Author: FFXnow.com

Where to See Cherry Blossoms in D.C. Area — “D.C.’s most famous cherry trees along the Tidal Basin are approaching peak bloom, and you can see beautiful cherry blossoms throughout D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.” Fairfax County options include Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Wolf Trap and the Van Gogh Bridge at Lake Anne in Reston. [NBC4]

Foul Play Not Suspected in Prosecutor’s Death — “Jessica D. Aber, the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who died at age 43, had long suffered from a serious medical condition, and police have told those close to her that they do not suspect foul play, two family friends told The Washington Post.” [Washington Post]

Youngkin Vetoes Minimum Wage, Gun Bills — “Monday was Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s deadline to take action on the roughly 900 bills that Virginia’s legislature approved to send his way. Monday afternoon saw over 300 signatures and a handful of vetoes,” including of legislation that would’ve raised the state’s minimum wage and banned assault weapons in public spaces. [Virginia Mercury]

Fairfax County Hires New I.T. Director — “Matt Harrison has been appointed director of the Department of Information Technology (DIT), effective Monday, April 21. Harrison will succeed Greg Scott, who is retiring after decades of service to Fairfax County.” He most recently led the IT department at Stafford County. [Fairfax County]

Staff Move into New Seven Corners Fire Station — “The Fort Buffalo Fire Station has finally been completed. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department posted a short video on Facebook on March 20 showing staff moving in. A grand opening is expected to be scheduled in May.” [Annandale Today]

Forthcoming Restaurant Offers Food Truck Preview — “Flavor Hive, the restaurant coming to a former Wells Fargo building in Annandale, is under construction, but it’s already ‘open.’ Flavor Hive food trucks parked on the site are attracting long lines of customers drawn by the company’s huge social media presence and its signature dish – the ‘walking taco chips bag.'” [Annandale Today]

Recently Opened Clothing Store Reports Steady Business — “Mayor Catherine Read joined local business leaders for a ribbon cutting ceremony on [March 20] to welcome the new J.Crew Factory store to Fairfax City Mall … Since its opening on Feb. 13, the J. Crew Factory store at 9650-42 Main St. has already seen a steady influx of customers, according to store director Helen Hajibadri.” [Patch]

Nearby: New State Park Could Be Established in Loudoun — “After initial efforts to have the home of President James Monroe turned into a state park hit resistance in the Senate, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday morning announced he would include funding to support the park through a budget amendment.” [Loudoun Now]

It’s Tuesday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high of around 61 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 50% chance of rain before 2 am, followed by mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature of around 41 degrees. The west wind will be around 7 mph. [NWS]

Man Charged After Firing Gun Outside CIA HQ — “A man who authorities say fired a handgun repeatedly at CIA headquarters on Wednesday morning in an hours-long barricade situation has been charged with a single federal firearms count, court records show.” The 28-year-old man allegedly “fired ‘several rounds’ at the facility before turning the gun on himself.” [Washington Post]

Former U.S. Attorney Found Dead in Alexandria — “Jessica D. Aber, who served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has died at 43, officials say. Alexandria police responded to a call about an unresponsive woman in the 900 block of Beverley Drive in Alexandria around 9:18 a.m. on Saturday (March 22). They found Aber dead at the scene.” [ALXnow]

Fairfax Station House Fire Under Investigation — Fairfax County firefighters responded to a house fire Saturday (March 22) afternoon in the 7100 block of Laketree Drive. “Crews immediately went to work to extinguish the fire and conduct searches. All occupants safely evacuated. No firefighter or civilian injuries. Fire investigators are on scene working to determine the cause of the fire.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department/Facebook]

Restaurant Advocacy Group Warns of Potential Closures — “The D.C. area’s restaurant community is warning of closures as economic pressures and federal actions raise fears of less spending and higher costs … An RAMW survey released this week found that 44% of ‘full-service casual restaurants’ in the region say they are ‘somewhat likely’ or ‘very likely’ to close this year.” [ARLnow]

County Cheers Newly Naturalized Citizens — “The Office of Elections cheered on new citizens at the USCIS naturalization ceremony held at the Government Center on Thursday. With the help of the League of Women Voters, staff assisted all 75 new citizens in registering to vote and even several citizens in the audience.” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/X]

Google Expands Reston Station Footprint — “Google continues to grow at Comstock’s Reston Station, expanding into another floor in the mixed-use development’s signature trophy office” at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza. “Google will now occupy more than 168,000 square feet in the tower, the [Comstock] spokesperson said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Richmond Highway Sign Company Closes — “A longtime family-owned business on Richmond Highway closed at the end of January, according to a recent media advisory from the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce. FASTSIGNS of Alexandria was acquired by Howard Newman in 1991, and his son Kirby joined him in the business eight years later.” [On the MoVe]

Forever 21 to Shutter U.S. Stores — “The current plan is for Forever 21 stores to hold liquidation sales, and the website will continue to run while operations wind down. There are currently six Northern Virginia store locations, including Arlington, Fairfax, Leesburg, Springfield, Woodbridge, and the Dulles Town Center.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Monday — Showers mainly before 8am, followed by cloudy skies clearing to become mostly sunny with a high near 66. There is a 60% chance of precipitation, with new amounts potentially reaching less than a tenth of an inch. At night, anticipate increasing clouds and a low around 43. [NWS]

Youngkin Lauds Education Department Dismantling — “President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that officially calls on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the US Department of Education … In a statement released after the executive order was signed Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that ‘Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education.'” [Virginia Public Media]

Another Measles Case Reported at N. Va. Airport — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is warning of a second potential measles exposures in northern Virginia. Following a confirmed case involving a passenger at Dulles Airport, the VDH says an infected Maryland resident passed through Reagan National Airport and Metro’s Yellow and Silver line trains. [ALXnow]

Input Wanted on 911 Services — “Fairfax County’s Department of Public Safety Communications (the 9-1-1 Center), in partnership with George Mason University, is seeking your help to improve emergency services.” As part of a research study that also includes integrating automated technology into the county’s 911 system, GMU will host a series of community focus groups, starting tomorrow (Saturday) at Culmore Library. [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Arrest Made in Bailey’s Crossroads Peeping Incidents — “Detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested a man linked to two peeping cases in Bailey’s Crossroads.” Police say the 44-year-old man from Falls Church was caught looking into an apartment window on March 17 and has been linked to earlier cases in the 6000 block of Bellview Drive. [Annandale Today]

Music Therapy Center Coming to Seven Corners — “Recovery Unplugged, an addiction recovery and behavioral health facility that uses music as part of its therapy program, is coming to Seven Corners. Executive Director David Engwall hopes to open in mid-summer. The facility will take over the entire building at 6299 Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]

Herndon Building Supply Company Acquired — “Beacon Roofing Supply, the largest publicly-traded building materials company in the country, has agreed to be acquired by Greenwich, Connecticut-based QXO Inc. in an all-cash deal that values Beacon Roofing at $11 billion. The agreement is a reversal from Beacon Roofing’s initial rejection of a similar offer … made public in January, which it said undervalued the company.” [WTOP]

Celebration of Renovated McLean Park Planned — The Fairfax County Park Authority will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the completion of upgrades at McLean Central Park. “This event will celebrate an extraordinary collaboration to enhance one of McLean’s beloved community spaces and create a more vibrant and accessible park experience.” [FCPA]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny and breezy conditions with a high of 57 degrees and northwest winds blowing between 17 to 21 mph, gusting up to 36 mph. Friday night will have increasing clouds and a low of around 37 degrees. The west wind will calm to 5 to 7 mph before becoming light and variable. [NWS]

What to Know About Measles Cases — “In the past few months, over 280 people in the United States have become ill with measles and two people have died. This includes a large and growing outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.” A traveler at Dulles International Airport was also confirmed to be infected earlier this month. [Fairfax County Health Department]

Utah Man Charged With Soliciting Minor — “Detectives from our Child Exploitation Unit arrested a Utah man following their ongoing operation targeting online predators.” Police say the 39-year-old man arrived in Fairfax County on Sunday (March 16) “with plans to commit sexual acts with a minor, only to be met by detectives.” [FCPD]

Virginia EV Charging Plans in Limbo — “Virginia’s push to expand electric vehicle charging stations has hit a major roadblock — 51 of 53 planned projects are now on hold after a federal freeze, jeopardizing efforts to build out the state’s public EV infrastructure.” Local Del. Karrie Delaney says the halt “defies logic.” [Virginia Mercury]

Loudoun Moves to Limit Data Center Development — “The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan amendments that will eliminate data centers as a by-right use within the county.” Going forward, all applications will be subject to public hearings and approval by the board and planning commission. [Loudoun Now]

More Falls Church Residents Miffed by Road Conditions — “Falls Church residents are less satisfied with their roads than they used to be, a new survey suggests. Still, they continue to have a generally positive view of city services and their community’s overall quality of life.” [ARLnow]

Construction Starts on Reston First Watch — “The Reston community is one step closer to getting its brunch on now that construction work has started on the town’s new First Watch restaurant … A big dumpster is sitting in front of the 6,500 s.f. building and workers are removing the former Carrabba’s fixtures in order to rebuild it as a First Watch.” [The Burn]

Springfield Student Pursues World Record — “Sai Charan Kintali carries so many puzzle cubes with him during the day at Irving Middle School in Springfield, Virginia, he keeps them in a special black case in his backpack.” After setting American records, the eighth grader “now has his sights on another achievement: Kintali wants his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.” [WTOP]

Kitten Yoga for Federal Workers Fills Up — The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is offering a free “gentle flow kitten yoga session” at its Lorton campus this Saturday (March 22). Led by Sara Jeffries of Fort Hunt Yoga, the event is aimed at current and former federal employees, who are evidently in need of an occasion “to relax, stretch, and spend time with adorable kittens,” as the limited space is fully booked. [Fairfax County Animal Shelter]

It’s Thursday — Expect showers to begin after 2pm with a high of 71°F, and a 90% chance of precipitation. A quarter to half an inch of rain is possible. On Thursday night, showers will mainly occur before 2am, with lows around 37. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation with similar rainfall amounts. [NWS]