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.
County Warns About Fake Shredding Events — “Residents have recently reported arriving at Fairfax County facilities for shredding events that were falsely advertised on a suspicious website. These events are not associated with the county and we urge you to take steps to avoid misinformation and potential scams.” [Fairfax County Government]
Hayfield Argues Against Potential Postseason Ban — “Hayfield Secondary School made its final appeal Thursday to overturn a recommended two-year postseason ban in football. The hearing was held before a Virginia High School League three-person Executive Committee subcommittee,” which now has five working days to reach a final decision. [Inside NoVA]
FCPD Details Results of License Plate Readers — “The Fairfax County Police Department reports strong results from license plate readers.” Since the tools were introduced in November 2022, they have led to arrests of 514 people, 200 stolen vehicle recoveries, 43 gun recoveries and the locations of 30 missing people. [Annandale Today]
Local Voters Cite Economy, Abortion Among Top Issues — “Originally a Republican stronghold, Fairfax began to shift in the early 2000s as its population grew more diverse and younger families moved in. From student loan debt and health care to economic stability, these issues drive voters to make their voices heard in what many see as a defining election.” [The Wash]
Speculation on Youngkin Joining Trump Team — “Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been getting closer to Donald Trump in recent months, with the two even appearing together on stage, leading to questions about whether Youngkin would possibly leave the state and join the incoming Trump administration.” [WTOP]
Herndon Cybersecurity Firm Buys Competitor — Everfox “previously known as Forcepoint Federal, has acquired Frederick, Maryland-based Yakabod Inc., a 23-year-old software company that provides cybersecurity and related services to federal agencies, corporations, universities and other organizations.” Announced on Nov. 1, the deal is Everfox’s second acquisition in three months. [DC Inno]
Herndon Homecoming Parade to Close Streets — “The Herndon High School Homecoming Parade is set to take place this Saturday, November 9th, kicking off at 9:30 am… To ensure the safety and smooth flow of the event, please take note of the following street closures and parking restrictions on Saturday morning.” [Town of Herndon]
Meadowlark Gardens Lets Kids See Winter Lights for Free — “Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights has four nights when kids will be admitted for free. On those nights, kids ages 2 to 12 will be admitted to the botanical gardens when they are accompanied by someone who has paid to get in.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 70 degrees with a light northwest wind that will reach 5-10 mph in the morning and potentially gust up to 20 mph. Clear conditions will continue into Friday night, with a low around 45 degrees. [NWS]
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%.
