County School Board Candidate Sends Controversial Mailer — “School board candidate Harry Jackson is pictured on the front of a postcard sent to voters in Fairfax County. On the flip side are illustrations of sex acts depicted in some of the books he wants FCPS to remove from schools. Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey reports,” [NBC 4]

Man Injured in Fairfax County Crash — “Several exit ramps from Interstate 66 in Greenbriar were closed temporarily after a crash Tuesday morning, according to Fairfax County police.” [WJLA]


For local bookworms who missed out on last month’s National Book Festival in D.C., you’re in luck.

Fairfax County Public Library will launch a book festival of its own on Sept. 30 with an exclusive focus on writers based in Northern Virginia.


Teen Charged in Fatal Fairfax County Shooting — “Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, have arrested and charged a 17-year-old who they say is responsible for the fatal shooting of a man in a parking lot in the Woodlawn area on Friday evening.” [WTOP]

New Stroller Policy In Effect for Fairfax Connector Buses —“. Effective immediately, adults boarding with a child in a stroller are no longer required to fold the stroller and hold the child in their lap. This family-friendly approach allows passengers to board Fairfax Connector buses with children comfortably secured in their strollers,” [Fairfax County Government]


How public records should be handled will be a key issue in the race to replace retiring Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey.

Democrat Chris Falcon and Republican Gerarda Culipher are both vying to fill the position that Frey will vacate when he retires in December. Frey, a Republican, has served as clerk of the county’s circuit court for the last 32 years. He ran for Virginia Attorney General in 2012.


TJ No Longer Ranked the Best U.S. High School — After three years in the top spot, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology has dropped to fifth in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High School Rankings.” The data used for the 2023 list comes from 2018-2021, before the magnet school’s admissions policy changes took effect. [WTOP]

Potomac River Running Low on Water — “The Potomac River supplies drinking water to some 5 million people in the D.C. region, and right now, the river is running low. Water managers announced they may have to use water from backup reservoirs upstream — it would be the first time in more than a decade.” [DCist]


Some broken lights have unexpected challenges for Fairfax County’s speed camera pilot program, which appears to be having an effect on drivers, based on early data.

For about a week in mid-July, the Winko-Matics — flashing lights that signal when a school zone is in effect — failed to turn on at three of the eight sites involved in the pilot, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


Emergency Task Force Called for Florida Hurricane — “VA-TF1 has been activated by @fema as an 80-person Type I urban search and rescue team in response to #Hurricane #Idalia. The team will leave to assist the affected region [Monday] evening.” [Virginia Task Force 1/Twitter]

Senior Housing Complex Opens in Kingstowne — Fairfax County and developer Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing recently celebrated the grand opening of Oakwood Meadow Senior Residences, a 150-unit apartment building for low-income adults aged 62 and older. Located at 5815 South Van Dorn Street, the development is aimed at seniors earning 60% of the area median income or less. [FCRHA]


Fire Burns Down Wolf Trap Area Home — “The Fairfax County Fire Department responded to a massive fire at a home in McLean Friday night. The home, located in the 1100 block of Windrock Drive caught fire shortly before 7 p.m. The dispatcher for the incident said the caller believed the house was struck by lightning. However, firefighters told 7News it’s too early to verify that.” [ABC7]

CIA Trainee Convicted of Assault at HQ — “[Ashkan] Bayatpour was convicted Wednesday of a state misdemeanor charge of assault and battery in a case that was remarkable for breaking through the CIA’s veil of ultra-secrecy and playing out in a public courtroom where it has emboldened a sexual misconduct reckoning.” [Associated Press]


Fairfax County is steadily making progress on efforts to cut its use of gas-powered leaf blowers.

By the end of June next year — the conclusion of the 2024 fiscal year — the county plans to ensure that the supply of electric blowers and string trimmers is nearly 50% electric, according to John Silcox, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.


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