Fairfax County Public Schools is proposing some notable updates to its student policies.
At last week’s school board meeting, school officials laid out a number of proposed revisions to its Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook, including how cases of bullying are handled, what’s interpreted as appropriate clothing, and the potential for increased punishment for substance misuse.
Man in Connolly’s Office Attack Tied to Earlier Assault — “The suspect is accused of attacking another person shortly after 10:30 a.m. Monday. He approached a woman sitting in her car in the Chantilly area, asked her if she was white and then smashed her windshield with a bat, police said. He’ll be charged with a hate crime and destruction of property.” [NBC4]
Youngkin Vetoes Undergrounding Utilities Bill — “On Friday, May 12, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have funded an underground electricity distribution line along Route 1 in Fairfax County in support of the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit project. The legislation had passed unanimously in both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.” [On the MoVe]
In the future, Fairfax County residents won’t need to trek to a park to experience nature.
Instead, the park will find them with the Wonder Wagon Mobile Nature Center, a Fairfax County Park Authority initiative that will bring educational programs on nature and the environment to underserved communities and Title I schools with limited access to green spaces.
(Updated at 9:20 p.m.) Two members of Rep. Gerry Connolly’s staff were assaulted this morning by a Fairfax resident with a baseball bat.
The City of Fairfax Police Department and the United States Capitol Police (USCP) are investigating the incident at 10680 Main Street, Suite 140. The suspect has been arrested, while the victims were taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.
(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Fairfax County officials are hoping to clear up a legal kerfuffle over its zoning ordinance, which was readopted last week after getting voided by the Virginia Supreme Court earlier this year.
Before readopting a modernized version of the zoning ordinance — known as zMod — on May 9, the county filed a petition for a rehearing in the Supreme Court case Berry v. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Police Share Plans for Future DUI Checkpoints — “Throughout the year, our Fairfax County DUI squad will host sobriety checkpoints throughout the County. District stations will also host sobriety checkpoints, between the hours are 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. The focus is to recognize those community members who are impaired and get them off the streets safely.” [FCPD]
Dead Bodies Found in Culmore and Groveton — “Two dead bodies were found in different areas of Fairfax County hours apart Saturday, police said. One body was found behind a business at the 3300 block of Glen Carlyn Drive…Hours later, officers responded to a call about another body found at the 7100 block of Mint Place” [WUSA9]
Fairfax County is continuing to see the number of locals experiencing homelessness over the last year increase — and a new report said inflation and housing costs are partially to blame.
This year’s point-in-time count — an annual count of individuals in shelters, transitional housing, and experiencing unsheltered homelessness — found 1,310 people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.
School Board Calls for Review to Address Drug Use — “As part of this review, the Board is asking the Superintendent to consider the merits of various initiatives, including creating a recovery high school, providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips, placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff, offering naloxone training to high school students” and more. [Karl Frisch]
Student Sports Officially Coming to Middle Schools — “For the first time, Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to launch an athletics program for middle school students. The program would start with cross country this fall. An outdoor track program would be offered in spring 2024. There would be no cost to students.” [Annandale Today]
Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance has officially been modernized — for good this time.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the code overhaul known as zMod on Tuesday (May 9) even after overwhelming opposition at the public hearing. The readoption took effect immediately.
Cats Rescued From Reston House Fire — Two people were displaced by a house fire in the 2300 block of Whitetail Court that started around 12:16 p.m. on April 29 due to an “electrical event involving a power strip” in a second-floor bedroom. Firefighters rescued two cats from the house, which totaled about $50,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
Homelessness Rates Rise Across D.C. Area — “The metropolitan Washington region experienced an 18% increase in homelessness between January 2022 and January 2023, the region’s Council of Governments announced Wednesday.” All nine jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, saw a rise, which is “pretty unprecedented,” COG’s housing program manager said. [DCist]
