Man Arrested for Pointing Laser at Police Chopper — Fairfax County police detectives arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly pointing a laser at the department’s Fairfax 1 helicopter around 11:25 p.m. on Saturday (March 11). The Fairfax 1 crew was assisting Virginia State Police with a search and traced the laser’s source to an apartment in the 9200 block of Ashland Woods Lane. [FCPD/Facebook]

Dunn Loring Metro Escalator Replacements Underway — Metro began work on Monday (March 13) to replace the two platform escalators at the Dunn Loring station, part of a push to upgrade 130 escalators in the rail system by 2028. Construction will be done on one escalator at a time, with the open one being treated as stairs. The project is expected to take about eight months, finishing around the end of October. [WMATA]


Fairfax Student Hospitalized After Possible Overdose — “Just hours after a student suffered a possible overdose at Fairfax High School on Monday, the school district held a meeting with parents to discuss the school system’s growing drug problem. Rescue crews rushed to the high school after a male student was suspected of overdosing on fentanyl, according to 911 dispatch.” [NBC4]

Medicaid Enrollment Requirements Resume — After letting all Medicaid members stay covered during the first years of the pandemic, all states are now reevaluating members’ eligibility. Coverage won’t be canceled or reduced before Virginia reaches out to each person, but members should update their contact information to ensure they get the notification. [Fairfax County Public Assistance and Employment Services]


(Updated at 2:50 p.m. on 3/16/2023) Virginia’s extension of the I-495 Express Lanes past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean remains on track for a 2025 opening, even as its counterpart across the Potomac River faces another setback in its efforts to widen the Capital Beltway.

Private toll lanes operator Transurban pulled out of Maryland’s project to add toll lanes on its side of the Beltway and replace the American Legion Bridge on Friday (March 10), citing “significant delays to environmental approvals, changing political landscape and environmental lawsuits that remain unresolved.”


(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) Hundreds of people in Fairfax County have lost electricity today (Tuesday) as winds buffet the D.C. region, taking out power lines and contributing to at least one fire.

Georgetown Pike is currently closed in both directions at Miller Avenue in Great Falls due to a tree that fell on power lines and “a resulting fire,” the Virginia Department of Transportation said shortly after 1 p.m.


Don’t be surprised if you notice more cops on the road in the coming days.

The Fairfax County Police Department wants its officers to make their presence known this week with a “Road Shark” campaign intended to crack down on and deter aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding and distracting phone usage.


One person got trapped and needed to be extracted from a vehicle in a crash on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean this morning (Tuesday).

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 9:05 a.m. that it had units on the scene of the multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-495 at the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchange.


Wind Advisory Expected Today — “There is a Wind Advisory in effect from 2 PM Tuesday (3/14/23) to 2 AM Wednesday (3/15/23). Northwest winds from 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Use extra caution when driving and secure objects that could blow around outside.” [Ready Fairfax/Twitter]

Fatal Car Crash Victim’s Family Not Satisfied With Sentencing — The family of a woman killed in a DWI crash on I-495 near Telegraph Road says prosecutors should’ve pursued higher charges. The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney sought 10 years in prison for former D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission chairperson Devon Lesesne, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, but Judge John Tran sentenced him to just four years, one of which has already been served. [WUSA9]


The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously on Thursday (Mar. 9) to give public school teachers and staff collective bargaining rights.

The resolution gives employees the right to organize and elect a union that can negotiate labor contracts, including pay, benefits and work conditions.


Fire Destroys Multiple Annandale Businesses — “Fairfax County and Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of a building fire in the 7200 block of Columbia Pike. Four Annandale businesses, two restaurants, a shipping company, and a hair salon, sustained what fire officials called catastrophic damage.” [DC News Now]

FCPS Denies Attorney General’s Racism Allegations — “Jason Miyares is alleging that a Fairfax County middle school discriminated against students based on race, color, and national origin in an email sent to families regarding a college preparatory program offered by the county…A statement from Fairfax County Public Schools called Miyares’ assertions ‘false and damaging.'” [DCist]


The toll lanes on I-66 outside the Capital Beltway have been open for over three months now, but some drivers are still getting tripped up by the accompanying signage.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff on Tuesday (March 7) to prepare a letter asking the Virginia Department of Transportation to clarify the information on its signs about toll prices and exit locations.


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