The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today (Tuesday) to authorize consideration of an amended interim land swap agreement with Inova Health System for the redevelopment of Reston Town Center North.
Under the agreement, the county will acquire the land under the North County Governmental Center, which is currently owned by Inova, in exchange for a wooded area that has hosted the county’s largest homeless encampment — until today.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares issued an apparent challenge last week to Fairfax County and other localities over their policies on cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
In a response to an inquiry from Bedford County Sheriff Michael Miller, Miyares released an opinion last Thursday (Sept. 5) confirming that local sheriffs have the authority to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when someone wanted for deportation proceedings is scheduled to be released.
Fairfax County is giving financial boosts to several local startups that are developing technology to improve communications, make agriculture more efficient and more.
The county’s Department of Economic Initiatives (DEI) announced last Thursday (Sept. 5) that it has selected eight companies for the second round of its Fairfax Founders Fund (FFF), which provides up to $50,000 in grant funding and technical assistance to “promising, early-stage startups” that could “disrupt industries” and create new jobs.
Construction Begins on Pickleball Facility — “Construction has started on the Down the Line indoor pickleball center in the long-vacant Kid’s Choice building. The facility, at 4317 Ravensworth Road, Annandale, will have 18 full-size pickleball courts, seven state-of-the-art golf simulators, and a sports bar, says developer Jenni Bae. She anticipates opening in 2025.” [Annandale Today]
Poll Shows Support for Nonpartisan Fairfax City Elections — “Fairfax Commonsense PAC, a political action committee formed in 2021 by former Democratic State Sen. Chap Petersen, commissioned the poll to determine how much support there was for the city to continue its tradition of nonpartisan elections.” Most respondents (67%) said city elections should stay nonpartisan. [Patch]
Lawmakers Divided Over Dulles Greenway’s Future — “Greenway critics, including former Republican state delegate David Ramadan and current Democratic state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Loudoun), now want to push the SCC to force Greenway tolls down and ideally force its owners to sell the road to the commonwealth.” [Washington Post]
Tysons Play Among D.C. Theatre Week Options — “Theatre Week brings shows by more than DC-area companies under their umbrella with discounted prices” from Sept. 26 through Oct. 13. Ticket sales began yesterday (Monday), including “The Waverly Gallery” from the Tysons-based company 1st Stage. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Flooring Stores Might Stay Open After All — “Richmond, Virginia-based LL Flooring, the former Lumber Liquidators, which announced plans to liquidate and close all stores last week, has agreed to a last minute deal that will save thousands of jobs and keep hundreds of its stores open.” The private equity firm F9 Investments will buy 219 stores, their inventory and a distribution center. [WTOP]
Sculpture Exhibition Coming to McLean — “The McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) and Washington Sculpture Group are collaborating on the upcoming ‘Sculpture NOW 2024’ exhibition, to be held Sept. 12 to Oct. 26″ inside the McLean Community Center.” The exhibit will feature works finished within the past two years by over 60 sculptors. [Gazette Leader]
Oktoberfest Celebrations Along Richmond Highway –“In two weeks, the 189th Oktoberfest kicks off in Munich, Germany. Around the Richmond Highway Corridor meanwhile, preparations are underway for several local celebrations. Following are some details on the festivities, listed in order by date.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature close to 85 degrees. Night will be mostly clear with a low temperature near 59 degrees; the northeast wind at approximately 5 mph will become calm during the evening. [NWS]
Fairfax County school officials fear Virginia’s new accreditation system could disproportionately harm schools with large populations of English learners and students with disabilities.
Adopted last month by the Virginia Board of Education, the School Performance and Support Framework places more weight on standardized test scores and graduation rates — a move state officials argue will hold schools to higher educational standards and improve accountability.
The former Fairfax County Police Department officer who fatally shot a D.C. man suspected of shoplifting two pairs of sunglasses from Nordstrom at Tysons Corner Center might not face a trial after all.
Defense attorneys for Wesley Shifflett filed a motion in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Friday (Sept. 6) seeking to “quash” the grand jury indictment that charged the former police sergeant with involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm for killing Timothy Johnson on Feb. 22, 2023.
Fairfax County let loose its archery program aimed at controlling the local white-tailed deer population this past Saturday (Sept. 7).
The Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program allows qualified bowhunters to hunt deer in areas where firearm use is restricted or not an effective or sustainable method. The program started in 2010 to minimize the impacts of an overabundance of deer.
Fairfax County police have identified a man who allegedly exposed himself in public at two different Tysons shopping centers.
The 22-year-old McLean resident was arrested last Tuesday (Sept. 3) for reportedly “exposing himself and attempting to touch customers inappropriately” in Tysons West (1500 Cornerside Blvd) earlier that day, the Fairfax County Police Department said on Friday (Sept. 6).
The driver responsible for a crash that killed two Oakton High School students in 2022 will serve four years in prison, as recommended by a jury in April.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows finalized the sentence at a hearing on Friday (Sept. 6) afternoon and ordered that 20-year-old Fairfax resident Usman Shahid also get three years of supervised probation following his release, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced.
Flooring Stores to Shut Down — “Just weeks after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announcing it was seeking a buyer, LL Flooring says it will close all of its stores and cease operations.” Closing sales began last Friday (Sept. 6) at all 424 stores, including ones in Lorton (8245 Backlick Road, Suite I) and Chantilly (14310 Sullyfield Circle). [Washington Business Journal]
Longstanding Herndon Deli Gets Support — “Community members and local businesses have been posting messages encouraging people to take their sandwich business to The Deli Herndon at 480 Elden St. as it experiences financial hardships. On September 3, an anonymous patron posted a plea on Next Door for members of the community to patronize The Deli.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
School Board Allocates Unspent Funds — “Fairfax County Public Schools is spending millions in previously unused funds to support security upgrades, new sports and bonuses for substitute teachers.” Approved by the school board at its Aug. 29 meeting, the year-end budget review also replenished the staffing reserve with $16 million and included another $200,000 for Woodson High School’s renaming. [WTOP]
Funds Available for Affordable Housing Development — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) has issued a request for proposals for affordable housing with a notice of more than $50 million in local funding available for affordable housing projects.” [FCRHA]
GMU Announces Fall Visual Arts Exhibits — “Through exhibitions and inclusive programming in seven galleries across George Mason’s three Northern Virginia campuses, Mason Exhibitions engages community members around current issues and new ideas through visual art.” This fall’s signature exhibition “Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White” is on view on the Fairfax campus until Nov. 15. [Gazette Leader]
Toll Lanes Operator Donates to Nonprofit — I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP), the private builder and operator of the I-66 Express Lanes, recently donated $10,000 to the Merrifield-based nonprofit Food for Others. Employees also gathered at the food pantry’s warehouse to pack 660 Power Packs for local school-aged children. [I-66 EMP]
Local Police Captain Wins Award — “The FCPD is proud to announce Captain Hudson Bull has been recognized as one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 40 Under 40 Award recipients for 2024. This prestigious award honors law enforcement professionals under 40 who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to public safety.” [FCPD]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 78 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. Monday night will be clear, with the temperature dropping to around 56 degrees and the southwest wind maintaining a speed of approximately 6 mph. [NWS]
