The list of places where guns can be carried in Fairfax City is getting smaller.
An ordinance to ban the possession of guns at city-permitted events and parks owned and operated by Fairfax City was approved Tuesday (Oct. 28) by the city council, aligning the city’s firearms policy with that of Fairfax County.
FCPS Condemns Reportedly Antisemitic Student Videos — “Fairfax County Public Schools is condemning a couple of student-made videos that drew outrage online after Jewish organizations called them antisemitic. The clips, created by Muslim student groups at two Northern Virginia high schools, show teenagers acting out mock kidnappings, which school officials say have no place in classrooms or on school social media accounts.” [WUSA9]
How Much Government Shutdown Might Cost — “The U.S. economy will lose between $7 billion and $14 billion because of the federal government shutdown, according to a new report released Wednesday by Congress’s nonpartisan bookkeeper.” The dip in the country’s gross domestic product would stem from “federal workers missing paychecks and the interruption of food benefits for low-income Americans.” [Washington Post]
State House Passes Redistricting Amendment — “After three days of partisan wrangling in a surprise special session, the Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers limited power to redraw the state’s congressional districts mid-decade — a move Democrats say is needed to protect the commonwealth if other states manipulate their maps for partisan gain.” [Virginia Mercury]
Where to Find Emergency Food Sites — “Get emergency access to food items, diapers, baby food/formula, toiletries, and household items via the [Fairfax County] Emergency Food Access Providers Application, which is available online … Fairfax City residents are eligible for these services.” [City of Fairfax]
Reston Online Learning Company Sheds Students — “Stride (NYSE: LRN) executives said on an earnings call Tuesday that two new software tools launched over the summer … experienced glitches that made it difficult for students to log in or consistently access the platform. As a result, between 10,000 and 15,000 students have unenrolled from Stride courses and the company said it is capping enrollment in certain programs while it works to fix the problems.” [Washington Business Journal]
‘Flying’ Boat Company Eyes Potomac River — The Swedish company Candela recently “spent a week showing off quiet, speedy electric boats on the Potomac. The potential customers? Everyone from local retailers to the Pentagon, which sits right across the river from the Columbia Island Marina where Candela staged rides on one of its hydrofoil boats.” [Washington Post]
Wonder Food Hall Opening in Reston — The growing food hall chain Wonder will celebrate the grand opening of its new location at Plaza America with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m. Planned festivities will start at 5 p.m. and include “exclusive Wonder gifts” for the first 100 customers, live music, tarot card readings and more. [Wonder]
Local Businesses Donate Cosmetics — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) joined with Great Clips and Bank of America on Tuesday, October 28, for the second annual Empowerment Bags presentation at Great Clips in Fairfax.” For the campaign, the businesses collected “cosmetics and self-care products … throughout October in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” [Press release]
It’s Thursday — Expect rain and a potential thunderstorm before 1pm, followed by possible showers between 1 and 2pm, with a high of 66 degrees. Winds of 13-15 mph will turn south in the afternoon, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees. [NWS]
Snakeden Branch Trail has reopened in Reston after an extended closure due to an FBI investigation.
Residents reported that a white van was parked near a bridge along the trail for much of today (Wednesday), and FBI agents wearing white jumpsuits were spotted working in the woods.
The historic A. Smith Bowman Distillery building in Reston remains one of the county’s most endangered properties, the Fairfax County History Commission warned leaders in its annual report.
The building, which dates to the 1880s, is among four properties the advisory panel sees as most imperiled, commission chair Gretchen Bulova told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28).
The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to delay consideration of new middle school start times in order to focus on ongoing school boundary adjustments and identify an option that won’t affect the school system’s budget.
Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne, who introduced the motion during the school board’s meeting last Thursday (Oct. 23), reaffirmed his support for later start times but emphasized the importance of waiting until other changes are finalized.
Vienna leaders are taking a stand against the latest proposal to come out of Fairfax County Public Schools’ systemwide boundary review.
The Vienna Town Council unanimously approved a resolution on Monday (Oct. 27) opposing a boundary adjustment that would assign an estimated 91 students within the town’s limits to Marshall High School in Idylwood instead of the local James Madison High School.
The final phase of a three-part office-to-housing redevelopment in Oakton is one step closer to the end of its journey.
At its meeting last week (Oct. 22), the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a rezoning of the Three Flint Hill office building at 3201 Jermantown Road for Flint Hill Propco LLC.
Rep. James Walkinshaw (D) is one of three leading lawmakers introducing a resolution today (Wednesday) commemorating Jamal Khashoggi, a Tysons resident and journalist who was killed at the direction of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince.
The proposed resolution acknowledges the anniversary of Khashoggi’s 2018 killing, in addition to calling on the Saudi Arabian government to “ensure appropriate accountability” for those responsible for his death.
Pedestrian Injured in Bus Crash — A man was taken to a hospital with injuries described as life-threatening last night after being hit by the driver of a Fairfax Connector bus at Government Center Parkway and Monument Drive near Fair Oaks. The bus driver stayed at the scene. Monument Drive closed at the intersection while detectives investigated. [FCPD/X]
House Fire in West Falls Church — Fairfax County firefighters responded just after 9 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) to “multiple reports of a house on fire in the 3000 block of Graham Road … Units arrived to heavy fire showing from a single-family home.” The fire was extinguished by 9:45 p.m., and no injuries were reported. An investigation is underway. [FCFRD/Facebook]
More Details on Va. SNAP Substitute — “Virginia’s budget surplus will fund a state-level replacement for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should the federal government shutdown continue into November, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. Dubbed Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, or VENA, the newly-created program is expected to send money to SNAP beneficiaries’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards starting on Nov. 3.” [Virginia Mercury]
AG Claims About Early Inmate Releases Questioned — “The Office of the Attorney General released a dataset on Monday which refuted claims made for months by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares about the danger of inmates released early because of the enhanced earned sentence credit program.” [Cardinal News]
Police Investigate Seven Corners Shooting — “On October 27, at 11:01 p.m., officers responded to the 6100 block of Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners for a shooting. The victim, an adult male, suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminarily, this appears to be an isolated incident. The investigation is ongoing.” [FCPD]
Arrest in Gym Theft Spree — “A Maryland man with nearly 140 active warrants has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of gym thefts in Fairfax County, according to police.” The 50-year-old man allegedly “broke into lockers, stole personal items and credit cards, and used them at nearby stores” in at least five different cases starting in December 2024. [Patch]
Local Charities Awarded Grants — “Cox Communications employees awarded a total of $35,000 in grants to local nonprofits, through Cox Charities Community Investment Grants, during [Tuesday’s] Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting.” Recipients included Cornerstones, the Falls Church Education Foundation, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries and more. [Press release]
McLean Community Center Celebrates 50 Years — “The McLean Community Center celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 10 p.m. The community couldn’t have asked for a better celebration — music through the decades, dancing, food, drinks, trivia, and more — at the center, which officially opened in October 1975.” [Connection Newspapers]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 20% chance of isolated showers are expected before 10am and after 2pm, with partly sunny skies and a high of 57°F. At night, expect rain and possible thunderstorms after 5am, a low of 51°F, and a 90% chance of precipitation. New rainfall could measure between three quarters and one inch. [NWS]
Fairfax County leaders on Tuesday (Oct. 28) added another tool to address the economic impacts of the recent federal worker layoffs under the Trump administration.
The Board of Supervisors approved $150,000 in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (Virginia Works) in support of a new initiative known as Talent Up Northern Virginia.
