Fairfax County could be getting park rangers one day, but it won’t be this year.
With the police department’s staff stretched thin, the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) has proposed a new solution for addressing service calls in its system: a park ranger program.
Police Begin Speed Enforcement Campaign — “Officers from our district stations & traffic division will be conducting our ’50 means 50′ campaign on the Fairfax County Parkway from May 8-May 12. Drivers can expect extra attention this week as we seek to educate drivers, enforce good driving behavior, & reduce crashes.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Local Man Sentenced to Prison for Capitol Breach — “Hatchet Speed, 42, of Vienna, was sentenced to four years in prison by a judge in DC federal court” for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He “was previously sentenced to three years in prison in a gun silencer case in Virginia federal court.” [Patch]
Thanks to higher-than-anticipated revenue, Fairfax County gave a financial boost last week to its affordable housing goals, public library collections and park facilities, among other initiatives.
Before taking a preliminary vote on the next budget, which will be adopted tomorrow (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved nearly $10.7 million in changes to the current fiscal year 2023 budget — known as the third-quarter review — when it met on May 2.
Fox Mill Road Closed for Stormwater Pipe Replacement — Fox Mill Road (Route 665) will be closed to through traffic between Waples Mill Road and Vale Road from “Monday, May 8 through Wednesday, May 10 between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day…Traffic will not be able to go beyond the point of pipe replacement (near 3283 Fox Mill Road, adjacent to Lake Edge Way) in either direction.” [VDOT]
Motorcyclist Killed in Route 1 Crash — “Around 5:40 p.m. Saturday, officers with the Fairfax County Police Department responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 1 and Birch Crest Way in Lorton, Virginia. Police say the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead. Their identity has not yet been revealed.” [WUSA9]
Early voting for the 2023 Democratic primary begins today (Friday) in Fairfax County with a number of notable races on the ballot.
Three locations in the county will open this morning for early in-person voting on weekdays through June 17.
ZMOD Recommended by Planning Commission Again — After being struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court, Fairfax County’s zoning code overhaul got the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s support on Wednesday (May 3), even as “dozens of residents” voiced “the same complaints raised the first time” it was proposed. Concerns included allowances for data centers and accessory living units. [Annandale Today]
Fairfax City Introduces Solar-Powered Port-a-Potties — “Now open in Old Town Square and Van Dyck Park, Throne bathrooms bring the feeling of an indoor bathroom out into the parks. Thrones are ADA-accessible, are run by solar-power, have no touch entry and exit, changing tables, no touch flush, and running water!” [Fairfax City Parks and Recreation/Facebook]
A survey mostly taken by respondents who contacted the Fairfax County Police Department showed high levels of positive community sentiment for the department.
The survey — conducted as part of a nine-month pilot program to engage the community and find information on how the community feels about the agency — kicked off in late May last year through Axon’s My90 program.
Democratic Candidates to Replace Ken Plum Sound Off — “Four Democrats running to represent Reston in the Virginia House of Delegates squared off Tuesday night during a candidate forum at the Reston Community Center — Lake Anne.” Topics ranged from education funding to protections for the LGBTQ community. [Patch]
Arrest for Armed Robbery and Carjacking in Penn Daw — “A 19-year-old Woodbridge man has been arrested and is facing several charges after robbing one person and carjacking another late Monday night, officers said. Officers with the Fairfax County Police Department say just before midnight they responded to Furman Lane, off of South Kings Highway…after a report of a robbery.” [WUSA9]
The influx of federal money that has helped buoy Fairfax County Public Schools and other school systems around the U.S. as they emerged from the first year of the Covid pandemic is starting to run out.
Facing a September 2024 deadline, FCPS officials presented a plan to the school board last Thursday (April 27) for spending approximately $57.5 million remaining from the $188.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) awarded by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021.
With over $110 million in unallocated funds to work with, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors moved yesterday (Tuesday) to address employee compensation, tax relief and other priorities.
As approved by the board 9-1, nearly all of that available money will go toward reducing the real estate tax rate by 1.5 cents and fully funding salary market rate adjustments for county employees — items totaling $47 million and $54.9 million, respectively.
