Have you received a text message about an overdue traffic ticket charge? It’s likely a scam.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is warning customers about a new text scam where fraudsters pose as the Virginia DMV and falsely claim customers owe money for unpaid fines, according to a release from the organization.
A pizza chain with nearly 300 locations on the West Coast will set up shop in Fairfax County as part of its latest expansion efforts.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza has signed an agreement to open three new restaurants across Fairfax and Loudoun counties, the company said.
State Grants Fund Police Surveillance Tech — Money originally collected by Virginia from vehicle insurance companies to reward tipsters who provide information about vehicle thefts is increasingly being used to reimburse police agencies for license plate readers and other “surveillance equipment and services.” [Cardinal News]
Potential Trash Changes Concern Haulers — “The proposed change, county officials say, would cut the number of waste trucks travelling through some neighborhoods from 18 to six. But small business owners like Larry Foster, who runs Evergreen Disposal, say the consequences could be devastating.” [WUSA9]
Police Investigate Indecent Exposure — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are asking for the community’s help in identifying a suspect believed to be responsible for an indecent exposure case near Greenbriar.” A man was reportedly “seen near a trail masturbating” on Aug. 20, 2024, but police say they’ve now obtained security footage showing the alleged suspect. [FCPD]
Empty Tysons Office Building Acquired — “The Meridian Group has acquired a persistently vacant, 24-story trophy office tower formerly known as Tysons Central, with hopes of turning around its leasing fortunes.” Vacant since finishing construction in 2022, the building at 1750 Tysons Central Street will be renamed Boro Central and incorporated into Meridian’s The Boro development. [WBJ]
Donations Suggested to Honor Cathy Hudgins — “For those who wish to honor Cathy Hudgins and her legacy, her family suggests donations be made to the nonprofit Friends of Southgate Community Center which supports the community center named after her. Her visitation and funeral service is Friday, June 6.” [Walter Alcorn/Bluesky]
Students Raise Money for Firefighters — “Students at the Oakwood School in Annandale raised more than $7,000 for the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department. The Oakwood Student Council hosts a walk-a-thon every spring to raise money for a local organization by asking for donations from friends and family members. This year, the students raised funds to help the AVFD purchase a new ambulance.” [Annandale Today]
Local Man Wins Lottery — Fairfax resident Samer Jarrah recently won a nearly $2.9 million jackpot from the Virginia Lottery. “Jarrah scored big while playing MONOPOLY Super Spin online. The game features a progressive, growing jackpot. The odds per game of winning a prize are 1 in 3.88.” [DC News Now]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 87 degrees, accompanied by a south wind at 6 to 10 mph. Wednesday night will bring partly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 67 degrees, with a south wind at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]
Local economic development organizations have joined forces to launch a comprehensive initiative aimed at assisting federal employees, contractors and other professionals facing career disruptions.
“The Pivot” is an initiative of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which includes the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
Fairfax County’s first major school boundaries overhaul in 40 years is set to move into its next phase.
With the last in a series of community engagement events set for Friday (June 6), the complicated effort of redrawing boundary lines will soon shift to a 95-member Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee.
Busy Hurricane Season Predicted — “The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is here, and weather experts are warning it could be a busy one. Both Colorado State University and NOAA are predicting more storms than usual this year. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe and prepared.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Assaults Reported at Metro Stations — “A Fairfax County, Virginia, man is facing charges after Alexandria police arrested him following what they believe were two separate attempted abductions of women, near different Metro stations, Friday night.” Police say the 35-year-old man attacked one woman at the Braddock station and another who was with her 4-year-old child at the Potomac Yard station. [WTOP]
ESPN Host With Local Roots Dies — “John Brenkus, host and co-creator of ESPN’s ‘Sport Science,’ died on Saturday, according to an announcement made on his X account Monday night. He was 54.” Brenkus, who graduated from Vienna’s James Madison High School in 1989, “had been dealing with depression, the statement said.” [NBC News]
Golf Training Center Opens in Annandale — “GolfPark, located on the first floor of an office building at 7630 Little River Turnpike, offers private golf lessons on nine bays with golf simulators. Patrons can also rent a simulator for practice for $40 an hour or $30 an hour on non-peak times, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Thursday.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Man Climbs Everest — “Reston entrepreneur Len Forkas recently reached the summit of Mount Everest, his latest effort in bringing attention to Hopecam, a nonprofit he founded to connect children with cancer to their friends and classmates.” [Patch]
Down Quarter for Reston Contractor — “Science Application International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) was among the biggest losers on Wall Street on Monday after the Reston government technology contractor reported only modest revenue growth and weaker-than-expected profits in the first quarter that ended May 2.” The company attributed a dip in net income partly to contract awards delayed by high turnover in the federal agencies that make up nearly all its customers. [WBJ]
Fortune 500 List Released — “Fortune’s annual Fortune 500 list of the 500 largest U.S. companies based on annual revenue includes 20 headquartered in the D.C. area, though one will fall off next year’s list and one is technically dual-headquartered.” Fairfax County-based entries include Freddie Mac, Capital One, Leidos and more. [WTOP]
New Exhibit Coming to Army Museum — “A new exhibit is set to open on June 7 at the National Museum of the United States Army to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary. For a limited time only, the museum will display a rare collection of 280 Revolutionary War artifacts from the original colonies including England, France, and Canada.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies today, with highs reaching near 83 degrees and calm winds turning west at around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, the skies will remain mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 62 degrees and a south wind blowing at about 6 mph. [NWS]
Fairfax County and hundreds of other localities across the country were labeled “sanctuary jurisdictions” last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for limiting their cooperation with federal immigration officials.
The department accused the localities on the list — which was published on its website last Thursday (May 29) before apparently being removed over the weekend — of obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from enforcing federal immigration laws, stating that they will all receive formal notices of non-compliance.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity and Fairfax County staff will host a televised forum tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss a plan that, potentially, would have the local government oversee trash collection for single-family properties countywide.
Herrity asked his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors on May 13 for permission to host the event in conjunction with the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES).
Police Enhance Security for Synagogues — “Following [Sunday’s] targeted attack in Boulder, the FCPD extends our deepest condolences to the Jewish community. There are no specific threats to our community at this time. However, the safety of our faith-based institutions continue to be paramount. We are enhancing our patrols and visibility throughout the county around our synagogues and all places of worship, ensuring a strong, supportive presence.” [FCPD/X]
Metro Ban Policy Takes Effect — “Metro is reminding customers of a new systemwide banning policy taking effect this week.” Under its new policy, the transit agency will institute bans of 45 days to a full year against anyone who’s arrested for committing a violent or sex-related crime on its property. [WMATA]
Arrest for ‘Obscene Sexual Display’ — A 63-year-old man was arrested by Fairfax City police on Friday (May 30) for allegedly propositioning a CUE bus passenger for sex and then engaging “in a lewd act” on May 30. Police say an “investigation revealed that the same suspect was involved in similar incidents over the past few weeks.” [City of Fairfax Police]
Bill Proposes Metro Renaming — “In a new bill, Florida Rep. Greg Steube proposed the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, would no longer receive federal funds until it’s renamed to the ‘Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access,’ or WMAGA. It would also rebrand Metrorail as the ‘Trump Train.'” [WTOP]
Vienna Stop Sign Campaign Underway — “The Vienna Police Department is launching its annual traffic safety campaign, focusing on enforcing all traffic laws, particularly those related to stop signs. Officers will be vigilant in issuing tickets and reminding drivers of the importance of coming to a complete stop when encountering a solid or flashing red light or a stop sign, ensuring they halt before entering the crosswalk, intersection, or stop line.” [Vienna Police]
Public Hearing on Braddock Road Project — “The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold the design public hearing Monday, June 2, on the planned multimodal and access management improvements along three miles of Braddock Road (Route 620) between Humphries Drive and Ravensworth Road (Route 2864) … and half a mile of Ravensworth Road between Braddock Road and Heritage Drive.” [VDOT]
Health Department Awards Student Project — “A team from Justice High School won an award for ‘best group project’ in the Fairfax County Health Department’s Youth Ambassadors program. Justice students Brenda Ferrufino-Cruz and Connor Morgan’s project was a plan to increase awareness of the early signs of a stroke.” [Annandale Today]
Students Build Old-School Arcade — “Students at Edison Academy’s cyber program worked on a months-long project — building their very own retro arcade. Their teacher, Aaron King, came up with the idea to engage the students with the material and put together everything they had learned in the year … The electrical and cyber classes designed and built the arcade, with everything from Pong to Ms. Pac-Man to a version of Just Dance.” [WUSA9]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine during the day with temperatures reaching around 75°F and a northwest wind at 7 mph. As evening approaches, minimal clouds are anticipated, with the temperature dropping to a cool 56°F and calm winds. [NWS]
Virginia may need to enact more food safety requirements at the state level in response to cutbacks and deregulation efforts by the Trump administration, two legislators and several advocates said at a recent forum.
“We have historically, in my opinion, not done the kind of oversight we need to do. We’ve let the federal government do most of it,” Del. Mark Sickles (D-17) said during the press event on May 28.
