News

Felony Voting Rights Case Tossed — “A federal court has thrown out a lawsuit challenging Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s process for restoring voting rights for people convicted of a felony, ruling that the suit was filed under an incorrect section of law but also seeming to criticize the governor’s use of power by comparing it to that of a monarch.” [Washington Post]

Falls Church Council Member Resigns — Falls Church City Council member Caroline Lian has resigned after the city found that she hadn’t reported her job as deputy director for D.C.’s buildings department in a recent employment disclosure form. Lian left that post earlier this week after D.C. fined her $25,000 for failing to report her work with Falls Church or Tysons-based Freddie Mac. [ARLnow]

Restauranteur Seeks Help Catching DoorDash Thieves — “Fairfax City Police say thieves are exploiting a loophole in Doordash’s system, where the thieves put in an order, wait until the food is ready, and then cancel the order, but still pick up the food. [Okonomi Asian Grill owner Alex] Kang says thieves have been hitting his restaurant since April.” [WUSA9]

Fatal Food Poisoning Reported in Virginia — “Three people have now died in a listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, federal food safety officials announced Thursday, and the overall number of people sickened rose to 43.” The latest death happened in Virginia, following earlier deaths in New Jersey and Illinois. [Associated Press/WTOP]

How Drought Conditions Are Affecting Local Farms — Despite recent rain from tropical depression Debby, Fairfax County has spent much of the summer under the threat of a drought. Farms and gardens around the Mount Vernon District shared “how the excessively hot and dry conditions have been impacting them and what they’ve been doing to keep plants growing.” [On the MoVe]

Opening Date for Tysons Burger Spot — “We’re so excited to finally announce Char’d is opening its doors at Tyson’s Galleria on 08/18/2024, at 12 PM! Join us for our GRAND OPENING and come hungry! See you there!” [Char’d/Instagram]

Vienna Baseball Facility to Expand — The baseball training facility “Pitchers Edge LLC, located at 516 Mill St., N.E., on July 17 received unanimous approval from the Vienna Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for a conditional-use permit to expand into the space next door.” [Gazette Leader]

Repairs Coming for Burke Lake Marina — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin repairs to the marina parking lot at Burke Lake Park. TMG and Southern Asphalt contractors will mobilize on site, with active construction activities scheduled to begin the third week of August.” [FCPA]

It’s Friday — Expect showers, potential thunderstorms, and a high of 82°F today. There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts ranging from three quarters to one inch. Temperatures will drop to around 70°F at night, and the chance of precipitation decreases to 60%. [NWS]

Tropical Storm Debby Coming to Area — “Tropical moisture from Debby will track northward with excessive rainfall potential from the Carolina’s and eventually into the Northeast corridor…The heaviest period of rain is predicted for Thursday,” while the strongest winds are anticipated tomorrow (Friday). [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Report Highlights Metro Worker Conditions — “The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, citing that incident and others, is exploring whether it has the power to force Metro to change its rules related to employee fatigue, a subject of contention between workers and the agency for years.” The watchdog’s latest report found an increase in trains running red lights intended to prevent collisions. [Washington Post]

McLean Candy Company Eyes Merger — “Mars Inc., Greater Washington’s largest private company, is [in] advanced talks to purchase the maker of Pringles, Cheez-It crackers and Eggo waffles, according to multiple reports.” The potential acquisition of Chicago-based Kellanova would reportedly be worth as much as $30 billion, though it could “face regulatory scrutiny” like the pending Capital One and Discover merger. [Washington Business Journal]

Animal Shelter Seeks Owners of Found Pets — The Fairfax County Animal Shelter (FCAS) is trying to find the owners of nine different pets found around the county between July 30 and Aug. 3. The animals include dogs, cats, a rabbit and a parakeet. “Found pets may be located at our Lorton Campus or Michael R. Frey Campus in Fairfax; please call or email us to confirm the pet’s current location.” [FCAS/Facebook]

Public Transportation Survey Still Open — “How can we improve transportation in the Metropolitan Washington area? We want to hear your feedback! Complete the DMVMoves Survey by Sunday, Aug. 11.” The DMV Moves task force, which launched in June, is collecting public input to inform a long-term plan for funding Metro and other public transportation systems in the D.C. region. [Fairfax County/Twitter]

Kayakers to Race on Potomac River — “Crowds will gather in Great Falls Park this month to watch as advanced whitewater kayakers take to the water, racing one by one down the 60-foot vertical drop of rushing water.” The 36th annual Great Falls Race will return this Saturday (Aug. 10) with the race starting at race at 10 a.m. and a festival at 2 p.m. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Indigo Girls Coming to Wolf Trap — “Margot Robbie cruised to their music last summer in the box-office blockbuster ‘Barbie.’ Now, the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls plays Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, sharing a bill with Melissa Etheridge by swapping who will open and close each night.” [WTOP]

Local Author to Give Memoir Tips — Former George Mason University biology professor Dr. Caroline Crocker will talk about memoir-writing at Lorton Library on Saturday. Crocker, who has written multiple historical non-fiction and children’s books, will have books for sale and sign books after her presentation. [Fairfax County Public Library]

It’s Thursday — Expect showers and potential thunderstorms, with a high near 80. There’s an 80% chance of rain, potentially up to half to three-quarters of an inch. Anticipate similar conditions at night with a low around 75. [NWS]