Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid is requesting an additional $268.3 million from the county for fiscal year 2026, with most of it going toward a 7% across-the-board pay raise for teachers and staff.
The raise, costing $213 million, is part of a newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement between the school board and the recently formed Fairfax Education Unions. Whether the county can afford it, however, is still an open question.
‘Pancake’ Ice Forms on Potomac River Near Great Falls — “Because of prolonged cold weather, pancake ice has formed on the Upper Potomac River near Great Falls. The circular slabs have been spinning and colliding with one another for days while trapped in the river’s eddies.” [Washington Post]
One Person Hospitalized by Newington Forest Fire — Fairfax County firefighters responded on Saturday (Jan. 25) to a fire at a home in the 8000 block of Steeple Chase Court. “Units arrived with a working fire and occupant trapped. Crews rescued the occupant via ground ladders and contained the fire to a single unit. 1 civilian transported with non life threatening injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Man Sentenced to Prison for Kidnapping and Theft Plot — “A man was sentenced in D.C. court Friday for his role in a kidnapping and high-end robbery of two victims at an Alexandria address in Fairfax County. Robbie Terrell Clark, 27, of Washington, D.C., will serve 108 months in federal prison in relation to the September 2022 kidnapping and robbery.” [Patch]
FCPS Officials Promise to Defend Students From ICE — “As fears mount following President Trump’s threat to deport many more immigrants, including those here legally, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid told Annandale Today, ‘We are committed to the fullest extent of the law to protecting our students and staff.’ Reid said she met with all the principals last week” and sent a letter to the community on Saturday. [Annandale Today]
Fairfax City Chooses Acting Manager — “Following a special meeting on Jan. 21 to discuss interviews for city boards and commissions and other personnel matters, the Fairfax City Council unanimously appointed Bryan Foster to serve as acting city manager … He will begin his new role on Monday, Jan. 27.” [City of Fairfax]
Falls Church Considers West End Redevelopment — “Falls Church’s ongoing redevelopment spurt could next focus on 15 acres of mostly industrial land in the community’s West End. City leaders have invited a contingent from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) … for a look at what the city calls its Gordon Road Triangle.” [ARLnow]
Reston Summer Camp Registration Coming — “Reston Community Center’s summer camp program has grown significantly under [Jeff] Morgan’s leadership, now featuring about 70 specialty camps designed for kids ages 6 to 17 … The 2025 summer camp season runs from June 16 through Aug. 15. Registration opens Feb. 1 for Reston residents and those that work in Reston and Feb. 8 for non-residents.” [Fairfax County Government]
Herndon Theater Postpones Shows Due to Illness — “Due to illness in the cast and crew, the opening of NATIVE GARDENS has been postponed by one week. All performances the weekend of January 23-26, 2025 have been canceled. Patrons with tickets to the canceled performances will be contacted by the Box Office shortly.” [NextStop Theatre/Instagram]
It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day that will eventually transform into full sunshine, with temperatures peaking around 45°F. Winds will come from the southwest, blowing at 5-10 mph. For Monday night, anticipate an increase in cloud coverage and lows near 31°F. [NWS]
Parents Advocate for Later Middle School Start Times — “Mason District parents are pushing back against a delay in implementing later middle school start times. In September 2023, FCPS awarded a contract to Prismatic Services to develop a plan for changing middle school start times — to 8 a.m. or later ” to take effect in fall 2025. An online petition calls for FCPS to stick with that schedule.” [Annandale Today]
Reminder: Avoid Northern I-495 This Weekend — Starting today, “traffic on northbound I-495 will be reduced from six lanes (four general purpose and two express) to two lanes and shifted to the 495 Express Lanes for about a one-mile stretch near Tysons. Traffic shifts and lane reductions will be in place for approximately three miles beginning at the Route 7 interchange until just past Lewinsville Road.” [VDOT]
General Assembly Advances Bills on Contraception — “With contraception rights under scrutiny nationwide, Virginia Democrats are doubling down on efforts to safeguard access, even as they brace for potential pushback from Gov. Glenn Youngkin. House Bill 1716 … passed the House of Delegates on Thursday, while a companion bill … cleared the Senate Education and Health Committee.” [Virginia Mercury]
Woman Recalls Sexual Abuse on Great Falls Farm — “It was something Stephanie, 56, had accepted as a fact of life: She was assaulted, repeatedly, from ages 11 to 14 at the Great Falls barn where she mucked out stalls and fed horses.” Stephanie recently recounted her experiences to Fairfax County police, leading to charges of indecent liberties with a child younger than 14 against the 81-year-old man. [Washington Post]
No Go on Bills to Eliminate Legal Notice Requirements — “A bipartisan pair of Virginia Delegates sought to roll back legal notice publishing requirements for localities this session. But both efforts are dead for the time being.” The bill in the House of Delegates, sponsored by Vienna Del. Holly Seibold, died last Friday, Jan. 17. [Virginia Public Radio/WVTF]
Fairfax Circle Eatery Beloved by Local Venezuelans — “Although it’s less widely known than Arepa Zone, Antojitos de tu País, which moved into a Fairfax commercial kitchen in 2015, is going strong. It has become a passion project for Febres and Arellano—with an almost entirely separate customer base.” [Washingtonian]
High School Basketball Players Lead Literacy Lessons — “Each Wednesday afternoon during the winter months, the Annandale High School boys and girls basketball teams make the short walk to Braddock Elementary School for a very important match-up. The Atoms athletes are there to mentor third graders who could benefit from a little extra support in reading comprehension.” [FCPS]
It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high of around 33 degrees and northwest winds at 5 to 9 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear with lows around 15 degrees. Northwest winds at 5 mph will become calm after midnight. [NWS]
Gregg Steverson can finally drop the “acting” from his job title.
The career transportation planner has been appointed as Fairfax County’s permanent director of transportation after intially filling the role on an interim basis following predecessor Tom Biesiadny’s retirement in May 2023, the county announced today (Thursday).
Bird Flu Cases Reported in Virginia — “Two cases of bird flu have been detected at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia, marking the first time the highly contagious virus has been found at the facility in its 30-year history. The cases come on the heels of at least three other recent outbreaks in the Washington region that have already killed an estimated 1 million chickens and put officials on alert.” [Washington Post]
People and Dogs Rescued from Apartment Fire — Firefighters responded yesterday (Wednesday) to the 7300 block of Route 29 in West Falls Church for a fire in a “garden style” apartment building. “Firefighters assisted multiple people with evacuations and rescued two dogs from an apartment … No civilian or firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Mosaic District Might Get a Fitness Center — A zoning verification letter submitted to Fairfax County this week suggests Onelife Fitness is planning to open a facility at 2910 District Avenue that’s “larger than 30,000 square feet and ‘includes pool(s).'” No one involved would comment, but the space has been vacated by Custom Ink, whose lease expires on March 31. [Washington Business Journal]
Founder of West Falls Church Security Company Dies — “Gene Samburg, founder of Falls Church, Virginia-based Kastle Systems, has died at age 83. Samburg may be best-known for the building security cards and fobs carried by thousands of D.C.-area office workers, and tens of thousands more across the country.” [WTOP]
Bill Seeks to Close Education ‘Loophole’ — Legislation proposed by state senator and former Fairfax County School Board member Stella Pekarsky would require parents who are homeschooling their children to submit documentation of their teaching qualifications and their kids’ academic progress. Virginia currently has an exemption for parents who opt out of public schools for religions reasons. [WRIC]
Pilates Studio Opens in Mount Vernon — “Club Pilates Hybla Valley plans to open at Mount Vernon Plaza on Jan. 23. The studio, which specializes in Reformer-based Pilates training, recently posted on social media that bookings are available via their app … Club Pilates is located at 7702 B-D Richmond Highway.” [On the MoVe]
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Providence Community Center — “Supervisor Palchik is thrilled to invite you to her inaugural Lunar New Year Open House, a joyous event honoring the cultural heritage of our Asian communities! This family-friendly celebration will feature cultural performances, Chinese Calligraphy, arts, traditional cuisines, and fortune cards.” [Eventbrite]
Lorton Nonprofit Celebrates 50th Anniversary — “The Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 — a time when the nonprofit’s services are in increasingly high demand, yet a degree of uncertainty looms.” The organization realized its founder’s vision of a “supermarket of human services” when it moved into the new Lorton Community Center in 2022. [On the MoVe]
It’s Thursday — It will be mostly sunny with a high around 32 degrees and calm winds shifting to the south at 5 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of about 17 degrees, as calm winds turn to the northwest at 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials are hoping connections made in 2024 will pay off in the form of additional service options to Asia in 2025.
Authority staff attended three conferences in Asia over the past year, with a total of 51 face-to-face meetings promoting the D.C. region and Dulles International Airport.
Northern Virginia’s high cost of living is driving more residents to leave for areas where their money stretches further, a new report shows.
The report, published this month by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, found that nearly 158,000 people moved out of the region in 2022, nearing a record set during the pandemic in 2020. At the same time, only 128,000 people moved in — a sharp drop compared to pre-pandemic years.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission thinks the county might want to revisit its time limits on food trucks.
Commission members requested at their Jan. 15 meeting that the Board of Supervisors consider increasing the existing limit of four hours at a single location.
Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with a bill to crack down on the misuse of the “homeless” designation by school officials to recruit student athletes. House Bill 1656, introduced by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, also prohibits officials from accepting money or gifts intended to influence a student’s decision to transfer schools for athletic purposes.
The legislation narrowly advanced to the full House on an 11-10 party-line vote in the House Education Committee. No lawmakers spoke on the bill ahead of the vote.
Fairfax County to Review Leaf Collections — “Among the resolutions approved by the Board of Supervisors last week, one addresses leaf collections, and another deals with the need for apartments to have pet-friendly policies. Mason District residents were told to put their leaves on the curb in early November but in some cases, the leaves weren’t picked up until a month later, said Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez.” [Annandale Today]
State Senators Punt Bill to Legalize Online Gaming — “A proposal to legalize internet gaming in Virginia has been put on hold as lawmakers seek more time to assess its potential impact. Senate Bill 827, introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would authorize the Virginia Lottery Board to issue licenses to casino gaming operators for online gaming.” [Virginia Mercury]
Vice President Moves Out of N. Va. — “Del Ray officially lost one of its most famous residents this week, as Vice President JD Vance moved from his Del Ray home to the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The move also means that Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park … which is next to Vance’s former home has reopened to the public.” [ALXnow]
Frozen Yogurt Shop Faces Eviction — “Peachwave Frozen Yogurt has until 7 a.m. on Thursday to vacate its space at University Mall in Fairfax.” Store owner David Waskiewicz says he has been struggling to pay off debts that “snowballed” after a kiosk he opened at Tysons Corner Center in 2023 failed to take off. [Patch]
Dulles Airport Confiscates Record Number of Guns — “Two DC-area airports have set new records for the number of guns found last year at TSA security checkpoints. TSA detected 41 guns at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. That’s up from 39 in 2023. At Washington Dulles International Airport, 29 guns were found, up from 24 in 2023.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Local School Teacher Plays for Washington Commanders Band — “Perez, who’s a band director at Holmes Middle School in Fairfax County, got involved with the Commanders marching band because a friend needed a trumpet player to sit in on rehearsal. He did it, inquired about how to get involved, auditioned, and has been a part of the band since 1997.” [WTOP]
Fairfax City Arts Gallery Celebrates New Curator — “The Commission on the Arts has selected Debra Wright of the Rouge Arts Project to curate the Rotary Gallery, and her Inaugural Show is currently on display. The public is invited to attend the opening reception of Wright’s Inaugural Show from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Sherwood Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Wednesday — Expect clouds to increase, reaching a high near 20, accompanied by wind chills as low as -3. Northwest winds of 5 to 10 mph will ease in the afternoon. At night, you can anticipate partly cloudy conditions with the temperature settling at a low of around 12 and calm winds. [NWS]
