Countywide

Family Mourns Hit-and-Run Victim — “Erica Tibbs; her partner, Christian Saidi; and their son, Hezekiah, had just stepped off a bus after dinner at McDonald’s Jan. 29” when an SUV driver struck the woman and boy on Richmond Highway. Tibbs, who died at the hospital, “was loved, valued and respected in the community,” according to her aunt. [NBC4]

Advocates Propose W&OD Trail Rail Line — A new coalition of businesses, nonprofits and transit supporters called NOVA-TRAC is advocating for a commuter rail line alongside the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. “By building a consensus town by town, we hope to gain momentum to get an official feasibility study commissioned by Loudoun and Fairfax counties in partnership with state and regional agencies.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Governor Candidates React to Federal Worker Cuts — “The Trump administration’s aggressive push to cut government jobs is reverberating in the early stages of this year’s race for governor in Virginia.” Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the top Republican contender, said she “backed Trump’s effort to take inventory of federal spending,” while former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger said the gutting “will cause damage across the state.” [Associated Press]

Annandale Student Leads Anti-Trump Protest — “Hundreds of people chanted ‘stop the coup’ along with other sentiments, at a rally organized by a motivated student from Annandale. Those in attendance at the Virginia Capitol on Feb. 5 protested President Donald Trump’s recent flurry of executive orders, as well as Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to federal government systems.” [VCU Capital News Service/Annandale Today]

Whole Foods Opens in Falls Church — “Over 100 shoppers flocked to 103 E. Broad Street this morning (Friday) to see the new 45,000-square-foot grocery store … The new store replaces a previous Whole Foods at the Idylwood Plaza, which closed permanently Monday, Feb. 3.” [ARLnow]

Insurance Company Leases Reston Station Office — Comstock Holding Companies announced on Friday (Feb. 7) that FM Global, a commercial property insurance and loss prevention company, has signed a lease for 32,000 square feet at 1906 Reston Metro Plaza. The company serves “businesses in over 130 countries that span across a variety of industries.” [BusinessWire]

County Sells $400M in Bonds — “Fairfax County successfully held a $400 million general obligation bond sale on Jan. 22, securing a competitive interest rate of 3.57%.” The money will fund schools, public safety, parks, transportation, library and human services capital projects. [Fairfax County Government]

Park Authority Hiring for New Mount Vernon Rec Center — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is excited to announce open hire events for the newly renovated Mount Vernon Rec Center, which is reopening in May 2025 and looking to fill over 290 part-time positions across multiple departments.” [FCPA]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 44, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 7 mph. As night falls, the sky will become mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 30 and a calm wind. [NWS]

Fewer Flights Will Be Allowed at National Airport — “The Federal Aviation Administration plans to announce it is reducing flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns, after a deadly collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed 67 people, according to an email seen by Reuters.” [Reuters]

Man Injured in Richmond Highway Crash — Officers responded last night (Thursday) to “a two-vehicle crash at Route 1 and Dawn Dr. in Groveton. One of the drivers, an adult male, was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition.” The crash closed northbound Route 1 between Beddoo Street and Fairview Drive. [FCPD]

Judge Halts Deadline for Federal Worker Resignations — “A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ‘deferred resignation’ program, which is part of a sweeping effort to eliminate government jobs … The ruling came hours before the midnight deadline for workers to apply for the deferred resignation program, which the administration promoted as a buyout.” [NBC4]

Three-Alarm Fire at Lorton Warehouse — “Fire crews in Fairfax County [were] working to extinguish a large commercial fire in Lorton early Thursday morning. The fire was first reported just after 5 a.m. in the 8100 block of Terminal Road, near the Sharpshooters Indoor Range and Pro Shop.” [WUSA9]

Gas Station Makeover Gets Support — “The owner of a Shell gas station and auto repair shop on the corner of Backlick Road and Industrial Road in the Springfield area of Mason District is planning to replace them with a new gas station and convenience store. The Fairfax County Planning Commission endorsed the project on Feb. 5.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Company Renamed to Reflect Bitcoin Focus — “MicroStrategy, one of Northern Virginia’s oldest technology companies, has a new corporate name that it said reflects its new focus on Bitcoin. Tysons-based MicroStrategy is now Strategy. Its new logo follows the name with a stylized Bitcoin ‘B.'” [WTOP]

Popeyes Reopens in Hybla Valley — “The Popeyes restaurant at Mount Vernon Crossroads shopping plaza officially reopened Feb. 5. The New Orleans-style chicken restaurant, located at 7832 Richmond Highway, had been closed since Nov. 23 due to a kitchen fire.” The Cut Butchery and F45 Training will also open in the corridor in the coming weeks. [On the MoVe]

High School Athlete Recruitment Bill Stalls — “Legislation aimed at cracking down on high school athletic recruitment tactics — specifically barring officials from using the ‘homeless’ designation to lure student athletes — hit a roadblock Tuesday, failing to advance at the session’s midpoint. Despite the setback, the fight isn’t over, according to Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, who sponsored House Bill 1656.” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 47 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds between 8 to 11 mph and gusts reaching up to 20 mph. On Friday night, the sky will turn mostly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 31 degrees. The north wind will blow at 5 to 7 mph, eventually calming as the evening progresses. [NWS]

ICE Arrests Annandale Residents — “ICE agents arrested six men outside Fairmont Gardens in Annandale [Wednesday] morning. The men were spotted walking down Little River Turnpike in handcuffs. The men were waiting for jobs. One was released because he had a work permit, says Nayely Lopez of FACETS.” [Annandale Today]

Driver Killed in I-95 Crash — “Virginia State Police are investigating a crash that happened just after 2:30 p.m. on [Tuesday, Feb. 4 in] the southbound 95 Express Lanes at the 151 mile marker in Prince William County,” creating traffic delays from Dumfries to Lorton. A Lexus driver died at the scene, and a passenger in the vehicle was taken to a hospital. [WTOP]

Health Centers Closing Due to Funding Freeze — “Half of Virginia’s community health centers have been cut off from federal grant money, forcing some to stop providing certain services and others to close branches.” Even though a judge stayed the Trump administration’s funding freeze last week, 16 of the state’s 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers have been unable to access funds used to pay their employees. [VPM]

Arrest Made in Chantilly School and Church Thefts — A Chantilly man has been charged with burglary, property destruction and petit larceny after he allegedly stole from a church donation box and burglarized a school. “The two separate incidents happened at the end of January 2024, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.” [DC News Now]

Police Investigate Vehicle Part Thefts — Fairfax County police are looking for an Ohio man who they say was involved in catalytic converter thefts in Woodlawn on Jan. 5. “The complainant reported seeing two men carrying tools and attempting to break into vehicles. Officers located several catalytic converters, the suspects’ vehicle, and tools nearby.” [FCPD]

Lincolnia Credit Union Robbed — The Navy Federal Credit Union in Barcroft Plaza was robbed yesterday (Wednesday) shortly before 11:30 a.m. “The suspect entered the bank, at 6343 Columbia Pike in Lincolnia, and demanded money, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. The suspect did not display a weapon. No one was injured.” [Annandale Today]

Falls Church to Wait and See on Deer Management — “Deer culling efforts are unlikely to get off the ground in Falls Church any time soon, city leaders indicated this week.” At a Monday (Feb. 3) night work session, the city’s animal control officer said complaints about deer have been minimal, but city council members suggested keeping an eye on local populations. [ARLnow]

Murals Could Beautify Route 1 Construction — “As more and more buildings along Richmond Highway are demolished in preparation for construction of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) is hoping to improve the appearance of the corridor with more artwork.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Thursday — Expect rain mainly before 1pm, with a high temperature near 49°F. There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, with new amounts between a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. For Thursday night, it’ll be mostly cloudy with a low around 40°F. [NWS]

Candlelight Vigil Tonight for DCA Crash Victims — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) invites the community to a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the 67 lives lost in the tragic American Airlines crash at National Airport last week. The gathering will take place Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m., at Rivergate City Park, 2 Montgomery St., on the Alexandria waterfront.” [Annandale Today]

Concerns About Crowded Airspace Have History — “With a preliminary NTSB report not expected for several weeks, Arlington’s federal representatives have ventured few opinions on what factors may have contributed to last week’s crash. However, local advocates’ concerns about the number of flights at DCA stretch back years.” [ARLnow]

Route 28 Bypass Project Officially Dead — The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 5-3 yesterday (Tuesday) to cancel a planned road extension that would’ve diverted traffic off of Route 28 (Centreville Road) before reconnecting north of Bull Run Stream in Fairfax County. Approved in 2020, the bypass proposal faced various challenges, including a “lack of buy-in from Fairfax County.” [WTOP]

Lawmakers Could Regulate License Plate Readers — “Virginia lawmakers are moving to regulate automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) for the first time, but privacy advocates warn that the legislation could expand surveillance rather than rein it in.” The House of Delegates passed a bill yesterday that would limit police data storage and authorize VDOT to issue permits for the devices’ installation. [Virginia Mercury]

Loudoun to Consider Dulles Airport Noise Mitigation — “As residents near Dulles International Airport continue to voice concerns over noise from aircraft flying over their homes, a community-involved process to consider mitigation methods will kick off this spring … A virtual community kick-off meeting is envisioned for April to provide an overview of the project.” [Loudoun Now]

Update on FCPS Athletics Policy Review — “Months after Hayfield Secondary School’s football team withdrew from the playoffs, Fairfax County Public Schools is crafting a plan that it hopes will improve its athletic processes and transparency ahead of the next school year.” The plan is being developed by a working group in collaboration with the Virginia High School League. [WTOP]

Secret Service Cracks Down on ‘Card Skimmers’ — “A U.S. Secret Service task force cracked down on a card-skimming scheme that targeted people who rely on government assistance … The unit visited 879 businesses in the D.C. area, inspected 6,561 devices and found 24 skimmers.” [NBC4]

Hunter Mill District Invited to Town Hall — “Do you want to know more about the proposed casino or have other questions or issues you want to discuss with me? Let’s talk!” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn will host a town hall tomorrow (Thursday) from 7-8:30 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) in Reston. [Walter Alcorn/Instagram]

It’s Wednesday — There’s a 30% chance of precipitation during the day, with an increased likelihood of combined snow and sleet after 1 p.m. At night, though, the chance of preciptation is 100%, with sleet transitioning to freezing rain and sleet from 1-4 a.m. The high temperature will be around 37 and the low near 32. [NWS]