If it’s possible to sum up a life with two words, then testimony from family, friends and former colleagues suggests “service” and “community” should be top contenders for describing the legacy of longtime Fairfax County volunteer fire chief Homer Johns.
Speakers repeatedly circled back to those concepts at a memorial service on Saturday (Nov. 16), as they paid tribute to the over five decades Johns spent with the McLean and Great Falls volunteer fire departments.
Fairfax County School Board members hope an infusion of $3 million in additional cash will help create an objective evaluation of public school facilities as new renovation timetables are developed.
Board members voted 11-0, with one abstention, on Thursday (Nov. 14) to add the funding to $2 million previously appropriated. It will support upcoming work by consultants evaluating the conditions of all schools, athletic facilities and administrative buildings.
Fairfax Water has sent about 137,000 letters to customers to help determine whether their pipes might contain traces of lead.
The utility says its source water from the Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir has no detectable lead and maintains it has “always been in compliance” with federal drinking water guidelines.
Va. Attorney General to Seek Reelection — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who has embraced prosecutions against election fraud and other conservative causes, said Monday that he will seek reelection next year, dispelling speculation of a potential gubernatorial bid.” [Associated Press]
School Boards Seek Delay in Accountability Changes — “Northern Virginia’s school systems are urging the Virginia Board of Education and the Virginia Department of Education to delay for at least a year the implementation of the state’s new School Performance and Supports Framework,” which was approved in August and is intended to reflect how well schools are meeting academic expectations. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Man Charged With Voter Intimidation — “A 23-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested for voter intimidation on Election Day outside a Fairfax City polling place, according to the City of Fairfax Police. Officers responded around 4:17 p.m. on Nov. 5 for the report of a man making hand gestures and verbally threatening people outside the polls at the Sherwood Center at 3740 Blenheim Blvd.” [Patch]
Chantilly Office Depot to Close — “The Office Depot store in the Chantilly Crossing shopping center is closing its doors next month… The Burn confirmed with employees that Office Depot is expected to close in mid-December, on or around Saturday, December 14.” [The Burn]
Former D.C. Area Radio Anchor Dies — “Evan Haning, whose 50-year radio career included almost a decade as an anchor and reporter at WTOP, has died at the age of 74 after a long battle with cancer.” His daughter, Amber, says working at the Chevy Chase-based radio station, which covers the D.C. region, was his favorite job. [WTOP]
Asian Food Hall Expects to Open Soon — “After three years in the works, Pop-Up District, a new food hall and lounge at Eden Center, plans to open for business sometime next month… The food hall has confirmed five restaurants and a bar across its 8,000 square feet.” [ARLnow]
Child Care Center Proposed in West Falls Church — “The Gardner School has proposed building a childcare center at 6637 South Street next to Annandale Road.” The single-story building would replace a structure that’s temporarily hosting the Fort Buffalo Fire Station during construction on a permanent station in Seven Corners. [Annandale Today]
Real Time Crime Center Helped Make Arrest — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s (FCPD) license plate reading technologies and new Real Time Crime Center enabled officers from the Mount Vernon District Station to make a key arrest last week.” The Nov. 11 incident began when a Flock camera flagged a vehicle with a stolen license plate at Walmart in Belle Haven. [On the Move]
It’s Tuesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high of around 63 and light winds shifting to the southeast at 6 mph in the afternoon. Night brings a 20% chance of showers, mostly cloudy conditions, and a low of about 51 with light southeast winds. [NWS]
A Fairfax man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he was driving as a rideshare worker.
Officers were dispatched to the 12000 block of Strong Court in the Fair Ridge neighborhood at 11:47 p.m. on Aug. 10 after receiving a report of a sexual assault, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Fairfax County police are continuing to investigate a crash that killed a 3-year-old boy in a Chantilly mobile home community this weekend.
Based on a preliminary review, however, Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives don’t believe speed or alcohol were factors in the Saturday (Nov. 16) incident, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release published today (Monday).
Construction is about to begin on a new wastewater pump station for Tysons West.
Fairfax County officials will break ground on the 25-million-gallon facility at 8608 Leesburg Pike with a celebratory ceremony at 3:30 p.m. this Wednesday (Nov. 20).
Next year’s battle for Virginia’s 8th House District will be a rematch.
Herndon resident Max Fisher announced on Friday (Nov. 15) that he will campaign again for the seat currently held by Del. Irene Shin, who previously defeated him in 2023. That year, Democrats won every General Assembly contest on the ballot in Fairfax County, ultimately taking back control of the House of Delegates.
Inova has agreed to pay nearly $2.4 million to settle allegations that it falsified Medicaid reimbursement claims tied to sterilization and hysterectomy procedures.
The settlement comes after Inova voluntarily disclosed issues to federal and state authorities, revealing that some Medicaid claims were improperly modified by employees between January and August 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on Friday (Nov. 15).
The man convicted of involuntary manslaughter following a crash in Bailey’s Crossroads that claimed the life of a 93-year-old woman will spend the next 18 months behind bars.
Isai Jimenez Paz, 24, of Arlington, received a 10-year sentence in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Friday (Nov. 15), though eight years and six months of that sentence are suspended, according to court records.
