Fairfax County police have arrested a man believed to be the naked burglar who has recently targeted Centreville-area homes.
Two weeks after home surveillance footage was released showing a man wearing nothing but a face covering and sneakers in a local backyard, the man — a resident of the London Towne neighborhood — was taken into custody this morning (Monday).
Hoping to alleviate parents’ concerns about the frequency of disruptions this school year, the Fairfax County School Board has backed a calendar for the upcoming academic year that cuts down on the number of early-release days and nixes Veterans Day as a holiday.
At its meeting Thursday (April 9), the board debated the calendar for the upcoming school year in an effort to cut down on weeks with fewer than five days of classes.
Construction is progressing at a promising clip on the McLean Project for the Arts’ (MPA) new Berlage Arts & Education Center.
The walls were still bare and some internal building systems, including lights and HVAC units, remained exposed when FFXnow took a preview tour on April 2, but it didn’t require a huge leap of imagination to picture the community destination anticipated by the nonprofit’s leaders.
Cell phone bans will be strengthened at Virginia’s K-12 schools after a bill from a Fairfax County state senator was signed into law.
The bill tightening restrictions from state Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-36) was signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) last week and will take effect on July 1.
After a relatively brisk 25 minutes of speeches followed by the snip of a red ribbon, the new Franconia Governmental Center opened to the public Saturday morning (April 11).
That moment represented the culmination of “two and a half — plus — decades of planning,” said Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk at the dedication ceremony, which attracted hundreds to the facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd, located south of Manchester Blvd and east of Beulah Street.
Fairfax County Was Eyed for ‘Sphere’ — As suggested by state Sen. Scott Surovell in his response to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s veto of his bill to allow a casino in Fairfax County, the Las Vegas concert venue reportedly “flirted with picking Fairfax County” for its second location before selecting Maryland’s National Harbor in January. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority declined to comment when asked by FFXnow if it was aware of those discussions. [Axios DC]
Renderings Released for Trump’s Proposed Arch — “The Trump administration has submitted detailed architectural plans for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, drawing strong pushback from Arlington’s congressman … The renderings show a massive neoclassical stone arch topped with a 60-foot gilded statue of a winged figure — which Trump has called Lady Liberty — flanked by two smaller golden eagles.” [ARLnow]
Longtime AP Reporter Dies in Reston — “Bill Mann, a reporter and editor who covered the Philippines, Cairo, India, Scandinavia and Washington, D.C., over a nearly 50-year career at The Associated Press, died Thursday in Reston, Va., his family said. He was 83.” [Associated Press]
Fees Drive Up Va. Electric Bills — “Virginians’ power bills have increased 14.5% since 2022 and doubled in 25 years. But Dominion Energy customers scrutinizing their bills to understand why are likely confused … The bill does not show charges for numerous power and clean-energy projects. Known as rate adjustment clauses, or ‘riders,’ these are the fastest growing part of the bill.” [Fauquier Times]
Herndon Satellite Provider to Go Public — “Fast-growing Herndon defense contractor HawkEye 360 Inc. filed plans for an initial public offering following a series of big capital raises over the past few years … It has yet to identify the number of shares it plans to issue, the price it will seek or a timeline for when it expects to go public,” but the company said Friday (April 10) that it will trade under the ticker name “HAWK” on the New York Stock Exchange. [Washington Business Journal]
Update on Regional Jobs Initiative — “D.C. Deputy Secretary for Education Paul Kihn said the creation of a job search board is helping make sure that area residents are prepared for shifts in the rapidly changing job market.” Talent Capital AI launched in October specifically to support “displaced federal workers,” Kihn told the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and has drawn over 100,000 unique users so far. [WTOP]
Annandale Hosts First Asian Night Market — “A large crowd gathered in Annandale on April 11 for food and entertainment at an Asian Night Market presented by Neon District DMV. The event, on the parking lot at the ACCA Child Development Center on Columbia Pike, featured 32 food vendors – most of them offering Thai specialties – and 32 non-food vendors.” [Annandale Today]
Preview of D.C. Region’s 250th Anniversary Plans — “Organizers for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday bash discussed some of the plans for the national and local celebrations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.” Fairfax County 250th Commission chair Gretchen Bulova, now also a state delegate, said mobile museums and “events from Mount Vernon to Monticello” will lead up to July 4 in Virginia. [WTOP]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 83 degrees and a southwest wind at 14 mph, with gusts up to 26 mph. Night will be partly cloudy with a low around 63 degrees and a southwest wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Starting this July, Virginia drivers will no longer have the option to purchase special license plates commemorating the Confederacy.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved House Bill 1344 from Fairfax Del. Dan Helmer (D-10) on Monday (April 6) ending the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ authorization to issue or renew license plates honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Fairfax County Planning Commission members on Wednesday (April 8) joined a growing chorus calling on county leaders to emphasize maintenance of existing government facilities over construction of new ones.
“Prioritizing preventive maintenance and system renewal is a fiscally responsible alternative to the higher cost of full renovations or facilities replacements,” said at-large commissioner Timothy Sargeant.
Fairfax County is seeking public input on 14 proposed new Capital Bikeshare stations.
Officials with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation held a virtual information session on Wednesday (April 8) to discuss a planned expansion of the system throughout the I-66 corridor.
A student at Fairfax High School was convicted yesterday (Thursday) of assault and battery after being accused of groping more than a dozen of his female classmates.
Israel Christopher Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old who is currently a junior at the school, was found guilty by a judge on nine misdemeanor counts that stemmed from numerous instances of what prosecutor Jenna Sands described as “grabbing butts.”
