Mary Stachyra Lopez is a staff reporter covering business, public safety, education, and other community issues for Local News Now. She has previously worked at Patch.com, the Arlington Catholic Herald, and The Atlantic.
It all started with a picture of a kitten sitting on an empty shelf.
On Nov. 3, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter posted a plea for donations to its pet pantry, citing an uptick in requests for supplies due to the federal government shutdown.
Families who need someone to watch their kids before or after school sometimes languish for years on the waitlist for School Age Child Care (SACC) in Fairfax County.
Beyond the Bell, a pilot program launched this fall by the county’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS), is testing whether a new model for child care — one that is license-exempt and increases the maximum number of kids — can help solve that problem.
Fairfax City residents think it’s a great place to live and rate its services highly, despite ongoing concerns over traffic and lack of affordable housing, according to new data from the City of Fairfax’s first community survey.
The results of the survey — which was conducted over the summer by the ETC Institute, a Kansas-based firm that provides market research for local governments — were presented to city council members during a work session on Oct. 7.
An $18.4 million project to reduce congestion and improve safety on a nearly mile-long portion of Jermantown Road has been more than half a decade in the making. Now, an updated proposal is finally ready for public viewing.
Presented to the Fairfax City Council at a work session on Oct. 7, the project calls for a number of new turn lanes, enhanced markings for pedestrians, and tighter management of access to the roads.
A 24/7 pet emergency room that allows owners to stay with their furry and feathery friends through all stages of treatment opened its 114th location this week in Chantilly.
VEG ER for Pets, located at 5009 Westone Plaza, offers an open floor plan with no lobby, and immediate contact with the medical team. Owners are able to follow their pets throughout treatment and have the option to observe procedures such as surgeries. Overnight stays for hospitalizations are also offered at no additional charge.
Fairfax City is considering transforming its CUE bus system by offering more frequent and direct connections between the most popular stops, as well as speeding up routes — but also cut service for some riders.
A draft transportation development plan for the next 10 years of service envisions three simplified routes between the Vienna metro station, Old Town, and George Mason University, the areas with the highest demand.
