News | FFXnow - Part 407

Morning Notes

Published November 20, 2023 at 8:15AM

A bridge over Holmes Run in the Fairview Park area (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hayfield Student Overdoses — “In a letter to families and staff, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid said a student at Hayfield Secondary School overdosed Friday. It is unclear if the student was on school property when the overdose occurred. Reid said in the letter that out of concern for the student’s privacy, the district will not be releasing any further information regarding the overdose.” [WUSA9]

Metro Fare Revenues Dip Despite Ridership Improving — “Revenue from fares, parking, advertising and other sources during the fiscal quarter amounted to $108.4 million, which is $17.7 million less than Metro predicted…Metro leaders didn’t express significant concerns Thursday while learning of the quarterly revenue gap, saying the pandemic proved the agency can’t rely so heavily on fares.” [Washington Post]

Tysons-based Hilton named world’s best workplace in annual Fortune ranking

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 17, 2023 at 1:15PM

Hilton has been based at Park Place II in Tysons since 2009 (courtesy Hilton)

The best place to work in the world can be found right in Tysons, according to a new Fortune magazine ranking.

Hilton, the hotel company headquartered at Park Place II (7930 Jones Branch Drive), topped the 2023 World’s Best Workplaces list released yesterday by Fortune and Great Place to Work, a research and data platform that bills itself as the “global authority on workplace culture.”

Oakton park, rec center no longer ‘Marr-ed’ by Confederacy-linked name

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 17, 2023 at 11:45AM

Oak Marr RECenter has been renamed Oakmont Rec Center (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County has shed another vestige of its Confederate past.

Oak Marr Park, which is home to the Oak Marr RECenter and Golf Center Complex, was renamed “Oakmont” earlier this month by the Fairfax County Park Authority board, which approved the change at its Nov. 8 meeting.

Fairfax County is exploring sites for a regional youth mental health facility

By Melanie Pincus

Published November 17, 2023 at 11:00AM

The Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in Staunton is currently Virginia's only state-run psychiatric hospital for youth (via Google Maps)

As Virginia’s one state psychiatric hospital for youth continues to face bed shortages, additional regional youth mental health services could provide relief to kids and teens in Fairfax County.

While there are options for adults, Northern Virginia doesn’t have any crisis stabilization facilities for youth, according to Daryl Washington, executive director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, which provides mental health, substance use and disability services.

Virginia Tech’s West Falls Church campus sold for redevelopment as construction hub

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 17, 2023 at 10:15AM

A new headquarters for HITT Contracting will anchor the redevelopment of Virginia Tech's campus near the West Falls Church Metro station (courtesy Gensler)

The remaking of Virginia Tech’s campus near the West Falls Church Metro station as a futuristic mixed-use development can officially begin.

The university and Falls Church City completed a sale of the 7.41-acre Northern Virginia Center site to developer Converge West Falls LLC last week, the city announced Wednesday (Nov. 15).

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published November 17, 2023 at 8:15AM

View of the Dulles Toll Road from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station (photo by Marjorie Copson)

Holiday Gift Guide Highlights Local Artisans — “The Made in Fairfax network aims to be a one-stop shop for maker businesses and those who want to support them…This holiday season (or any time of year, really!) take ‘shop local’ to new heights by directly supporting the makers of these gift-worthy products — created right here in Fairfax County.” [Visit Fairfax]

Solar Panels Installed on Sully Community Center — “We’ve added yet another solar array on a county government building. This latest installation is in Chantilly at the Sully Community Center, which serves as the home of the Sully Senior Center and also provides a broad array of services, programs and activities for individuals of all ages and abilities.” [Fairfax County]

Fairfax City evaluates usage, cost of high-tech portable restrooms

By Acacia James

Published November 16, 2023 at 3:30PM

A Throne bathroom was placed by Old Town Hall in Fairfax City during the Asian Festival in May (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax City’s experiment with “elevated” port-a-potties may be coming at too high a cost to consider continuing it long-term.

During a meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 14), the Fairfax City Parks and Recreation Department provided the Fairfax City Council with a progress report on the high-tech, portable Throne restrooms that have been available around the city for the past seven months.

Building permit review underway for stalled downtown Herndon redevelopment

By Fatimah Waseem

Published November 16, 2023 at 2:30PM

Downtown Herndon is slated for redevelopment into a mixed-use community (staff photo by Fatimah Waseem)

Town of Herndon staff are currently reviewing building permits for the stalled redevelopment of downtown Herndon.

At a Herndon Town Council meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 14), Town Manager Bill Ashton II said the review should be completed by the holidays.

Vote on proposal to preserve Vienna’s tree canopy delayed to 2024

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 16, 2023 at 1:15PM

Advocates collect petition signatures supporting a Town of Vienna tree conservation ordinance at Vienna Oktoberfest 2023 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The future of Vienna’s trees will rest on a new town council.

When it met on Monday (Nov. 13), the current Vienna Town Council was scheduled to finalize a proposal aimed at preserving and enhancing the town’s tree canopy, which has declined over the past decade.

MS-13 member pleads guilty to helping murder teen at Lincolnia park in 2016

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 16, 2023 at 11:45AM | Updated February 28, 2024 at 7:05PM

Remains of two murdered teens were found in Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Lincolnia on March 2, 2017 (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 6:55 p.m. on 2/28/2024) Another suspect in the 2016 murders of two teens at Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Lincolnia has pleaded guilty.

Edwin Orellana Caballero, a member of the gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty yesterday (Wednesday) to one count of maiming in aid of racketeering activity in connection to the kidnapping and killing of a 14-year-old from Alexandria, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.