More than 60% of registered voters in Fairfax County have cast a ballot so far in this year’s general election.
As of 12:30 p.m., 18.7% of voters have cast a ballot on Election Day since polls opened at 6 a.m. today. Combined with the 43% of voters who participated in early voting or sent in an absentee ballot by mail, the county has seen a total turnout of 61.7%, the Fairfax County Office of Elections reported.
Fairfax County saw high early voting turnout for this year’s presidential election, though the numbers didn’t reached the levels seen during the last presidential cycle.
Since early voting began on Sept. 20, over 322,000 residents, or 43% of the county’s 748,492 registered voters, have cast a vote, as of Friday (Nov. 2), the last day of in-person early voting, the Fairfax County Office of Elections posted on Twitter.
Poll Worker Removed for Citizenship Question — Fairfax County’s Office of Elections removed a poll worker from the Franconia Governmental Center’s early voting site who asked an elementary school principal to show proof of her citizenship — a violation of state law. Liza Burrell-Aldana, once named principal of the year by the Washington Post, believes she was questioned because she looks and sounds Latina. [Washington Post]
Man Charged With Assault on Dulles Flight — A man has been charged with felony assault after allegedly punching another passenger “repeatedly in the face and head” during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport. An FBI agent says the attack against the sleeping passenger on Monday, Oct. 28 was unprovoked. [Associated Press/WTOP]
How County Is Ensuring Security of Election — With Election Day here, the Fairfax County Office of Elections offered a breakdown of the steps it takes to ensure “every vote is accurately recorded, safely stored and properly counted. From safeguarding ballots and voting machines to conducting post-election canvassing, the county’s Office of Elections prioritizes security at every step.” [Fairfax County Government]
Local Restaurants Offer Election Day Specials — “Make the most of Election Day by picking up a few free treats and special deals just for voters. Here’s where you can find food and drink specials on November 5.” Offers include a free nonalcoholic drink from Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Chantilly and Fair Oaks, and a themed cocktail from Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in McLean. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Trail Proposed Along GW Parkway — “A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is hoping recent controversy over tree-clearing along the Potomac River leads to creative thinking about the future.” The group suggested that the National Park Service create a trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s full Arlington County length. [ARLnow]
Buyer Search Underway for Vacant Annandale Building — “There is a lot of interest in the vacant property on Columbia Pike next to the Giant parking lot. But don’t expect anything to happen any time soon. The 1-acre site is available for a ground lease or sale for $3.5 million, says Craig Cheney with KLNB.” [Annandale Today]
Tysons Coffee Shop Opens Loudoun Expansion — “The new Shotted Specialty Coffee shop coming to Loudoun County has announced that its grand opening will be this coming Friday, November 8. They have already started a soft opening and busy brewing.” The cafe can be found in Fairfax County at both Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. [The Burn]
It’s Tuesday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. [NWS]
Fairfax County’s unemployment rate saw little movement in year-over-year in new data, while those seeking to rent apartments across the county are likely to be paying more than they would have a year before.
The new figures represent employment conditions recorded in September and housing costs in October.
‘Ghost Gun’ Seller Settles Lawsuit over Fatal Shooting — “The sellers of a ‘ghost gun’ kit that a Fairfax County teenager used to build a working pistol, and then kill two of his classmates, agreed Friday to pay more than $2 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of the slain teens.” [Washington Post]
Alleged Drivers in Tysons Street Race Arrested — “Two drivers featured in a video of an illegal street race posted on social media were identified and arrested, according to the Fairfax County Police Department… A Tesla Cybertruck and Lamborghini illegally raced Oct. 13 near Leesburg Pike and Westwood Center Drive in Tysons, authorities said.” [Patch]
Safety Watchdog Sues Metro Agency — “The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission sued Metro on Thursday, alleging that WMATA authorities, who operate D.C. Metrorail and Metrobus, did not hand over information related to its workers’ safety, including a required asbestos program.” [WUSA9]
Fairfax Man Convicted Based on Drone Footage — “A Virginia man was found guilty of second-degree assault in Montgomery County after a jury trial where drone footage from Montgomery County’s Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program showed him stabbing a man in Silver Spring. This case marks the county’s first jury conviction using drone evidence.” [MoCo Show]
Local TV News Anchor to Retire — “Longtime DC-area news anchor Dave Lucas will step down from the anchor desk this month to retire, 7News/WJLA-TV announced in a news release [Friday]. Lucas, the weekday anchor of WJLA’s 24/7 news at noon and the afternoon editions between 2 and 5 p.m., will host his final afternoon newscast on November 22.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Sample of Early Voters in Annandale Favors Harris — “With the election just two days away, we dropped by the Mason Government Center on Saturday, the last day of early voting, to ask random people who they were voting for for president. We then asked them to give a reason in one or two sentences.” [Annandale Today]
Park Authority Proposes Fee Changes — The Fairfax County Park Authority is accepting public comments on proposed adjustments to the fees it charges for use of its golf courses, rec centers and other facilities. Currently under review by the park authority board, the changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. [FCPA]
It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high near 63, and a light southeast wind between 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Monday night brings patchy fog between 1 am and 4 am, but it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and a southeast wind at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
Those with disabilities would see more accessible parking spaces connected to new development under new rules vetted Wednesday (Oct. 30) by the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The body voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a proposal to tweak accessible-parking ratios. Instead of the current minimum of one Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking space for every 25 spaces in a lot or garage, the ratio would be changed to one for every 15.
Fairfax County supervisors will advocate for data center regulation to be a primary focus of the General Assembly’s 2025 legislative agenda.
Board members expressed support this week for several new recommendations from county staff aimed at granting state agencies and local governments broader authority to regulate data centers, including increased oversight of their environmental impacts.
Fairfax County is inviting residents to turn their post-Halloween jack-o’-lanterns from holiday decor to “compost gold” at this year’s Pumpkin Palooza.
Through Nov. 15, the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program is accepting used pumpkins and gourds for composting at the I-95 Landfill Complex (850 Furnace Road) and the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road).
Former CIA Trainee Found Not Guilty of Assault — “A former CIA officer trainee was found not guilty Wednesday of assaulting a fellow trainee inside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in the second trial in a case that helped spark an agency-wide reckoning over sexual assault and harassment within the famed agency.” [Washington Post]
McLean Mansion Tops D.C. Area Sales for 2024 — “The most expensive home to sell in the DC region in years closed on Halloween for an eye-popping number. The eight-bedroom, 35,000 square-foot home in McLean known as The Cliffs … given its location perched above the Potomac River, sold on Thursday for $25.5 million.” The buyer was unidentified. [UrbanTurf]
Annandale on Upswing, Residents Say — “Visitors to the Annandale Today table at the Taste of Annandale last month were asked to fill out a brief, nonscientific survey with the question: ‘Is Annandale getting better or worse?’ Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73.6 percent) checked ‘better.'” A town hall to discuss Annandale’s future is planned for Nov. 13. [Annandale Today]
Local Ice Skating Star to Perform in Showcase — “Vienna native and defending World Champion Ilia Malinin is returning to Northern Virginia to perform in front of the home crowd” as part of the upcoming Xtreme Ice World Premiere, an ice skating showcase coming to Leesburg’s Ion Arena on Nov. 15. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Broken Pedestrian Beacon Getting Fixed — “The rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the intersection of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (MVMH) and Southwood Drive … stopped functioning last December and is in the process of being fixed, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.” [On the MoVe]
Oakton Rec Center Upgrades Complete — “Oakmont Rec Center has reopened after a monthlong closure during which the facility underwent … environmental upgrades and building improvements that include mechanical and plumbing systems and many aesthetic changes throughout the facility.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Blood Drive Planned in McLean — “VFW Post 8241 in McLean is hosting a Red Cross blood drive on November 22, 2024, from 10 am to 3 pm, at 1051 Spring Hill Road (corner of Spring Hill and Old Dominion). The Red Cross is also giving away holiday socks to donors. Please help the Red Cross save lives by donating blood before the holidays.” [VFW Post 8241]
Reston Store Launches Chocolate Bar Line — “Following a year of development, OmBaked CBD Boutique is rolling out a new line of CBD chocolates.” Owner and founder Radhika Murari says the Lake Anne Plaza store won over customers with its chocolate when it first opened, but they had to be removed so the labels could be adjusted “to comply with Virginia laws.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — There’s a 20% chance of brief showers before 2pm. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 75°F. In the evening, the skies will remain mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 47°F. [NWS]
Officials at Fairfax Water are bracing for one-time and ongoing costs that could approach a half-billion dollars over the next decade to comply with new federal environmental regulations.
Unless workarounds are found, most of the costs of addressing the looming impact of chemicals known as PFAS will be borne by its customers, the agency’s head told the Board of Supervisors’ Environment Committee on Tuesday (Oct. 29).
