By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department fired a top national security prosecutor amid criticism from a right-wing commentator over his work during the Biden administration, further roiling the prominent U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia after the ousting of other senior attorneys in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Fairfax County in August had a 27.5% year-over-year increase in unemployed residents, a number some regional leaders may simply be the tip of the iceberg if more federal cuts and a weaker economy arrive.
A total of 622,875 county residents were employed in the civilian workforce, and 24,048 were looking for jobs during the month, according to figures reported Wednesday (Oct. 1) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (Virginia Works).
Half a decade after Fairfax County launched a solar panel initiative touted as the largest in Virginia to date, the first major installation at a public school is nearing completion.
Rooftop solar panels have been under construction at Olde Creek Elementary School (9524 Old Creek Drive) since Aug. 1 and are on track to become fully operational by Oct. 13, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.
McKay on Federal Government Shutdown Impacts — “Fairfax County, Virginia, is home to one of the largest numbers of federal workers in the country, with about 80,000 federal civil servants residing there, according to the county … Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay joined WTOP’s Anne Kramer and Shawn Anderson on Thursday to talk about the local impact of the shutdown and what the county is doing to mitigate it.” [WTOP]
ICE Sued for Detaining Youth — “The ACLU of Virginia has filed a class action lawsuit accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of unlawfully detaining young people in the commonwealth who already have, or are in the process of obtaining, legal protections that Congress created to shield them from deportation.” [Virginia Mercury]
Homeless Shelter Residents Report Poor Conditions — “The failure of New Hope Housing to adequately manage homeless shelters, including the one in Bailey’s Crossroads, has had a negative impact on clients, as well as staff … A client at the Bailey’s Shelter, who asked to be identified as S.L.T., told Annandale Today he’s had three different case managers in the past two years, and none of them have helped him find a job or housing.” [Annandale Today]
I-495 Project Misses Key Endorsement — “Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins cast the lone dissenting vote that blocked the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from endorsing a proposed extension of express lanes along the southern stretch of I-495, she told the City Council on Tuesday night.” Four NVTA board members voted for a letter supporting the VDOT project, while others abstained, the mayor reported. [ALXnow]
Athletic Court Projects Delayed by Rain — “Due to unexpected heavy rain over the last few weeks, the timeline for court renovations has been delayed. The work to return the Chalet Woods pickleball courts to tennis courts will begin on Monday, Oct. 6. The Greenbriar [Pickleball] Courts will be completed on Friday, Oct. 31.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
How Metro Silver Line Has Changed N. Va. — “Not all areas around Silver Line stations have seen equal changes. In this piece, I’ll examine how transit has spread development into the more car-dependent suburbs of Tysons and Reston, and how it’s changing the way people live, work, and play around the region.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Annual Reston Home Tour Coming Up — “If you love touring homes and supporting the local community, add the 2025 Reston Home Tour to your calendar. This year’s event, set for Saturday, October 25, marks the 23rd for the tour. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Reston Museum.” Today (Friday) is the last opportunity to buy a typically $40 ticket at an early-bird price of $35. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Reston Art Gallery Unveils New Exhibit — “Julia Malakoff’s solo exhibition, The Poetry of Everyday Things, will be on view at Reston Art Gallery and Studios at Lake Anne Plaza from October 4 through 31, 2025. Julia’s art is inspired by the ordinary things surrounding her daily life.” The new exhibit will be welcomed with an artist reception on Sunday (Oct. 5) at 2-4 p.m. [Press release]
It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 72°F, as calm winds shift southward at around 5 mph in the afternoon. The night will remain mostly clear, with a low temperature around 52°F and light south winds. [NWS]
The median rental cost for apartments in Tysons was down year-over-year last month but in most other areas of Fairfax County, it continued to rise, according to new data.
Tysons still maintained its ranking in September as the county’s most expensive corridor tracked by Apartment List, with a median rent of $2,389 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,865 for two bedrooms. But rental rates declined 0.7% year-over-year.
Poe Middle School is getting closer to having an Advanced Academic Program (AAP) center of its own, and other middle schools could soon follow suit.
The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously last Thursday (Sept. 25) to begin engaging with the community on a plan to open a new AAP center at Poe (7000 Cindy Lane), which would be the first middle school in the Annandale High School pyramid to offer full-time advanced academic services.
As county and regional leaders gathered yesterday (Wednesday) to mark the 40th anniversary of the Fairfax Connector bus service, nearly everyone wanted to get a photo taken with John Ashford.
Ashford was one of the original drivers when the local bus system began operations in September 1985, and he remains behind the wheel today.
Much of the federal government has ground to a halt, as Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain at odds over a funding plan.
With no clear end to the shutdown in sight after Democrats held firm yesterday (Wednesday) on their demands for a budget that extends health insurance tax credits, local government officials shared resources to help federal workers and other people affected by a loss of services, while some area restaurants are offering deals to ease the financial blow.
Shutdown Could Influence Va. Elections — “Republicans control the White House, the federal government barreled into a shutdown at midnight Wednesday morning, and a race for governor in Virginia is weeks away. Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has so far led Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in both polling and fundraising,” but some Republicans see an opportunity to change the race by holding their opponents as responsible for the shutdown. [NBC News]
Antisemitism Alleged at Reston Apple Store — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency “that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws sued Apple on Tuesday, claiming the manager of a retail store made antisemitic comments and denied a Jewish employee’s requests for time off before firing him.” [CNN]
Flagging for Construction on McLean Road — Traffic on Old Dominion Drive between Old Gate Court and Dulany Drive will be limited to one way in alternating directions from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, starting today (Thursday) through Friday, Oct. 24. “Flagging operations are needed for crews to perform milling and paving work on Old Dominion Drive” as part of the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension project. [VDOT]
Three Injured in Richmond Highway Crash — “Watch this: A car overturned in this crash [Tuesday] afternoon on Route 1 at Mt. Vernon Hwy. Three people with non-life threatening injuries. Bystanders righted the vehicle before @FairfaxCountyPD & @ffxfirerescue arrived. Also note that the red car kept rolling after the driver got out. Video via SafetyVid.org.” [Dave Statter/X]
McLean Pop-Up Art Gallery Open — “The McLean Art Society’s Pop-Up Art Gallery is now open at Chesterbrook and will be open through the end of 2025. The Gallery will welcome visitors Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Mondays and Tuesdays, it will host educational workshops and events designed for both artists and the broader community.” [Federal Realty press release]
Student Group Warns About Vaping — Langley High School senior Rujvi Thakkar “launched ClearLungs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangerous vaping and nicotine trends, in April. It came in response to the amount of vaping she saw in the community and school, specifically where many students encountered their peers vaping in bathrooms.” [WTOP]
Map Shows Virginia’s Shrinking Tree Canopy — “Approximately 60% of Virginia is located inside the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and those communities now have access to an updated map that shows precisely how their landscapes are changing over time … The research shows Virginia has lost nearly 50,000 acres of tree canopy in its portion of the watershed to development over just seven years.” [Virginia Mercury]
New Center Treats Addiction With Music — “Recovery Unplugged, a new addiction treatment center in Seven Corners, uses music as a catalyst to help people change their lives. The center offers holistic treatment for mental and behavioral health, as well as detox for addiction, said Riley Osborne, the company’s chief growth officer, at an open house on Sept. 30.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 70 degrees accompanied by an east wind around 8 mph. Thursday night will see partly cloudy conditions with a low around 52 degrees. The east wind at around 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]
County supervisors voted yesterday (Tuesday) to withhold some funding for a planned Fairfax County Park Authority initiative, saying it should be considered as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget process next spring.
County Executive Bryan Hill had recommended giving $1.8 million to the project as part of the county government’s fiscal year 2025 budget carryover process, where excess funds are redistributed in the next year’s budget.
