News | FFXnow - Part 493

Morning Notes

Published December 14, 2023 at 8:15AM

Tysons Galleria has installed lighted displays resembling trees in winter (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Mixed Reactions to N. Va. Move for Wizards and Capitals — “Officials announced plans to bring the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards to a new arena in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood. The new $2 billion arena, leased to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, is scheduled to break ground in 2025 and open sometime in late 2028.” [ALXnow]

Fundraiser Supports Family of McLean Man Found in House Fire — “The fire broke out Monday morning at a home on the 4000 block of Ridgeview Circle in McLean…A GoFundMe campaign for his family was launched Tuesday and has already raised more than $10,000.” [ARLnow]

Departing Vienna Council Members Reflect on Their Service

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

With the clock ticking down on the conclusion of their terms and no more meetings scheduled for this year, three Vienna Town Council members who will be stepping down at year’s end on Dec. 4 expounded on their experiences and thanked their colleagues.

Electoral Board’s Hanley Recaps a Busy Local Election Season

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

How complicated were Fairfax County’s Nov. 7 elections? Consider the 2-inch-thick binder with 265 ballot designs held up by Fairfax County Electoral Board chairman Katherine Hanley on Dec. 5 when she delivered her annual election post-mortem to the Board of Supervisors.

Retiring Elected Officials Lauded by Board of Supervisors

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

Nineteen local elected officials will step down at year’s end and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 5 gave them a laudatory send-off.

Fairfax Home Prices Still Lagging on Year-Over-Year Basis

By Scott McCaffrey

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

Northern Virginia’s five largest jurisdictions in November mostly posted relatively small drop-offs in sales from a year before, according to new data.

But that in part is a reflection of the weakness of the market for more than a year now, with buyers willing but sometimes unable to pay the high costs coupled with high interest rates, even if they are able to find a home in the current tight-inventory market.

Sidewalk Efforts Move Ahead; Staffers Saluted for Their Work

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

The Vienna Town Council on Dec. 4 approved a $171,115 contract with Whitman, Requardt & Associates to provide construction-management-and-inspection services for three upcoming sidewalk projects.

Shift Set for Elementary Boundaries

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

Needing to offset massive current and projected over-capacity problems at Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean, Fairfax County School Board members on Dec. 4 unanimously approved boundary changes that will affect 380 students at five schools in the vicinity.

Supervisors to Hold Taxi Certificates Steady at 150

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

The recent decline in Fairfax County taxicab certificates has been arrested, at least temporarily, as the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed Dec. 5 to keep the number of certificates available at 150.

Economist: Region’s Economy Underperforming Possibilities

By GazetteLeader

Published December 14, 2023 at 6:00AM

By Brian Trompeter

The Washington region’s economy is not doing horribly, but isn’t performing anywhere near as well as it could, according to retired George Mason University economist Stephen Fuller.

Fairfax County relocates fish, eels affected by government center pond dredging

By Angela Woolsey

Published December 13, 2023 at 3:30PM

A golden shiner is relocated from a Difficult Run pond outside the Fairfax County Government Center (courtesy DPWES)

Work is underway to restore the waterways around the Fairfax County Government Center.

To support the Difficult Run stream restoration project, which began in October, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) worked with a consultant to relocate over 200 fish and eels to the pond outside the Herrity Building (12055 Government Center Parkway).