News

New Heat Records for April 15 — “Record highs were set across the region with many spots topping 90 [yesterday] afternoon. The new records include D.C. at 90, Dulles Airport with 91 and Baltimore at 91. It’s the fourth record high this year for Washington.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Man Arrested After Brandishing Machete — “City of Fairfax police arrested a 54-year-old man at Hilltop Shopping Center on Friday after officers responded to a reported weapons violation at the Main Street plaza.” Reportedly seen “waving a machete,” the man was charged with being drunk in public, disorderly conduct and obstructing justice. [Patch]

Fire Outside Herndon Apartment Under Investigation — Fairfax County firefighters responded around 12:42 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) to the 13400 block of Coppermine Road for an outside fire that was spreading to a ground-floor apartment. “One patient was evaluated on scene. No firefighter injuries. Fire investigators are on scene working to determine the cause.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Some Dems Frustrated by Amendments — “Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee meeting hammered Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles, a member of Spanberger’s cabinet, Tuesday morning over the governor’s veto of a bill that would have legalized skill games and an amendment to the cannabis retail framework bill that would push the start of recreational sale to July 2027.” [Cardinal News]

Va. Backs Shift to Popular Vote — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill Monday that adds the state to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement among states to award their presidential electoral votes to the nationwide popular vote winner.” The bill pushes supporters’ closer to the 270 electoral votes needed to elect a president. [NPR]

No More Tax Breaks for Confederate Groups — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has signed into law a bill to end tax exemptions for a slate of Confederacy-related organizations in the state … The new law’s most significant target is the United Daughters of the Confederacy, founded in 1894 for descendants of Confederates.” [New York Times]

Dessert Cafe Makes U.S. Debut — “Dessert 39, a new café in Annandale, has been busy since it had a soft opening earlier this month. Manager Sean Oh says the shop has drawn crowds of people curious to try the first Dessert 39 shop outside Korea. Dessert 39 is located at 7326A Little River Turnpike in the space formerly occupied by the Manoa bakery and café.” [Annandale Today]

Housing Authority Offers Loans to First-Time Buyers — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) announced [on Tuesday, April 14] that it is offering down payment loans to qualified individuals for first-time home purchases. These loans are made possible by a grant from Virginia Housing.” Eligibility requirements include a household income at or below 80% of the area median. [FCRHA]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 92°F and a light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Night will be partly cloudy with a low around 69°F. There’s a 30% chance of showers, mainly after 2 a.m. [NWS]

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License Plate Readers Added on Toll Road — “New cameras along the Dulles Toll Road are not for catching toll cheats, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The Flock cameras, as they are known, are being installed across Virginia to track license plates for things like stolen vehicles and in response to Amber Alerts, MWAA said.” [NBC4]

Two Dogs Die in House Fire — A person was hospitalized in life-threatening condition, and two dogs were found deceased after a house fire in Fort Hunt. Fairfax County firefighters were dispatched around 2:40 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday) to the 2100 block of Basset Street after receiving a report of smoke in the area. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. [FCFRD/Facebook]

Virginia Decriminalizes Suicide — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved a bill Monday night that decriminalizes suicide, abolishing the centuries-old common law crime status. The timing couldn’t be better for the sister and husband of Fairfax County firefighter Nicole Mittendorff, who took her own life a decade ago.” [WTOP]

Spanberger Amends Dozens of Bills — “In a glut of actions Monday night, Gov. Abigail Spanberger will have the General Assembly reconsider a more moderate posture on many of the Democratic majority’s priorities — setting up one of the first marked public breaks between Virginia’s Legislature and its executive.” [VPM News]

Potomac Tops Ranking of Endangered Rivers — “The Potomac River is the most endangered river in the country, according to a new ranking done by the nonprofit American Rivers. The organization cited two factors in its decision: January’s historic sewage spill that sent hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage flowing into the river, and the expanding footprint of data centers in the D.C. area.” [WTOP]

Reston Association Election Results Revealed — RA announced the winners of this year’s board of directors election at the annual members meeting last night. At-Large Director John Farrell and Apartment Owners’ Representative Margaret Perry were both reelected for three-year terms, while Georgina Cannan defeated two other candidates for her first two-year term as the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks director. [Reston Association]

Free Health Care Clinic Coming to Chantilly — Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit that runs pop-up health clinics around the U.S., is bringing one to the Mubarak Mosque (4555 Ahmadiyya Drive) in Chantilly this weekend (April 18-19). “This clinic will provide vision and medical care to those who might otherwise go without these essential services.” [Press release]

Where Homes are Most Expensive in McLean — “Long a home base for politicians, diplomats, business moguls and pro athletes, this northeast corner of Fairfax County is one of the more well-heeled suburbs outside of Washington, D.C. These are the McLean neighborhoods that commanded top dollar in 2025.” [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 93°F and southwest winds ranging from 3 to 8 mph, with gusts up to 18 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 71°F and southwest winds between 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]

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