The D.C. area’s historic rain-free streak continues after a predicted chance of precipitation this morning (Thursday) failed to materialize.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced today that it has extended a drought watch that has been in place since July, urging nearly 6 million residents and businesses in the region to take voluntary steps to conserve water.
After reporting record turnout levels in 2016 and 2020, Fairfax County saw a noticeable dip in voter participation for this year’s general election.
The county reported a voter turnout of 68.35%, with 561,368 of its 821,347 registered voters casting a ballot either on Tuesday (Nov. 5) or during the 45-day early voting period, according to unofficial results that will be certified after noon tomorrow (Friday), the deadline for the county’s elections office to receive mail-in ballots.
Just two days after winning reelection to Congress, Rep. Gerry Connolly announced that he has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Connolly learned of his diagnosis “a few days ago” after experiencing “some intermittent abdominal aches and pains,” but no other symptoms, he said in a statement posted on his social media pages this morning (Thursday).
Metro Bus Redesign Set for Vote — Metro’s board is scheduled to vote today (Thursday) on “an overhaul of the bus network in and around D.C. — the first major redesign of the system in half a century.” Expected to take effect next summer, the proposed routes were revised from a plan unveiled in July based on public feedback. [Washington Post]
Woman Killed in I-495 Crash — “A Massachusetts woman died and three others were injured in a five-vehicle, chain-reaction crash Tuesday on Interstate 495 near Alexandria. Troopers were called to the wreck in the through lanes of westbound I-495 near Telegraph Road at 5:33 p.m. after a Dodge Ram struck the right rear of a Lexus sedan stopped in traffic, state police said in a release.” [Inside NoVA]
Trump Could Upend D.C. Area’s Economy — “Trump has called for creating an office of efficiency that would be tasked with slashing $2 trillion from the federal budget by, among other things, reducing the government workforce, moving some of those jobs outside of the region and even eliminating federal agencies such as the Department of Education.” [Washington Business Journal]
Fairfax Resident Sentenced for Jan. 6 Role — “A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former member of an alleged Alexandria-area militia was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation for his role in the Capitol riot. Fi Duong, 30, of Fairfax County, was arrested in July 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one felony count of civil disorder.” [WUSA9]
Fairfax City Reelects Mayor — “Mayor Catherine Read defeated challenger Susan Hartley Kuiler in the Fairfax City mayor’s race, according to unofficial results reported by the Virginia Board of Elections.” City voters also weighed in on new school board members and a public schools bond referendum. [Patch]
Murder Suspect Arrested at Dulles Airport — “A man wanted in connection with a 2022 robbery and murder in Woodbridge was arrested Sunday at Dulles International Airport as he tried to board a one-way flight to El Salvador, federal authorities said.” [Inside NoVA]
Fort Hunt Butcher Shop Under Construction — “Construction kicked off in late October at the former Top It Off space at Hollin Hall Shopping Center … When The Cut opens early next year, it will sell a variety of meats, seafood and provisions like wine and cheese.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Thursday — There’s a 40% chance of precipitation, with showers mainly before noon, followed by partly sunny skies and a high near 77. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures around 50 and precipitation chances dropping to 20%. [NWS]
Fairfax County supervisors remain supportive, in concept, of enacting a pilot program lowering speed limits from 25 mph to 20 mph on some streets.
But the availability of resources to implement a fully countywide program down the road remains an open question.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Fairfax County Democrats are confronting a more competitive Virginia, where heightened Republican mobilization has raised alarms about their hold on power in the purple state.
While Vice President Kamala Harris won Virginia by more than 5 percentage points, her margin was notably lower than President Joe Biden’s in 2020, when he won the state by over 10 points. Similarly, in Fairfax County, Harris captured 65.44% of the vote, down from Biden’s 69.85%.
The polls have closed, and the results of the 2024 general election are in.
While the results in Fairfax County and elsewhere won’t be certified for days, unofficial returns indicate that Republican nominee Donald Trump will once again be president of the United States, defeating Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris in a high-stakes race that will shape the country’s direction on issues from abortion and immigration to climate change, health care and, according to many voters, the very future of democracy.
Republicans Projected to Control Senate — “The GOP has won control of the Senate as Sen. Deb Fischer secures reelection in Nebraska. With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years.” [Associated Press]
Fairfax Businessmen on Trial for Selling Tech to Russia — “Two senior executives from the Fairfax-based Eleview International Inc., made their initial appearance in federal court on Monday to face charges of transferring critical systems and technologies — some with military application — to Russia.” The alleged sales violated restrictions that the U.S. imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. [Patch]
Fairfax City Candidates Hear Voter Concerns — “Candidates running for office in the City of Fairfax entered the final stretch of their months-long campaign on Tuesday, with many making a final appeal to voters at polling sites around the city. By noon on Tuesday, 2,599 people — about 14.87 percent of the city’s active, registered voters — had cast in-person ballots,” the city’s general registrar said. [Patch]
FCPS Sets Meeting Dates on Boundary Review — “Our first set of boundary review meetings will begin in a few weeks, with a meeting scheduled in each of our six regions. Families, staff, and community members will be able to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.” [FCPS]
New Name Proposed for Eden Center Road — “The Falls Church City Council is expected to approve a resolution on Nov. 12 to designate the section of Wilson Boulevard in front of the Eden Center as ‘Saigon Boulevard’ … It will be an honorary name, not recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.” [Annandale Today]
Tea Shop Plans Fairfax Location — The Alley, a tea shop chain with locations around the world, has chosen Fairfax City as the site of its first Virginia location. The shop will open at 11017 Main Street and appears to specialize in “bubble teas or boba teas with tapioca balls in them.” [The Burn]
Cloned Ferret Gives Birth in Virginia — A female black-footed ferret that “was created by cloning gave birth to two healthy offspring at a Smithsonian Institution/National Zoo center in Virginia, in what a federal agency called a conservation milestone. Authorities indicated that techniques used in their work with black-footed ferrets could help preserve other endangered species.” [Washington Post]
It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 79 degrees and southwest winds at 10 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 63 degrees. The southwest wind of 6 mph will become calm after midnight. [NWS]
Results from today’s general election are starting to trickle in, and Fairfax County’s initial batch of tallied votes strongly favor Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.
As of 9:24 p.m., Harris has about two-thirds or 66% of the votes that the county has counted so far, which include some early votes and Election Day results from 127 of the county’s 264 precincts, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
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.
