Fairfax County officials are likely headed back to the drawing board after a veto of a bill that would have let Northern Virginia localities host a pilot program to reduce vehicle exhaust noise.
H.B. 2550, which was introduced in the Virginia General Assembly by local Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6), was one of 157 bills vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday (March 24).
Fairfax County officials plan to put additional millions in fiscal reserves as they brace for the economic fallout from Trump administration policies to take hold.
County staff are recommending that the Board of Supervisors allocate $2.4 million more for reserves, with an additional $8.1 million available that also could be sent there or used to address other priorities.
For the immediate future at least, further expansion of rail lines across the D.C. region is likely to take a back seat to more modest upgrades to transit service moving forward.
That seemed to be a consensus, albeit not a unanimous one, as members of the regional DMV Moves task force met Monday (March 24) to narrow options for improving the area’s transit — and paying for a Metro system that’s now estimated to cost between $450 million and $600 million more per year.
Federal Grant Funds Pulled From Covid Programs — “The federal government is withdrawing up to $425 million in grant funding for several COVID-related programs operated by the Virginia Department of Health. The cuts have already led to ongoing layoffs and the early cancellation of existing contracts across the state.” [Virginia Public Media]
Families of DCA Crash Victims Plan to Sue — “An attorney now representing more than a half dozen families of victims of the Flight 5342 tragedy says his firm is ready to file suit against the federal government the moment a six-month review period is up.” The lawsuits from seven families will target the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Army. [WUSA9]
Bill Protecting Reproductive Health Data Signed — “Public concerns about menstrual health data privacy have flared in Virginia since the overturn of federal abortion protections and changes to state laws relating to the procedure. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has helped put some of those fears at bay by signing Senate Bill 754 by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Fairfax.” [Virginia Mercury]
Gubernatorial Candidates on Federal Job Cuts — “In what could be a preview of public debates on the campaign trail in Virginia’s race for the governorship this year, the leading candidates from both parties spoke with WTOP about the sweeping federal job cuts being carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration — and how they might affect Virginia.” [WTOP]
Lane Closures on Route 28 Start Next Week — “Weather permitting, Route 28 (Centreville Road) will have daytime single-lane closures at the Fairfax County/Prince William County line Mondays through Thursdays from Monday, March 31 through Thursday, April 24 for repairs to the bridge over Bull Run.” [VDOT]
Indian Restaurant Chain Eyes Fairfax Location — “An Indian restaurant chain called Hyderabad House is planning its first Northern Virginia location in Fairfax County. Hyderabad House will be taking over the space vacated by the Pho Golden Express restaurant … in the Fairfax Court shopping center off Fairfax Boulevard and Waples Mill Road.” [The Burn]
Vienna Seeks Feedback on Parks Plan — “Heads up! The Town wants to hear your thoughts about the future of Vienna Parks and Recreation! Head to the community meeting [today], March 27, at 6 p.m. at Vienna Community Center and don’t forget to take the online survey.” The draft parks master plan can be found on the town’s website. [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
Reminder Not to Interfere With Wildlife — “Every spring, Fairfax County’s animal protection police and wildlife management office get lots of calls about young wildlife that appear to be orphaned or abandoned. In most cases, these baby animals are not in danger and people should leave them alone.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Thursday — The weather will be mostly sunny with temperatures reaching near 60 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph and gusts reaching up to 18 mph. In the evening, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 44 degrees and southwest winds at approximately 6 mph. [NWS]
Federal Layoffs May Be Affecting Home Sales — Turmoil in the federal workforce may have impacted last month’s home sales across Virginia, which were down 9% year-over-year to 6,129. “February’s slowdown in sales could be an early signal that there is some hesitancy in some of our regional markets due to growing concerns around federal employment,” Virginia Realtors chief economist Ryan Price said. [Virginia Realtors]
Drivers in Viral Tysons Street Race Found Guilty — “The drivers involved in a viral street race video in Fairfax County were convicted Monday of multiple charges. A traffic divisions court judge found [a 48-year-old man from Vienna and a 38-year-old man from Sterling] guilty of reckless driving and stopping on a highway.” [WUSA9]
Recreational Weed Sales Bill Vetoed — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin has again vetoed legislation that would have allowed people to buy cannabis in Virginia for recreational use. The General Assembly passed bills from Del. Paul Krizek (D–Fairfax) and state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) … aimed to establish a regulated and taxed recreational cannabis marketplace with retail sales starting in May 2026.” [Virginia Public Media]
Fentanyl Testing Bill Named After Local Teen to Become Law — “After Absolon and Thurraya Kent of Annandale lost their 17-year-old son, Malcolm, to a drug overdose two years ago, they discovered he could have been saved if the hospital had tested him for fentanyl poisoning.” Del. Irene Shin’s bill, signed on March 21 by Youngkin, will require emergency rooms to test for fentanyl as part of urine screenings. [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Considers Tree Planting Requirements — “Falls Church officials are considering requiring future commercial developers to meet minimum tree-planting requirements. The number of projects that any change could impact might be small, however.” [ARLnow]
Herndon Names New Communications Head — “The Town of Herndon has named Brent M. Heavner as chief communications officer. Heavner replaces Anne Papa, who is retiring from the town after more than 19 years of dedicated service.” Most recently a communications lead for the U.S. Education Department, Heavner will officially join the town on April 14. [Town of Herndon]
Historic GMU Basketball Seasons Conclude — George Mason University’s female basketball team saw its first-ever March Madness experience come to a quick end on Saturday (March 22) with a 94-59 loss to Florida State. After a record 15 A-10 wins, the men’s team beat the Sanford Bulldogs last week in the National Invitational Tournament but lost to Bradley 75-67 in the second round. [GMU]
Fire Department Hands Out Smoke Alarms — “Over the weekend, #FCFRD joined multiple county partners to install 160 smoke alarms and increase the safety of 193 residents at Penn Daw Terrace … This collaborative effort improved fire safety and strengthened community resilience, ensuring residents are better protected and informed with various prevention, safety, and resource information.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of around 56 degrees. The day will be breezy as a northwest wind increases to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon, with gusts reaching up to 36 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low of approximately 35 degrees. [NWS]
Key Republican leaders have Fairfax County in their sights over a proposal that would introduce instruction on gender identity at an elementary school level.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and a close ally of Donald Trump, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) shared a video of a parent who said they didn’t want to send their child to Fairfax County Public Schools as a result of the possible change.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on Monday that he hoped to bolster Virginia’s rainy-day fund by $300 million in light of economic uncertainty surrounding the White House’s overhaul of federal jobs and its impact on the state’s workforce.
Where to See Cherry Blossoms in D.C. Area — “D.C.’s most famous cherry trees along the Tidal Basin are approaching peak bloom, and you can see beautiful cherry blossoms throughout D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.” Fairfax County options include Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Wolf Trap and the Van Gogh Bridge at Lake Anne in Reston. [NBC4]
Foul Play Not Suspected in Prosecutor’s Death — “Jessica D. Aber, the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who died at age 43, had long suffered from a serious medical condition, and police have told those close to her that they do not suspect foul play, two family friends told The Washington Post.” [Washington Post]
Youngkin Vetoes Minimum Wage, Gun Bills — “Monday was Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s deadline to take action on the roughly 900 bills that Virginia’s legislature approved to send his way. Monday afternoon saw over 300 signatures and a handful of vetoes,” including of legislation that would’ve raised the state’s minimum wage and banned assault weapons in public spaces. [Virginia Mercury]
Fairfax County Hires New I.T. Director — “Matt Harrison has been appointed director of the Department of Information Technology (DIT), effective Monday, April 21. Harrison will succeed Greg Scott, who is retiring after decades of service to Fairfax County.” He most recently led the IT department at Stafford County. [Fairfax County]
Staff Move into New Seven Corners Fire Station — “The Fort Buffalo Fire Station has finally been completed. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department posted a short video on Facebook on March 20 showing staff moving in. A grand opening is expected to be scheduled in May.” [Annandale Today]
Forthcoming Restaurant Offers Food Truck Preview — “Flavor Hive, the restaurant coming to a former Wells Fargo building in Annandale, is under construction, but it’s already ‘open.’ Flavor Hive food trucks parked on the site are attracting long lines of customers drawn by the company’s huge social media presence and its signature dish – the ‘walking taco chips bag.'” [Annandale Today]
Recently Opened Clothing Store Reports Steady Business — “Mayor Catherine Read joined local business leaders for a ribbon cutting ceremony on [March 20] to welcome the new J.Crew Factory store to Fairfax City Mall … Since its opening on Feb. 13, the J. Crew Factory store at 9650-42 Main St. has already seen a steady influx of customers, according to store director Helen Hajibadri.” [Patch]
Nearby: New State Park Could Be Established in Loudoun — “After initial efforts to have the home of President James Monroe turned into a state park hit resistance in the Senate, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday morning announced he would include funding to support the park through a budget amendment.” [Loudoun Now]
It’s Tuesday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high of around 61 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 50% chance of rain before 2 am, followed by mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature of around 41 degrees. The west wind will be around 7 mph. [NWS]
Community members will now get their first chance to weigh in on dozens of pitches submitted to Fairfax County earlier this year for potential future developments.
The county will host a series of community meetings over the next month so the developers can share information about their proposals with the public, who can then ask questions and provide feedback.
Man Charged After Firing Gun Outside CIA HQ — “A man who authorities say fired a handgun repeatedly at CIA headquarters on Wednesday morning in an hours-long barricade situation has been charged with a single federal firearms count, court records show.” The 28-year-old man allegedly “fired ‘several rounds’ at the facility before turning the gun on himself.” [Washington Post]
Former U.S. Attorney Found Dead in Alexandria — “Jessica D. Aber, who served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has died at 43, officials say. Alexandria police responded to a call about an unresponsive woman in the 900 block of Beverley Drive in Alexandria around 9:18 a.m. on Saturday (March 22). They found Aber dead at the scene.” [ALXnow]
Fairfax Station House Fire Under Investigation — Fairfax County firefighters responded to a house fire Saturday (March 22) afternoon in the 7100 block of Laketree Drive. “Crews immediately went to work to extinguish the fire and conduct searches. All occupants safely evacuated. No firefighter or civilian injuries. Fire investigators are on scene working to determine the cause of the fire.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department/Facebook]
Restaurant Advocacy Group Warns of Potential Closures — “The D.C. area’s restaurant community is warning of closures as economic pressures and federal actions raise fears of less spending and higher costs … An RAMW survey released this week found that 44% of ‘full-service casual restaurants’ in the region say they are ‘somewhat likely’ or ‘very likely’ to close this year.” [ARLnow]
County Cheers Newly Naturalized Citizens — “The Office of Elections cheered on new citizens at the USCIS naturalization ceremony held at the Government Center on Thursday. With the help of the League of Women Voters, staff assisted all 75 new citizens in registering to vote and even several citizens in the audience.” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/X]
Google Expands Reston Station Footprint — “Google continues to grow at Comstock’s Reston Station, expanding into another floor in the mixed-use development’s signature trophy office” at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza. “Google will now occupy more than 168,000 square feet in the tower, the [Comstock] spokesperson said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Richmond Highway Sign Company Closes — “A longtime family-owned business on Richmond Highway closed at the end of January, according to a recent media advisory from the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce. FASTSIGNS of Alexandria was acquired by Howard Newman in 1991, and his son Kirby joined him in the business eight years later.” [On the MoVe]
Forever 21 to Shutter U.S. Stores — “The current plan is for Forever 21 stores to hold liquidation sales, and the website will continue to run while operations wind down. There are currently six Northern Virginia store locations, including Arlington, Fairfax, Leesburg, Springfield, Woodbridge, and the Dulles Town Center.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Monday — Showers mainly before 8am, followed by cloudy skies clearing to become mostly sunny with a high near 66. There is a 60% chance of precipitation, with new amounts potentially reaching less than a tenth of an inch. At night, anticipate increasing clouds and a low around 43. [NWS]
