Fairfax County is once again discussing how to discourage “panhandling” while also declining — at least for the moment — to make it illegal to engage with anyone in a county-owned road or median.

The subject was revived at last week’s board meeting by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity after cropping up a number of times over the last several years.


(Updated at 12:05 p.m.) The second phase of the Silver Line may finally be ready to begin in time for the start of busy Thanksgiving travel, Metro announced today. 

But the opening of the long-anticipated and long-delayed extension into Loudoun County is pending security certifications from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Metro says it also still needs more trains to officially support the extension. 


Health Department Urges Flu Shots — “As the weather cools down and more time is spent indoors, the Fairfax County Health Department encourages everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine this Fall, preferably by the end of October…If you are eligible for your COVID-19 booster, it is safe to get your flu shot at the same time as your booster.” [FCHD]

D.C. Man Indicted in Fatal I-495 Crash — A Fairfax County grand jury indicted D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission member Devon Lesesne yesterday (Tuesday) for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Katherine Aileen Reyes, 20, of Alabama. Lesesne was allegedly driving drunk when he crashed into Reyes, whose vehicle was disabled on I-495 near Telegraph Road on March 5. [WTOP]


(Updated at 3:45 p.m. on 10/19/2022) A pedestrian died this morning (Wednesday) after a driver hit her while she was crossing Lorton Station Blvd yesterday (Thursday), police say.

Helen Bahta Oukubazghi, 52, of Lorton was hospitalized with injuries that were considered life-threatening from a crash near the Lorton Station intersection with Old Beech Court and Lee Masey Drive.


The possession and consumption of alcoholic drinks could be allowed in some public areas in the Town of Herndon.

The Herndon Town Council is considering legislation that would allow the town to create Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORAs) in the Downtown Herndon Arts District. Businesses will need licenses for outdoor refreshment areas from the ABC.


The Mobil gas station by Tysons Corner Center was looking to make some changes before it got hit by a tornado this spring, but the damage resulting from that storm added a new sense of urgency to the project.

When it meets tomorrow (Wednesday), the Fairfax County Planning Commission is poised to approve a renovation of the station at 1953 Chain Bridge Road that would replace the existing vehicle service bays with a convenience store.


Fairfax County might get a little frosty overnight, in case the yellowing leaves outside weren’t a clear enough signal of autumn’s arrival.

The National Weather Service has issued a Frost Advisory for the D.C. area, warning that temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s, starting at 2 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).


A new report on COVID-19’s impact on policing found some dissatisfaction among officers with how the Fairfax County Police Department responded to the pandemic, along with a significant decrease in community engagement.

Made public earlier this month, the report looked into the pandemic’s impact on policing in Fairfax County. The study was a partnership between the police department and George Mason University’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (GMU-CEBCP).


The Town of Vienna could have a historical gold mine waiting to be found in old-timey toilets underneath the grounds of its Freeman Store and Museum (131 Church Street NE).

Historic Vienna Inc., the nonprofit that has operated the store since 1976, plans to fund an archaeological dig of the property after a survey identified several potential areas of interest, including two sites that might have the remains of either wells or outhouses.


(Updated at 1:50 p.m.) An adult man was severely beaten by a group of men in the parking lot of  in Centreville, police say.

Officers were dispatched to 14114 Lee Highway around 12:03 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 16) for the reported assault.


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