(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) Former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Eileen Filler-Corn announced Wednesday she will seek Virginia’s 10th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives next year.

The 10th District is currently represented by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, but she announced in September she will retire at the end of her current term after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder.

Filler-Corn, a Democrat, does not live in the 10th District, which consists of all of Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock counties, western Prince William County, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and Clifton in Fairfax County. She currently represents the 41st District in the House of Delegates, which generally consists of the Burke and Burke Centre areas of central Fairfax County.

While members of the Virginia General Assembly must live in the districts they represent, U.S. House members are not required to do so.  Rep. Abigail Spanberger won reelection in the 7th District last year even though the district’s boundaries were moved to Northern Virginia from the Richmond area.

Filler-Corn was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2009. After Democrats won control of the House of Delegates in the 2019 election, she served as speaker during the 2020 and 2021 General Assembly sessions. She was the first woman and the first Jewish person elected to that position. She decided not to run for reelection to her House seat this fall after redistricting placed her into a district with another Democratic delegate.

Filler-Corn had been considered a potential candidate for governor in 2025.  Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin cannot run for reelection.

Filler-Corn said in a statement that Democrats in the 10th District encouraged her to run for the seat. “As a Jewish American, I have deeply felt the tragedies of the past few weeks. Congress has been left rudderless at a time of global uncertainty. The American people and our allies abroad deserve better than this.”

Other potential Democratic candidates mentioned for the 10th District seat include Phyllis Randall, who is seeking reelection this fall to a third term as chair of the Loudoun Board of Supervisors, and current Del. David Reid of Loudoun.

Wexton first won the 10th District seat by ousting Republican Barbara Comstock in 2018, but the seat became slightly more conservative in redistricting after the 2020 Census. In last fall’s election, she held off a challenge from Republican Hung Cao by about 6 percentage points.

Meanwhile, Spanberger, whose 7th District includes eastern Prince William and all of Stafford County, is also eying a run for governor in 2025, which would leave both the 7th and 10th district seats without incumbents heading into the 2024 congressional elections. Spanberger defeated Republican Yesli Vega, a Prince William supervisor, by about 5 percentage points last fall.

This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

What has two toes and moves real slow?

NOVA Wild in Reston recently announced the arrival of two adorable two-toed sloths who are now ready to meet zoo-goers.

Two-toed sloths are native to Central and South America, including Brazil and Peru, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo’s website. And of course, they’re known for moving slowly.

“Sloths have leafy, low-calorie diets and very slow metabolisms to match. Their metabolic rate is only about 40-45% of what would be typical for their body weight,” the zoo writes. “Because of this specialized metabolism, sloths need to be frugal with their energy use. So, they move slowly and tend not to wander far from their small home ranges.”

“We’re just thrilled to welcome these captivating two-toed sloths,” NOVA Wild owner Tara Campbell Lussier said in a news release. “Sloths teach us valuable lessons – the importance of caring for the natural world, and to remember to slow down and enjoy life. They’re truly fascinating creatures and we’re grateful to share them with our guests and community.”

The sloths’ newly built, interactive habitat is designed to provide an immersive and educational experience, allowing guests to be up close and personal while learning about sloths’ natural habitat, behaviors and conservation status.

The sloths’ arrival is just in time for International Sloth Day, on Oct. 21.

For an extra $100 beyond admission, you can meet and interact with the new sloths one-on-one at Nova Wild through a zookeeper guided tour.

Located at 1228 Hunter Mill Road, Nova Wild opened in February as the newest iteration of Reston’s zoo, replacing the previous branding of Roer’s Zoofari after a change in ownership.

This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

The continuation of higher mortgage rates put a damper on Northern Virginia home sales in September, which were down 18.2% compared to a year earlier, according to the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.

That decline was worse that August’s year-over-year decline of just 12.4% and reversed a trend of an improving market that had been seen since the spring.

Mortgage rates are ranging from 7% to 7.5%, according to the Realtors’ group. Sales were down 23.1% from August and the total of 1,180 was significantly below the five-year average of 1,685 units for September.

“It’s a challenging market for borrowers and buyers, especially first-time home buyers,” said NVAR Board Member Jamie DeSimone of Keller Williams Capital Properties. “The increase in interest rates is a primary deterrent for buyers and would-be sellers. Current homeowners have no incentive to forgo their lower interest rate unless they are forced to move. That’s why homebuying options are scarce.”

Inventory in September averaged 1.22 months, down 1% from September 2022 and down from the five-year average of 1.3 months. In good news, September’s inventory figures were a bit higher than August, when inventory stood at 1.08 month’s supply.  On average, homes stayed on the market for 17 days in September, down 32% from the previous September, when the average was 25 days on the market.

The tight supply continued to push prices up. The median sold price for a home in September was $650,000, up 5% from September 2022. The five-year average for median sold price in September is $594,028.

“We’ve been experiencing the ‘ouch factor’ as high mortgage rates have chilled the market. With the resulting limited inventory, sellers choosing to list their homes are receiving multiple offers and have leverage over buyers. The market remains competitive, as there are more people who want to buy than there are homes to sell,” said NVAR CEO Ryan McLaughlin.

The NVAR report covers Fairfax and Arlington counties, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church and the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton.

Other highlights from the September report:

• Total sold volume: $868.9 million, down 14.4% compared to September 2022.
• Average sold price: $738,772, up 6% from September 2022.
• Number of active listings: 1,661, down 29.8% from September 2022.
• New pending sales: 1,220, down 12% from September 2022.

Specific information for each jurisdiction in September is below:

Photo via Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

Inova this week unveiled a rebranding initiative with a new logo, look and tone that will “redefine the health system’s identity.”

“The launch of the new brand aims to capture the health system’s dedication to innovative, compassionate, patient-centered and world-class healthcare while fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration,” Inova said in a news release.

The nonprofit healthcare provider, which began in the 1950s as a community hospital serving Fairfax County, launched the new brand at its flagship Inova Fairfax Medical Campus (3300 Gallows Road) near Merrifield on Monday (Oct. 2).

“The brand refresh is a signal to the community of what they can expect from Inova,” said Tracey Schroeder, Inova’s chief communications and external affairs officer. “The quality of care, exceptional health outcomes and caring patient experience are what our patients value and depend on. With this rebrand, we’re modernizing how Inova looks to better represent the care that defines us.”

The release notes that, in August, Inova was named the top hospital in Virginia and the D.C. metropolitan area by U.S. News & World Report.

“All five Inova hospitals have received A Grades from the Leapfrog Group, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have recognized Inova with five stars for safety and quality – the only health system in the region to achieve this rating,” the release said.

Inova’s new logo “tells a clear story about how the health system, pronounced ‘in-OH-va,’ is always by your side,” according to the release.

Inova says the logo, which depicts two figures coming together, represents the fact that every step of the healthcare journey is taken together: whether it’s a provider comforting a patient, a doctor collaborating with a nurse or family member supporting a loved one.

“The logo evokes a warm, compassionate and welcoming environment where patients feel supported and valued,” the release said.

Inova preserved its recognizable blue in the new brand to build on strong brand equity, but updated the full color palette to include new colors that signal its new direction as a modern health system that continues to innovate and evolve.

“Our new brand is a mark of Inova’s progress in creating a unified clinical network, dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care to patients and families in Northern Virginia and beyond, and undeniably positions Inova to be among the leading health systems in the nation,” Inova President and CEO J. Stephen Jones said.

The new branding will be implemented at Inova locations on a rolling basis, with an advertising campaign planned in phases over the coming months. Inova will show up creatively in broadcast, streaming audio, digital and other multimedia channels.

The campaign will highlight specialty services and expert clinicians, emphasizing “their connection and dedication” to patients.

The rebrand announcement comes as Inova expands its health care facilities and services in the area, as laid out in its Eastern Region Development Plan. The organization recently added a behavioral health unit at its Mount Vernon hospital, and it got Fairfax County’s approval for a new Springfield hospital last year.

This article was written by FFXNow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission and some edits. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.