(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) An employee of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services has been arrested for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting a woman last week.
Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau arrested Ernest Melo, 35, of Centreville on Sunday (July 2) after the victim reported the June 28 assault to police a day earlier.
The Fourth of July kept the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department busy, as at least three people were injured in fires that cropped up overnight.
One person was injured in a fire that broke out in Herndon around midnight today (Wednesday).
No Elevated Bacteria Levels at Lake Accotink — “More than 24 hours after bacterial testing began on the water in Lake Accotink following a sewage spill, results show bacteria levels are not elevated. This indicates the cleanup effort was done in time to prevent downstream contamination from reaching Lake Accotink. As a result, there is no continued concern regarding human exposure to untreated sewage in the lake.” [DPWES]
Supreme Court Passes on Lawsuit Against Sheriff’s Office — “The Supreme Court on Friday said it would not review a decision holding that gender dysphoria is covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act…Leaving the decision undisturbed means that Kesha Williams’s lawsuit against the Fairfax County, Va., sheriff can proceed.” [The Washington Post]
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Lake Accotink is off limits entering the Fourth of July holiday weekend after an upstream sewage spill potentially contaminated the water.
Fairfax County has shut down all activities on the North Springfield lake, including fishing and boating, while the water is tested for bacteria.
Residents near Ruckstuhl Park in Idylwood will soon have a trail, playground and other amenities to explore, but first, they must endure some construction.
Active site work to implement the master plan for the 7.2-acre park at 2445 Idylwood Road is expected to begin by early July, the Fairfax County County Park Authority said yesterday (Thursday).
A previously approved plan for the redevelopment of the former Fannie Mae campus in Reston is once again headed before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote on an expedited timeline.
At a board meeting on Tuesday (June 28), Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn successfully passed a board matter to move the application from developer Wheelock Capital for an official vote by the board as soon as possible.
The Fourth of July may be on a Tuesday this year, but Fairfax County residents can celebrate with fireworks starting this weekend.
On Tuesday, it’s possible to see the National Mall fireworks from locations along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. But fireworks shows will light up the skies around Fairfax County, too.
Vienna’s tree canopy may be shrinking, but the trees still standing are actually doing quite well, a recently released town-wide inventory found.
About 88% of the 7,224 trees on public land examined by PlanIT Geo are in “fair” or “good” condition, the consultant told the Vienna Town Council when presenting its findings on June 20.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will take another stab at a major overhaul of Reston’s defining planning document next month.
At a Wednesday (June 28) meeting, the commission once again deferred a decision on the extensive update of Reston Comprehensive Plan to July 12 — a move that Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter said would allow staff time to incorporate proposed revisions. The commission first deferred a decision on the project on June 14.
A number of new laws will take effect in Virginia this weekend, including expanded school zones, a prohibition on sexual harassment non-disclosure agreements, and classification of fentanyl as a “weapon of terrorism.”
Most laws passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor each year go into effect on July 1, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year.
