Electronic signs on display at eligible businesses, schools and other establishments can now shine brighter at night.
In planned, commercial and industrial zoning districts within Fairfax County, electronic display signs can now reach brightness levels of up to 300 nits at night, compared to 100 nits previously.
Officially, Fairfax County doesn’t have a Lee Highway or Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway anymore, but months after the names were dropped, they can still be seen on street signs throughout both corridors.
By the end of this month, that should no longer be the case — at least for smaller signs, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation says. A contractor is replacing the small blue signs at street corners with ones identifying the roadways as Route 29 and Route 50, respectively.
“Free Palestine” Protest Disrupts Black Friday in Tysons — “Outside Tysons Corner Center in McLean, another group marched and chanted. A line of vehicles could be seen with Palestinian flags waving…Some posted on social media that they had been stuck in traffic for hours. One X user posted that they were stuck in the Tysons parking garage because of the protest.” [WUSA9]
Fairfax County Firefighter Dies Off-Duty — “With great sadness, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department announces the death of Lieutenant Travis Traynham. Lt. Traynham passed away while off-duty on Thursday, November 23, 2023. Lt. Traynham has been a valued member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department since joining in 2004.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Virginia’s next General Assembly won’t convene until Jan. 10, but senators and delegates have already begun penning legislation. (And by that, we mean the Virginia Division of Legislative Services is hard at work translating their goals into the high-flown tones of state code.)
On Monday, the start of the 2024 session’s official prefiling period, lawmakers dropped the first bills that will be up for consideration this January.
(Updated at 12:30 p.m. with Metro information) Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, bringing with it the promise (or threat, depending on your situation) of family gatherings and days off for many public services.
The Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Herndon and Vienna governments will all observe the holiday tomorrow (Thursday) by closing their offices, but schedules are more varied for Friday (Nov. 24).
Fire Department Has Thanksgiving Safety Tips — “Did you know Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires? According to the NFPA, Thanksgiving day has more than three times the daily average for such incidents…Please help prevent an unexpected visit to your home from our firefighters on Thanksgiving Day!” [FCFRD]
Man Arrested for Tysons Corner Center Burglary — Fairfax County police officers responded to Macy’s at Tysons Corner Center at 2:13 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday) after a community member reported that a burglary alarm was activated by “a man pushing a cart filled with merchandise away from the store.” Police recovered “$38,787 worth of clothing and accessories.” [FCPD]
Fairfax County officials are gearing up to expand the police department’s use of automated license plate readers (ALPR).
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a $136,270 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice today (Tuesday) to further support the program. The Fairfax County Police Department is seeking the expansion in response to a rise in violent carjackings and stolen vehicles, according to county staff.
Car Crashes Into Electric Pole on Route 29 — A two-vehicle crash took out an electrical pole at the Graham Road intersection in Idylwood early last night (Monday). No injuries were reported, but all eastbound lanes were blocked during the afternoon rush-hour as police and Dominion Energy responded to the scene. [FCPD/Twitter]
Tysons Corner Center Lights Holiday Tree — “Step into a winter wonderland at Tysons Corner Plaza, where the festive spirit comes alive! This quick highlight reel captures the essence of the Tysons Corner Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration that took place on November 17, 2023.” [Drew Lehmann/YouTube]
Before the new class of General Assembly members takes office in January, they are facing a push from local government leaders to quickly address Virginia’s historical underfunding of its school divisions.
In September, the General Assembly convened a group to examine how the state’s funding formulas could be updated to fix the problem, with recommendations due next November, ahead of the 2025 legislative session. However, many local governments say the timeline needs to be faster and are urging the legislature to take action immediately, at the start of the new budget cycle.
Hayfield Student Overdoses — “In a letter to families and staff, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid said a student at Hayfield Secondary School overdosed Friday. It is unclear if the student was on school property when the overdose occurred. Reid said in the letter that out of concern for the student’s privacy, the district will not be releasing any further information regarding the overdose.” [WUSA9]
Metro Fare Revenues Dip Despite Ridership Improving — “Revenue from fares, parking, advertising and other sources during the fiscal quarter amounted to $108.4 million, which is $17.7 million less than Metro predicted…Metro leaders didn’t express significant concerns Thursday while learning of the quarterly revenue gap, saying the pandemic proved the agency can’t rely so heavily on fares.” [Washington Post]
