News

Great Falls Man Allegedly Conspired with Iran — “A former Federal Aviation Administrator has been indicted for allegedly acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the U.S. and conspiring to do so…Between at least December 2017 and June 2024, Rahmati reportedly conspired with and acted on the behalf of Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives, according to an indictment.” [WUSA9]

Woman Charged for Tysons Robbery — A 27-year-old woman was arrested in Pennsylvania last Thursday (Sept. 26) in connection to the June 25 robbery of Chanel at Tysons Galleria. Released on bond pending a future court date, the woman is the third person to be charged in the case, but police are still looking for four other people believed to have been involved. [FCPD]

Construction Underway on Intelligence Agency HQ — “The Defense Intelligence Agency has broken ground for the $185 million DIA Headquarters Annex at the Intelligence Community Campus-Fort Belvoir North Area in Springfield…Expected to open in 2028, the DIA annex is adjacent to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s headquarters.” [ExecutiveGov]

Families Discuss How to Address Teen Opioid Addiction — “On Sunday, families from all around Northern Virginia, got the chance to talk about addiction, learn about resources available, and how to spot the signs. According to the Fairfax County Health Department, hospital emergency visits for opioid overdoses increased 115% from 2022 to 2023 among teens under 18.” [WUSA9]

Discount Tool Store Coming to Mount Vernon — “A new tenant will soon be moving into the building that formerly housed Goodwill at 8228 Richmond Highway. Harbor Freight Tools, a leading discount tool retailer with over 1,500 stores nationwide, plans to open its 38th Virginia-based store in that location, opening around mid-December.” [On the MoVe]

Former Nats Pitcher’s Home Officially Sold — “The end is officially here for Stephen Strasburg’s time in D.C. The sale of the nearly 12,000 square-foot McLean house of the former Washington Nationals pitcher and World Series champion closed on Friday for $8.55 million.” [UrbanTurf]

Local Amazon Fresh Store Gets New Look — “Amazon, which recently resumed openings of new Fresh grocery stores after a yearlong pause, held ‘grand reopenings’ for two of its D.C.-area stores Saturday. The redesigned Amazon Fresh stores, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Franconia, Virginia, followed similar redesigns of Fresh stores in Chicago and Southern California.” [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Expect cloudy conditions with a high near 68 and a 70% chance of showers. Overnight, there is a slight chance of showers before 2 am. It will be cloudy, with a low around 61 and the chance of precipitation dropping to 20%. [NWS]

Man Hospitalized After Crash in McLean — A driver was taken to a hospital “in life-threatening condition” after a single-vehicle crash at Old Dominion Drive and Kirby Road in McLean on Saturday (Sept. 28). An investigation into the crash is ongoing. [FCPD/Twitter]

Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run Identified — A preliminary investigation into the fatal hit-and-run crash last Thursday (Sept. 26) indicated that “James Matthew Martin, 57, was crossing Richmond Highway from east to west outside the crosswalk when he was struck by the driver.” Detectives have also identified the driver and “continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash and potential charges.” [FCPD]

Herndon Man in Murder Case Denied Bond — “Brendan Banfield was denied bond on Friday after being indicted earlier this month for the murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan, at the couple’s Fairfax County home…The defense argued that Banfield is not a flight risk and needs to care for his child.” [FOX5]

Addition to Justice HS Completed — “Justice High School is a lot less crowded now that a new classroom wing has been completed. The new three-story wing — finished just in time for the start of the 2024-25 school year — has classrooms for world languages, English, science, social studies, and career and technical education.” [Annandale Today]

Mason Neck Park Introduces All-Terrain Wheelchairs — “In the past few years, Mason Neck State Park in Lorton has been focused on increasing accessibility to all park users, and the park took one more step in that direction recently with the debut of the all-terrain wheelchair program.” Mason Neck is the first park in Virginia to move forward with the pilot program. [On the MoVe]

Lorton Golf Club to Serve as GMU Team’s Home — “The Fairfax County Park Authority and George Mason University Golf are proud to announce a new partnership naming the Park Authority’s Laurel Hill Golf Club as the university golf team’s home course. The collaboration…will also provide opportunities for expanded Park Authority summer camps utilizing the George Mason Field House in Fairfax.” [FCPA]

FCPS Nonprofit Gets Donation — “On Friday, September 27, Educate Fairfax received a generous donation of $131,056.80 from the now-dissolved Association of Fairfax Professional Educators (AFPE)… The donation is designated for Educate Fairfax Grants, which provide students across Fairfax County with equitable access to innovative education experiences.” [FCPS]

Dranesville School Sees Decline in Absenteeism — Chronic absenteeism at Dranesville Elementary School has dropped from over 20% during the 2022-2023 school year to 7% last year, thanks to “a renewed focus on connecting with every student.” Principal Jamie Gadley says students have started to hold themselves accountable. [WTOP]

It’s Monday — Expect showers with a high near 70, with a 90% chance of precipitation and possible new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Monday night will see continued showers, a low around 62 and an 80% chance of precipitation. [NWS]