the Oct. 31 retirement of the previous acting City Manager Bryan Foster.” [Patch]

Residents Oppose Justice Park Sidewalk — “Residents who live near Justice Park in Seven Corners say a sidewalk planned along Peace Valley Lane is not needed and urge the county to cancel the project. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is proceeding with the development of an 825-foot sidewalk” that will reportedly require the removal of “several large, mature trees.” [Annandale Today]

Restaurants Object to Inclusion in Food Hall’s App — “Wonder, the new food hall expanding rapidly in the D.C. region, added dozens of restaurants across Greater Washington to its offerings without their knowledge or permission.” While some restaurants welcomed the added visibility of inclusion on Wonder’s GrubHub delivery platform, the company behind Founding Farmers argued the food hall is taking advantage of its established reputation. [Washington Business Journal]

House Addition Sparks Neighbor Complaints — “A three-story construction project on a single-family home in Greenbriar is drawing sharp criticism from neighbors who said the structure is out of place and inconsistent with surrounding homes.” Springfield District Supervisor “Pat Herrity raised the issue during a county board meeting on Tuesday, urging a review of zoning ordinances that regulate building heights.” [DC News Now]

Toys for Tots Campaign Returns — “#FCFRD is participating in the 2025 TOYS FOR TOTS Campaign! TOYS FOR TOTS collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them to deserving children. All Fairfax County fire stations will be accepting donations through Friday, December 12.” [FCFRD/X]

It’s Wednesday — Patchy fog is expected to clear by 9am, giving way to mostly cloudy skies with a high around 51. A calm wind will shift to the north at 5 to 7 mph in the morning. As for Wednesday night, expect mostly cloudy conditions, a low of 41, and a north wind at 5 mph calming down by evening. [NWS]

Peak Flu Season Coming — “It could be a cold-season double whammy, with a new flu strain and a chillier-than-normal winter forecast for D.C.” Due to the government shutdown, data is limited on the new H3N2 strain, which emerged over the summer. The Virginia Department of Health’s dashboard says overall respiratory illness activity in the state is currently “low” but “trending up.” [Axios DC]

Man Injured in Red Bull Truck Crash — “A man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries in Fairfax County on Monday, police said.” Traffic camera footage shows the crash occurred when a Red Bull vehicle collided with another box truck on Richmond Highway at the North Kings Highway intersection in Groveton. [DC News Now]

Supreme Court Passes on University Board Lawsuit — “The Virginia Supreme Court has refused to take up a case that suspended multiple appointees by Gov. Glenn Youngkin from serving on three Virginia university governing boards. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares appealed to the court after the Fairfax County Circuit Court suspended eight governing board appointments from serving at George Mason University, Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia.” [Virginia Mercury]

Election Cleared Way for Cannabis Sales — “During her campaign, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, elected governor two weeks ago, pledged to sign legislation establishing a regulated retail system — reversing the impasse that kept marijuana sales in limbo since Virginia legalized possession and home cultivation in 2021.” A final proposal is expected next month from a joint commission chaired by Fairfax Del. Paul Krizek, who will carry the legislation in 2026. [Virginia Mercury]

ATM ‘Jackpotting’ Under Investigation — “Detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit are actively investigating a series of ATM thefts after Apple Federal Credit Union reported that $175,000 was stolen from one of its Fairfax branch ATMs last month.” Police say the suspects approached the drive-up ATM in the 4200 block of Members Way near Fair Oaks multiple times overnight on Oct. 3-4, installing malware that rigs the machine to “dispense large amounts of cash.” [FCPD]

Reston Parkway Ramp Closes for Bridge Repairs — “The southbound Reston Parkway (Route 602) ramp to the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) will have nighttime closures Monday night, Nov. 17, through Thursday night, Nov. 20, for repairs to the northbound Reston Parkway bridge over the Dulles Toll Road.” The ramp will be closed each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. [VDOT]

Dulles Airport Offers Parking Reservations — “Travelers at Dulles International Airport now have the option to book premium parking spaces for a higher fee. The airport sent an email announcing that it would begin offering PassPark Premium parking options.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Nonprofit Sees Drop in Food Donations — The 25th Project, a nonprofit that will provide 2,500 free meals at Burke Community Church on Thanksgiving and Christmas, “has noticed a slowdown in donations compared to last year,” according to founder Jay Herriott. “He suspects that is because of the recent 43-day government shutdown, which was the longest in U.S. history.” [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Rain is likely after 1pm, with increasing clouds and highs around 50°F. Afternoon winds will come from the southwest at around 5 mph. Precipitation chances are 50%. For Tuesday night, rain is expected mainly before 1am, with lows around 41°F and southeast winds at 3 to 5 mph. Precipitation chances rise to 90%, with new amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. [NWS]

FCPS Expands Weapons Detectors to Football Games — Fairfax County Public Schools started using weapons detectors at high school football playoff games this past weekend “following a string of incidents around the D.C. region during the fall athletic season … Schools are advising sports fans to come early and to purchase their tickets online.” [WTOP]

State Senator Proposes End to Parking Mandates — “Some Falls Church leaders are expressing concern over a possible General Assembly measure that would take away local power to regulate parking in development projects. Such a measure could be introduced by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37), who represents the city in the upper house of the legislature.” [ARLnow]

How Federal Cuts Affected Va. Food Banks — “More than  1.7 million pounds of food aid earmarked for Virginia’s seven main food banks was canceled between May and August, according to data obtained by ProPublica. Among the lost shipments was about 550,000 pounds of chicken. Based on average consumption, the federal cuts translate to no chicken for nearly 6,400 typical households for four months.” [Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO]

Holiday Market Coming to Fairfax Corner — After setting up at Tysons Corner Center last year, Creative Collective’s annual Holiday Pop Up market is heading to Fairfax Corner this year, starting “from Friday, November 21, to Wednesday, December 24. Throughout the holiday shopping season, guests will be able to explore goods from more than 30 small businesses across the region.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Reston Row Office Space Leased — “Comstock Cos. has leased 310,000 square feet at two new trophy office buildings at Reston Row, the real estate firm announced Thursday … The company did not name the tenant or tenants, but it said the leases included the entire 210,000 square feet at 1870 Reston Row. Comstock also leased three floors — roughly 100,000 square feet —at sister building 1800 Reston Row.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Class of Police Recruits Graduate — “After completing six weeks of training, ten experienced officers have graduated Option 5 and will be starting their assignments in Fairfax County and around the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our four graduates bring a wide range of experience, education, and military service to the Fairfax County Police Department.” [FCPD]

ArtsFairfax Awards Grants — “As part of the nonprofit’s funding opportunities, ArtsFairfax awarded $160,000 in Project Support Grants to 13 local arts organizations to encourage wider participation in the arts through unique cultural programming.” [ArtsFairfax]

Rec Center to Revise Hours — “The George Washington Rec Center is updating its operating hours starting Thursday, Jan. 1. The new schedule provides access for fitness and recreation opportunities throughout the week while accommodating additional facility needs.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 50 degrees during the day, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 11 to 17 mph, and gusts reaching up to 30 mph. Night will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 33 degrees. [NWS]

Trump Nominee Opposes Dulles Mobile Lounges — Former White House personnel office deputy director Trent Morse wants Dulles International Airport to eliminate its people movers, “saying the passenger-transport shuttles that drew headlines this week for a crash that sent 18 people to the hospital are slow, outdated and dangerous.” Morse’s nomination to the MWAA board is being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee in Congress. [Washington Post]

Man Charged With Threatening CIA Head — “A man armed with a box cutter who is accused of threatening to kill CIA Director John Ratcliffe was stopped on Nov. 5 by police as he tried to enter the agency’s headquarters in McLean, according to court documents.” The man was charged the following day with making threats against a federal official and was denied bond on Monday (Nov. 10). [Patch]

North Shore Drive Residents Frustrated by Crashes — “A drive along North Shore Drive in Reston shows one damaged car after another. Car parts and other debris line the side of the roadway. Fairfax County police say that in the past two years, 31 accidents and an additional 15 hit-and-runs have been reported along the well-traveled stretch.” [FOX5]

Virginia Introduces Digital IDs — “Virginians can now use a digital version of their driver’s license at the DMV, TSA, some ABC stores and a handful of police departments … Virginia is the first state in the nation where a digital ID will be accepted in lieu of a physical ID in multiple places, Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced this week.” [Axios Richmond]

Community College Students Walk Out — “Dozens of students staged a walkout at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus Nov. 12 to protest NOVA’s plan to convert the Humanities Building into HR and administrative offices … Students suspect NOVA’s goal is to cut costs by moving more courses online,” though NOVA President Anne Kress says the college has “no desire to displace classrooms.” [Annandale Today]

New Candidate for Potential Braddock School Board Race — “Annandale resident Alexa Krezel has announced plans to run for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County School Board, assuming current school board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer wins the special election for Braddock supervisor on Dec. 9.” Krezel and previously declared candidate Tom Dannan are both seeking an endorsement from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. [Annandale Today]

Potomac River Cleanup Progress Stalls — “It’s not fishable or swimmable yet, but according to the Potomac Conservancy, the Potomac River earned a grade of ‘B’ for the fifth year in a row.” While the river’s water quality has come a long way from the “D” it earned in 2011, officials identified “development that results in the loss of forest land” as one hurdle keeping the region from achieving an “A” rating. [WTOP]

Wellness Expo Returns to Vienna — The Vienna Business Association’s “Wellness Wonderland” expo will return for a third year this Saturday (Nov. 15) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center. The event will include a resource fair with 50 health, wellness and fitness exhibitors as well as presentations by experts, including a keynote address by author and chef Amy Riolo. [Press release]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of around 58 degrees and a west wind of 6 to 9 mph. For Friday night, the weather will be mostly cloudy with a low of approximately 43 degrees, accompanied by calm wind conditions. [NWS]