Inova Fairfax Hospital plans to open the region’s first EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) unit for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
The unit, which opens to patients Nov. 19, was created in response to community need for enhanced behavioral health services, Inova said in a news release.
McLean Mansion Allegedly Bought with Stolen Money — “The way Nigerian authorities tell it, their country’s former national security adviser misappropriated more than $2 billion from his own government, routing some of it to a family friend — the man who bought the mansion in McLean. In the United States, according to Nigerian authorities, the man sought to launder the money in part by purchasing homes.” [Washington Post]
Congressman Arrested for Being Drunk at Dulles Airport — “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul was detained by police at Dulles International Airport earlier this month in an incident that he described as ‘the result of a poor decision’ to mix Ambien and alcohol.” He has been charged with being drunk in public for the Nov. 4 incident. [Semafor]
Suspect Wanted in Armed Tysons Robbery — “On October 25, at 5:14 p.m., officers responded to the 2000 block of Chain Bridge Road in Tysons for a robbery call. The victim reported that a suspect entered the business with a firearm and demanded money. The suspect then fled out of the business with cash from the register and into a vehicle. The victim was not harmed.” [FCPD]
FCPS to Address Crowding at Lincolnia School — “Community meetings have been scheduled to discuss options for easing overcrowding at Parklawn Elementary School, Mason school board member Ricardy Anderson announced.” A virtual meeting is planned for Nov. 25, followed by an in-person forum on Dec. 11 in the school’s cafeteria. [Annandale Today]
Fairfax Connector Gives Riders Safety Lights — “Be Smart. Be Safe. Be Seen. We’re lighting up Fairfax County by providing bus and rail riders with safety lights. Our Fairfax Connector team handed out dozens at the Huntington Metro this evening.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]
Animal Shelter Seeks Owners of Found Pets — “Do you recognize these found pets? Please help us find their families by sharing this post!” The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is looking to get several dogs, a cat, two rabbits and one parakeet found around the county between Nov. 4 and 12 to their proper homes. [FCAS/Facebook]
Mediterranean Restaurant Lands in Falls Church — “Cafe Zevian, a Mediterranean concept by Adem Kaplan, will be located at the bottom of The Kensington senior living facility at 700 W. Broad Street … The new eatery will open in the former space of Famille, a French-inspired restaurant that closed in 2022. It’s scheduled to open for business by the end of the week.” [ARLnow]
FFXnow Has Joined Bluesky — While FFXnow isn’t joining outlets like NPR and The Guardian in fully leaving Twitter (at least for the time being), we’ve added Bluesky and Threads to our growing roster of active social media platforms, which also includes Facebook and Instagram. To keep up with all our stories, you can also sign up for our email newsletter.
It’s Thursday — Expect rain in the afternoon, with cloudy skies and a high of 52. Rain will continue until 4am, accompanied by patchy fog and a low of 45. The chance of precipitation increases from 70% to 90% at night, with potential amounts between a quarter and half an inch. [NWS]
Cost, distance and limited awareness are keeping many Fairfax County residents from taking advantage of county parks and recreation programs, a recent survey by the Fairfax County Park Authority found.
In response, the park authority is drafting a strategy to bridge the gaps and improve accessibility for underserved communities, focusing on both immediate and long-term solutions.
FFXnow Gets Approval to Publish Legal Notices — “ARLnow’s sister site, FFXnow, received a separate court authorization to publish legal notices for Fairfax County. ARLnow and FFXnow are the first online-only sites in the D.C. area to receive such authorization.” [ARLnow]
Former Delegate Launches Attorney General Bid — “Jay Jones, a Democratic former state delegate from Norfolk, on Tuesday announced his bid for Virginia attorney general at two separate events in Norfolk and Richmond.” Jones campaigned for the job in 2021 but lost the Democratic nomination to then-incumbent Mark Herring. [Virginia Mercury]
Filipino Restaurant in Annandale to Close — “Sari, the family-owned Filipino restaurant in the Bradlick Shopping Center in Annandale will close by the end of the month. Owner Juan Canlas owns six restaurants in D.C. and Maryland and says he is closing two because it’s become too difficult to manage all of them.” [Annandale Today]
Virginia Shares Public School Performance Data — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Friday rolled out a new state website aimed at giving parents and teachers more information about Virginia’s K-12 public schools, including performance data and comparisons among school systems around the state.” However, critics say there’s a lack of clarity to what the data means. [Washington Post]
Fairfax City’s Largest Private Employer to Stay — Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) “has successfully worked with Zeta Associates, Inc., the city’s largest private employer and office space user, to maintain its 225,000 square feet of office space that serves hundreds of high-skilled jobs in the city.” The software company will get help renovating the building in WillowWood Plaza. [FCED]
Data Centers Fuel Energy Demand — “The rise of data-hungry artificial intelligence is driving an explosion in data center construction both statewide [in Virginia] and across the country… What’s clear is that data centers will help shape the region’s energy landscape for decades to come — prompting investments in both renewables and gas infrastructure.” [WHRO]
Tysons Nonprofit CEO to Retire — Second Story CEO Judith Dittman will retire at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years with the nonprofit, which provides housing and other services for youth and families in crisis. She will be succeeded in January 2025 by Jade Leedham, who has been serving as executive vice president in anticipation of the transition. [Second Story]
Some Farmers Markets Extend Season — “This year, three Fairfax County Park Authority farmers market locations will be extending their season into December. The Reston, McCutcheon/Mount Vernon, and Burke markets will now be closing various dates in December.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 52 with a north wind at 7 mph, shifting to an eastward direction in the afternoon. As night falls, the sky will become mostly cloudy and temperatures will drop to around 37 degrees. [NWS]
Prospective home-buyers were out in force across Fairfax County last month. But will their interest translate into home sales?
A total of 20,620 home showings took place across Fairfax in October, according to new data from the multiple listing service Bright MLS.
A viral video depicting a street race on Leesburg Pike in Tysons has forced the hand of the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police Chief Kevin Davis and other officials warned at a press conference last week that those caught drag racing on Fairfax County streets will be found and prosecuted to the extent of the law.
‘Heavy’ Building Fire in Great Falls — “Fairfax County Fire & Rescue personnel extinguished a fire Sunday night in the 800 block of Blacks Hill Road in the Great Falls area. When fire units arrived on the scene, they found a structure with heavy fire throughout.” [Patch]
Centreville Man Sentenced for Jan. 6 Capitol Attack — A U.S. District judge sentenced Centreville resident Zachary J. Alam to eight years in prison last Thursday (Nov. 7) after a jury convicted him last year of “assaulting police, destroying public property and obstructing police during a civil disorder” at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. [Washington Post]
Navy Federal Hit With Record Fine — “Vienna-based Navy Federal Credit Union has been ordered by a federal regulator to pay $95 million in restitution and fines for allegedly charging illegal overdraft fees to customers” between 2017 and 2022. That includes $80 million in refunds to customers and $15 million for a victims’ relief fund — the largest fine ever levied against a credit union by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. [Washington Business Journal]
More Black and Latino Men Voted for Trump — “For DaSean Gallishaw, a consultant in Fairfax, Virginia, a vote for Trump was rooted in what he saw as Democrats’ rhetoric not matching their actions. ‘It’s been a very long time since the Democrats ever really kept their promises to what they’re going to do for the minority communities,’ he said.” [Associated Press]
GMU Students File Lawsuit Over Tampons — “In a lawsuit filed in federal court, third-year law students Selene Cerankosky and Maria Arcara said the school ordered them to have no contact with another student who proposed stocking all restrooms, including men’s rooms, with menstrual hygiene products.” [WTOP]
Tex-Mex Restaurant Opens in Falls Church — “A new Latin and Tex-Mex restaurant is currently hosting its soft opening in Falls Church. Casa Mariachi Bar and Grille expects to hold a grand opening sometime next week at 133 E. Annandale Road, manager Tony Flores told ARLnow” on Nov. 8. [ARLnow]
Belle Haven Residents Push for New Park — The Fairfax County Park Authority is finalizing the design concept for a trail system that could help address “the lack of readily accessible recreational opportunities in the highly developed, densely populated Kings Crossing area.” The concept will be presented to the community next spring. [On the MoVe]
Woodlawn Park to Unveil New Restrooms — “The Fairfax County Park Authority, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck and members of the Woodlawn Little League community invite the public to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting for the newly completed restroom and concessions building at McNaughton Fields Park. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.” [FCPA]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 56 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 13 to 15 mph and gusts reaching up to 24 mph. The clear night will bring a low around 33 degrees, with a north wind at 7 to 9 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. [NWS]
Elections have consequences, and now, Northern Virginia leaders are in wait-and-see mode on what those could be for local transit and transportation funding.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) board met Thursday (Nov. 7) for the first time since the 2024 general election, when Donald Trump regained the presidency and Republicans took control of at least one chamber of Congress — an unnerving prospect for Northern Virginia’s mostly Democratic political leaders.
Facing growing concerns over inconsistent grading practices, the Fairfax County School Board is moving forward with plans for a comprehensive update of its grading policy for the first time in more than a decade.
The policy revamp comes after years of complaints from teachers, parents, and students that the current system lacks clarity and consistency.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for high fire danger Friday across much of Northern Virginia.
The warning is in effect from noon to 6 p.m. for Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, eastern Loudoun, northeast Prince William and northern Fauquier.
