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Morning Notes

Published November 9, 2022 at 7:30AM

A pedestrian walkway to the McLean Metro station over Route 123 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

ICYMI: Herndon Mayor Wins Reelection — “Mayor Sheila Olem will get a second term as mayor of the Town of Herndon after securing a narrow win against council members Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh in today’s primary election.” [FFXnow]

Georgia Election Investigation Comes to Fairfax County — “Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican who represented Georgia, is scheduled to appear in a Fairfax County courtroom Wednesday morning to fight a demand that he testify before a Georgia special grand jury investigating possible attempts in that state to manipulate the 2020 presidential election.” [The Washington Post]

JUST IN: Herndon Mayor Olem wins second term, but town council remains divided

By Fatimah Waseem

Published November 8, 2022 at 10:20PM

Voting at Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Mayor Sheila Olem will get a second term as mayor of the Town of Herndon after securing a narrow win against council members Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh in today’s primary election.

According to unofficial results, Olem edged out the race by a little over two percentage points over Regan. Singh received the least number of votes: 16%.

FCPS mental health survey shows increase in depression and suicidal thoughts among teens

By Vernon Miles

Published November 8, 2022 at 1:30PM

A new survey of Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) students shows local teens have been facing a decline in mental health over the last few years.

The Fairfax County Youth Survey is an anonymous and voluntary survey of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The newest survey, compiled from the 2021 school year, involved the participation of 33,479 students. There was no survey during 2020, making this the first look at student health since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

More than 200,000 Fairfax County residents have voted so far in the 2022 midterms

By Matt Blitz

Published November 8, 2022 at 11:55AM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 2:08PM

A Cunningham Park Elementary School voter at the ballot box for the 2022 general election (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Updated at 3:50 p.m. — With polls open for another three hours, Fairfax County has hit 45% turnout for the midterm elections, including 28% today, as of 3:48 p.m.

Earlier: With Election Day 2022 now underway, more than 200,000 Fairfax County residents have already voted.

Fairfax County’s second-ever poet laureate revealed by ArtsFairfax

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 8, 2022 at 10:15AM

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill, Fairfax Poet Laureate Danielle Badra, and Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay (courtesy AE Landes Photography)

Fairfax County has a new ambassador for poetry.

Danielle Badra will serve as the second Fairfax Poet Laureate through 2024, leading a program to bring poetry-related activities to local parks, ArtsFairfax shared yesterday.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published November 8, 2022 at 7:30AM

A November dawn at Lake Audubon in Reston (photo by Ray Copson)

What to Know for Election Day — “Three congressional races and the Town of Herndon council and mayor are one the ballot. Every polling place will be open on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m…Before you vote, double-check your registration status, polling place and congressional district.” [Fairfax County Government]

Fairfax City School Board Could Be All-Female — “All five seats on the Fairfax City school board are up for election this November and for possibly the first time, all elected members will be women. Those women — Stacy Hall, Amit Hickman, Sarah Kelsey, Rachel McQuillen and Carolyn Pitches — are uncontested candidates running for the board” [The Washington Post]

New bond data dashboard shows disagreement between Fairfax County prosecutors and courts

By Matt Blitz

Published November 7, 2022 at 3:00PM

Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney's Bond Data Dashboard (image via Fairfax County)

A new data dashboard shows Fairfax County prosecutors are sometimes asking for more detainments of defendants than judges.

The Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney (OCA) released a dashboard in October with data comparing how often and under what circumstances prosecutors are asking for pre-trial detainment and release to a judge’s recommendations.

Big mixed-use development near Herndon Metro scaled back further

By Fatimah Waseem

Published November 7, 2022 at 2:15PM

Revised development plans for 555 Herndon Parkway are being considered by the Town of Herndon (via Town of Herndon)

The ball appears to finally be rolling on Town of Herndon’s first new mixed-use development near its Metro station ahead of its opening next week.

Developer Penzance has submitted revised plans to the town to redevelop a 4.3-acre property at 555 Herndon Parkway.

UPDATED: Reston opening event, first train tickets announced for Silver Line Phase II

By Matt Blitz

Published November 7, 2022 at 11:50AM | Updated November 14, 2022 at 9:31AM

The area surrounding te Reston Town Center Metro station is slated for more activity and development (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 3 p.m.) It’s official: the first train on phase two of the Silver Line extension project will take off at 1:54 p.m. from the Ashburn Metro Station on Nov. 15, Metro announced today.

The train will travel the full 11.4-mile extension from Loudoun County to Downtown Largo in Maryland.

Rooftop solar panels are coming to Annandale High School, a first for FCPS

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 7, 2022 at 11:00AM

Annandale High School (via Google Maps)

For the first time, the Fairfax County School Board has approved a contract to install rooftop solar panels on a school building, a move both board members and advocates said has been a long time coming.

Under a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) that the board authorized Thursday (Nov. 3), Annandale High School will receive solar panels as a pilot program to give Fairfax County Public Schools “a working knowledge of these installations,” Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson said before the vote.