It hasn’t taken long for Fairfax County’s own Pat Herrity to become the GOP’s top fundraiser in the lieutenant governor race.
The 64-year-old’s campaign announced more than $200,000 in total contributions within a week of its Jan. 3 launch, handily surpassing the $645.53 raised by Williamsburg businessman John Curran, who was the first Republican to declare his candidacy for Virginia’s second-highest statewide office.
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Federal Workers Offered “Buyouts” — “The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is offering buyouts to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed.” [Associated Press]
FCPS Teachers Fear Possible ICE Arrests of Students — “David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said educators are concerned about the ripple effects … He’s unaware of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visiting Fairfax County schools in the last week, and anecdotally, he hasn’t heard about teachers reporting an unexpected number of absences since the policy switch was announced.” [WTOP]
Bill Would Update Commanders’ Name in Virginia Code — “Legislation to officially remove ‘Washington Redskins’ from the Code of Virginia and replace it with ‘Washington Commanders’ took a step forward Tuesday, advancing to the full House Transportation Committee … House Bill 2721, sponsored by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, aims to update state law regarding special license plates for team supporters.” [Virginia Mercury]
Tysons Software Company Might Be Rebranding — Microstrategy, which has spent the past few years buying cryptocurrency, filed a plan with Fairfax County on Friday (Jan. 24) “to replace the exterior ‘MicroStrategy’ building sign at its 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza headquarters with a new sign that reads StrategyB — a clear reference to the business’s transformation into a bitcoin bank.” [Washington Business Journal]
Metro Launches Food Donation Drive — “Metro is inviting the public to participate in the ‘Fill-A-Bus’ campaign to drive out hunger and food insecurities in the region.” Aiming to collect enough food and raise enough money for the Capital Area Food Bank to provide about 41,000 meals, Metro will park a bus outside Giant Food stores across the region, including the one in Annandale (7137 Columbia Pike) on Feb. 13. [WMATA]
Fairfax City Hall Gets Landscaping Makeover — “Fairfax City is beginning the landscape and hardscape improvements to the front of the City Hall building, 10455 Armstrong Street, as of Jan. 27.” Expected to finish this summer, the project “includes expanding the landscaping area in front of the City Hall and replacing the stairs leading to Armstrong Street and upgrading lighting and irrigation.” [City of Fairfax]
Local Firefighters Donate Blood — “#FCFRD partnered with @IAFF2068 and Inova to host a blood drive for department members at Public Safety Headquarters. Thanks to everyone who gave their time and blood to help save lives right here in our community!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Community Excited for New Mount Vernon Rec Center — “The Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) Jan. 23 community information meeting on the reopening of the Mount Vernon Rec Center was so popular that the parking lot quickly filled up at Belle View Elementary School … Overall, community members seem to be excited about the renovated $70 million facility.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 56 degrees, accompanied by breezy conditions, including a west wind blowing at 13 to 23 mph and gusts reaching up to 44 mph. The night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 30 degrees, a northwest wind at 8 to 16 mph, and gusts peaking at 30 mph. [NWS]
Update: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s order freezing federal grants and loans minutes before it was set to take effect at 5 p.m.
Earlier: Fairfax County officials are scrambling to assess how a new federal directive halting financial aid programs might impact local services and capital projects.
The push to allow a casino in Fairfax County has officially entered new territory.
After tabling similar legislation proposed by state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-35) last year, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted 9-6 this morning (Tuesday) to report Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s (D-34) bill to add the county to Virginia’s list of eligible casino hosts to the full chamber.
Fairfax County leaders have joined hundreds of municipalities across the nation in pledging to do more to help the monarch butterfly’s survival.
The county’s Board of Supervisors agreed during its Jan. 14 meeting to sign on to the National Wildlife Foundation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Program, which commits local governments to take various actions to stem loss of habitat for pollinators.
Hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s technology meltdown, Fairfax County Park Authority officials are making revisions to their 2025 spring and summer camp registration procedures.
The biggest change: The first day of registration will vary depending on where a camp program is located.
Groveton Apartments Targeted by ICE Raid — “Some residents of an apartment complex in Fairfax County, Virginia, say they’re alarmed and frightened after waking up to loud door knocks from federal agents before sunrise on Sunday.” The raid at the Beacon Hill Apartments was one of many carried out nationwide by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 26, leading to more than 1,170 arrests. [NBC4]
Two Virginia Children Die From Flu — “The Virginia Department of Health on Monday reported two influenza-associated pediatric deaths, the first reports for the 2024–25 flu season. One death occurred in a young school-aged child between the ages of 5 of 12 years old in Virginia’s Eastern Region and one in a teenage child between the ages of 13 and 17 years old in the Central Region, which is in the southern part of the state.” [Inside NoVA]
Senate Passes Bill to Protect Voting ‘Quiet Period’ — The state Senate voted 20-18 yesterday (Monday) to pass a proposal from Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) “to clarify the federal 90-day threshold for voter roll removals and extend the response time for flagged individuals to contest their potential purge.” Removals of voters flagged as “non-citizens” last year led to a lawsuit and reports of people being erroneously dropped from voter rolls. [Virginia Mercury]
Longtime Radio Anchor Dies — “WTOP evening anchor Dimitri Sotis, whose deep, warm voice informed and kept listeners in the D.C. region company during storms, elections and breaking news, has died at the age of 55 … Sotis was the evening anchor at WTOP for more than two decades; listeners heard his distinctive timbre weekdays from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.” [WTOP]
N. Va. Business Leaders Optimistic About Economy — “Northern Virginia business owners are overwhelmingly optimistic about the region’s economy in the new year, but affordability has become a top concern for business leaders trying to attract new talent and new businesses to the region,” according to a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. [WTOP]
Fairfax City Police Make Arrest After Gunshots Reported — “City of Fairfax Police have apprehended a suspect in connection to the attempted malicious wounding that occurred Friday morning in the 3100 block of Campbell Drive … Investigators recovered shell casings on the scene. No injuries were reported and no property was reported damaged, according to police.” [Patch]
Falls Church Advances Accessory Unit Policy Update — “Falls Church officials are nearing a decision on an ordinance that would make it easier to build accessory-dwelling units … At a Council work session last week, however, there was a split between elected leaders and top staff on how much remaining public input is advisable before the matter goes to a vote.” [ARLnow]
Local Students Compete in World Diving Championships — “Carter G. Woodson High School senior Nathaniel Grannis and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) senior Rem Turatbekov have gone international. Nathaniel and Rem recently returned from the Junior World Diving Championships in Rio de Janeiro, where Nathaniel represented the U.S. and Rem dove for his birth country, Kyrgyzstan.” [FCPS]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny conditions today with a high of around 52 degrees and west winds at 7 to 12 mph, increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, with potential gusts up to 33 mph. The evening will bring mostly clear skies and a low of about 31 degrees. [NWS]
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]
