Author: FFXnow.com

‘Ghost Gun’ Seller Settles Lawsuit over Fatal Shooting — “The sellers of a ‘ghost gun’ kit that a Fairfax County teenager used to build a working pistol, and then kill two of his classmates, agreed Friday to pay more than $2 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of the slain teens.” [Washington Post]

Alleged Drivers in Tysons Street Race Arrested — “Two drivers featured in a video of an illegal street race posted on social media were identified and arrested, according to the Fairfax County Police Department… A Tesla Cybertruck and Lamborghini illegally raced Oct. 13 near Leesburg Pike and Westwood Center Drive in Tysons, authorities said.” [Patch]

Safety Watchdog Sues Metro Agency — “The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission sued Metro on Thursday, alleging that WMATA authorities, who operate D.C. Metrorail and Metrobus, did not hand over information related to its workers’ safety, including a required asbestos program.” [WUSA9]

Fairfax Man Convicted Based on Drone Footage — “A Virginia man was found guilty of second-degree assault in Montgomery County after a jury trial where drone footage from Montgomery County’s Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program showed him stabbing a man in Silver Spring. This case marks the county’s first jury conviction using drone evidence.” [MoCo Show]

Local TV News Anchor to Retire — “Longtime DC-area news anchor Dave Lucas will step down from the anchor desk this month to retire, 7News/WJLA-TV announced in a news release [Friday]. Lucas, the weekday anchor of WJLA’s 24/7 news at noon and the afternoon editions between 2 and 5 p.m., will host his final afternoon newscast on November 22.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Sample of Early Voters in Annandale Favors Harris — “With the election just two days away, we dropped by the Mason Government Center on Saturday, the last day of early voting, to ask random people who they were voting for for president. We then asked them to give a reason in one or two sentences.” [Annandale Today]

Park Authority Proposes Fee Changes — The Fairfax County Park Authority is accepting public comments on proposed adjustments to the fees it charges for use of its golf courses, rec centers and other facilities. Currently under review by the park authority board, the changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. [FCPA]

It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high near 63, and a light southeast wind between 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Monday night brings patchy fog between 1 am and 4 am, but it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and a southeast wind at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

Former CIA Trainee Found Not Guilty of Assault — “A former CIA officer trainee was found not guilty Wednesday of assaulting a fellow trainee inside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in the second trial in a case that helped spark an agency-wide reckoning over sexual assault and harassment within the famed agency.” [Washington Post]

McLean Mansion Tops D.C. Area Sales for 2024 — “The most expensive home to sell in the DC region in years closed on Halloween for an eye-popping number. The eight-bedroom, 35,000 square-foot home in McLean known as The Cliffs … given its location perched above the Potomac River, sold on Thursday for $25.5 million.” The buyer was unidentified. [UrbanTurf]

Annandale on Upswing, Residents Say — “Visitors to the Annandale Today table at the Taste of Annandale last month were asked to fill out a brief, nonscientific survey with the question: ‘Is Annandale getting better or worse?’ Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73.6 percent) checked ‘better.'” A town hall to discuss Annandale’s future is planned for Nov. 13. [Annandale Today]

Local Ice Skating Star to Perform in Showcase — “Vienna native and defending World Champion Ilia Malinin is returning to Northern Virginia to perform in front of the home crowd” as part of the upcoming Xtreme Ice World Premiere, an ice skating showcase coming to Leesburg’s Ion Arena on Nov. 15. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Broken Pedestrian Beacon Getting Fixed — “The rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the intersection of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (MVMH) and Southwood Drive … stopped functioning last December and is in the process of being fixed, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.” [On the MoVe]

Oakton Rec Center Upgrades Complete — “Oakmont Rec Center has reopened after a monthlong closure during which the facility underwent … environmental upgrades and building improvements that include mechanical and plumbing systems and many aesthetic changes throughout the facility.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Blood Drive Planned in McLean — “VFW Post 8241 in McLean is hosting a Red Cross blood drive on November 22, 2024, from 10 am to 3 pm, at 1051 Spring Hill Road (corner of Spring Hill and Old Dominion). The Red Cross is also giving away holiday socks to donors. Please help the Red Cross save lives by donating blood before the holidays.” [VFW Post 8241]

Reston Store Launches Chocolate Bar Line — “Following a year of development, OmBaked CBD Boutique is rolling out a new line of CBD chocolates.” Owner and founder Radhika Murari says the Lake Anne Plaza store won over customers with its chocolate when it first opened, but they had to be removed so the labels could be adjusted “to comply with Virginia laws.” [Patch]

It’s Friday — There’s a 20% chance of brief showers before 2pm. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 75°F. In the evening, the skies will remain mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 47°F. [NWS]

Regional Campaign Urges Drivers to Slow Down — “As part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, the [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments] is launching a new Street Smart safety campaign with the slogan, ‘Slow Down, Life Ahead.’ The campaign aims to cut down on distracted and impaired driving this fall and winter, when there’s fewer daylight hours and decreased visibility on the road.” [WTOP]

Driver Rescued From Potomac River — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to a vehicle crash “into the Potomac River in the area of Waynewood Blvd/George Washington Memorial Pkwy. Bystanders were able to extricate the occupant prior to firefighter arrival. The occupant was transported to a local hospital.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Hazmat Response Company Opens New HQ — CHEMTREC, which provides hazardous materials emergency response services, celebrated the grand opening of its global headquarters at 3130 Fairview Park Drive on Tuesday (Oct. 29). After 12 years in Fairfax County, the company will spend the next 13 years at “its new 25,000-square-foot headquarters, which will accommodate 100 full-time employees. [Fairfax County EDA]

Halloween Safety Tips — “Halloween is one of the most highly anticipated holidays, especially for children. Dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating and collecting loads of candy is a highlight for kids every Oct. 31. However, it’s important for both parents and children to prioritize safety during the spooky festivities.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Reston Town Center Classified as Business District — BXP classified Reston Town Center as a “central business district” asset in a third-quarter report released Tuesday (Oct. 29). The categorization suggests the developer views RTC as more like urban properties in D.C., Boston and other cities than “suburban” sites like Kingstowne Towne Center’s movie theater. [Washington Business Journal]

New Park Proposed in Falls Church — The Falls Church City Council appears supportive of plans to allocate $1.5 million of $5.3 million in unspent fiscal year 2024 funds “to complete design and move forward with construction on what they call the Fellows site.” The planned park will be on a 1.9-acre property near Oak Street Elementary School that the city acquired in 2019. [ARLnow]

GMU Expands Work with Reston Contractor — “George Mason University and General Dynamics recently expanded an existing partnership to give students more access to career development in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud, and software development.” The space and defense company will offer recruitment, mentorship and other initiatives. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Yoga Studio Opening in Belle View — “Jess Purtell Yoga will hold its first classes Nov. 1 at its new space at Belle View Shopping Center.” Meanwhile, a butcher shop is coming to Fort Hunt, possibly early next year, and the international supermarket Fresh World has bumped back its expectations for opening in Mount Vernon to December or January. [On the MoVe]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine, a high around 79 degrees and a southwest wind between 7 and 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. At night, there will be a 20% chance of showers after 2am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 64 degrees. The southwest wind will continue at 11 to 14 mph with gusts as high as 22 mph. [NWS]

Potomac River Levels Still Below Average — “Flows in the Potomac River have fallen far below normal averages raising the prospect of a continued drought watch in the region and the restarting of daily drought monitoring by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, according to ICPRB executive director Mike Nardolilli.” [WUSA9]

Reston Station Leads Drug Take-Back Day — “On Saturday, our district stations joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect 818 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from the community during the 27th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Initiative.” [FCPD]

Firefighters Distribute Winter Coats — On Monday, Oct. 28, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted a winter coat distribution event at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters & volunteers distributed approximately 1,800 coats to local schools, shelters, & non-profit groups that will go to deserving kids. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!” [FCFRD/Twitter]

A Look at the Future of Dulles Airport — “Dulles Airport has presented its latest 25-year master plan to the FAA.” Anticipating close to 30 million annual passengers by 2030, the Metropolitan Area Airports Authority is planning for a new runway, a new concourse that’s now under construction, a three-level parking garage and “potentially development like new offices.” [NBC4]

Tysons Korean Steakhouse to Expand — Ingle Korean Steakhouse is planning to open a second restaurant in fall 2025 at 1926 14th Street, NW in downtown D.C. Named one of the 50 best restaurants in Northern Virginia this month, Ingle was started by former Donburi owner James Jang and opened at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons in 2022. [Popville]

Mural Completed in Annandale — “The Annandale community celebrated the completion of the mural at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space with a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 26 … The mural on the [Child Development Center] building is the first in the county’s Paint It, Fairfax! initiative to facilitate murals in commercial revitalization districts.” [Annandale Today]

ArtsFairfax Reports Fundraising Record — The ArtsFairfax Awards, which were held in Tysons last Friday (Oct. 25), “raised a record high” of $200,665 by the end of the event. With fundraising still open, ArtsFairfax says it “intends to raise operating funds in order to dedicate more County funding towards grants to arts and culture partners.” [ArtsFairfax]

Trendy Foods Available at Local Cafes — “Viral TikTok food trends are live at D.C.-area restaurants.” That includes the traditional Chinese dessert tanghulu at Shilla Bakery in Annandale, dirty sodas from Coco’s Sodas and Sweets, and Dubai chocolate from Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee, which can both be found in Vienna. [Axios DC]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 77 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at about 7 mph. As for Wednesday night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low around 60 degrees, with the southwest wind persisting at approximately 7 mph. [NWS]

Plea Deal Expected in Herndon Double Murder Case — “An au pair accused in a double homicide in Northern Virginia will take a plea deal in the case, according to a commonwealth’s attorney spokesperson.” Juliana Peres Magalhaes is scheduled to face a jury trial in November, followed next year by a trial for Brendan Banfield for their alleged roles in the killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. [NBC4]

D.C. Area Rent Increases Highest in U.S. — “The study by the Redfin real estate company found that median rents in the capital region rose by 12 percent between September 2023 and last month, the highest among the regions analyzed. Virginia Beach saw the second-biggest rise, followed by Cleveland, Baltimore and Chicago.” [Washington Post]

Affordable Housing Developer Wanted for Bailey’s Crossroads Site — “Fairfax County plans to issue a request for proposals by the end of 2024 seeking a developer to build affordable housing in Bailey’s Crossroads … It would replace the Crossroads Interim Park at 5872 Columbia Pike between Radley Acura and the market-rate Alta Nova apartment building under construction.” [Annandale Today]

Casino Opponents Skeptical of Economic Benefits — At a community forum on Sunday (Oct. 27), Dranesville Distict Supervisor Jimmy Bierman “disagreed with the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO’s contention that building a casino, performance space and convention center in Tysons would create 5,000 new jobs.” Bierman, who previously expressed opposition to the idea of a Fairfax County casino, argued it would “make the area less attractive to the business community.” [Patch]

Tysons Holiday Pop-Up Store Now Open — “Creative Collective Holiday Pop Up is now open! Meet the makers, artists, designers, and the people behind the brands! Shop small and local this holiday season! We are located on the lower level of Tysons Corner Center, @shoptysons, across from Camp, near Coastal Flats restaurant.” [Creative Collective/Instagram]

Turkish Cafe Opens in Chantilly — “The new Moda Cafe & Bakery has opened in the Route 50 corridor of Chantilly — and it’s bought a luxury vibe to an otherwise nondescript strip mall.” Located in the Chantilly Park Shopping Center, the restaurant has been “getting good reviews for its brunch, lunch, and dinner menus of Turkish-focused cuisine.” [The Burn]

Tysons Development Tracker Updated — “The Tysons Tracker, a community resource for monitoring the growth and development of the Tysons Urban center, is now updated with projects from June 2023 to May 2024.” Highlights include the construction of two new residential buildings and the addition of park spaces. [Fairfax County Government]

It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies, a high temperature near 70°F, and a south wind of 3 to 8 mph during the day. In the evening, anticipate partly cloudy conditions, a low temperature around 53°F, and a south wind of approximately 6 mph. [NWS]