Author: FFXnow.com

Technical Issues Close County Courts — The Fairfax County Courthouse is closed today (Thursday) “due to ongoing technical difficulties.” Cases scheduled to appear in the county’s Circuit Court, General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court “will be continued to another date,” as staff work to resolve the issue. [Fairfax County]

Bike to Work Day Is Here — Fairfax County is hosting more than two dozen pit stops today (Thursday) for this year’s Bike to Work Day, which encourages commuters to hop on a bicycle instead of getting in a car and is taking place throughout the D.C. region. “The first 16,000 who register and check into a pit stop by bike will receive a free T-shirt (this year’s color is red).” [FCDOT]

Recession Possible, GMU Researcher Says — “Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, told WTOP the region is not in a recession yet, but what happens in the next several months will determine how severe the economic downturn is and how long it will last.” If the Trump administration’s federal government cuts are fully enacted, a recession is “undoubted,” Clower says. [WTOP]

Flight Attendant Training Center Opens — United Airlines will open its new 20,000-square-foot flight attendant training center in Chantilly today. “This is the first facility of its kind in the DC area, and will train flight attendants servicing Dulles International, Reagan National, and Baltimore-Washington International airports.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

New Reston Startup Launches — Kovr.ai “has emerged from stealth with $3.6 million in funding to scale its federal compliance assistance product it says can save millions of dollars and years of document procurement for companies looking to do business with the federal government.” CEO Andrew Black and Chief Technology Officer Sri Iyer both worked for Amazon Web Services before leaving in 2024 to found the new company. [Washington Business Journal]

Annandale School Searches for New Principal — “Fairfax County Public Schools is beginning the search for a new principal for Poe Middle School, but many teachers and parents already know who they want for the job — Interim Principal Sarah Eqab,” who came on board in March after working at Annandale High School. [Annandale Today]

Pet Supply Donation Drive Underway — “The Department of Family Services cares about every family member, including pets. To help keep pets with the families, DFS is hosting a pet supply drive during National Pet Month in May. The drive will run from Sunday, May 11, to Saturday, May 24, with all donations benefiting Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Pet Pantry.” [Fairfax County DFS]

It’s Thursday — There’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog before 11am will shift to clouds and then mostly sunny skies, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 50%, dropping to 40% at night with a low around 66. [NWS]

Memorial Day Travel Projections Released — “Memorial Day travel is projected to beat a 20-year-old record high this year, according to AAA data released Monday … Americans’ deep pessimism about the economy isn’t deterring them from traveling to celebrate the unofficial start of the summer season.” [Axios]

Dem Candidates for Lt. Gov. Make Their Case — “With six candidates on the ballot, that means this year’s winner could emerge victorious with a fraction of the votes cast … We asked all six Democratic candidates for their take on key issues facing the commonwealth, including federal spending cuts, data centers, housing, education, and how they’d approach the job.” [WAMU]

Bailey’s Crossroads Restaurant Nears 50 Years — “When he opened Peking Gourmet Inn in a small Falls Church, Virginia, strip mall nearly five decades ago, Eddy Tsui had a simple vision. The key to any successful restaurant, he believed, is food and service.” The restaurant, now owned by son George Tsui, “has been drawing guests from around the region, and the globe,” to the Culmore neighborhood since 1978. [WTOP]

GMU to Honor Record Number of Graduates — “George Mason University will celebrate Spring Commencement on Thursday by honoring a record-setting number of students earning degrees, and nearly 11,800 students total will be recognized for earning degrees or certificates. Class of 2025 graduates represent 117 countries, 49 states, and the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and military installations.” [GMU]

Maintenance Planned for Woodrow Wilson Bridge — “Heads up, drivers — expect some overnight delays on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge this week. The Virginia Department of Transportation says the bridge will have maintenance openings from 10 p.m. on Thursday (May 15) to 5 a.m. on Friday (May 16), weather permitting.” [ALXnow]

Chantilly Student Prepares for Spelling Bee — “Let’s be real — A lot of us have a hard time with spelling, but not Nikita Ramakrishnan. The eighth grader at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly, Virginia is headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.” [NBC4]

Local Teacher Awarded Free Year of Donuts — “Dunkin’ presented Rodney Lopez, a Spanish teacher at Fairfax High School, with a year’s worth of free coffee on Thursday, in recognition of his excellence in teaching and unwavering commitment to student success.” Lopez was nominated to be the chain’s Teacher of the Year by Fairfax High School principal Dr. Georgina Aye. [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — The high will be near 75 degrees with a southeast wind at 5-7 mph and an 80% chance of precipitation. At night, anticipate showers and potentially thunderstorms especially before 11pm, though there’s a chance of rain until 2am. The low will be around 64 degrees. [NWS]

Fines for Passing School Buses Begin — “As of Monday morning, drivers who pass a school bus that’s picking-up or dropping-off students in Fairfax County, Virginia will receive a $250 citation … The county said in a statement to WTOP that last week’s violations were still being processed, but preliminary data shows the program is averaging 76 warnings per day.” [WTOP]

Driver Still Hospitalized After Lorton Crash — A woman remains hospitalized in life-threatening condition in the wake of a two-vehicle crash that occurred at Telegraph Road and Newington Road on Saturday (May 10). The other driver wasn’t injured. Detectives are continuing to investigate, the Fairfax County Police Department says. [FCPD]

Car Fire in Lorton Under Investigation — “A driver was hospitalized after a car fire in Fairfax County Monday morning, and firefighters are still working to learn how it happened.” Crews that responded to the 9800 block of Old Colchester Road around 10:45 a.m “found a car ablaze, and a person outside the car was also on fire.” [WUSA9]

Report Forecasts Va. Economic Downturn — “One in seven jobs in Virginia is directly or indirectly linked to the federal government. Cuts to the federal workforce and government spending will mean a significant hit to Virginia’s economy this year, according a new economic forecast.” [WTOP]

New Seven Corners Fire Station Celebrated — “On Saturday, #FCFRD hosted a Grand Opening for our newest station – Fire Station 28, Fort Buffalo. The ceremony recognized all those whose hard work made the station a reality, highlighted the history and Civil War connection of FS28, and honored the vital work our firefighter do everyday to serve the FS28 community.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Springfield School Educates Female Refugees — “Hundreds of Afghan and Ukrainian women and girls across the world are getting an education and are on the path to a better life thanks to the Eagle Online Academy. The Springfield-based school offers English language classes and skills training in such areas as cybersecurity, software development” and more. [Annandale Today]

Leadership Change at Fort Belvoir — “Fort Belvoir’s Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hopkins passed the torch Friday to Atlanta native Brandon Creel during a change of responsibility ceremony at the garrison. The occasion was marked by the passing of the garrison colors.” [Inside NoVA]

It’s Tuesday — Rain is guaranteed with showers followed by possible thunderstorms after 5pm. The high will near 69, with new rainfall of three quarters to one inch. Showers and potential thunderstorms continue at night with a low around 63 and an additional half to three-quarters of an inch of rainfall expected. [NWS]

White South African ‘Refugees’ Coming to Dulles — “Plans are underway to fly approximately 60 Afrikaners to Dulles International Airport on a State Department-chartered plane Monday, with federal and Virginia officials preparing to receive them in a ceremonial news conference.” The group is being welcomed despite the Trump administration’s suspension of other U.S. refugee admissions. [Washington Post]

Update on Herndon Double Murder Case — “Prosecutors are seeking to include statements made to police by a 4-year-old girl after her mother and another victim were found slain in the family’s home [in] Herndon.” The motion will be argued soon after attorneys met for a brief hearing last Friday (May 9). [NBC4]

Prison Sentence for Fatal I-395 Motorcycle Crash — “A Falls Church man who fled the scene after striking a motorcyclist near the Pentagon last year has been sentenced to three and a half years behind bars.” The sentence was handed down in Arlington Circuit Court last Friday, May 2. and exceeds the recommended 180 days. [ARLnow]

School Board Revises Cell Phone Usage Policy — After months of debate, the Fairfax County School Board voted 9-3 on Thursday (May 8) to permit “limited cellphone use by students. The compromise allows students to use their cellphones before and after class and during their lunch break.” A phone storage pilot program is still in effect. [WTOP]

Tree Falls Onto Fairfax City Home — “A falling tree crashed onto a duplex in Fairfax County, tearing down power lines and forcing a family out of their home.” The family that resides in the duplex was sleeping at the time, but fortunately, no one was in the bedroom where the tree fell, so there were no injuries. [NBC4]

New Watch Shop Opens in Tysons — “Luxury watch retailer Lenkersdorfer has unveiled a new 7,800-square-foot showroom in Tysons Corner Center, where customers can find a selection of watches from prestigious brands.” The showroom is complemented by the brand’s only Tudor boutique in the area. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Park Authority Awarded Invasive Species Grant — The Fairfax County Park Authority will receive a $60,827 grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry for invasive species management on parkland. The funds will support an Early Detection Rapid Response program that identfies new populations of invasive plants and “must be used by the end of June 2025.” [FCPA]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 76, accompanied by a 30% chance of rain. The likelihood of precipitation will jump to 90% at night, with showers and possible thunderstorms appearing after 5am. The low temperature will be around 64. [NWS]