Fairfax County Public Library’s annual food drive “Read and Feed” is now underway, replacing the “Food for Fines” program.
The county library system is asking residents to drop off “unexpired, commercially produced food items” as well as new, reusable grocery bags and kitchen tools to any of its 23 branches during their regular operating hours.
Reopening Date Set for Metro Yellow Line — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced [Tuesday] that the Yellow Line will open again on Sunday, May 7, at the start of rail service. The line has been out of service since September to allow work on the Potomac River tunnel and bridge.” [ALXnow]
Omicron Booster Vaccine Eligibility Expands — “The updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is now available as a booster dose for children 6 months-4 years old who completed their primary series of three doses.” Just 13% of Fairfax Health District residents under 5 have completed an initial series of Covid vaccinations. [Fairfax County Health Department]
Fairfax County wants your food scraps and yard waste.
The county will officially launch its new compost outpost at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).
Inova Ends Mask Requirement — “Effective April 3, masking will be optional at Inova care sites. Exceptions will include high-risk clinical spaces and for anyone interacting with patients identified by their provider as immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease from COVID-19” [Inova Health/Twitter]
Rose Hill Redevelopment Proposal Recommended for Deferral — “The inclusion of the Rose Hill Plaza development plan in the work program, approved on March 29 by the planning commission, came with a condition: the proposal will remain a ‘deferred item’ until the owner of the shopping center, Combined Properties Inc., conducts ‘further community outreach.'” [Patch]
A plan to convert Fairfax County’s streetlights into LED lights is well underway.
At a Board of Supervisors’ safety and security committee meeting on March 22, Aileen Santiago of the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) said the program is expected to generate roughly $1.4 million in yearly savings when completed.
Man Pulled From Mud in Mount Vernon — “Units on scene of a rescue in the 5200 block of Burke Drive in the Woodlawn area. One adult male in the water 30 feet from the shore stuck in mud. Firefighters have successfully extricated the person. No reported injuries at this time.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Nearby: Suspect ID’d in Dulles Town Center Shooting — “Loudoun County police have identified the suspect in Sunday morning’s shooting inside the Dulles Town Center shopping mall that left one person in serious condition…The mall has been closed for the remainder of the day.” [WTOP]
The time to get any patio furniture and other loose, outdoor objects inside is now.
At 2:29 p.m. today (Friday), the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, in anticipation of an encroaching storm.
Fairfax County could be putting a little more money into a program that aims to make paying taxes in the county easier.
At a budget committee meeting on Tuesday (March 28), the Board of Supervisors got a briefing on the fiscal year 2023 third quarter review, looking over how staff are proposing to use a net $51.2 million in available funding.
Virginia Now Requires Slowing Down for Disabled Vehicles — “In Virginia, it is illegal to not move over or slow down when a first responder or construction vehicle is on the side of the roads with their lights flashing. What isn’t illegal is doing the same for a disabled vehicle, but that will change with a new law supported by Hurley’s family.” The state Senate version of the bill was led by Fairfax County’s Dave Marsden. [WTOP]
Five Displaced by Annandale Townhouse Fire — “On Thursday, March 23, at 1:49 p.m., units were dispatched for a reported townhouse fire in the 7800 block of Rectory Lane.” No one was home at the time. Investigators determined that the fire “was caused by an item left unattended on the electric burner of the stovetop,” resulting in approximately $75,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
An independent investigation found no basis to claims that notices of National Merit Scholarship commendations were intentionally withheld from students, Fairfax County Public Schools announced last night (Wednesday).
Conducted by the law firm Sands Anderson, the review confirmed that eight schools didn’t notify students designated as “commended” by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) until after Nov. 1, 2022, but it “found no evidence that this was intentional or reflected any policy decision by FCPS” or any of the individual schools, according to FCPS.
