Author: FFXnow.com

Fire Burns Down Century-Old Barn in Centreville — Fairfax and Loudoun county firefighters responded around 4:30 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) to a barn fire at Cox Farms at 15621 Braddock Road. While no people were injured, the farm lost “about a dozen chickens, a tractor and a slide were lost in the fire, along with artwork that decorated the barn and a sunflower sculpture.” [WUSA9]

Alleged Serial Killer Convicted of Women’s Murders — “It took a jury only 30 minutes to find ‘shopping cart killer’ suspect Anthony Eugene Robinson guilty of killing two women in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2021. The jury recommended four life sentences, plus 10 years in prison and a $400,000 fine in the deaths of Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon and Tonita Smith.” [WTOP]

Va. Mothers Advocate for Stronger Driving Laws — “Two Virginia mothers who lost their children in car crashes are turning their grief into action, working with state lawmakers to push for stricter driver and passenger safety laws. Their efforts could lead to new penalties for unlicensed minors driving, expanded driver education in public schools, and a requirement for all adults in a vehicle to wear seat belts.” [Virginia Mercury]

Demolition Looms for Annandale Shopping Center — “The developer of a future mixed-use project at the Eastgate Shopping Center on John Marr Drive in Annandale submitted a demolition plan to Fairfax County on Jan. 28 … Everything to the left of K Market — including Kimen Ramen Izakaya, Pelicana Chicken, The Block, b-Thrifty, ToBe Nails, Sinsegye Department, and Ben Gong’s Tea — is slated for demolition.” [Annandale Today]

Pizza Chain Founders to Open Falls Church Cafe — “A French cafe and creperie with a vintage aesthetic may be opening soon in Falls Church. The Little Falls Cafe is a new concept by Enzo Algarme and Anastasiya Laufenberg, the founders of Pupatella, an acclaimed Arlington-based pizzeria. The team aims for a spring opening.” [ARLnow]

Fairfax City Replaces Sewer — “Crews are replacing 200 feet of an aging sewer line on Orchard Street. The work area extends from Bevan Drive to a utility access point about 200 feet to the west of the intersection. Work is scheduled to take place at the site from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through Friday, Feb. 21.” [City of Fairfax]

Tysons ID Verification Company Pursues Growth — “ID.me has closed on a gargantuan $275 million credit facility from Los Angeles’s Ares Management, which is also making a ‘substantial equity investment’ in the digital identity verification company. ID.me announced the financing Thursday and said in a news release it would use its largest-ever funding vehicle to speed its growth.” [Washington Business Journal]

FFXnow Seeks Feedback with Reader Survey — FFXnow is conducting our annual reader survey. “The survey is quick and straightforward to complete, but your responses will significantly influence our direction throughout 2025. Thank you for helping us better serve Fairfax County!” [FFXnow]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures around 57°F and gentle south winds blowing at 3-8 mph. By night, the skies will turn mostly cloudy with the temperature dropping to approximately 46°F, as southwest winds pick up to around 7-10 mph. [NWS]

Construction to Detour GW Parkway Traffic — “Southbound traffic on GW Parkway will be detoured between Route 123 and Spout Run Parkway this weekend. The detour begins at 10 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) and lasts through 5 p.m. on Sunday. One northbound lane will remain open as work on the North Parkway Rehabilitation Project continues.” [ARLnow]

Teen Charged with Herndon Shooting — Police arrested a 15-year-old boy yesterday (Thursday) who allegedly shot a man near Worldgate Centre on Wednesday (Jan. 29). The charges include malicious wounding, use of a firearm to commit a felony, shooting into an occupied vehicle and willfully shooting a gun in public. [Herndon Police/Facebook]

National Airport Crash Highlights Crowding Concerns — “In the wake of a deadly collision near Reagan National Airport between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter, two Virginia Congress members said they’ve been voicing concerns over D.C.’s crowded airspace for ‘many, many years,'” though Sen. Mark Warner noted that the cause of the crash remains to be determined. [WTOP]

Loudoun Supervisors Urged to Oppose Casino Bill — “A coalition of Loudoun residents concerned about a bill passing through the General Assembly that would add Fairfax County to the list of counties eligible to house a casino last week pushed the Board of Supervisors to oppose it. County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) said the board would not take a position on the legislation.” [Loudoun Now]

Halal Eatery Coming to Annandale — “Blazin Halal … is moving into the space formerly occupied by Munch & Co. and Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt in the Eastgate shopping center in Annandale. The shop could open as early as mid-February, says a company spokesperson. It’s located at 4367 John Mar Drive next to Glam Karaoke.” [Annandale Today]

Lingerie Store to Leave Fairfax Corner — “Belle Mode Intimates, a lingerie store in Fairfax Corner, has announced that it will be moving out of its current storefront. The owner, Nicole Martin, says the store will relocate.” The new store will be “in a nearby area” and is expected to open this spring. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Local Golf Courses Named Among Top 50 in U.S. — “Burke Lake Golf Center and Oakmont Golf Center have been recognized as two of the top 50 public golf ranges in the country by Golf Range Magazine. This magazine is published by the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) and the Professional Golf Association (PGA).” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Friday — Expect rain with a high near 55, south wind at 9-11 mph, and gusts up to 30 mph. Precipitation is guaranteed, with new amounts ranging from half to three-quarters of an inch. There’s a 50% of continued rain at night until 1am, followed by clearing skies and a low of around 42. [NWS]

Airplane and Helicopter Crash at National Airport — “A massive emergency response is on scene of an aircraft crash in the water near Reagan National Airport. A military helicopter and a regional jet with about 60 people on board collided mid-air, according to an FAA statement and initial reports.” A military spokesperson said the helicopter was on a training flight from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir. [ARLnow]

McLean Woman Killed in Ballston Crash — Arlington County police identified 32-year-old Xuewei He of McLean as the woman who died in a four-vehicle crash at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road on Monday (Jan. 27). Charges are pending against a pickup truck driver who was hospitalized with serious injuries from the crash. [ARLnow]

Youngkin Defends Attempted Federal Funding Freeze — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had a message early Wednesday for everyone claiming President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again, on-again freeze on trillions of dollars in federal spending would create chaos: Get over it — this is what people want.” [Washington Post]

Shrinking Federal Government Could Upend Region — “For all of the IT, education, healthcare, and service industry activity in the DMV, [GMU researcher Terry] Clower says, the region’s economy is still starkly dominated by the federal government, its contractors, and the jobs they create. Massive reductions in federal jobs could hit DC like the closure of steel mills hit Midwestern company towns.” [Washingtonian]

Surviving Dogs From Crash That Killed Pilot Find Homes — “Two dogs that survived an animal-rescue flight crash that killed the pilot have found new homes as the late aviator’s friends work to honor him by helping more pets, a shelter director said Wednesday. The Nov. 24 crash in New York’s Catskill Mountains killed Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, a dedicated volunteer who transported cats and dogs from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters to rescue groups.” [Associated Press/WTOP]

Doggie Day Care Opening in Lincolnia — “Playful Pack, a new daycare and boarding center for dogs, opens in Barcroft Plaza on Feb. 3. The community is invited to an open house on Saturday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.” at the center, which will be located at 6464-C Lincolnia Road. [Annandale Today]

Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer to Midnight — “Humanity is closer than ever to catastrophe, according to the atomic scientists behind the Doomsday Clock. The ominous metaphor ticked one second closer to midnight this week. The clock now stands just 89 seconds away — its first move in two years and the closest the clock come to midnight in its nearly eight-decade history.” [NPR]

County Launches Environmental Sustainability Campaign — “A new county-sponsored public awareness campaign draws attention to actions that residents can take to foster environmental stewardship and promote sustainable practices that will ensure a greener, healthier future. The county’s ‘Sustain Fairfax’ campaign makes it easy for residents to get involved.” [Fairfax County Government]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 48, with light winds becoming southwest at 5-7 mph in the morning. Thursday night will bring rain, primarily after 1 am, with a low of around 40 and a south wind at 6-9 mph. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, with potential rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]

Federal Workers Offered “Buyouts” — “The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is offering buyouts to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed.” [Associated Press]

FCPS Teachers Fear Possible ICE Arrests of Students — “David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said educators are concerned about the ripple effects … He’s unaware of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visiting Fairfax County schools in the last week, and anecdotally, he hasn’t heard about teachers reporting an unexpected number of absences since the policy switch was announced.” [WTOP]

Bill Would Update Commanders’ Name in Virginia Code — “Legislation to officially remove ‘Washington Redskins’ from the Code of Virginia and replace it with ‘Washington Commanders’ took a step forward Tuesday, advancing to the full House Transportation Committee … House Bill 2721, sponsored by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, aims to update state law regarding special license plates for team supporters.” [Virginia Mercury]

Tysons Software Company Might Be Rebranding — Microstrategy, which has spent the past few years buying cryptocurrency, filed a plan with Fairfax County on Friday (Jan. 24) “to replace the exterior ‘MicroStrategy’ building sign at its 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza headquarters with a new sign that reads StrategyB — a clear reference to the business’s transformation into a bitcoin bank.” [Washington Business Journal]

Metro Launches Food Donation Drive — “Metro is inviting the public to participate in the ‘Fill-A-Bus’ campaign to drive out hunger and food insecurities in the region.” Aiming to collect enough food and raise enough money for the Capital Area Food Bank to provide about 41,000 meals, Metro will park a bus outside Giant Food stores across the region, including the one in Annandale (7137 Columbia Pike) on Feb. 13. [WMATA]

Fairfax City Hall Gets Landscaping Makeover — “Fairfax City is beginning the landscape and hardscape improvements to the front of the City Hall building, 10455 Armstrong Street, as of Jan. 27.” Expected to finish this summer, the project “includes expanding the landscaping area in front of the City Hall and replacing the stairs leading to Armstrong Street and upgrading lighting and irrigation.” [City of Fairfax]

Local Firefighters Donate Blood — “#FCFRD partnered with @IAFF2068 and Inova to host a blood drive for department members at Public Safety Headquarters. Thanks to everyone who gave their time and blood to help save lives right here in our community!” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Community Excited for New Mount Vernon Rec Center — “The Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) Jan. 23 community information meeting on the reopening of the Mount Vernon Rec Center was so popular that the parking lot quickly filled up at Belle View Elementary School … Overall, community members seem to be excited about the renovated $70 million facility.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 56 degrees, accompanied by breezy conditions, including a west wind blowing at 13 to 23 mph and gusts reaching up to 44 mph. The night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 30 degrees, a northwest wind at 8 to 16 mph, and gusts peaking at 30 mph. [NWS]

Groveton Apartments Targeted by ICE Raid — “Some residents of an apartment complex in Fairfax County, Virginia, say they’re alarmed and frightened after waking up to loud door knocks from federal agents before sunrise on Sunday.” The raid at the Beacon Hill Apartments was one of many carried out nationwide by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 26, leading to more than 1,170 arrests. [NBC4]

Two Virginia Children Die From Flu — “The Virginia Department of Health on Monday reported two influenza-associated pediatric deaths, the first reports for the 2024–25 flu season. One death occurred in a young school-aged child between the ages of 5 of 12 years old in Virginia’s Eastern Region and one in a teenage child between the ages of 13 and 17 years old in the Central Region, which is in the southern part of the state.” [Inside NoVA]

Senate Passes Bill to Protect Voting ‘Quiet Period’ — The state Senate voted 20-18 yesterday (Monday) to pass a proposal from Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) “to clarify the federal 90-day threshold for voter roll removals and extend the response time for flagged individuals to contest their potential purge.” Removals of voters flagged as “non-citizens” last year led to a lawsuit and reports of people being erroneously dropped from voter rolls. [Virginia Mercury]

Longtime Radio Anchor Dies — “WTOP evening anchor Dimitri Sotis, whose deep, warm voice informed and kept listeners in the D.C. region company during storms, elections and breaking news, has died at the age of 55 … Sotis was the evening anchor at WTOP for more than two decades; listeners heard his distinctive timbre weekdays from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.” [WTOP]

N. Va. Business Leaders Optimistic About Economy — “Northern Virginia business owners are overwhelmingly optimistic about the region’s economy in the new year, but affordability has become a top concern for business leaders trying to attract new talent and new businesses to the region,” according to a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. [WTOP]

Fairfax City Police Make Arrest After Gunshots Reported — “City of Fairfax Police have apprehended a suspect in connection to the attempted malicious wounding that occurred Friday morning in the 3100 block of Campbell Drive … Investigators recovered shell casings on the scene. No injuries were reported and no property was reported damaged, according to police.” [Patch]

Falls Church Advances Accessory Unit Policy Update — “Falls Church officials are nearing a decision on an ordinance that would make it easier to build accessory-dwelling units … At a Council work session last week, however, there was a split between elected leaders and top staff on how much remaining public input is advisable before the matter goes to a vote.” [ARLnow]

Local Students Compete in World Diving Championships — “Carter G. Woodson High School senior Nathaniel Grannis and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) senior Rem Turatbekov have gone international. Nathaniel and Rem recently returned from the Junior World Diving Championships in Rio de Janeiro, where Nathaniel represented the U.S. and Rem dove for his birth country, Kyrgyzstan.” [FCPS]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny conditions today with a high of around 52 degrees and west winds at 7 to 12 mph, increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, with potential gusts up to 33 mph. The evening will bring mostly clear skies and a low of about 31 degrees. [NWS]