Two people were injured in a major house fire in the Wolf Trap area this morning (Thursday) amid a warning of elevated fire danger for Northern Virginia.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 1900 block of Hunter Mill Road around 10:13 a.m. for the fire at a single-family home. Upon arriving, responders observed “a large volume of fire,” per scanner traffic, and smoke from the blaze could reportedly be seen from Tysons.
It’s nearly that time of the year: Folks are ready to give back as the holidays approach. Even with the federal government shutdown ending after a final House vote last night (Wednesday), families need assistance more than ever in Northern Virginia.
Local organizations and Fairfax County supervisors alike are collaborating on ways to provide meals, cooking essentials and more during this tough season.
While acknowledging a request for more funding is on the horizon, the chair of Fairfax County’s School Board says she is eager to avoid a repeat of budget clashes earlier this year between her body and the Board of Supervisors.
Springfield District School Board member Sandy Anderson, who rotated in as chair over the summer, said Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) leaders need to be realistic about the current state of fiscal affairs, and considerate of the choices supervisors will need to make next spring.
Federal Government Shutdown Ends — “The House passed a bill Wednesday to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse that saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families,” including their pets. [Associated Press/ARLnow]
Economic Challenges Await New Governor — “The strains resulting from federal cuts to the social safety net will likely be the biggest challenge facing the new Democratic leadership in Richmond. After Democrats’ resounding wins on Election Night last week, what to do about it will fall to Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.” [WAMU]
Fairfax City Affordable Housing Plan Unveiled — “Many City of Fairfax residents said they had faced affordable housing challenges over the previous year, according to a new Affordable Housing Strategic Plan presented to the Fairfax City Council last Tuesday.” Nearly half of all renters and 13% of homeowners reported experiencing affordability challenges over the past year. [Patch]
Utility Work to Close West Springfield Road — “Taft Drive (Route 4167) between Rolling Road (Route 638) and Smithfield Avenue (Route 4147) will be closed from 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, to 4 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14, for water main tie-in work as part of the Rolling Road widening project … Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT]
Kingstowne Condiment Maker Files for Bankruptcy — “Alexandria condiment company True Made Foods Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it faces a lawsuit filed by snack food manufacturer and distribution partner PIM Brands Inc.” True Made, whose products can be found in many area grocery stores, says the lawsuit over a 2020 distribution contract is “baseless,” but “the legal costs are too high” for the company to continue fighting it. [Washington Business Journal]
Annandale Fashion Boutique Closed — “Thauma, the Korean fashion boutique at 7224 Columbia Pike in Annandale, closed at the end of October, and the property is available for lease. Thauma owner Yoon Lee is focusing on her small shop, K Fashion, at the food court inside the K Market grocery store on John Marr Drive.” [Annandale Today]
Meet WaPo’s New Food Critic — Elazar Sontag, formerly the restaurant editor for Bon Appétit, introduced himself this week as the Washington Post’s new food critic, taking over a position held for 25 years by Tom Sietsema. Among Sontag’s first meals for his new gig was an “over-order of such hilarious proportions at Mama Chang in Fairfax, that my next five breakfasts were all lion’s head meatballs and glossy seafood-rice stew.” [Washington Post]
Veteran Oversees Reston Hospital Heart Surgeries — “Twenty miles outside the nation’s capital, Reston Hospital Center is developing a world-class cardiac surgery program with a decorated Army veteran at the helm. 7News Anchor Victoria Sanchez spoke with Dr. William Cooper about how his decades of military service and clinical work will help reshape Northern Virginia.” [WJLA]
New Legal Notice — Salt + Light Hair Co. seeks ABC Marketplace license for a Fair Lakes location; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 56°F. Northwest winds will blow at 7 to 14 mph, and may gust up to 26 mph. In the evening, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 35°F. A gentle west wind at approximately 6 mph is expected. [NWS]
By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — When Jim Sanborn was commissioned to create a sculpture at CIA headquarters, he wanted to do something that spoke to its world of spies and secret codes.
A developer is looking to replace more than a dozen single-family houses in Woodlawn with new townhouses.
Applicant K. Hovnanian at Mount Vernon Gateway submitted the proposal to Fairfax County on Oct. 28 for 66 single family attached townhomes and 78 stacked townhomes on the 7.5-acre property at 8115 Janna Lee Avenue.
The Herndon Police Department is lobbying local lawmakers to allow the installation of red light cameras across the town.
“We want to make sure that we’re staying up with technology and we’re leveraging technology to work for us, because we want to be self-sufficient as a police department,” Herndon Police Chief Steven Pihonak told the town council last week (Nov. 5).
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) on Thursday (Nov. 6) gave its support to two transit-funding initiatives currently working their way through a complex review process.
With no dissents, the commission signaled its backing of recommendations of the DMV Moves task force and the General Assembly’s Northern Virginia Growing Needs of Public Transit Joint Subcommittee, also known as the SJ28 Subcommittee after the state Senate resolution that established it.
Fairfax City Council members voted unanimously Oct. 28 to ask the General Assembly to remove the existing cap on taxes levied on hotel stays in the city.
The City Charter currently caps the rate at 4%, below most jurisdictions across Virginia. In Fairfax County, the occupancy tax rate increased from 7% to 9% on Oct. 1, with different portions of the revenue going toward general county funds, tourism and regional transportation.
Two pedestrians have died in as many days as a result of crashes on Fairfax County roads.
The Fairfax County Police Department is currently searching for the driver who struck a pedestrian — identified as Steven Davis, 41, of no fixed address — in Annandale on Monday (Nov. 10).
