A $5 million project to extend the platform for Virginia Railway Express’ Rolling Road Station is close to opening.
Crews have been finalizing the Burke project that began last year. Improvements include extending the existing 380-foot platform by 290 additional feet, VRE says on a project page.
Reminder: Old Metro Cards Stop Working Today — “SmarTrip cards purchased before 2012 are no longer compatible with new, faster, modern faregates already installed in many stations. In an announcement more than 10 months ago, Metro advised customers that the old cards would need to be replaced as stations are equipped with new faregates.” [WMATA]
County Circuit Court Ends Mask Requirement — Fairfax County Circuit Court Chief Judge Penny Azcarate announced yesterday (Monday) that masks will be optional to enter the Courthouse effective immediately in accordance with the county’s new policy. Rules in courtrooms “are at the discretion of the presiding judge.” [Circuit Court]
A damaged headstone for a Revolutionary War patriot is being replaced, part of a sweeping effort to preserve cemeteries in Fairfax County.
The headstone for Francis Summers is located in the Summers Family Cemetery in Lincolnia, where the remains of a few dozen people have been buried. A rededication ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. on April 30 at the site, which is located on Lincolnia Road between Deming Avenue and Barnum Lane.
For the first time since early August, face masks are no longer required for staff or visitors inside most Fairfax County facilities.
County Executive Bryan Hill shared the news in an email to all local government workers yesterday (Sunday) after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced new metrics for measuring community COVID-19 transmission levels on Friday (Feb. 25).
Gov. Glenn Youngkin made his first official appearance in Fairfax County as Virginia’s chief executive today (Monday).
The property security provider Alarm.com will expand its technology research and development division in Tysons with a $2.6 million investment, creating 180 new jobs, Youngkin announced at the company’s headquarters (8218 Greensboro Drive).
Fairfax County’s annual seedling sale begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday).
The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District sells the seeds through its Native Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale, but they often sell out in the first week.
A major residential project by Lennar Corp. that has been years in the making has been approved for the Penn Daw area.
The owners of the 7.4-acre property — which has 16 parcels owned by Penn Daw Properties and Michael Strassburg — hope to redevelop five single-family homes and a commercial building with up to 46 stacked townhouses, 35 townhouses and a 385-unit apartment building that would stand up to seven stories tall.
The annual vehicle tax that owners pay Fairfax County based on market prices could lighten many drivers’ wallets this year.
Market values from J.D. Power — the price guide used by the county to determine drivers’ bills — indicate vehicle prices are rising an average of over 33%, Young Tarry, director of the county’s Personal Property & Business License Division, told FFXnow.
FCPS Will Start COVID-19 Rollback Plan Tomorrow — Masks will be optional for both students and adults, including staff and parents, in Fairfax County Public Schools after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its health metrics so that the county is now considered to have low transmission. FCPS said on Friday (Feb. 25) that masks would be optional for students, as ordered by a state law, but still mandatory for adults. [FCPS]
Judge Calls TJ Admissions Discriminatory — The Coalition for TJ on Friday (Feb. 25) won its lawsuit against the Fairfax County School Board over changes to admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The judge found that the shift from a standardized test to “experience” factors was done in a way discriminatory to Asian applicants. The school system intends to appeal. [The Washington Post]
The weekend is almost here, and with it, FFXnow’s launch week comes to a close. Before parents start fretting over whether their kids go to school without masks or you head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the five most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
