A sign for Hayfield Secondary School in Franconia (via Google Maps)
An appeals committee for the Virginia High School League is reviewing and will soon make its decision regarding whether Hayfield High School is eligible for the postseason in 2024 and 2025.
The committee met Monday to hear from the Virginia High School League and Hayfield officials.
Voting at the Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Jared Serre)
More than 60% of registered voters in Fairfax County have cast a ballot so far in this year’s general election.
As of 12:30 p.m., 18.7% of voters have cast a ballot on Election Day since polls opened at 6 a.m. today. Combined with the 43% of voters who participated in early voting or sent in an absentee ballot by mail, the county has seen a total turnout of 61.7%, the Fairfax County Office of Elections reported.
Electronic displays in an airplane cockpit (via Rodrigo Soares on Unsplash)
A Canadian company that makes electronic systems for airplanes is swooping into Reston.
CMC Electronics will invest $5 million to establish an office and research and development facility in Reston, bringing 89 new jobs with plans for more positions as it builds up its operations in the area, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Friday (Nov. 1).
Fairfax residents head to the polls during the 2024 general election (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Fairfax County saw high early voting turnout for this year’s presidential election, though the numbers didn’t reached the levels seen during the last presidential cycle.
Since early voting began on Sept. 20, over 322,000 residents, or 43% of the county’s 748,492 registered voters, have cast a vote, as of Friday (Nov. 2), the last day of in-person early voting, the Fairfax County Office of Elections posted on Twitter.
An American flag waves in the wind outside Great Falls Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
PollWorker Removed for Citizenship Question — Fairfax County’s Office of Elections removed a poll worker from the Franconia Governmental Center’s early voting site who asked an elementary school principal to show proof of her citizenship — a violation of state law. Liza Burrell-Aldana, once named principal of the year by the Washington Post, believes she was questioned because she looks and sounds Latina. [Washington Post]
Man Charged With Assault on Dulles Flight — A man has been charged with felony assault after allegedly punching another passenger “repeatedly in the face and head” during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport. An FBI agent says the attack against the sleeping passenger on Monday, Oct. 28 was unprovoked. [Associated Press/WTOP]
How County Is Ensuring Security of Election — With Election Day here, the Fairfax County Office of Elections offered a breakdown of the steps it takes to ensure “every vote is accurately recorded, safely stored and properly counted. From safeguarding ballots and voting machines to conducting post-election canvassing, the county’s Office of Elections prioritizes security at every step.” [Fairfax County Government]
Local Restaurants Offer Election Day Specials — “Make the most of Election Day by picking up a few free treats and special deals just for voters. Here’s where you can find food and drink specials on November 5.” Offers include a free nonalcoholic drink from Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Chantilly and Fair Oaks, and a themed cocktail from Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in McLean. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Trail Proposed Along GW Parkway — “A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is hoping recent controversy over tree-clearing along the Potomac River leads to creative thinking about the future.” The group suggested that the National Park Service create a trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s full Arlington County length. [ARLnow]
Buyer Search Underway for Vacant Annandale Building — “There is a lot of interest in the vacant property on Columbia Pike next to the Giant parking lot. But don’t expect anything to happen any time soon. The 1-acre site is available for a ground lease or sale for $3.5 million, says Craig Cheney with KLNB.” [Annandale Today]
Tysons Coffee Shop Opens Loudoun Expansion — “The new Shotted Specialty Coffee shop coming to Loudoun County has announced that its grand opening will be this coming Friday, November 8. They have already started a soft opening and busy brewing.” The cafe can be found in Fairfax County at both Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. [The Burn]
It’s Tuesday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. [NWS]
The entrance to the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A Maryland man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly soliciting sex from a 15-year-old he met at the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
The teen’s parents reported to the police on Friday (Nov. 1) that a man had solicited their child first in person and then in subsequent communications in October, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Eastbound Old Keene Mill Road at Field Master Drive in Burke (via Google Maps)
A motorcyclist died last week following a crash on Old Keene Mill Road in Burke.
Officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash at the Field Master Drive intersection around 3:53 p.m. on Oct. 30, the Fairfax County Police Department reported today (Monday) in a press release.
I-495 "Southside Express" HOT-lanes proposal (via Virginia Department of Transportation)
Virginia’s plan to widen I-495 with privately financed, toll-based express lanes in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge corridor continues to get a decidedly mixed reception from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
On one side of the debate, Board Chairman Jeff McKay believes the project is “essential,” but he conceded at a meeting of the board’s transportation committee last Tuesday (Oct. 29) that “not everyone feels that way.”
Rep. Don Beyer speaks to crowd under new Fort Belvoir wildlife crossing (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Beneath a bustling stretch of Fairfax County Parkway lies a little-known wildlife crossing that might hold the key to reducing animal-vehicle collisions in Virginia.
Last Wednesday (Oct. 30), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and State Sen. David Marsden (D-35) toured the underpass nestled between Davison Army Airfield and Fort Belvoir. Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles.
Dunn Loring Elementary School design (via Fairfax County Public Schools)
Fairfax County school officials will try again this month to win planning commission support for the proposed new Dunn Loring Elementary School.
“Clearly, we need to do a little more work — [to] get all the pieces right,” Providence District Planning Commissioner Jeremy Hancock said last Wednesday (Oct. 30) after more than two hours of presentations, discussion and public comment.