The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is expanding the use of automated license plate reader technology across the county, despite concerns from civil rights groups.
The department will install 25 automated license plate readers (ALPRs) around Fairfax County by the spring, FCPD spokesperson Sergeant Hudson Bull confirmed to FFXnow.
Fire Danger Heightened Today — “There is an increased fire danger for Tuesday, February 21st. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged during this time and remember to properly dispose of smoking material.” [Ready Fairfax/Twitter]
Mount Vernon School Board Rep to Retire — “Karen Corbett Sanders, the Mount Vernon District representative to the Fairfax County School Board, announced Feb. 15 that she will not be running for a third term later this year…Corbett Sanders told On the Move that her decision not to pursue a third term was difficult and one that she didn’t take lightly.” [On the MoVe]
FCPD Focuses on Stopping Teen Distracted Driving — “Police in Fairfax County…are ramping up traffic enforcement during distracted-driving month, partnering with schools to educate the most distracted drivers — teenagers…Officers have written 5,000 more citations and warnings to speeding and distracted drivers than this same time last year.” [WTOP]
Fire Department Adds Data Dashboard — “Our Fire and Rescue Department is constantly updating the ways it provides service to meet the needs of residents…The department launched RescueVision to provide real-time situational awareness and decision support at the 911 dispatch center.” It offers a look at service availability, transport locations and how coverage compares to other departments. [Fairfax County Government]
Turkey Earthquake Rescue Worker Shares Experience — “Dr. Murteza Shahkolahi has helped to pull survivors from the rubble several days after the quake first hit…Shahkolahi is with Virginia Task Force 1, the team from Fairfax County, Virginia, which gets deployed around the world to respond to natural disasters.” [WTOP]
Politicians Pitch Springfield for FBI HQ — “A bipartisan group of Virginia’s federal, state and local leaders met in Springfield Wednesday, calling on the General Services Administration to choose the 58 acres of federally-owned land at the GSA Franconia Warehouse Complex for the new FBI headquarters.” [Inside NoVA]
Architect of the Capitol Fired After Reckless Driving Probe — “President Joe Biden has fired the embattled Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, following a scathing inspector general report on his personal and professional management and calls for his removal.” The inspector general found that Blanton’s family was misusing his work vehicle after a 2021 reckless driving incident involving his daughter near the Tysons Walmart. [NBC4]
Springfield Lego Center Chooses Master Builder — “Andrew Litterst’s [most impressive LEGO creation] is a bunch of LEGO Star Wars spaceships mounted on an electric LEGO train so that they chase each other on tracks around the room. So it’s no wonder he was just named LEGO’s Master Builder in the D.C. region — the first to hold that title at the soon-to-open LEGO Discovery Center” [DCist]
As Fairfax County pines for a better tree canopy, county staff is hoping a credit program expansion can spruce up the area’s street trees.
While developers could already a 10-Year Tree Canopy Credit for trees built on-site, trees in the public right-of-way aren’t eligible despite positive impacts on the environment and site development. At a meeting last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors raised no objection to an information item expanding eligibility to include trees.
(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) A former Fairfax County prosecutor who now practices as a private defense lawyer has joined the commonwealth’s attorney race.
Ed Nuttall launched a campaign yesterday (Monday) to challenge incumbent Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for the Democratic nomination, which will be determined by a primary election on June 20.
Key Tysons Developer Dies — “Theodore N. ‘Ted’ Lerner, a self-made billionaire developer who became principal owner of the Washington Nationals and oversaw the team’s rise to prominence, capped by its victory in the 2019 World Series, died Feb. 12 at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 97.” [The Washington Post]
Emergency SNAP Benefits End This Week — “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed a law to temporarily increase SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to support families. The law has recently changed, and the benefits will end Feb.16. Effective in March, SNAP benefits will return to normal, without the added supplement.” [Fairfax County Government]
Super Bowl Flyover Includes Springfield Pilot — “After months of planning and multiple training sessions, an all-women crew is ready to fly over the State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Super Bowl Sunday in honor of 50 years of women in naval aviation. Among them is a woman from Springfield, Virginia who said she was ecstatic to get the call that she would be joining the crew.” [WUSA9]
Oak Marr Rec Center Closed This Morning — “Due to a temporary water service disruption, Oak Marr Rec Center will open at Noon on Feb. 13. New water heaters are being installed at the center. The building will also be without hot water from Feb. 13-16.” [FCPA/Twitter]
Workers at the regional nonprofit FRESHFARM, which operates three farmers markets in Fairfax County, voted to unionize with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 earlier this week.
FRESHFARM worker Ariana MacMartin told FFXnow that the hope is a union can help workers at the farmers markets negotiate for better pay and more job security, as well as hopefully reduce turnover.
