News

Youngkin Proposes School Voucher Program — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Wednesday proposed spending $50 million to start a scholarship program that would give lower-income families money to pay for private K-12 schooling. Called ‘opportunity scholarships,’ the program would allocate $5,000 scholarships to 10,000 students across the commonwealth to pay for private school tuition, fees, uniforms and supplies.” [Washington Post]

Man Convicted of Shooting Ex Faces Prison Time — A jury recommended a sentence of 23 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for Collins Agyei, who was convicted on Tuesday (Dec. 17) of shooting Esther Arko at a Mount Vernon apartment complex on Feb. 7, 2023. Final sentencing will be determined in April. [Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano/Bluesky]

Route 29 Lane Closes for Construction — “Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, the right through lane of southbound Route 29 between Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) and Meadow Estates Drive/Hampton Forest Way will be closed until summer 2025 to facilitate construction for the Route 29 widening project.” [VDOT]

Development Considered at Franconia Triangle — “Change has been slow to come in Franconia but it’s picked up speed lately,” with a study “focused on a triangle of land bordered by Franconia Road, Beulah Street and Grovedale Drive.” Fairfax County is looking at a plan amendment to allow affordable housing on the current Franconia Governmental Center site as well as “63 townhouses, 30 multi-family units and retail sites facing Franconia Road.” [The Connection]

Vienna Police ID Alleged Hit-and-Run Driver — Police have identified the driver who allegedly struck a pedestrian on Park Street on Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) as a man from New Kent County. Charged with a felony hit-and-run, the man turned himself in on Dec. 11, and was held in custody on a $10,000 secured bond. [Vienna Police]

Nearby: Arlington Adds More Speed Cameras — “Eight new school zone speed cameras are being installed around Arlington. The new cameras will start issuing warnings with the start of school after winter break, before issuing $100 tickets to speeders starting Feb. 5.” Arlington introduced speed cameras this summer, as Fairfax County announced plans to expand its program. [ARLnow]

Fire Department Names New Deputy Chief — “Fire Chief John Butler is pleased to announce the promotion of Battalion Chief Scott Schermerhorn to Deputy Chief. He will lead Division 1, A-Shift. Deputy Chief Schermerhorn has been a proud member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department for over 21 years.” [FCFRD]

It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 45 degrees and a northwest wind ranging from 6 to 10 mph. As night falls, the sky will transition to increasing clouds and the temperature will drop to around 31 degrees, accompanied by calm winds. [NWS]

Holidays Bring Uptick in Respiratory Illnesses — Dr. Katherine Cox-Flaherty, a pulmonologist with Inova, says the flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses tend to increase around the holiday season. This year has been no exception, but the uptick in circulating viruses is currently “around par for the course for wintertime.” [WTOP]

Arrest Made in Recent ABC Store Thefts — A 38-year-old man from Alexandria has been charged with petit larceny in connection to six thefts at Virginia ABC stores reported on Dec. 13 and 14. Police say they’re still looking for more suspects in a string of thefts where individuals were seen “concealing bottles of high-end tequila and cognac in coats and bags.” [FCPD]

Connolly Wins Bid for Key Committee Role — House Democrats chose Rep. Gerry Connolly to serve as their top member on the House Oversight Committee over New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, favoring experience over calls for fresh leadership after a tough general election. “Connolly had unsuccessfully run for the Oversight role twice before. He was facing concerns from colleagues over his recent cancer diagnosis.” [Associated Press]

Contractor Opens Reston Headquarters — The aerospace and defense contractor V2X announced on Monday (Dec. 16) that it has opened its new corporate headquarters at 1875 Campus Common Drive in Reston. “This strategic move aligns with V2X’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence in support of national security, defense, and mission readiness worldwide.” [V2X Inc.]

Annandale Renter Fights Eviction — “Fairmont Gardens tenant Zahid Khan says he’s being evicted because he filed a complaint with Fairfax County about the unsanitary and unsafe conditions at the Annandale apartment complex. He’s fighting the eviction in court.” [Annandale Today]

New Annandale Sports Bar Offers Korean Fusion Dishes — The name of JMT Kitchen + Bar comes from a Korean saying that roughly translates to “just my taste,” says owner Jin-Gak Bae, whose family also owns Han Gang. “Anyone who heads to the Annandale building that shares space with A&J Restaurant and Kozy Ramen & Bar will realize that this statement is no exaggeration.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Longtime Tysons Santa Answers Questions — “Mike Graham has been Santa for 40 years now, long enough to long outlast the shops around him at Tysons Corner Center. Long enough for the kids who once perched on his lap to grow up and bring kids of their own, to build the kind of loyalty that leads families to jet in each year just to see him from Michigan, Texas, California.” [Fairfax Machine]

Truck Ban Approved for Two Lorton Streets — The Virginia Department of Transportation has “signed off on a ban on through truck traffic on Gunston Cove Road and Lorton Market Street between Richmond Highway and Lorton Road.” Signage alerting drivers to the change was recently installed by VDOT, not the Fairfax County Department of Transportation as initially reported. [On the MoVe]

It’s Wednesday — Expect rain to begin around 9am, with a high of 53 degrees and mild southeast winds at 6 mph. By night, rain will likely continue until 1am, cooling to a low of 36 degrees. Precipitation chances are 80%, with an additional tenth to a quarter inch of rainfall possible. [NWS]