New payment options, from 24-hour kiosks to cryptocurrency, could be on the way for those paying taxes and fees to the Fairfax County government.
If one county leader has his way, there also could be lower surcharges for those paying by credit and debit cards.
Halloween has arrived, but this year, the real scares might still be lurking around the corner, as Election Day approaches.
Thousands of Fairfax County voters have already cast a ballot, either in person at one of the county’s 16 early voting sites or by mail.
Regional Campaign Urges Drivers to Slow Down — “As part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, the [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments] is launching a new Street Smart safety campaign with the slogan, ‘Slow Down, Life Ahead.’ The campaign aims to cut down on distracted and impaired driving this fall and winter, when there’s fewer daylight hours and decreased visibility on the road.” [WTOP]
Driver Rescued From Potomac River — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to a vehicle crash “into the Potomac River in the area of Waynewood Blvd/George Washington Memorial Pkwy. Bystanders were able to extricate the occupant prior to firefighter arrival. The occupant was transported to a local hospital.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Hazmat Response Company Opens New HQ — CHEMTREC, which provides hazardous materials emergency response services, celebrated the grand opening of its global headquarters at 3130 Fairview Park Drive on Tuesday (Oct. 29). After 12 years in Fairfax County, the company will spend the next 13 years at “its new 25,000-square-foot headquarters, which will accommodate 100 full-time employees. [Fairfax County EDA]
Halloween Safety Tips — “Halloween is one of the most highly anticipated holidays, especially for children. Dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating and collecting loads of candy is a highlight for kids every Oct. 31. However, it’s important for both parents and children to prioritize safety during the spooky festivities.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Reston Town Center Classified as Business District — BXP classified Reston Town Center as a “central business district” asset in a third-quarter report released Tuesday (Oct. 29). The categorization suggests the developer views RTC as more like urban properties in D.C., Boston and other cities than “suburban” sites like Kingstowne Towne Center’s movie theater. [Washington Business Journal]
New Park Proposed in Falls Church — The Falls Church City Council appears supportive of plans to allocate $1.5 million of $5.3 million in unspent fiscal year 2024 funds “to complete design and move forward with construction on what they call the Fellows site.” The planned park will be on a 1.9-acre property near Oak Street Elementary School that the city acquired in 2019. [ARLnow]
GMU Expands Work with Reston Contractor — “George Mason University and General Dynamics recently expanded an existing partnership to give students more access to career development in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud, and software development.” The space and defense company will offer recruitment, mentorship and other initiatives. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Yoga Studio Opening in Belle View — “Jess Purtell Yoga will hold its first classes Nov. 1 at its new space at Belle View Shopping Center.” Meanwhile, a butcher shop is coming to Fort Hunt, possibly early next year, and the international supermarket Fresh World has bumped back its expectations for opening in Mount Vernon to December or January. [On the MoVe]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine, a high around 79 degrees and a southwest wind between 7 and 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. At night, there will be a 20% chance of showers after 2am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 64 degrees. The southwest wind will continue at 11 to 14 mph with gusts as high as 22 mph. [NWS]
Fairfax County’s elected leadership is standing firm in efforts to have the state government fulfill its responsibility for housing those sentenced to incarceration.
But exactly how local leaders will deliver that message in advance of the 2025 General Assembly session remains a work in progress.
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday allowed Virginia to resume its purge of voter registrations that the state says is aimed at stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting.
If current trends continue, a majority of Fairfax County Public Schools students could come from families defined as economically disadvantaged.
“That would be a fundamental shift in the paradigm of our education system,” Mount Vernon Representative Mateo Dunne said at the Fairfax County School Board meeting last Thursday (Oct. 24).
Potomac River Levels Still Below Average — “Flows in the Potomac River have fallen far below normal averages raising the prospect of a continued drought watch in the region and the restarting of daily drought monitoring by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, according to ICPRB executive director Mike Nardolilli.” [WUSA9]
Reston Station Leads Drug Take-Back Day — “On Saturday, our district stations joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect 818 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from the community during the 27th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Initiative.” [FCPD]
Firefighters Distribute Winter Coats — On Monday, Oct. 28, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted a winter coat distribution event at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters & volunteers distributed approximately 1,800 coats to local schools, shelters, & non-profit groups that will go to deserving kids. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
A Look at the Future of Dulles Airport — “Dulles Airport has presented its latest 25-year master plan to the FAA.” Anticipating close to 30 million annual passengers by 2030, the Metropolitan Area Airports Authority is planning for a new runway, a new concourse that’s now under construction, a three-level parking garage and “potentially development like new offices.” [NBC4]
Tysons Korean Steakhouse to Expand — Ingle Korean Steakhouse is planning to open a second restaurant in fall 2025 at 1926 14th Street, NW in downtown D.C. Named one of the 50 best restaurants in Northern Virginia this month, Ingle was started by former Donburi owner James Jang and opened at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons in 2022. [Popville]
Mural Completed in Annandale — “The Annandale community celebrated the completion of the mural at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space with a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 26 … The mural on the [Child Development Center] building is the first in the county’s Paint It, Fairfax! initiative to facilitate murals in commercial revitalization districts.” [Annandale Today]
ArtsFairfax Reports Fundraising Record — The ArtsFairfax Awards, which were held in Tysons last Friday (Oct. 25), “raised a record high” of $200,665 by the end of the event. With fundraising still open, ArtsFairfax says it “intends to raise operating funds in order to dedicate more County funding towards grants to arts and culture partners.” [ArtsFairfax]
Trendy Foods Available at Local Cafes — “Viral TikTok food trends are live at D.C.-area restaurants.” That includes the traditional Chinese dessert tanghulu at Shilla Bakery in Annandale, dirty sodas from Coco’s Sodas and Sweets, and Dubai chocolate from Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee, which can both be found in Vienna. [Axios DC]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 77 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at about 7 mph. As for Wednesday night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low around 60 degrees, with the southwest wind persisting at approximately 7 mph. [NWS]
New Fairfax County Public Schools figures show ongoing declines in the percentages of students using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and harder drugs.
But the results have led some to ask if they’re too good to be true.
If you recently got a call claiming you missed jury duty, that’s (likely) not the case.
Fairfax County officials have received an uptick in reports about a scam claiming that residents have missed their jury duty assignments, according to Circuit Court spokesperson Camila Alfonzo Meza.
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seem to be standing firm in staying out of political and military issues in the Mideast.
But that hasn’t stopped community members seeking support for a permanent ceasefire between Israel, Hamas and related players to continue pressing their efforts.
