The Oakton driver behind a 2022 crash that killed two teenagers has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Earlier this week, 20-year-old Usman Shahid was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the June 7, 2022 crash on Blake Lane, where he struck and killed two Oakton High School students while driving 46 mph over the 35-mph speed limit.

A jury proposed the sentence today (Friday) after issuing its verdict Wednesday (April 24).

“At trial, prosecutors proved that Shahid’s high rate of speed and lack of evasive action to avoid the situation were responsible for both the initial crash and the subsequent pedestrian collision,” the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

Multiple news outlets reported that, during the trial, prosecutors stated Shahid was driving his BMW at 81 mph on Blake Lane shortly before noon on the day of the crash. Students had been released early that day with the end of the school year approaching.

Upon seeing a yellow traffic light, Shahid accelerated and collided with a Toyota 4Runner that was turning left. Police testified that the collision forced Shahid’s vehicle off the road and onto the sidewalk, where it struck three teenage girls.

According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, a crash expert testified during the trial that the data recorder in Shahid’s vehicle showed he accelerated from 60 to 81 mph in the five seconds before the crash as he approached the intersection. The recorder also indicated that Shahid didn’t attempt to brake.

Two of the victims, 14-year-old Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco and 15-year-old Leeyan Hanjia Yan, died of their injuries, while a third teen was seriously hurt.

“This is one of the most tragic cases in Fairfax County’s history,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in the release. “I have a daughter just a few months younger than Ada and Leeyan were – and I can’t imagine how broken I would be in her absence. My heart breaks for the families, friends, and loved ones of these young girls. While there is nothing that can make up for such an immense loss, I hope that this conviction can help our community finally begin to heal from this tragedy.”

A judge will finalize the sentence — which could be lower but not higher than the jury’s determination — later this year.

Nearly 14 years after Clifton Elementary School shuttered, its sign has been repurposed.

The sign now serves as a bulletin for local organizations, businesses, and community groups to promote events such as farmers markets, cultural celebrations and educational workshops.

The Fairfax County School Board voted 9-2 on July 8, 2010 to close Clifton Elementary School, citing declining enrollment, high renovation costs and poor well-water quality.

Clifton-area residents filed a lawsuit to keep the school open, arguing that the school board’s decision was arbitrary and based on misrepresented facts.

After a year of legal battles, the Virginia State Supreme Court sided with the school board, allowing the elementary school to officially close on June 21, 2011 — a few years shy of its 60th anniversary.

The site has since remained empty, which didn’t sit well with recently elected At-Large School Board Member Kyle McDaniel. So, he teamed up with his colleague on the board, Sandy Anderson, as well as Clifton Mayor Tom Peterson and Fairfax County Public Schools staff to turn the school’s old sign into a community notice board.

“It was a simple thing to do that didn’t cost us any money and helped the community,” he told FFXnow. “It also was a gesture to start trying to mend fences with the community that is still upset about the school closure.”

Anderson, who represents the Springfield District on the school board, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and enthusiasm for the sign’s revival.

“I’m so glad that FCPS has been able to take the small first step to reintegrate this property back into the Clifton community,” she said in a press release. “I look forward to continued progress.”

“Clifton is a special community, and I am proud to represent it on the school board,” McDaniel remarked. “This is a first step on a journey to repurposing more of the Clifton Elementary School site for more community use.”

A Maryland-based early childhood education company is opening a second location in the Reston-Herndon area.

Celebree School will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location at 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive with a spring carnival on Saturday, April 27. The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature magic shows, a bubble station and various food vendors.

The new school is owned and operated by Manmeet Sarang, a local entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry.

“We are so excited for the opportunity to work with and assist in the education of children here in the Herndon and Fairfax County area,” Sarang said in a press release. It’s extremely fulfilling to be able to help children grow and develop, but now through Celebree Schools’ high-quality standards. My team is looking forward to raising the bar for early childhood education in the community.”

Celebree School’s programs cater to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children up to 12 years old, emphasizing a blend of curriculum-based education and play to promote social skills and values.

According to the release, the school adheres to Virginia’s early education standards and offers both part-time and full-time care, with parents welcome to visit anytime.

Originally called Enchanted Child Care, the company was founded by current CEO Richard Huffman in 1994 in Ellicott City, Maryland, according to Celebree’s website. In 2002, Enchanted Child Care was rebranded to Celebree Schools.

Since beginning its franchising efforts in 2019, Celebree School has expanded to 44 schools and enlisted 54 owners for over 100 sites, including three in Fairfax County, across 14 states. The brand currently serves more than 4,570 children.

Celebree locations can also be found in Reston on Sunset Hills Road and at Valo Park in Tysons.

“We take great pride in supporting exceptional entrepreneurs like Manmeet in achieving their business aspirations,” Huffman said in the release. “In our ongoing efforts to grow the reach of our brand through franchising, it is crucial to collaborate with dedicated community leaders who share a deep commitment to early childhood education. Witnessing the establishment of these schools fills me with immense satisfaction and happiness. I am confident that she is the ideal franchisee to propel our mission to new heights.”

The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail has reached the half-century mark.

The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is marking the facility’s 50th anniversary with various activities from April to September, starting this Saturday (April 27) with a trail-wide cleanup event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Coinciding with the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Celebrate Trails Day, the cleanup effort encourages volunteers to participate along the entire 45-mile trail, which stretches from Shirlington to Purcellville.

According to a press release, the trail was named after the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad and played a vital role in the economic development of Northern Virginia. It linked Alexandria’s seaport to communities westward, including Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

When the railroad was abandoned in 1968, Dominion Power installed transmission lines along the corridor. NOVA Parks immediately started studying the feasibility of converting the former railroad to a trail.

Nearly 50 years ago, on Sept. 7, 1974, the “first ride” was documented on the first stretch of the W&OD Trail — a 1.5-mile-long, 6-foot-wide asphalt path in Falls Church City, per the release. It made the amenity among the first rails-to-trails conversions in the U.S.

Over 14 years, NOVA Parks expanded the trail into a continuous 45-mile pathway from Arlington to the Town of Purcellville, serving over 2 million people annually.

To improve safety, several ‘grade-separated’ intersections have been installed along the trail’s 70 road crossings, allowing trail users and vehicles to travel at different levels. Recent upgrades include a bridge over Route 29 in Arlington, completed in 2021, and one over Wiehle Avenue in Reston that’s expected to open this June.

NOVA Parks has also been remaking parts of the trail into separate, parallel tracks for pedestrians and cyclists. A section in Falls Church became operational in 2021, and there are plans for expansion into other urban areas, including in Arlington and the Vienna, Herndon and Reston segments, per the release.

Additional events for the W&OD Trail’s 50th anniversary can be found on the NOVA Park’s website, which lists several scheduled through July.

APRIL 27: CELEBRATE TRAILS DAY 
Make Earth Day everyday and show your appreciation of the trail by participating in the first ever 45-mile trail cleanup of the W&OD Trail. Celebrate Trails Day is presented by the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Sign up to volunteer anywhere along the 45-mile trail from Shirlington to Purcellville, Virginia.

MAY 17: BIKE TO WORK DAY
Bike to Work Day celebrates the many benefits of using alternate transportation to work. The first 16,000 who register and attend at a pit stop receive a free Bike to Work Day t-shirt. Free giveaways, food, and beverages are available at participating locations, while supplies last. Register for and stop by one of the pit stops where NOVA Parks will be located:

• Falls Church, 6:30-9 a.m.
• Herndon, 5:30-10 a.m.
• Arlington, 7-9 a.m.

MAY 27: CITY OF FALLS CHURCH MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
Cheer on NOVA Parks’ W&OD-themed float at the City of Falls Church’s 42nd Annual Memorial Day Parade. The fun starts at 2 p.m. Learn more.

JUNE 1: NATIONAL TRAILS DAY
Visit NOVA Parks at the W&OD Trail’s mile marker 0 in Shirlington, where EcoAction Arlington will coordinate volunteers for an invasive cleanup between the start of the W&OD Trail and George Mason Drive. National Trails Day is a day of service for hometown trails and the people who love them, presented by the American Hiking Society.

JULY 4: CITY OF FAIRFAX INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE
Cheer on NOVA Parks’ W&OD-themed float at the City of Fairfax’s Independence Day Parade and stay for the fireworks! The parade takes place 10am-noon in downtown Fairfax. The event is rain or shine. Learn more.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors faces tough decisions ahead of next week’s budget markup session, following demands from local unions to increase county employees’ wages.

Last week, dozens of county employees from various departments gathered at a series of public hearings to protest the 2% market rate adjustment (MRA) included in the county executive’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget — asking instead for an increase of at least 4%.

Every year, the county compares its salaries against similar jobs in the area to ensure pay is competitive. Though the full market rate adjustment was estimated at over 4%, County Executive Bryan Hill proposed allocating roughly $24 million for a 2% increase for FY 2025, citing revenue constraints.

Many county employees who attended the April 16-18 public hearings on the advertised budget, which will take effect on July 1, argued that wouldn’t be enough to keep up with the cost of living.

Lauren Tumbleson, a social services worker and member of SEIU Virginia 512, a union for general county employees, said she is considering leaving her job to care for her 4-year-old son, as child care costs would be too high without a bigger pay raise.

“Not fully funding the MRA this year will have a direct impact on our daily lives,” she said during the April 17 hearing.

Other SEIU members and representatives from the Fairfax Workers Coalition (FWC) said that without the pay raises, departments will continue to experience staff turnover, reducing the quality of services to residents.

FWC member Marie Kenealy, a veteran parole officer at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, noted that inadequate staffing and training puts at risk both the safety of the staff and their ability to help youth in the judicial system.

“We are part of the courts, but we do not have the protections afforded to law enforcement,” she said on April 17. “…At times, we escort violent offenders without adequate protection or training. At times, we are confronted with gang violence, aggression, exposed to fentanyl, and we’re often conducting home visits where we know firearms are likely present.”

Without fair wages and improved conditions, the court risks losing experienced personnel, Kenealy said.

Many local educators called on the Board of Supervisors to fully fund Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid’s $3.8 billion budget request — including an additional $254 million to adequately compensate the public education system’s employees.

Jennifer Ives, a special education teacher at James Madison High School in Vienna, said she knows several experienced colleagues who have left to take higher paying jobs in surrounding counties.

Ives argued that funding the superintendent’s request could mean less staff turnover, because teachers may be able to afford to live closer to where they work.

“The increase could help us find one of the cheaper rentals in the area and maybe I could have a 30-minute commute instead of an hour and a half,” Ives said. “I’d be able to sleep in past 5 a.m. and maybe get home an hour before dinner.”

When Hill presented his budget proposal in February, supervisors lamented that the burden of funding FCPS falls too heavily on the county due to limited funding from Virginia.

Earlier this month, Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed budget amendments that, according to WTOP, would reduce funding for FCPS by nearly $17 million for FY 2025 and $24 million in fiscal year 2026.

Regardless of the state budget, though, Fairfax County School Board Chair Karl Frisch argued the county needs to ensure the school system can pay its employees competitive wages at a time when enrollment and demand for services is increasing countywide.

“Our budget request does not include new initiatives,” Frisch said during the board’s April 16 hearing. “We are focusing on what is needed to continue ensuring excellence in our schools.”

A proposal for a seven-story mixed-use development over a parking lot next to the WillowWood Plaza office center in Fairfax City cleared another hurdle this week.

A majority of the Fairfax City Planning Commission voted Monday (April 22) to recommend that the city council approve a mixed-use development at 10306 Eaton Place featuring 260 residential units and 5,000 square feet of retail space over top of a 328-space parking lot.

D.C.-based developer Capital City Real Estate first submitted a conceptual plan in 2022 to add housing on the 2.96-acre site, which is separate from the four office buildings developed in 1987. Since then, the developer has revised the design several times following staff reviews.

Originally, the developer planned a second phase following the construction of the seven-story, mixed-use building, proposing an additional 64 multifamily units and a 375-space parking garage on the opposite side of the office complex.

However, city staff determined Capital City couldn’t submit one application with multiple phases because the two parcels were not contiguous. Instead, the developer must submit two standalone applications for each site.

According to Chris Love, one of Capital City’s managing partners, work on phase two is still “underway.”

“We’re still in the early phases of the entitlement process,” he told FFXnow.

The initial design of the mixed-use development at 10306 Eaton Place was also updated, reducing the number of dwelling units from 282 to 260 and doubling the amount of retail space.

Additionally, the developer has proposed installing several sidewalks, planting trees, and building a stormwater improvement system.

While most planning commissioners generally supported the project, they expressed disappointment that the developer didn’t devote more of the planned building’s 40,927-square-foot first floor to commercial uses.

Under Fairfax City’s zoning ordinance, at least 75% of the ground floor area in upper-story residential and mixed-use buildings must be allocated for non-residential uses.

“There have just been way too many proposals that have been coming in as a commercial/residential, but it’s essentially 99% residential with just a little kind of a whiff or a smell of commercial, and that’s difficult,” Commissioner Matthew Rice said during the public hearing.

Commissioner Paul Cunningham, the only member to oppose the project, said he thought the city is too focused on residential development without enough commercial space to meet its residents’ needs.

“We’re bringing in a middle demographic age group to an apartment area, and by the time we bring in these thousands of people who are different than the rest of our community, they have got to be integrated into the activities that we have,” he said.

During the hearing, Love said his firm didn’t further increase the retail space because a retail consultant advised that 5,000 square feet is the maximum the market could support.

“We have increased it to 5,000 feet because we feel that over time, the market will support that,” he said. “The challenge we run into is, if we have vacant retail in a building, it’s not really helpful to anyone. It’s not helpful to our project getting leased, and I think in the long term, it’s not helpful to the city.”

Still, several commissioners argued that they believe the demand for retail space exists.

“For the size of the building, I personally don’t think it will be hard to fill in Fairfax City, and I think it would be important to the residents in the building,” Commissioner Betsy Briggs said.

The proposal will now go to the city council, though a public hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Fairfax County Police have arrested another individual involved in a “street takeover” in Springfield earlier this month.

On Friday, April 19, Baltimore County Police Department detained a 20-year-old man from Parkville, Maryland, according to FCPD. He faces charges of abduction, assaulting a law enforcement officer, wearing a mask in public and obstruction of justice.

The individual is currently held in Baltimore County, awaiting extradition to Fairfax County.

The arrest is part of a series following an incident earlier this month when Fairfax County Police encountered a “mob” of people in a parking lot at 6600 Electronic Drive around 3 a.m. on March 31 (Easter Sunday).

According to police, the group blocked an officer’s vehicle, climbed on it, and aggressively banged on the windows. The situation escalated when an individual was seen brandishing what appears to be a rifle from a car.

Police have made three arrests so far, with additional arrests expected as the investigation continues.

OmBaked CBD Boutique at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston is hosting a holistic health fair next month.

The event , Scheduled for May 19, aims to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship, according to a press release. It will feature local vendors showcasing eco-friendly products and practices, along with educational exhibits on the importance of preserving natural resources.

Located at 11414 Washington Plaza, the boutique opened late last year and offers a variety of cannabidiol products focused on holistic wellness.

According to the owner, Radhika Murari, all profits from the event will go to Earth Sangha, a local native plant nursery involved in conservation efforts in Northern Virginia for over 30 years.

Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra and Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn are also expected to attend, discussing their health initiatives.

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) A local Fairfax resident and golf professional has qualified for the 2024 PGA Golf Professional Championship.

Larkin Gross, an assistant professional at Vienna’s Westwood Country Club, is among 13 mid-Atlantic golf professionals to qualify for the championship, which will be held from Saturday, April 28, to May 1 at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas.

The top 20 finishers in the 312-player field will advance to the 2024 PGA Championship, scheduled for May 13-19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. There, they will face off against the world’s premier golfers at the second major championship of the year.

The PGA Professional Championship, the country’s largest all-professional tournament, represents all 41 PGA Sections of the PGA of America.

“The MAPGA is very proud of our 13 PGA Members who qualified for this year’s PGA Professional Championship,” Middle Atlantic PGA President Lynne Hunter stated in the press release. “This prestigious event gathers the finest from our 30,000 members to vie for a spot in the PGA Championship and to compete alongside top international players.”

Among those participating in the tournament will be the top 20 from last year’s championship and qualifiers from section championships.

The tournament, which offers a purse of $715,000, will conduct the first round cuts for those outside the low 90 scorers and ties after 36 holes on Monday, and again after 54 holes on Tuesday to those those outside the 70 scores and ties.

The winner will receive a $715,000 prize, and the top 20 finishers will join the Corebridge Financial Team, qualifying for the PGA Championship at Valhalla. There, they will compete against the world’s elite in one of golf’s most prestigious events.

The proposed Tommy’s Express Car Wash at Fairfax Blvd and Lion Run in Fairfax City passed its first hurdle last week and will advance to the planning commission next.

The Fairfax City Board of Architectural Review has unanimously recommended that the city council approve a proposal for a 4,553-square-foot car wash at 9917 Fairfax Blvd. The site was formerly home to The Espositos, a 40-plus-year-old Italian restaurant that closed permanently last month.

Behind the project is D.C.-based private equity firm Olympus Pines, which submitted an application for a special-use permit to repurpose the 1.15-acre site earlier this year.

According to a city council staff report, the car wash is designed to process up to 200 vehicles per hour, anticipates serving a “peak volume” of 50-75 cars per hour with a maximum staff of four to five. The site, which currently features a one-way entrance and exit on Fairfax Blvd, would also include three “stacking lanes” to prevent backups.

During a January work session, city council members expressed concerns that the high volume of traffic at the site might lead to congestion. However, at their April 17 meeting, the developer’s attorneys informed the architectural review board that no changes have been made to the design.

The city planning commission must review the application before it makes its way to the city council.