Countywide | FFXnow

Morning Notes

Published March 31, 2022 at 7:30AM

Looking south to Falls Church over Washington Blvd. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Health Department Updates Covid Data — The county’s dashboard for COVID-19 data will report the 7-day average number of daily cases instead of the number of new cases, and two other metrics were added to the dashboard. The additions are the 7-day average number of daily new deaths, and the current community level, including the metrics that determine the level (hospitalizations, hospital capacity and cases within a community). [Fairfax County Government]

FBI Relaunches New HQ Search — “President Joe Biden’s administration made it clear that the federal government would be consolidating the FBI’s headquarters outside of D.C. in the General Services Administration’s fiscal year 2023 budget request…The move has been in limbo for years. During then-President Barack Obama’s administration, the GSA had narrowed down potential locations to Greenbelt, Landover and Springfield.” [Bisnow]

Fairfax senator’s bill expanding use of facial recognition technology draws mixed reactions

By Rick Horner

Published March 30, 2022 at 3:45PM | Updated March 30, 2022 at 5:21PM

Fairfax County police badge (via FCPD/Facebook)

(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) A new bill that would let Virginia law enforcement use facial recognition technology is headed to the governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 741, which was proposed by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), would let local law enforcement agencies use the technology to investigate specific criminal incidents related to certain acts of violence and to identify deceased individuals and victims of online child sexual abuse material.

Fairfax County plans new facility to store archaeological collections

By David Taube

Published March 30, 2022 at 2:15PM

A digital rendering shows the proposed collections facility (via Fairfax County)

A heating plant abandoned when the Lorton prison closed in 2001 could eventually host Fairfax County’s vast collection of artifacts and museum objects.

Located in the Workhouse Arts Center area, the building at 8941 Workhouse Road could be transformed with a second-level addition and upgrades to meet curation standards, allowing the county to hold over 3 million artifacts in a central location.

Merrifield autonomous shuttle hums along, thanks to new grant funds

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 30, 2022 at 1:30PM

The autonomous Relay shuttle travels between the Mosaic District and the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The autonomous Relay shuttle that has been puttering around Merrifield will stay in operation at least through the end of this year.

Fairfax County accepted additional funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation last week to extend its pilot project through December 2022, as it hopes the recent decline in COVID-19 cases will boost the shuttle’s ridership.

Aided by Amazon, Fairfax County to open innovation skills hub in May

By Fatimah Waseem

Published March 30, 2022 at 12:45PM

Lusk takes part in a ceremony celebrating WISH (Photo via Fairfax County government)

A new innovation hub in the Lee District Community Center (7950 Audubon Avenue) is expected to open in May.

With the support of private partners and state and federal funds, the Workforce Innovation Skills Hub (WISH) is intended to expand job opportunities for residents living along the Richmond Highway corridor.

Annual resignations spike nearly 62% for Fairfax County government jobs

By David Taube

Published March 30, 2022 at 11:15AM | Updated May 19, 2022 at 10:51AM

The Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Worker resignations for Fairfax County government positions jumped up nearly 62% from 2020 to 2021, from 507 departures to 821 departures.

Fairfax County leaders are debating how to improve recruitment and retention, citing private-sector wages that created competitive environments for positions from police to information technology.

Chocolate and gelato store coming to Tysons Corner Center this summer

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 30, 2022 at 10:30AM

Venchi Fine Italian Chocolates will open a store at Tysons Corner Center this summer (courtesy Venchi Fine Italian Chocolates)

A 140-year-old Italian chocolate manufacturer is setting up shop in Tysons — and no, a golden ticket won’t be required for entry.

Venchi Fine Italian Chocolates will open a boutique store in Tysons Corner Center, its first outside of the New York tri-state area, the company announced yesterday (Tuesday).

Outdoor theater to spring to life in Reston Town Center

By Fatimah Waseem

Published March 30, 2022 at 9:45AM

A new outdoor theatre series is coming to Reston Town Center (Photo via RCC).

A new kind of outdoor theater is coming to fruition in Reston Town Center this spring.

As promised last year, the Herndon-based NextStop Theatre, Reston Community Center, and the Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) will debut a contemporary spin on William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Reston Town Square Park.

UPDATED: Man who died in jail was masseuse charged with sexual battery, FCPD says

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 30, 2022 at 9:00AM | Updated March 30, 2022 at 4:40PM

The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(updated at 4:30 p.m.) Police identified the second man who died at the Fairfax County Detention Center this week as the allegedly unlicensed masseuse who was charged with sexually assaulting a woman at an Annandale clinic.

Kyung Pil Chang, 55, of Haymarket was being held at the jail without bond on four felony charges related to a sexual assault at an Annandale location reported on Jan. 25. Chang was found unresponsive in quarantine housing at the jail around 4:25 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday). After medical staff and deputies rendered life-saving efforts, City of Fairfax Fire and Rescue pronounced him dead at 4:49 p.m.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published March 30, 2022 at 7:30AM | Updated March 30, 2022 at 8:47AM

Jefferson Manor Park off Telegraph Road near Belle Haven (staff photo by Brandi Bottalico)

County Libraries to Resume Standard Hours — Fairfax County Public Library will once again open its eight regional branches seven days a week, and its 14 community branches on Mondays, effective this Sunday (April 3). The system truncated its hours starting in January due to the surge in COVID-19 cases and high staff vacancies. [FCPL]

Omicron Subvariant Identified in Fairfax County Patients — “BA.2 is now estimated to be responsible for about one in three COVID-19 infections in the country and one in five COVID-19 infections in Virginia. While BA.2 appears to be more contagious and can spread faster, it is not known to make people sicker.” [Fairfax County Health Department]