Countywide | FFXnow

Morning Notes

Published November 29, 2022 at 7:30AM

Wolftrap Creek in fall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Route 7 Lane Shift in Reston Starts Today — “On or about Tuesday, Nov. 29, the right-turn lane from eastbound Route 7 to Baron Cameron Avenue will shift to the north (toward the median). Between Nov. 29 and Thursday, Dec. 1, crews will construct a temporary entrance from eastbound Route 7 to the Sunoco-Baron Cameron Service Center and Three Cees Car Wash & Quick Lube.” [VDOT]

Mobile Notifications for Covid Boosters Begin — “The Virginia Department of Health is sending text and voice message reminders to residents aged 50 and above that they are eligible for COVID-19 bivalent boosters. The text/phone reminder campaign begins on Monday, November 28th in multiple counties across the Commonwealth, including the Fairfax Health District.” [Fairfax County Health Department]

Virginia still reviewing feedback on policies limiting transgender student rights

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 28, 2022 at 3:00PM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 2:54PM

Students at West Potomac High School walked out today in protest over policies that threaten to violate the rights of transgender students (photo courtesy of Mara Surovell)

(Updated at 5:30 p.m.) The Virginia Department of Education has no clear timeline for when its new policies on the treatment of transgender students will take effect, leaving Fairfax County Public Schools and other local school districts waiting to see if the state makes any changes in response to vocal opposition to the proposal.

It has now been over a month since the state closed its public comment period for the draft “model” policies, which would require schools to identify students based on their sex assigned at birth and prohibit discipline for deadnaming or misgendering a student even if they get their official school records changed.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published November 28, 2022 at 7:30AM

Construction machinery at the I-66 and Nutley Street interchange during sunset (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

In-Person Black Friday Returns — “Over at Tysons Corner in Virginia the parking lot gave you an idea of what to expect inside the mall. ‘Parking is insane,’ said Alisha McDougal. One shopper tells us it took 30 minutes to find a spot. For some, the traffic and congestion was worth it.” [FOX5]

Teen Indicted in West Falls Church Fatal Shooting — “A grand jury indicted a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting a Fairfax County man at an ATM last year. Winston Lark IV is accused of shooting and killing 73-year-old Nelson Alexander in October 2021.” [NBC4]

Curative will close all Covid testing sites in Fairfax County by end of year

By Matt Blitz

Published November 23, 2022 at 9:30AM

Curative will operate COVID-19 testing mobile labs at six sites in Fairfax County (courtesy Fairfax County Health Department)

Curative is set to shut down all of its public COVID-19 testing sites in the D.C. region, including Fairfax County, by the end of the year.

All six Covid public testing sites run by Curative in collaboration with Fairfax County are expected to cease operations sometime next month, a Fairfax County Health Department spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published November 23, 2022 at 7:30AM

The streak of a plane descends over Royal Lake Park in Burke (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Thanksgiving Closures — Fairfax County government offices will be closed tomorrow and Friday (Nov. 25), though some facilities like the county rec centers will only close for Thanksgiving Day. Fairfax Connector buses will operate Sunday service tomorrow and holiday weekday service Friday, while Metro will have a Sunday schedule tomorrow and resume regular service Friday.

Person Dies in Lincolnia House Fire — “One person was found dead inside a home following a fire in Fairfax County, Virginia, late Monday night. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire on Monday night in the 6600 block of Pine Road in the Lincolnia area.” [WTOP]

With 23 pedestrians dead, advocates call for action to make Fairfax County roads safer

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 22, 2022 at 11:45AM | Updated December 5, 2022 at 10:41AM

Each candle represents a pedestrian killed in a crash in Fairfax County this year (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 10:40 a.m. on 12/5/2022) Even with one month left, 2022 is the deadliest year for Fairfax County pedestrians in more than a decade.

Through October, vehicle crashes have killed 22 people on streets and highways in the county — the most since at least 2010, the earliest year in Virginia’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS). The previous high came in 2018 and 2019, when there were 17 fatalities each.

Poll: How often do you use the express lanes in Northern Virginia?

By Vernon Miles

Published November 22, 2022 at 9:30AM | Updated March 24, 2023 at 2:43PM

The newly constructed I-66 Express Lanes from Gainesville to Centreville will open ahead of schedule (courtesy FAM Construction)

If you’re driving along the highways in Northern Virginia, do you usually hop into an express lane or do you prefer to tough it out in the normal lanes with the rest of the proletariat?

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced last week that the new I-66 Express Lanes running from the Beltway down to Centreville are set to fully open today (Tuesday).

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published November 22, 2022 at 7:30AM

A robot putters around George Mason University (photo by Susan Woolsey)

I-66 Express Lanes Fully Open Today — “The eastbound direction of the new 66 Express Lanes from Route 28 in Centreville to I-495 (Capital Beltway) is on track to open on Tuesday, Nov. 22…When this final section opens, the entire 22.5-mile 66 Express Lanes corridor from Route 29 in Gainesville to I-495 will be open with tolling and HOV-2+ rules in effect.” [VDOT]

Mini Satellite Built by TJ Students Going to Space — “On Tuesday, November 22, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, NASA is scheduled to launch the TJ REVERB CubeSat as part of the SpaceX-26 Commercial Resupply Service Mission en route to the International Space Station…Led by Robotics lab director Kristen Kucko, many students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology have had a hand in this historic launch.” [FCPS]

Virginia history standards criticized by local teacher unions sent back to drawing board

By Matt Blitz

Published November 21, 2022 at 3:00PM

The Virginia Board of Education held a public hearing last week on new draft standards for history and social studies (via VDOE/YouTube)

Fairfax County’s teacher unions expressed relief after new state-proposed history standards were rejected by a governor-appointed board late last week.

On Thursday evening (Nov. 17), Virginia’s Board of Education voted unanimously to again delay approving new history standards drafted by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).

Fairfax County firefighters vote to unionize for historic contract talks

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 21, 2022 at 11:45AM

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue engine ladder (file photo)

Firefighters, medics and other Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department employees will have a union represent them in the county’s first collective bargaining negotiations for public workers in over 40 years.

Over 800 FCFRD workers participated in a 13-day election last month to determine whether to have union representation for contract talks with the county government, which will establish pay, benefits and other working conditions.