Author: FFXnow.com

Man Detained by ICE Previously Charged in Fairfax — “Federal agents and D.C. police detained a man along the National Mall as he cried and screamed for help on Wednesday afternoon.” The man had been charged with sex crimes in Fairfax County in January, but Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano says the charges were dropped after the victim and her mother, whose cooperation was critical to the case, declined to move forward. [NBC4]

McLean Woman Dies From Beltway Fall — “A 36-year-old Virginia woman died Wednesday night after falling from an overpass on the outer loop of the Beltway near MacArthur Boulevard and Clara Barton Parkway in Bethesda, Maryland State Police said Thursday morning in a press release. State police are investigating the incident and have identified the woman who died as Madina Rhine of McLean, Virginia. The release did not state why or how Rhine fell.” [Bethesda Today]

Richmond Overtaking N. Va. in Data Center Growth — “The Richmond region is becoming the fastest-growing data center market in the country … Northern Virginia’s ‘Data Center Alley’ being close to capacity is driving developers south, according to a report this month from real estate services firm Avison Young.” [Axios Richmond]

Brothel Charge Against Spa Dropped — Fairfax County prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge of “keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place” against a massage spa in West Falls Church on Tuesday (Aug. 19) as part of a plea agreement. The business pleaded guilty to operating a massage parlor without a license, a violation that carries a $500 fine, but police say it “remains under active investigation.” [Washington Examiner]

Court Rejects Felon Voting Rights Case — “The Fourth Circuit rejected a challenge to Virginia’s singular voting rights restoration process Tuesday, ruling the system isn’t a licensing scheme subject to scrutiny under a First Amendment doctrine. George Hawkins, convicted as a minor of attempted murder and aggravated malicious wounding in 2010, challenged the system after Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin declined to restore his voting rights in 2023.” [Courthouse News Service]

Poll Finds Support for Housing Reform — “A survey of about 1,300 Virginia voters found that the vast majority of respondents — about 73% — believe that the state lacks enough homes that people can afford to rent or buy.” A majority of Northern Virginia respondents showed support for building affordable housing, allowing homes on smaller lots, capping rent increases for older properties and other legislative changes. [ARLnow]

Tysons VC Firm to Fund Veterans-Led Startups — “Investment firm Veteran Ventures Capital has raised $60 million to deploy equity investments into more than a dozen defense and civilian technology startup companies in the next few years.” The firm, which moved its headquarters from Tennessee to The Boro in April 2024, is looking to support companies involved in space, drones, robotics, cybersecurity, computing, and A.I. and machine learning. [Washington Business Journal]

Reston Town Center Hosts Back-to-School Bash — “BXP, Ted’s Bulletin and Shake Shack in Reston Town Center will be hosting a Back-to-School Bash on Saturday.” Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the pavilion, the event will include live performances, arts and crafts, a Children’s Entrepreneur Market, giveaways, information about educational programs and more. [Patch]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of around 83°F and a gentle north wind at about 6 mph. The night will be clear, and temperatures will dip to around 62°F, accompanied by a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]

How Medicaid Changes Could Affect Va. — “Three major changes will land especially hard in Virginia, some experts believe. Modeling from KFF, an independent health research group, suggests that Virginia could lose just over a fifth of the Medicaid funding it currently receives from the federal government over the next ten years — one of the steepest reductions faced by any state in the country.” [WAMU]

Clifton Man Charged With Seeking Sex From Minors — “On July 5, at 12:45 a.m., officers responded to the 13000 block of Laurel Rock Drive in Clifton for a sex offense report. The complainant reported that the two juvenile victims were walking when a suspect approached them and solicited sexual acts.” A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a child. [FCPD]

Federal Grant for Addiction Recovery Nonprofit Cut — “Ginny Atwood, co-founder of The Chris Atwood Foundation, said she recently learned a multiyear, $200,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services has been ‘wiped out overnight.’ It was COVID-related funding, Atwood said.” The nonprofit fears it could “potentially lose” its recovery community center in Fairfax if it isn’t able to replace the lost funding. [WTOP]

D.C. Marketing Agency Moving to Fairfax — “SweetScience Marketing is relocating its local operations from The Wharf in D.C. to the Mason Enterprise Center in Fairfax. The move for the tech-forward marketing agency is being supported by a grant from Fairfax City Economic Development.” The company anticipates moving into its new office at 10300 Eaton Place in the redeveloping WillowWood Plaza by Oct. 1. [Washington Business Journal]

GMU Catholic Chapel Addition Proposed — “The Catholic Diocese of Arlington recently filed a special permit amendment application with Fairfax County, seeking approval to build an addition to the chapel that serves students at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.” The new space for the St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel would be used for offices and meeting rooms. [Patch]

End in Sight for Columbia Pike Roadwork — “Years of construction on Columbia Pike are finally nearing a conclusion, with county staff targeting ‘substantial completion’ by the end of this year.” Improvements include “wider sidewalks, street trees, new streetlights and better traffic signals,” including a new one at the S. Rolfe Street intersection near the pike’s east end. [ARLnow]

Reston Count Finds Uptick in Dragonflies — “The unusually pleasant August weather helped provide nice results and certainly kept the volunteers from fatiguing early. The final tally was 721 individuals from 16 species of dragonflies. For the last fifteen years, the average individual count has been around 440 dragonflies. The last time the count exceeded 700 was in 2020.” [Reston Association]

Art Installations to Beautify Annandale — “Two noteworthy art experiences will hit Annandale in the next couple of weeks. A new Artopolis show at Beanetics highlights stunning mixed-media and collage works by Theresa Martin, while renowned DC Comics artist Matt Johnston applies his mural skills to Flavor Hive, our new hot dining spot.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Thursday — There’s a 20% chance of showers both before noon and after 1pm, accompanied by a cloudy sky and a high near 76 degrees. At night, clouds will gradually clear to become partly cloudy, and the temperature will dip to a low of around 64 degrees. [NWS]

Hurricane Could Affect Virginia Coast — “Hurricane Erin will pass well offshore the Mid-Atlantic but close enough to generate strong winds and dangerous seas and surf for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware beaches, particularly Wednesday and Thursday. Conditions may remain perilous into the weekend … and many beaches are already closed.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Va. Lawmakers Consider Regulating Chatbots — “As more Virginians turn to artificial intelligence for simple tasks or even companionship, lawmakers are exploring policy ideas to address how AI chatbots are influencing residents’ health and well-being, as well as their privacy and security.” The General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) heard an overview of the technology and potential policy concerns on Monday (Aug. 18). [Virginia Mercury]

11th District Candidates Discuss Priorities — “Congressional candidates James Walkinshaw (D) and Stewart Whitson (R) clashed on Medicaid cuts, immigration, tariffs, crime, and much more in an online forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Aug. 18.” [Annandale Today]

Poll Shows Tightening Governor’s Race — “Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 7-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for Virginia governor, according to a new Roanoke College Poll that shows the contest tightening since the spring … The numbers mark a closer race than in May, when Roanoke’s poll showed Spanberger ahead 43%-26%.” [Virginia Mercury]

Petition Seeking Transgender Girls Ban Accepted — “The Virginia State Board of Health unanimously voted Monday to accept a petition that could lead to regulations banning transgender girls and women from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.” The petition filed by three college swimmers, also called for trans girls and women to be barred from spaces “where females are likely to be in any state of undress.” [WTVR]

New Security Scanners Coming to DCA — “CLEAR and the TSA are piloting biometric ‘eGates’ at three major U.S. airports ahead of a nationwide rollout, the identity verification company told Axios exclusively.” The gates, which will be deployed at Reagan National Airport next week, use “real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler’s face to their ID and boarding pass.” [Axios]

GMU Hires Former Governor — “The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice … McDonnell served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014.” [GMU]

NOVA Senior Olympics Accepting Athletes — “The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics are set for September 13 to 28, marking the 43rd year of the regional games that celebrate health, competition, and community among older adults. Registration is open now through August 29, and organizers expect more than 1,100 participants, a turnout that would make it the largest in the event’s history.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect patchy showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with clouds gradually clearing to mostly sunny skies and a high near 85°F. Precipitation chances stand at 30%. At night, skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 70°F. [NWS]