Shut out in the last round of jockeying for state transportation funding, Fairfax County officials are taking steps to be more successful next time.
For the next round of applications for “Smart Scale” grants, due over the summer, county staff intends to “focus on smaller projects” that require no more than $30 million through the program, said Noelle Dominguez, coordination and funding division chief for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT).
Fairfax County’s first comprehensive school boundary rewrite in decades will affect only a handful of its approximately 177,000 current students, but Superintendent Michelle Reid believes the resulting transportation costs could still be too high to absorb.
The superintendent is expected to recommend tonight (Thursday) that Fairfax County Public Schools provide transportation only to high school seniors who were affected by the boundary changes and opt to remain at their currently assigned school, as permitted by the district’s phasing policy.
Residents on and around Fort Belvoir may want to keep some earplugs close at hand today (Thursday).
The U.S. Army installation will host an active shooter preparedness exercise starting at 10 a.m. that could last “several hours” and involve loud noises, including simulated gunshots.
Murder Charge in Hybla Valley Stabbing — The man identified by Fairfax County police as a person of interest in a woman’s death at a Hybla Valley bus stop on Monday (Feb. 23) has now been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The woman, Stephanie Minter, 41, of Fredericksburg, was found “with multiple stab wounds to the upper body,” police say. [FCPD]
Trump Hosts Meetings on Dulles Redesign — President Donald “Trump earlier this month hosted about a half-dozen infrastructure and construction companies in the Oval Office, with executives taking turns pitching the president and Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on their proposals to overhaul the Washington-area airport.” The president reportedly convened companies for another meeting yesterday (Wednesday) “to hear updated proposals.” [Washington Post]
Man Sentenced for Attempting to Coerce Minor — “A Canadian man who admitted to traveling from Toronto to Virginia last June to engage in sex with a minor girl was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday to 10 years in prison, according to authorities.” The 54-year-old man contacted a person online whom he believed was a 15-year-old girl but was actually an undercover detective with the Fairfax County Police Department. [Patch]
Spanberger Highlights Affordability Challenges — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered Democrats’ 12-minute rebuttal to Trump’s 107-minute State of the Union address on Tuesday (Feb. 24), “accusing him of driving up the costs of housing, health care, energy and groceries, unleashing chaos in American communities and deepening instability abroad — all while enriching himself and his allies.” [Virginia Mercury]
National Airport Reports Dip in Passengers — “Reagan National Airport recorded its lowest annual passenger count in three years in 2025, even as Dulles International Airport set an all-time record. Just under 24.9 million passengers traveled through DCA last year, down 5.3% from 26.3 million in 2024, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)” reported on Tuesday. [ARLnow]
Student Nonprofit Supports Kids in Need — “As sophomores at Langley High School, Sophie Li and Lily Zhang began to notice significant inequities within their Fairfax County neighborhoods — disparities that inspired them to launch a nonprofit supporting students at the county’s Title I schools.” Launched two years ago, the Rising Star Fund helps “fund summer camps, after-school programs and new school equipment.” [WTOP]
Oakton Students Visit Capitol Hill — “Oakton Government students went on their annual field trip to Capitol Hill today! Over 700 students were able to see firsthand where members of Congress work together. One group even got to hear directly from @timkaine! What a wonderful experience for all!” [Oakton High School/X]
It’s Thursday — There’s a 50% chance of rain, with snow possible before 10am. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature of about 45°F. At night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 32°F. [NWS]
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Rather than go to war over about 1% of Fairfax County Public Schools’ budget request, county and school leaders are trying to forge a coalition that will press General Assembly members to provide the additional funding.
The Board of Supervisors and school board need to “be loud about the fact that we need help” from Richmond, School Board Chair Sandy Anderson (Springfield) said at a work session to discuss the county’s proposed budget on Tuesday (Feb. 24).
Design improvements, reduced default speed limits and campaigns to discourage drunk driving are some of the steps Herndon could take to make its streets safer under a newly proposed plan.
The Town of Herndon is seeking public feedback on its draft Roadway Safety Action Plan, which evaluated current road conditions and recommends strategies for achieving an ambitious goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries in the next 12 years.
Law enforcement has identified the man who was shot and killed by police earlier this week after stabbing three family members inside a Mantua apartment.
The assailant, who allegedly killed both his wife and daughter, was publicly identified today (Wednesday) by the Fairfax County Police Department as 54-year-old Chhatra Thapa of Fairfax.
Fairfax County officials are working on ways to reduce financial subsidies required to support Capital Bikeshare — with finding a countywide or regional sponsor as one potential option.
That would make the local rental bicycle and e-bike service more like Citi Bike in New York City, which is able to run without taxpayer subsidies thanks to high volume, somewhat higher rider costs and a financial partner in Citigroup.
A rezoning application is in for an affordable housing project proposed to replace the Crossroads Interim Park in Bailey’s Crossroads.
The NHP Foundation, a nonprofit developer headquartered in New York City, filed plans on Friday (Feb. 20) for a seven-story, 160-unit apartment building at 5831 Columbia Pike that would include approximately 6,000 square feet of space for community services.
A bill to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino is advancing through the Virginia House of Delegates after undergoing some significant changes from the version passed by the state Senate earlier this month.
The House’s General Laws Committee voted 12-7 yesterday (Tuesday) to send Senate Bill 756, patroned by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34), to the chamber’s appropriations committee. All four delegates representing portions of Fairfax County, including committee chair Del. Paul Krizek (D-16), opposed advancing the legislation.
