Author: FFXnow.com

Driver in Fatal Hit-and-Run Still Unknown — “A Fairfax County family is still searching for answers after a devastating hit-and-run crash claimed the life of their matriarch, Mary Wong. The crash happened on Huntsman Boulevard near Bridle Wood Drive just before 8 p.m. on December 27th, 2023 — just two days after Christmas.” [FOX5]

Metro Construction Finishes Ahead of Schedule — Metro resumed normal service at 5 a.m. today (Monday) after suspending operations on parts of the Blue, Orange and Silver lines in D.C. for 10 days of track repairs and upgrades. The construction work finished a day early and “more than $450,000 under budget.” [WMATA]

Motorcyclist Killed in Fair Lakes Crash Identified — Police are continuing to investigate a crash that killed motorcyclist Michael Yung of Lorton at West Ox Road and Piney Branch Road on Friday (Dec. 27). Detectives are looking at whether “speed was a factor” in the crash, which saw Yung collide with an SUV that was turning left in the intersection. [FCPD]

Police Investigate Reston Burglary — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are seeking the community’s help in identifying suspects who burglarized a business and stole electronics in Reston on Christmas Eve.” Police say four people broke into the business in the 1600 block of Reston Parkway and stole electronics around 5 a.m. on Dec. 24. [FCPD]

Critic’s Take on Year’s Best New N. Va. Restaurants — “I’ve been through the good, bad, and forgettable this year, all to bring you a list of my favorite Northern Virginia restaurants of 2024. From vegan soups to dry-aged fish, these are the new restaurants that I’ve measured most favorably.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

This Silver Line Station is Metro’s Least Used — “About 400,000 people ride Metro trains daily, making it the second-busiest subway system in the country behind New York City’s … But at Loudoun Gateway, the second-to-last stop on the Silver Line extension, there is never any bustle,” with an average of 317 people entering the station each day this year. [Washington Post]

Community Centers Start Lending Tech Devices — “Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services is pleased to announce the new Technology Lending Program available at 12 NCS centers.” Any county resident can borrow technology, such as Canon EOS cameras, 3D printers and, in the future, Chromebooks, for 14 days. [NCS]

Local Student Builds Career on TV, Broadway — “Braden Allen King grew up in Fairfax County and watched as his dad and brother took part in local theater productions, and his mom taught dance, with his sister dancing at her studio. So, it wasn’t much of a shock to anyone in his family when he decided he wanted to pursue a career as an actor.” [Fairfax County Times]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy morning followed by gradual clearing and a high around 57°F. There will be west winds blowing at 8 to 11 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dipping to around 38°F. A southwest wind of around 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]

Kid-Friendly Ways to Celebrate New Year — For anyone with young kids who can’t or don’t want to stay up until midnight next Tuesday (Dec. 31), options for ringing in the new year include Rocknoceros New Year’s Eve Ball at Jammin’ Java in Vienna and Noon Year’s Eve Party at Shipgarten in Tysons. Some Fairfax County libraries are also planning “Noon Year’s Eve” celebrations. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Library Contest Offers Free Signed Books — To wrap up its 85th year of service, Fairfax County Public Library is giving out 13 free books signed by its visiting authors. Until next Tuesday, Dec. 31, patrons can enter to win a copy by sharing “how much Fairfax County Public Library has saved you this year (hint: it’s found at the bottom of your checkout receipt).” [FCPL/Instagram]

Local Mom Honors Son Lost to Drug Addiction — For Fairfax resident Debbie Zane, Christmas has become a time for mourning and remembering her son, Alex, who died in January 2022 “after a ten-year battle he had with serious mental illness and addiction.” She has written a book as “a cathartic and giving way to honor Alex while hopefully helping others.” [NBC4]

Falls Church Considers Design for ‘LOVE’ Sculpture — “It was not love at first sight, art-wise, for members of the Falls Church City Council. As a result, city staff will return early in the new year with refinements to a proposed ‘LOVE’ sculpture that will adorn the west side of the City Hall campus.” [ARLnow]

When Fairfax County Will Pick Up Christmas Trees — “Natural Christmas trees will be collected from January 6 to 17, 2025 for recycling. Lights, decorations, and stands must be removed to ensure collection. After January 17, please schedule a brush Special Pickup to have the natural Christmas tree removed.” [DPWES]

Inova Urgent Care Opens in Alexandria — “Inova opened a new urgent care center in Alexandria’s West End on Monday (Dec. 23). The Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care opened at 4600 Kenmore Avenue in the Seminary Plaza shopping center, and it’s the ninth center to open this year in Virginia.” [ALXnow]

Area Restaurants Repurpose Former Pizza Huts — “What do a taqueria, a Korean-Chinese restaurant, and a barbecue joint have in common? They all used to be Pizza Huts. The restaurant chain ditched its distinctive red-hut architecture in 2016, but you can still find the structures around the area, now housing other eateries.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies, with temperatures reaching a high of around 43 degrees. Chances of rain will increase at night, mainly after 1 am, accompanied by patchy fog and overcast conditions, with lows around 38 degrees. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall possibly accumulating between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]

Fort Hunt Man Revived Elaborate Christmas Display — “Christmas displays that inspire awe take effort. But arguably none put up this year took as much effort as the one that [Bill] Vaughan has spent nearly four years working on while recovering from a devastating injury that occurred the last time he tried to put up his display.” [Washington Post]

Woman Injured in Newington Crash — Fairfax County police officers responded around noon on Tuesday (Dec. 24) to “a single vehicle crash on Pohick Road near Havenbrook Way in Newington. The driver, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.” Pohick Road was closed for a couple of hours while detectives investigated. [FCPD/Twitter]

Fairfax City Names Acting Police Chief — “City of Fairfax Police Captain Natalie Hinesley has been selected to serve as acting police chief for the City of Fairfax Police Department … She will assume the acting police chief’s duties on Jan. 3, 2025. The need to select an acting police chief arose when current City of Fairfax Police Chief Erin Schaible announced her retirement earlier this month.” [City of Fairfax]

Annandale to Get New Cafe — “A coffee and sandwich shop, called Coffee & Bread, is expected to open in Annandale in January. The standalone building, at 7109 Columbia Pike, has been empty since December 2023 when Tobacco Luxe closed.” [Annandale Today]

N. Va. Nonprofit Gives Holiday Gifts and Meals — Once a teen struggling with homelessness and hunger, Elizabeth Ford recently “founded a nonprofit called BetterALife that provides children and their families in Loudoun and Fairfax counties with a variety of services … At their annual event called ‘A Child’s Wish,’ her group gave away gifts last weekend to 800 children and their parents.” [Washington Post]

Vienna Hires Economic Development Head From Fairfax — “After the departure of Vienna’s first economic development director, a new director was chosen from Fairfax City Economic Development. The town announced Nicole Toulouse will be the next economic development director, effective Jan. 13. 2025.” [Patch]

Chef Peter Chang’s Rise in the D.C. Area — “Just as Disney devotees make pilgrimages to the legendary theme parks worldwide, Chang fans visit his Sichuan-laden eateries across the DMV and beyond. Though diners are bound to find a cohesive culinary dynamic among his restaurants, various X factors set each apart.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Thursday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, having a high close to 42 degrees and calm wind conditions. By Thursday night, expect partly cloudy skies with a low near 29 degrees and a continued calm breeze. [NWS]

Dog Rescued From Accotink Creek — “Just before 6:30pm #FairfaxsBravest received a call for a dog who had fallen into the Accontink Creek. Units arrived to find a dog stuck in the freezing water. Crews entered and swiftly rescued the dog. The dog was transferred to a local vet for evaluation.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Fairfax Lawmaker Leads Push for Cannabis Sales — Del. Paul Krizek is introducing the House version of a bill that “would establish a legal framework to regulate the sale and taxation of cannabis for adults 21 and older.” Since Virginia legalized marijuana possession in 2021, measures to allow retail sales have stalled, including a bill passed last year that got vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. [Virginia Mercury]

Two Evacuated From McLean House Fire — “At 10:40 am [Monday] morning #FairfaxsBravest responded to a house fire in the 1600 block of Hunting Ave. Units arrived with fire showing from the attic. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and completed primary searches. All negative. 2 civilians evaluated on the scene.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Newington Gun Store Targeted for Theft Again — A 20-year-old man from D.C. has been charged with possessing burglarious tools and wearing a mask in public after allegedly setting off the burglary alarm at Dominion Defense at 7200 Fullerton Road on Dec. 20. Firearms were previously stolen from the business in May 2023 and on Sept. 18. [FCPD]

New Trial Date Set for Herndon Double Murder Case — “Initially, Brendan Banfield’s criminal trial was set for Feb. 3, 2025. But, on Friday, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge S. Azcarate granted a motion for continuance made by Banfield’s lawyers. The four-week jury trial was pushed back to Oct. 20, 2025, according to court documents.” [Patch]

County Launches Public Safety Data Dashboard — “The Safety & Security dashboard is the fifth dashboard now published to support the implementation of the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan.” The dashboard includes data related to arrests, crimes, diversions from arrest, 911 call processing times, “positive interactions with police” and more. [Fairfax County Government]

GW Parkway Gets New Superintendent — “The National Park Service (NPS) announced Dec. 19 that Jennifer (Jen) Madello will be the new superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, effective Dec. 29 … Madello will fill the role previously occupied by Charles Cuvelier, who assumed a new role at NPS this past August.” [On the MoVe]

Local Party City Locations to Close — “Party City is closing all of its stores, including the one on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Party City Holdco Inc. is carrying out a ‘wind down’ of its 748 stores nationwide, which it expects to complete by Feb. 28.” The company also has stores on Loisdale Road in Springfield and Fairfax Blvd in Fairfax City. [Annandale Today]

It’s Tuesday — Rain or freezing rain is expected until 1pm, followed by a slight chance of rain between until 2pm, with a high temperature near 45. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation and a possibility of less than 0.1 inches of new ice accumulation. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 32. On Christmas Day, expect partly sunny skies with a high temperature near 42. [NWS]