Author: FFXnow.com

Virginia Dropping Sweet Drinks From SNAP Coverage — “Virginia is among six states approved for SNAP food choice waivers under a new initiative launched by the Trump administration that will deny some items to those who use the program … According to the USDA, Virginia SNAP benefits will restrict the purchase of ‘sweetened beverages.'” [WUSA9]

GMU Students Advocate for Increased Voter Turnout — George Mason University freshman Rithvik Hari “was part of a research experiment to figure out ways to increase turnout among college students … The experiment was a success: George Mason was the only precinct in Fairfax County to see an increase in voter turnout [this year] compared to the 2024 presidential election.” [WVTF]

Man Charged With Trespassing at CIA HQ — “An Uber passenger who flew from Puerto Rico to Virginia was arrested early Monday morning after he tried to gain entry to CIA headquarters in McLean, according to court documents.” The man has been “charged with trespassing on an agency installation and failing to obey an order to leave an agency installation.” [Patch]

State of Data Centers in D.C. Region — “With the explosion of AI, the demand for data processing power is growing exponentially, sparking debate over the growth of data centers nationally and regionally … WAMU’s Regional Politics team dug into the debate in each of the three jurisdictions,” from the established data center hub of Northern Virginia to D.C., which has no sites but could still feel the effects of rising energy costs. [WAMU]

Facility Issues Close Libraries — “Burke Centre Library and Richard Byrd Library will remain closed through Friday, December 12 due to ongoing facility issues. Holds and due dates will be extended for customers of both facilities. We will provide further updates soon regarding anticipated reopening timelines.” [Fairfax County Public Library/X]

Santa Visits Inova Hospital — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “was honored to bring the big guy himself, Santa, to Inova Children’s so he could assist Fairfax County Police Department with donating some of the toys collected through this year’s Santa’s Ride. We were grateful to be part of the holiday cheer!” [FCFRD/Facebook]

FCPS Tweaks Boundary Changes for Annandale Area — “Bren Mar Park Elementary School families concerned about a boundary change have been given a reprieve. At a Dec. 10 community meeting on recently announced changes to the Fairfax County school boundary review process, Superintendent Michelle Reid said students at Bren Mar Park (BMP) will stay at the middle and high schools to which they are already assigned.” [Annandale Today]

Trucking Company to Deliver Memorial Wreaths — “On Friday, December 12, 2025, over 200 participants will be present to execute this annual initiative. Interstate employees, their families, and community partners, including the new Driver Ambassador, CJ3 Foundation, will gather at the company’s Springfield headquarters to salute and send off over 70 drivers, who will deliver wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery and other area cemeteries, joining thousands of volunteers nationwide who carry forward Wreaths Across America’s legacy of remembrance.” [Interstate Moving]

Capital Craft Festival Returns — “The Capital Art and Craft Festival features more than 300 juried artists at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. From Friday through Sunday, expect everything from glass and metal works to jewelry and clothing to pottery and printmaking.” With Dulles Expo closing this month, the festival’s director says a new venue for 2026 “will be announced ‘soon.'” [WTOP]

It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 38 degrees with a light west wind of 3 to 6 mph. As night falls, the sky will turn mostly cloudy with the temperature dropping to a low of around 28 degrees. The wind will remain calm throughout the night. [NWS]

DCA Crash Families Object to Waivers — “Family members of those killed in the January midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet are raising alarms about a provision in the defense funding bill that they say would allow the military to potentially restore flying procedures that may have been factors in the crash.” [Washington Post]

Next VDOT Leader Named — “Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday tapped transportation expert Nick Donohue as Virginia’s next transportation secretary, selecting the VCU graduate to help steer her administration’s policies over the next four years … The former deputy transportation secretary was recently heavily involved in developing a funding plan to create a new revenue stream to stabilize Metro service in Northern Virginia,” among other initiatives. [Virginia Mercury]

Legislator Preparing Gaming Commission Bill — “Efforts are underway to establish one regulatory board to oversee gaming in the Commonwealth as conversations about a possible plan to construct a casino in Fairfax County re-enter the spotlight … Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County, emphasized the importance of establishing the commission before expanding gaming, which includes future proposals for a casino in the Tysons area.” [WUSA9]

School Board Approves New Courses — “Fairfax County students will get the opportunity to take classes on artificial intelligence, personal finance and cybersecurity in the 2026-27 school year. The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved the middle and high school course offering changes during a meeting” last Thursday (Dec. 4). [WTOP]

Former Tysons Furniture Store Finds New Home — “Patrick’s Elegant Living, a high-end furniture brand, will move into a new store at Dulles Town Center, Washington Business Journal reported. It will occupy the space of the former Nordstrom, which closed in 2017. Patrick’s Elegant Living vacated its former Tysons Corner Center location in October after a legal dispute with the landlord.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Viral Drunk Raccoon Boosts Animal Shelter — “The Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter in Virginia has raised $170,560 in just 72 hours by selling over 15,000 pieces of ‘Trashed Panda’ merchandise — hoodies, mugs, stickers, and T-shirts, all featuring a raccoon sprawled on its stomach, paws splayed in every direction, next to a toppled bottle of booze.” [Washingtonian]

Researchers Help Track Monarch Butterflies — “This fall, a massive international effort called Project Monarch used new technology to track hundreds of monarchs from Canada to Cuba, providing the most comprehensive look yet at the famous journey. Researchers in Virginia helped make it happen.” [VPM News]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature near 37 degrees and northwest winds blowing at 13 to 15 mph, occasionally gusting up to 29 mph. Cloud cover will increase during Thursday night, bringing the temperature down to around 27 degrees while a gentle west wind blows at 5 to 9 mph. [NWS]

Driver in Fatal Burke Crash Pleads Guilty — “A driver pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for a crash that killed a 17-year-old girl in Burke, Virginia, in 2023. He was speeding nearly 90 mph in a 40 mph zone at the time, prosecutors said.” Jose Zelaya could face between one and six years in prison under the plea agreement, but Rebekah Zarco’s family says it’s hard for them to see the outcome “as justice.” [NBC4]

More Reston Parkway Ramp Closures Planned — The southbound Reston Parkway ramp to the eastbound Dulles Toll Road will close overnight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily through Dec. 20-21. The closures, which began at the start of December, are needed to allow repairs on the parkway’s northbound bridge over the toll road, a project expected to finish in early 2026. [VDOT]

Dems Criticize Park Police Hiring Spree — “Democratic senators are demanding the U.S. Park Police suspend their D.C. recruitment blitz and accuse the Trump administration of ‘hijacking this federal police force for its own authoritarian purposes,’ according to a letter sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Monday morning.” The federal agency has set a goal of doubling its workforce in the District over the next six months. [Washington Post]

Guilty Plea in Pokemon Card Theft — “A California man pleaded guilty Monday in a case in which he was accused of breaking into his friend’s Fairfax County, Virginia, home and stealing more than $50,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards. Mohammad Asif was caught on home surveillance camera in July breaking into a Fair Oaks home where his friend and friend’s girlfriend live, prosecutors said … Minutes before the burglary, the girlfriend was held up with a rifle outside of her workplace in Tysons, police said.” [NBC4]

School Board Nixes Facilities Advisory Group — “Fairfax County’s school board has approved a plan to end the group of volunteer community members responsible for providing feedback on long-term plans for school facilities. The division’s Facilities Planning Advisory Council is scheduled to be disbanded by April 1, after Thursday’s 8-3 vote in support of the move.” [WTOP]

Solar and Wind Energy Bills Revived — “With Democrats in full control of the General Assembly and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger preparing to take office, lawmakers are reviving familiar proposals they hope will finally earn a governor’s signature. Chief among them are bills aimed at expanding renewable energy use and strengthening Virginia’s clean-energy workforce.” [Virginia Mercury]

Man Charged With Attempted Bank Robbery — A 38-year-old Fairfax resident was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a bank at Fair Lakes Shopping Center on Monday (Dec. 8). “A man entered the bank and displayed a note to the teller demanding money. No weapon was displayed. The man was asked to leave and he left on foot. No one was injured.” [FCPD]

New CEO for VRE — “Virginia Railway Express will see leadership change hands after a new CEO was appointed. Effective January 20, 2026, Katie Choe was named CEO of VRE, effective Jan. 20, 2026.” Appointed by the Northern Virginia and Potomac Rappahannock transportation commissions last Thursday (Dec. 4), she “replaces former CEO Rich Dalton, who retired in early October.” [Patch]

New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks hotel mixed-beverage, on/off-premises ABC license; objections 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Wednesday — Expect rain between 8am and 2pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 45. There will be south winds of 11-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with lows around 32 and west winds of 10-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]

Voting Underway in Special Election — Polls opened at 6 a.m. today (Tuesday) in the special election to choose a new Braddock District supervisor. “Do you know if you live in the Braddock Supervisory District? Before you head to the polls, confirm your registration status and polling place.” [Fairfax County Government]

Pedestrian in Fatal Crash Identified — Fairfax County police have identified the pedestrian killed in a crash on Richmond Highway on Sunday (Dec. 7) as Roger Brown, a 67-year-old Fort Belvoir resident. The crash remains under investigation, but police say “alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors.” [FCPD]

State Pulls Back Funding for Lake Accotink Dredging — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has withdrawn $60.5 million in construction loans previously allocated for dredging Lake Accotink, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services announced.” County staff say the move doesn’t affect their ability to reapply for loans in the future, but they will “continue pursuing alternative funding sources” in the meantime. [Annandale Today]

Mount Vernon Mansion Reopens — “George Washington’s Mount Vernon is celebrating the completion of several phases of a $40 million revitalization project. In late November, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association reopened all first and second-floor rooms in the historic mansion for the first time since January 2024.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

GMU Rector Defends Meeting Without Quorum — “As George Mason University Rector Charles Stimson addressed his colleagues Thursday, he sat across from faculty members, students and campus workers holding signs plastered with images of his face, gathered in opposition to his decision to hold a second executive committee meeting with only six voting members.” [Virginia Mercury]

Dems Split on Right-to-Work Repeal — “A Virginia Democrat has filed legislation that would repeal its “right-to-work” law, which would allow for mandatory fees on employees who benefit from union-negotiated contracts. While a repeal of the law is popular with labor groups, debates among General Assembly Democrats could showcase rifts within their party.” [VPM News]

Sidewalk Project Starts Despite Objections — “Despite strong opposition from nearby residents, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation is proceeding with a sidewalk project next to Justice Park along Peace Valley Lane … Residents’ outrage is less about the sidewalk than the lack of communication, said Ravenwood resident Kathleen Brown.” [Annandale Today]

Walkinshaw Visits Reston Book Store — Rep. James Walkinshaw visited Scrawl Books yesterday (Monday) for a roundtable with local business owners, who discussed how they’re being affected by rising costs and the Trump administration’s tariffs. “Local small business owners told me plainly: Trump’s tariffs are driving up costs, forcing some to raise prices and lay off employees,” the Congressman says. [James Walkinshaw/Bluesky]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 35 with calm winds turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy with a low around 30 and south winds at 8 to 10 mph. [NWS]