Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Landlord — “Brian G. Sayrs Jr., now 27, confessed to killing his Lorton, Va., landlord, Emily Lu, who was last seen alive on the night of June 3, 2021, law enforcement officials said.” Sayrs pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faces up to 32 years in prison. [Washington Post]

FCPS Bus Driver Vacancies Lead to Delays — “A school bus driver shortage is impacting students getting to school on time in Fairfax County. Fairfax County still needs 121 bus drivers to get kids to class for the new school year…In one Lincolnia neighborhood, some said buses were delayed more than 30 minutes.” [WUSA9]


Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Against Youngkin — “Environmental groups filed suit Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court to prevent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) from taking Virginia out of a multistate carbon-credit market aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” The lawsuit argues that the governor doesn’t have the authority to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. [Washington Post]

Man Planned to Hit People With Van at Dulles Airport — “A Maryland man charged…with planning an Islamic State-inspired attack at [National Harbor] pleaded guilty on Monday to engaging in a separate plot to drive a stolen van into a crowd of people at a nearby airport…Henry admits that he stole a U-Haul van from a parking garage in Alexandria, Virginia, drove it to Dulles International Airport…and entered a terminal building on March 27, 2019.” [NBC4]


Fairfax County health officials are monitoring a new COVID-19 variant that has gained traction in the U.S., becoming the most prevalent strain of the disease.

Since the pandemic ceased to be an official national health emergency in May, Covid has faded to the background for many, even as others struggle with long-term health issues after getting infected.


Police Scooter Catches Fire at Dulles Airport — “Passengers preparing for departure were evacuated for roughly 90 minutes after a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police scooter burst into flames inside the terminal…For reasons not yet identified, an officer’s segway began to smoke before catching fire, creating a dark cloud inside the airport and injuring two officers.” [WTOP]

“Suspicious” Flyers Reported in Fair Oaks — “Officers and detectives from the Fair Oaks District have responded to numerous reports of suspicious flyers portraying bias material over the past two days…While there is currently no specific threat within our community, we are continuing to collect additional information about this incident.” [FCPD]


Last Chance to Weigh in on Proposed End of Leaf Collections — “@ffxpublicworks is proposing to discontinue vacuum leaf service after the upcoming winter season. A final decision will be made by the Board of Supervisors this fall. A survey is now open through Aug. 18.” [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]

Resident Artist Shares Tysons Love With Merchandise — “As a Tysons resident, the businessman-turned artist who goes by able6 enjoyed seeing the community grow and develop. Now he believes Tysons should get some new branding — and art should be a key part of it…He’s set up an Etsy shop and has growing interest in orders of prints and tote bags.” [Patch]


This fall, Fairfax County will launch a guaranteed income pilot program, following in the footsteps of neighbors including Arlington County and Alexandria.

The upcoming Fairfax County Economic Mobility Pilot (FCEMP) will begin providing families with monthly payments totaling $2 million to “promote economic stability and social capital,” according to a press release.


County Releases Draft Outdoor Dining Rules — “Fairfax County officials are crafting a proposed zoning-ordinance amendment to make permanent some of the relaxed outdoor-dining rules implemented during the pandemic, but also address concerns about noise and the number of seats.” Virtual meetings on the proposal were held last week and on Tuesday (Aug. 15), with public hearings expected in early 2024. [Gazette Leader]

Tysons Nonprofit Opens Drone Testing Range — “Research and development nonprofit MITRE, with dual headquarters in McLean, Virginia and Bedford, Massachusetts, cut the ribbon this week on a new drone testing range near Orange, Virginia. The facility will be used to experiment with small, uncrewed aircraft systems and serve as a proving ground to develop, test and evaluate new drone, counter-drone and autonomous systems.” [WTOP]


Fairfax County Public Schools has officially announced that it will not implement the Virginia Department of Education’s recently finalized model policies regarding transgender and nonbinary students.

Yesterday (Tuesday), FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid released a statement confirming that FCPS won’t adopt the new guidelines after a “detailed legal review” found that its current policies are “consistent” with state and federal law.


Annandale Church’s “Black Lives Matter” Banner Vandalized — “Someone tore down banners at Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale during the night of Sunday, Aug. 13. One banner said ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The other said ‘Be the church'” and phrases like “fight for the powerless,” “reject racism” and “embrace diversity.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Concourse Office Buildings Acquired — “A Rockville developer has acquired a 1980s-era office complex near Metro’s Silver Line in Tysons with an eye toward eventually redeveloping it as a mixed-use property with a focus on residential.” The new owner, Berman Enterprises LP, says its short-term plan is to lease the twin seven-story buildings at 1593 Spring Hill Road, but it will later evaluate “what a redevelopment could look like.” [Washington Business Journal]


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