News

UPDATED: Algae blooms affect Lake Anne, Thoreau and Audubon in Reston

By Fatimah Waseem
ALgae blooms at Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon -- pictured here in mid-November -- appear to have resolved (Photo via Reston Association/X).

Updated at 3:40 p.m. — An algae bloom was spotted this morning in Lake Anne,  joining blooms on Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon, Reston Association says.

“At this time, Reston Association has determined that treatment of the blooms would not be beneficial, as a mass die-off of algae after treatment would cause a dip in otherwise healthy oxygen levels, therefore posing significant risk to fish and wildlife in the lake,” the organization said, advising residents and pets to avoid contact with the affected lakes.

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Old Town Fairfax buildings to be razed soon for mixed-use condo development

By Angela Woolsey
City Centre West will replace commercial buildings on Main Street with a mixed-use condominium complex (courtesy Ox Hill Companies)

Fences have gone up around three commercial buildings at the corner of Main Street and West Street in Old Town Fairfax, signaling their impending demise in favor of a planned mixed-use development known as City Centre West.

Developer Ox Hill Companies anticipates demolishing the vacant Wells Fargo bank, a restaurant last occupied by OudResto & Hall and the office building with its headquarters (10501, 10515 and 10523 Main Street) by the end of this year, Managing Principal Christopher Smith recently told FFXnow.

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Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com
A bus shelter on Arlington Blvd in West Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Metro Silver Line Extension Is One Year Old — “One year ago, we opened phase two of the Silver Line Extension! [On Nov. 15], we’re celebrating 3.5 MILLION trips at the 6 new stations. Take a look back at the big day that started it all and see all the excitement!” [WMATA/Twitter]

Virginia Representatives Continue Call for Review of FBI HQ Decision — “Both U.S. senators from Virginia and nine U.S. House members called for an investigation Wednesday into how Greenbelt, Maryland, was chosen as the future site of the FBI headquarters. A letter…to the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General cites a ‘fatally flawed procurement that demands further investigation.'” [NBC4]

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Del. Dan Helmer becomes fifth candidate in Democratic race for 10th Congressional District

By Inside NoVA
Del. Dan Helmer talks to Moms Demand Action volunteers while campaigning for reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates (via Dan Helmer/Facebook)

And then there were five.

Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax County announced Wednesday morning that he is joining the race for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District next year.

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UPDATED: Mixed-use development for townhouses swap in Herndon put on pause

By Fatimah Waseem
The newly approved Towns at Dulles Center development will add 48 townhomes near the intersection of Centreville and Coppermine roads (via Fairfax County)

Updated at 3:15 p.m. on 11/17/2023 — The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred the Dulles Center application indefinitely on Wednesday (Nov. 15) due to “some issues that came up at the last minute.”

A legal representative for the developer didn’t detail what those issues were but confirmed that they supported the move and would bring the plan back to the commission once the issues were resolved.

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Write-in campaigns fall short in Vienna, but succeed in Clifton elections

By Angela Woolsey
Vienna Town Council candidate campaign signs for the 2023 general election (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 10 a.m. on 11/16/2023) A week after polls closed, the next mayors and councils for the towns of Vienna and Clifton have been decided.

The Fairfax County Electoral Board certified the local race results for this year’s general election yesterday (Tuesday), including for a Vienna Town Council contest where write-in votes exceeded votes for two of the seven candidates on the ballot.

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Teens arrested after gunshots heard in Rose Hill McDonald’s

By Angela Woolsey
McDonald's at 5600 Franconia Road in Rose Hill (via Google Maps)

Two teens were arrested yesterday (Tuesday) for allegedly firing a gun inside the bathroom of a McDonald’s near Edison High School.

Fairfax County police responded to the fast-food restaurant at 5600 Franconia Road in Rose Hill for a “suspicious noise” heard around noon, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz. A caller reported that a gun had been fired in the men’s bathroom, and someone “ran out” and got into a black sedan, a dispatcher said.

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Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com
Reston's Lake Audubon on a November morning (photo by Ray Copson)

New Study Shows Climate Change Risks in D.C. Area — “The latest National Climate Assessment shows the D.C. region is especially at risk of extreme weather, flooding, and sea level rise as the earth warms. The congressionally mandated assessment, released [Tuesday], also shows uneven progress in the region responding to a hotter planet.” [DCist]

FCPS Seeks to Address Chronic Absenteeism — At a school board meeting last Thursday (Nov. 9), Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid reported that the percentage of students missing 10% or more of the school year has climbed from 5.1% in 2021 to 17.1% this year. The school system “is looking at a multitiered approach to improve attendance.” [WJLA]

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Virginia voters gave Democrats control of the legislature. What will it mean for policy?

By Graham Moomaw / Virginia Mercury
The new Virginia General Assembly Building in Richmond (via Virginia House of Delegates/Flickr)

The two-year period before the arrival of Gov. Glenn Youngkin was the first time in decades that Democrats controlled both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. Come January, they’ll be back in charge.

That sets up a policymaking dynamic that hasn’t been seen in Virginia since the 1990s: A Republican governor working with a fully Democratic legislature.

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As Reston art gallery Tephra ICA turns 50, fundraising for new location begins

By Fatimah Waseem
The exhibit "Choosing to Portage" is currently on display at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston (photo by Vivian Doering)

More changes may be on the horizon for Reston’s Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, following a brand and name change in recent years.

The institute — which was founded in 1974 as the Greater Reston Arts Center by local artists and residents — is actively fundraising for a new home in Reston as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

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