Author: FFXnow.com

Drought Watch Still in Place — Despite a wetter-than-usual May, the D.C. region still hasn’t gotten enough rain to lift a drought watch that has been in place since last July, the executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin says. That could change, as NOAA is forecasting “above average rainfall between now and the end of August.” [WTOP]

Office Space for Subleasing Declines — “The sublease supply for Northern Virginia’s top office hubs is shrinking as the market has begun to stabilize after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a May 22 report from Avison Young.” After peaking at over 4.2 million square feet in the second quarter of 2023, available space in the Rosslyn-Ballston, Tysons and Reston-Herndon submarkets dipped to 2.75 million square feet in Q2 2025. [Virginia Business]

Food Bank Predicts Plunge in Supply — “Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food for Others was able to assist 64,000 people in Fairfax County experiencing food insecurity last year, distributing 3.8 million pounds of food.” Deb Haynes, executive director of the Merrifield-based nonprofit, says federal funding cuts will lead to at least “a 50 percent reduction in the food that we’re receiving to distribute to the community.” [Patch]

Skepticism of Trash Service Consolidation — “Some of the concerns raised at the town hall dealt with the prospect of small trash haulers being forced out of business, whether homeowner associations could be excluded, and residents’ lack of choice in deciding what services they want.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Mall Stakeholder Looking to Sell — “The Alaska Permanent Fund is looking for buyers for some of its retail and office properties to reinvest the raised cash into multifamily and industrial assets.” Chief Investment Officer Allen Waldrop said at a May 28-29 board meeting that the fund is looking “to offload some or all of its 50% stake in two properties,” including Tysons Corner Center. [Bisnow]

Federal Cuts Could Affect Housing Programs — “A series of White House budget requests sent to Congress in May proposes deep cuts for housing programs that Virginia has long relied on to help struggling renters, first-time homebuyers, and those who are unhoused and in need of shelter. Federal housing funds also support organizations that fight housing discrimination.” [Virginia Mercury]

Firefighters Reunite With Saved Pedestrian — Firefighters from Burke and Fairfax City responded on Feb. 26 to a vehicle crash that left a 4-year-old girl with critical injuries. “We’re thrilled to share that Charlotte has made a full recovery, and even better, she stopped by the firehouse over the weekend to visit the crews who helped save her life.” [IAFF Fairfax County/Facebook]

School Counts Down to Soccer World Cup — “News4 and Telemundo44 are celebrating the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a friendly match between two elementary schools in Springfield, Virginia. T44’s Joseph Martinez was at Key Middle School Wednesday for the fun.” [NBC4]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly cloudy conditions with a high near 86 and south winds between 6 to 8 mph. Thursday night will also be mostly cloudy with a low around 65 and south winds ranging from 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]

State Grants Fund Police Surveillance Tech — Money originally collected by Virginia from vehicle insurance companies to reward tipsters who provide information about vehicle thefts is increasingly being used to reimburse police agencies for license plate readers and other “surveillance equipment and services.” [Cardinal News]

Potential Trash Changes Concern Haulers — “The proposed change, county officials say, would cut the number of waste trucks travelling through some neighborhoods from 18 to six. But small business owners like Larry Foster, who runs Evergreen Disposal, say the consequences could be devastating.” [WUSA9]

Police Investigate Indecent Exposure — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are asking for the community’s help in identifying a suspect believed to be responsible for an indecent exposure case near Greenbriar.” A man was reportedly “seen near a trail masturbating” on Aug. 20, 2024, but police say they’ve now obtained security footage showing the alleged suspect. [FCPD]

Empty Tysons Office Building Acquired — “The Meridian Group has acquired a persistently vacant, 24-story trophy office tower formerly known as Tysons Central, with hopes of turning around its leasing fortunes.” Vacant since finishing construction in 2022, the building at 1750 Tysons Central Street will be renamed Boro Central and incorporated into Meridian’s The Boro development. [WBJ]

Donations Suggested to Honor Cathy Hudgins — “For those who wish to honor Cathy Hudgins and her legacy, her family suggests donations be made to the nonprofit Friends of Southgate Community Center which supports the community center named after her. Her visitation and funeral service is Friday, June 6.” [Walter Alcorn/Bluesky]

Students Raise Money for Firefighters — “Students at the Oakwood School in Annandale raised more than $7,000 for the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department. The Oakwood Student Council hosts a walk-a-thon every spring to raise money for a local organization by asking for donations from friends and family members. This year, the students raised funds to help the AVFD purchase a new ambulance.” [Annandale Today]

Local Man Wins Lottery — Fairfax resident Samer Jarrah recently won a nearly $2.9 million jackpot from the Virginia Lottery. “Jarrah scored big while playing MONOPOLY Super Spin online. The game features a progressive, growing jackpot. The odds per game of winning a prize are 1 in 3.88.” [DC News Now]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 87 degrees, accompanied by a south wind at 6 to 10 mph. Wednesday night will bring partly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 67 degrees, with a south wind at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]

Busy Hurricane Season Predicted — “The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is here, and weather experts are warning it could be a busy one. Both Colorado State University and NOAA are predicting more storms than usual this year. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe and prepared.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Assaults Reported at Metro Stations — “A Fairfax County, Virginia, man is facing charges after Alexandria police arrested him following what they believe were two separate attempted abductions of women, near different Metro stations, Friday night.” Police say the 35-year-old man attacked one woman at the Braddock station and another who was with her 4-year-old child at the Potomac Yard station. [WTOP]

ESPN Host With Local Roots Dies — “John Brenkus, host and co-creator of ESPN’s ‘Sport Science,’ died on Saturday, according to an announcement made on his X account Monday night. He was 54.” Brenkus, who graduated from Vienna’s James Madison High School in 1989, “had been dealing with depression, the statement said.” [NBC News]

Golf Training Center Opens in Annandale — “GolfPark, located on the first floor of an office building at 7630 Little River Turnpike, offers private golf lessons on nine bays with golf simulators. Patrons can also rent a simulator for practice for $40 an hour or $30 an hour on non-peak times, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Thursday.” [Annandale Today]

Reston Man Climbs Everest — “Reston entrepreneur Len Forkas recently reached the summit of Mount Everest, his latest effort in bringing attention to Hopecam, a nonprofit he founded to connect children with cancer to their friends and classmates.” [Patch]

Down Quarter for Reston Contractor — “Science Application International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) was among the biggest losers on Wall Street on Monday after the Reston government technology contractor reported only modest revenue growth and weaker-than-expected profits in the first quarter that ended May 2.” The company attributed a dip in net income partly to contract awards delayed by high turnover in the federal agencies that make up nearly all its customers. [WBJ]

Fortune 500 List Released — “Fortune’s annual Fortune 500 list of the 500 largest U.S. companies based on annual revenue includes 20 headquartered in the D.C. area, though one will fall off next year’s list and one is technically dual-headquartered.” Fairfax County-based entries include Freddie Mac, Capital One, Leidos and more. [WTOP]

New Exhibit Coming to Army Museum — “A new exhibit is set to open on June 7 at the National Museum of the United States Army to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary. For a limited time only, the museum will display a rare collection of 280 Revolutionary War artifacts from the original colonies including England, France, and Canada.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies today, with highs reaching near 83 degrees and calm winds turning west at around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, the skies will remain mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 62 degrees and a south wind blowing at about 6 mph. [NWS]

Police Enhance Security for Synagogues — “Following [Sunday’s] targeted attack in Boulder, the FCPD extends our deepest condolences to the Jewish community. There are no specific threats to our community at this time. However, the safety of our faith-based institutions continue to be paramount. We are enhancing our patrols and visibility throughout the county around our synagogues and all places of worship, ensuring a strong, supportive presence.” [FCPD/X]

Metro Ban Policy Takes Effect — “Metro is reminding customers of a new systemwide banning policy taking effect this week.” Under its new policy, the transit agency will institute bans of 45 days to a full year against anyone who’s arrested for committing a violent or sex-related crime on its property. [WMATA]

Arrest for ‘Obscene Sexual Display’ — A 63-year-old man was arrested by Fairfax City police on Friday (May 30) for allegedly propositioning a CUE bus passenger for sex and then engaging “in a lewd act” on May 30. Police say an “investigation revealed that the same suspect was involved in similar incidents over the past few weeks.” [City of Fairfax Police]

Bill Proposes Metro Renaming — “In a new bill, Florida Rep. Greg Steube proposed the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, would no longer receive federal funds until it’s renamed to the ‘Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access,’ or WMAGA. It would also rebrand Metrorail as the ‘Trump Train.'” [WTOP]

Vienna Stop Sign Campaign Underway — “The Vienna Police Department is launching its annual traffic safety campaign, focusing on enforcing all traffic laws, particularly those related to stop signs. Officers will be vigilant in issuing tickets and reminding drivers of the importance of coming to a complete stop when encountering a solid or flashing red light or a stop sign, ensuring they halt before entering the crosswalk, intersection, or stop line.” [Vienna Police]

Public Hearing on Braddock Road Project — “The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold the design public hearing Monday, June 2, on the planned multimodal and access management improvements along three miles of Braddock Road (Route 620) between Humphries Drive and Ravensworth Road (Route 2864) … and half a mile of Ravensworth Road between Braddock Road and Heritage Drive.” [VDOT]

Health Department Awards Student Project — “A team from Justice High School won an award for ‘best group project’ in the Fairfax County Health Department’s Youth Ambassadors program. Justice students Brenda Ferrufino-Cruz and Connor Morgan’s project was a plan to increase awareness of the early signs of a stroke.” [Annandale Today]

Students Build Old-School Arcade — “Students at Edison Academy’s cyber program worked on a months-long project — building their very own retro arcade. Their teacher, Aaron King, came up with the idea to engage the students with the material and put together everything they had learned in the year … The electrical and cyber classes designed and built the arcade, with everything from Pong to Ms. Pac-Man to a version of Just Dance.” [WUSA9]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine during the day with temperatures reaching around 75°F and a northwest wind at 7 mph. As evening approaches, minimal clouds are anticipated, with the temperature dropping to a cool 56°F and calm winds. [NWS]