Author: FFXnow.com

Options for Disposing of Pumpkins — “Don’t trash your pumpkins — compost or recycle them instead … Washingtonians have plenty of eco-friendly ways to chuck pumpkins through November,” including “Pumpkin Madness” catapulting events coming this weekend at Centreville’s Cox Farms. [Axios DC]

No Pumpkin Recycling at Frying Pan — Frying Pan Farm Park, however, isn’t accepting pumpkins for recycling this year. “Instead of bringing them here, turn your leftover Halloween pumpkins and gourds into something useful! Now through mid-November, you can drop them off at the I-66 Transfer Station,” where they will be processed for composting or to feed livestock. [Friends of Frying Pan/Instagram]

How N. Va. Could Influence Election — “Democrats currently have a slim majority in Virginia’s House of Delegates, and two competitive Northern Virginia races could help determine which party controls that chamber of the state’s General Assembly,” according to University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, who also says “turnout in Northern Virginia is one of the key things to monitor.” [WTOP]

FCPD Launches Gift Card Drive — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) is proud to announce the launch of its 12th Annual Holiday Gift Card Drive, an initiative dedicated to supporting child victims and witnesses of domestic violence, sexual violence, and families grieving the loss of a loved one to homicide.” Gift card donations can be dropped off or mailed to the division until Dec. 19. [FCPD]

Renovated Hybla Valley Park Opens — “More fun, more play! The Hybla Valley Park is officially OPEN! The newly renovated park is packed with awesome features for everyone,” such as dedicated futsal and basketball courts, a new playground “suitable for all ages and abilities” and updated site furnishings. [Fairfax County Park Authority/Facebook]

Troubled Trail Project Costs Rise — “Following a lengthy discussion during Tuesday night’s work session, the Fairfax City Council delayed making a decision on how to address the additional $4.6 million in construction costs required to build the controversial George Snyder Trail.” The council had voted in June to continue with the project as is after debating potentially canceling or downsizing it. [Patch]

Dulles Could Add Direct Service to Taiwan — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority recently secured a five-year agreement with Taoyuan International Airport Corp. “that commits both sides to conduct market research, airline outreach and marketing campaigns to build the case for a nonstop Dulles-Taipei connection.” The agreement could pave the way for other long-haul, nonstop flights to Asia that were halted during the pandemic. [Washington Business Journal]

The Wiggles Tour to Stop in Tysons — “The group’s new Tree of Wisdom Spectacular Tour is heading to North America. And The Wiggles will be stopping in Tysons on August 18, 2026. The performance at Capital One Hall is just one of 17 planned for across the continent.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature of around 62, accompanied by west winds blowing at 8-11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. As night falls on Tuesday, there will be mostly clear skies with lows close to 41, with west winds gradually calming at around 5 mph. [NWS]

Police Sergeant Arrested for Drinking in Public — “On November 1, the Leesburg Police Department arrested Sergeant Brett Choyce, 43, of Hamilton, a 23-year veteran of the department, who was off-duty at the time of the incident. The Sergeant has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs Bureau Investigation.” [FCPD]

Pedestrian Hospitalized From Route 50 Crash — Fairfax County police officers responded Friday night (Oct. 31) to a “pedestrian crash at Arlington Blvd and Woodlawn Ave near West Falls Church. The pedestrian, an adult male, was transported to the hospital in life-threatening condition. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene.” [FCPD/X]

Early Voting Up From 2021 — “Virginia voters this year are casting their ballots early at a higher rate than in the 2021 election, as both Democrats and Republicans have sought to drive early turnout in their bids to win the governorship and a majority in the House of Delegates.” [Washington Post]

Warner on Sidelines of Shutdown Talks — “Not so long ago, if there was a bipartisan group getting together to solve a problem in the Senate, you could count on Mark Warner to be involved … But as his colleagues hunt for a way out of the 31-day-and-counting government shutdown, Warner this time is hanging on the sidelines.” [Politico]

Teen Who Fled Police Back in Custody — “The 17-year-old suspect was in custody for trespassing and possession of Schedule I/II narcotics, when he fled from a county police officer around 3 p.m. [on Oct. 30] in the 4300 block of Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax City.” After a search of the  School Street and Chain Bridge Road area that included assistance from a Fairfax County police helicopter, officers located the teen “a short time later” and took him back into custody. [Patch]

Baking Pop-Up to Close Next Year — King Arthur Baking Company is sticking around in Fairfax County through the rest of 2025. “After opening its doors at Fairfax Corner in September 2024, the pop-up location will serve its last customer on January 15, 2026. The store was originally slated to close in July 2025.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

University Appointee Fight Goes to Supreme Court — “Governor Glenn Youngkin asked the Supreme Court of Virginia Thursday to allow him to put a handful of appointees on state college Boards of Visitors. The brief hearing comes after state senators denied the appointments in a committee meeting and Youngkin claimed more steps were needed.” [WHRO]

Braddock District Candidate Forum Coming — A second candidate forum for the Braddock District supervisor race will be held this Wednesday (Nov. 5) at 7:30 p.m. by the North Springfield Civic Association Board. Interested community members can attend in person at North Springfield Elementary School or online via Zoom. [North Springfield Civic Association Board/Facebook]

It’s Monday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of around 62°F. Calm winds will shift to the west at 5 to 7 mph during the afternoon. Monday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to about 44°F. Expect a northwest wind at around 10 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. [NWS]

Halloween Safety Tips — “Halloween is one of the most fun nights of the year, but it comes with real safety risks. Between the costumes, candy and darkness, there are plenty of ways kids and adults can get hurt. Here’s what you need to know to keep everyone safe while still having a great time.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Task Force Responds to Hurricane Melissa — Members of Virginia Task Force 1’s Urban Search and Rescue team based in Fairfax County “have arrived in Kingston, Jamaica as part of @StateDept response team. Priorities include establishing a base of operations and working with the Jamaican authorities to ensure our operations meet their needs. All members are safe and ready to work.” [VATF1/X]

Boundaries for New High School Proposed — “Fairfax County Public Schools has revealed four potential boundary scenarios for its new western high school. The district hopes to open the new school — the former King Abdullah Academy in Herndon — for the 2026-2027 school year.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Reston Station Uses Amenities to Boost Offices — “Not far from Tysons, Virginia, Reston Station is emerging with its own commercial core fed by a growing number of residents, tenants and patrons … The neighborhood is the type of development outside major cities that Comstock bets can attract long-term, revenue-generating tenants to effectively fill desks.” [CoStar News]

Man Cleared of Soliciting Violence Against Trump — “A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, has acquitted a man who suggested someone should kill President Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors had argued that 63-year-old Peter Stinson, who had served more than three decades as a Coast Guard officer repeatedly called for someone to assassinate Trump, through a series of social media posts, dating to 2020.” [WTOP]

Fairfax City Appoints Acting Manager — “During its Tuesday night meeting, the Fairfax City Council voted unanimously to appoint Assistant City Manager Melanie R. Zipp to assume the role of acting city manager effective Nov. 1. She succeeds acting City Manager Bryan Foster, who is retiring on Friday.” [Patch]

Reston Leads Drug Take Back Collections — “This past Saturday, our district stations partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies for the 29th Annual National Drug Take Back Day. Together we collected 497.3 pounds of expired or unused medications from community members across the county.” [FCPD]

Metro Bus Loop to Temporarily Close — “Attention Metro Customers: From 4 AM on Tuesday, November 4 until 4 AM on Friday, November 7, we’re temporarily closing the Seven Corners Transit Center bus loop in Falls Church for emergency pavement repairs. Thank you for your patience. Check detours below.” [WMATA/Bluesky]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 59, accompanied by a breezy west wind blowing 15 to 20 mph and gusting up to 38 mph. At night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 42. The west wind will remain persistent at 8 to 11 mph with gusts as high as 24 mph. [NWS]

FCPS Condemns Reportedly Antisemitic Student Videos — “Fairfax County Public Schools is condemning a couple of student-made videos that drew outrage online after Jewish organizations called them antisemitic. The clips, created by Muslim student groups at two Northern Virginia high schools, show teenagers acting out mock kidnappings, which school officials say have no place in classrooms or on school social media accounts.” [WUSA9]

How Much Government Shutdown Might Cost — “The U.S. economy will lose between $7 billion and $14 billion because of the federal government shutdown, according to a new report released Wednesday by Congress’s nonpartisan bookkeeper.” The dip in the country’s gross domestic product would stem from “federal workers missing paychecks and the interruption of food benefits for low-income Americans.” [Washington Post]

State House Passes Redistricting Amendment — “After three days of partisan wrangling in a surprise special session, the Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers limited power to redraw the state’s congressional districts mid-decade — a move Democrats say is needed to protect the commonwealth if other states manipulate their maps for partisan gain.” [Virginia Mercury]

Where to Find Emergency Food Sites — “Get emergency access to food items, diapers, baby food/formula, toiletries, and household items via the [Fairfax County] Emergency Food Access Providers Application, which is available online … Fairfax City residents are eligible for these services.” [City of Fairfax]

Reston Online Learning Company Sheds Students — “Stride (NYSE: LRN) executives said on an earnings call Tuesday that two new software tools launched over the summer … experienced glitches that made it difficult for students to log in or consistently access the platform. As a result, between 10,000 and 15,000 students have unenrolled from Stride courses and the company said it is capping enrollment in certain programs while it works to fix the problems.” [Washington Business Journal]

‘Flying’ Boat Company Eyes Potomac River — The Swedish company Candela recently “spent a week showing off quiet, speedy electric boats on the Potomac. The potential customers? Everyone from local retailers to the Pentagon, which sits right across the river from the Columbia Island Marina where Candela staged rides on one of its hydrofoil boats.” [Washington Post]

Wonder Food Hall Opening in Reston — The growing food hall chain Wonder will celebrate the grand opening of its new location at Plaza America with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m. Planned festivities will start at 5 p.m. and include “exclusive Wonder gifts” for the first 100 customers, live music, tarot card readings and more. [Wonder]

Local Businesses Donate Cosmetics — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) joined with Great Clips and Bank of America on Tuesday, October 28, for the second annual Empowerment Bags presentation at Great Clips in Fairfax.” For the campaign, the businesses collected “cosmetics and self-care products … throughout October in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” [Press release]

It’s Thursday — Expect rain and a potential thunderstorm before 1pm, followed by possible showers between 1 and 2pm, with a high of 66 degrees. Winds of 13-15 mph will turn south in the afternoon, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees. [NWS]

Pedestrian Injured in Bus Crash — A man was taken to a hospital with injuries described as life-threatening last night after being hit by the driver of a Fairfax Connector bus at Government Center Parkway and Monument Drive near Fair Oaks. The bus driver stayed at the scene. Monument Drive closed at the intersection while detectives investigated. [FCPD/X]

House Fire in West Falls Church — Fairfax County firefighters responded just after 9 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) to “multiple reports of a house on fire in the 3000 block of Graham Road … Units arrived to heavy fire showing from a single-family home.” The fire was extinguished by 9:45 p.m., and no injuries were reported. An investigation is underway. [FCFRD/Facebook]

More Details on Va. SNAP Substitute — “Virginia’s budget surplus will fund a state-level replacement for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should the federal government shutdown continue into November, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. Dubbed Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, or VENA, the newly-created program is expected to send money to SNAP beneficiaries’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards starting on Nov. 3.” [Virginia Mercury]

AG Claims About Early Inmate Releases Questioned — “The Office of the Attorney General released a dataset on Monday which refuted claims made for months by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares about the danger of inmates released early because of the enhanced earned sentence credit program.” [Cardinal News]

Police Investigate Seven Corners Shooting — “On October 27, at 11:01 p.m., officers responded to the 6100 block of Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners for a shooting. The victim, an adult male, suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminarily, this appears to be an isolated incident. The investigation is ongoing.” [FCPD]

Arrest in Gym Theft Spree — “A Maryland man with nearly 140 active warrants has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of gym thefts in Fairfax County, according to police.” The 50-year-old man allegedly “broke into lockers, stole personal items and credit cards, and used them at nearby stores” in at least five different cases starting in December 2024. [Patch]

Local Charities Awarded Grants — “Cox Communications employees awarded a total of $35,000 in grants to local nonprofits, through Cox Charities Community Investment Grants, during [Tuesday’s] Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting.” Recipients included Cornerstones, the Falls Church Education Foundation, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries and more. [Press release]

McLean Community Center Celebrates 50 Years — “The McLean Community Center celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 10 p.m. The community couldn’t have asked for a better celebration — music through the decades, dancing, food, drinks, trivia, and more — at the center, which officially opened in October 1975.” [Connection Newspapers]

It’s Wednesday — There’s a 20% chance of isolated showers are expected before 10am and after 2pm, with partly sunny skies and a high of 57°F. At night, expect rain and possible thunderstorms after 5am, a low of 51°F, and a 90% chance of precipitation. New rainfall could measure between three quarters and one inch. [NWS]