Author: FFXnow.com

D.C. Area on ‘High Alert’ for Bird Flu — “Bird flu outbreaks have been detected at three poultry operations in Maryland and Delaware, impacting more than 500,000 chickens and leading to heightened alert among officials in the Washington region.” The Maryland H5N1 case was reported on Friday (Jan. 10) and detected in a chicken in Caroline County. [Washington Post]

FCPS Not Affected by Data Breach — “K-12 education vendor PowerSchool experienced a data breach. While FCPS is a customer of PowerSchool, we do not utilize their Student Information System product, which was the system impacted by the data breach.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Governor Highlights Priorities for Final Year — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched his priorities in his State of the Commonwealth speech Monday morning. The speech, and the start of the 2025 Virginia General Assembly, was postponed until after the water crisis in Richmond could be resolved.” [WTOP]

High School Stadium Bathrooms Expected This Summer — “The long-awaited permanent restroom facilities at several high school athletic stadiums around the Richmond Highway Corridor are expected to be ready this summer, according to leaders at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).” [On the MoVe]

Proposed Bill Would Make School Breakfasts Free — “Public school students across Virginia would soon be getting free breakfasts under a newly proposed bill by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) and Sen. Danica Roem (D-30) … The new bill only covers breakfast and costs $43 million, Bennett-Parker said.” [ALXnow]

Annandale Cancer Patient Finds Solace in Singer — “It’s been an incredibly tough year for Cassidy Rajala, an Annandale sixth-grader who’s spent months in the hospital since being diagnosed with leukemia in December 2023. One of the bright spots has been her discovery of pop singer Benson Boone.” [Annandale Today]

N. Va. Social Services Nonprofits Merge — “Northern Virginia Family Service, which offers a variety of help to those in need, last week announced its merger with Alexandria-based Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia. The entities will be combined under the Northern Virginia Family Service, or NVFS, name and will broaden services to better aid children in the region, a spokeswoman for NVFS said.” [Inside NoVA]

It’s Tuesday — Scattered flurries are expected after 4pm, accompanied by increasing clouds and a high near 32. Winds will be from the northwest at 9 to 11 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. For Tuesday night, expect scattered flurries to cease before 9pm, leading to partly cloudy skies and a low around 19. Northwest winds will be stronger, at 13 to 16 mph, and may gust as high as 30 mph. [NWS]

Fundraiser Set Up for Drowning Victims’ Families — “Community members have raised thousands of dollars Saturday night for the funeral expenses for two men who were killed after their car was submerged” in a Chantilly pond. Driver Karna Kadka had three children, while passenger Nischal Bhatta had left his native Nepal about six months ago to live in the U.S. on a student visa, per a Gofundme page. [WUSA9]

FCPS Reopens Schools on Time — For the first time since winter break began in mid-December, Fairfax County Public Schools started classes in line with its regular schedule today (Monday) after a week of weather-related closures and delays. “Thank you again for your trust and patience during last week’s challenges,” Superintendent Michelle Reid said when announcing the decision. [FCPS]

Former TGI Friday’s Restaurant Has Been Leased — “DLC, the relatively new owner of the Springfield Commons shopping center, recently updated its site plan to show Jason’s Crab House in the 6,300-square-foot space formerly occupied by the troubled Fridays chain.” State corporation filings suggest the new tenant is affiliated with a series of businesses that includes 54 Restaurant at nearby Springfield Town Center. [Washington Business Journal]

Pricey Home Sales Tied to Incoming Trump Admin — “Last year, the Washington area experienced its highest number of homes selling for $5 million or more in over a decade, with a significant spike in sales during November and December ahead of the new administration, according to Bright MLS data.” [Axios DC]

Stir-Fry Chain Expanding to Barcroft Plaza — “Honeygrow, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in stir-fry bowls and salads, is coming to Barcroft Plaza. It will be located at 6464-A Lincolnia Road in the space formerly occupied by Chico’s Natural Pet Market. It’s expected to open in July, says Issa Abuelhawa, manager of the Honeygrow in Tysons.” [Annandale Today]

Newington-Area Trail Maintenance Delayed — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is providing an update on the ongoing trail maintenance project in South Run Stream Valley Park … Unfortunately, the colder-than-anticipated December temperatures have necessitated postponing the remaining repairs until the spring, when warmer weather will allow for proper paving and completion of the work.” [FCPA]

Head of Kevin Bacon’s Local Nonprofit Shares Story — “Fast forward to 2007 when Kevin Bacon decided to launch a Northern Virginia-based nonprofit organization supporting impactful initiatives to sustain and enrich local communities … Now at the helm of SixDegrees.org is Stacy Huston, Executive Director,” who spoke to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority about making the transition from business development to the nonprofit world. [FCEDA]

It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 40°F and calm winds shifting to the west at about 5 mph in the afternoon. The night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 20°F and a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]

Winning First Hike Photos Unveiled — The Fairfax County Park Authority got submissions from more than 400 people for its 2025 First Hike Fairfax photo contest. Best-in-show prizes were awarded in four categories — scenery and landscapes, people, wildlife, and pets, along with director’s and judge’s choice awards. Voting for a People’s Choice Award is open through 5 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 14). [FCPA]

Seafood Restaurant Arrives in Chantilly — “Despite frigid temperatures and blustery weather, Ford’s Fish Shack in Chantilly launched this Tuesday just in time for dinner … The Chantilly outpost marks the restaurant chain’s third sit-down venture, joining locations in Ashburn in Lansdowne.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Fairfax City Seeks Acting City Manager — The Fairfax City Council voted on Tuesday (Jan. 7) to contract an executive search firm that will recommend candidates for acting city manager after former city manager Laszlo Palko was terminated in December. Assistant City Manager Melanie R. Zipp is filling the role for now after her predecessor, Valmarie Turner, previously the city’s deputy manager, left for a job in Roanoke. [City of Fairfax]

New Korean Restaurant in the Works — “Oiso Korean Street Food is expected to have a soft opening in March in the retail strip anchored by Giant in central Annandale, says owner and chef William Kim. Oiso will be located at 7133-C Columbia Pike between Wellbeing More and a vacant storefront being renovated for a future Bonchon restaurant.” [Annandale Today]

Falls Church Considers Bicycle Plan Updates — “An update to the Falls Church Bicycle Master Plan has the potential to remake some city streets. But only if there is more effort put into turning aspirations to reality than has been the case with the existing plan, adopted in 2015, according to some members of a key advisory panel.” [ARLnow]

GMU School Aims to Continue Jimmy Carter’s Legacy — “A school on George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax, Virginia, started over 40 years ago as a small center with a handful of faculty members in the 1980s. Since its opening, it has emerged as one of largest conflict resolution schools in the world, and ever since 2020, the school has honored former President Jimmy Carter.” [WTOP]

Meeting on Lincolnia Park Pavilion Rescheduled — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has postponed the public meeting on the proposed pavilion at Green Spring Gardens due to inclement weather. The meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, will now take place on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m.” [FCPA]

It’s Friday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high near 30, with northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph shifting to light west winds in the afternoon. Snow is expected Friday night, primarily after 1am, with a low temperature around 25 and light south winds. There is a 90% chance of precipitation, and new snow accumulation may be less than an inch. [NWS]

GW Parkway Reopens After Snow — The George Washington Memorial Parkway has reopened after closing at 6 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 6) in anticipation of snow. Drivers are still advised “to stay alert while driving through the construction zone,” where just a single travel lane is available in each direction. [National Park Service]

Metrobus Resumes Regular Service — After reducing service in response to Monday’s snowstorm, “Metrobus plans to return to normal service on all routes with potential route-specific detours and/or delays” starting today (Thursday). Normal service is also expected for Metrorail and MetroAccess “with potential for weather-related delays.” [WMATA]

McLean Family Reports Stolen Poultry — “A family in McLean, Virginia, is alerting the community that thieves might be at work after a prized goose and 10 chickens disappeared from their property without a trace.” The family, which keeps the flocks for their small business Bullneck Run Farm, believe the birds were stolen after finding no evidence of a fox or other predator. [NBC4]

First-Ever Oakton Restaurant Week Coming — “The Greater Oakton Community Association will be hosting its first Oakton Restaurant Week from January 17 to 26. The inaugural event will feature 11 participating restaurants, each offering a variety of specials and deals.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

McLean House Sells for $17 Million — “The 14,000 square-foot listing in the Langley Farms neighborhood of McLean (map), on the market for $22.25 million, sold for $17 million on Tuesday … The listing is the second most expensive home to sell in Northern Virginia in the last year.” [DC UrbanTurf]

Tatte Bakery Heading to Falls Church — “Falls Church is poised to welcome another Tatte to the D.C. area later this year. Offering signature pastries and brunch bites, the bakery and cafe is slated to open at 1001 W. Broad Street” this summer. The company’s only Fairfax County location is at Reston Town Center. [ARLnow]

Herndon Town Council Appoints Vice Mayor — “Herndon Mayor Keven LeBlanc and members of the Herndon Town Council approved a resolution naming Clark Hedrick as Vice Mayor for the 2025-2026 term. Hedrick is serving his second term on the Herndon Town Council and his second term as Vice Mayor.” [Town of Herndon]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 28 degrees, accompanied by blustery northwest winds of 16 to 23 mph, gusting up to 41 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 17 degrees and northwest winds of 10 to 16 mph, gusting as high as 26 mph. [NWS]