News

Fairfax County leaders gathered earlier this month to break ground on a new apartment complex that will provide nearly 300 units of affordable housing right next to the Fairfax County Government Center.

The 279-unit Residences at Government Center II will occupy land that previously had been a little-used, 340-space surface parking lot on 4.5 acres between Post Forest Drive and the county government’s headquarters.


News

The exclusive rights to bring an indoor ski resort to Lorton will soon expire for one developer, but the project isn’t going away.

Alpine-X, which is looking to build a 450,000-square-foot complex on a closed section of the I-95 landfill, will continue to pursue the “Fairfax Peak” project after the rights end on Dec. 31.


Countywide
Capital One Drive in Tysons lined with illuminated wreaths and trees with a banner of lights (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Dog Rescued From Accotink Creek — “Just before 6:30pm #FairfaxsBravest received a call for a dog who had fallen into the Accontink Creek. Units arrived to find a dog stuck in the freezing water. Crews entered and swiftly rescued the dog. The dog was transferred to a local vet for evaluation.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Fairfax Lawmaker Leads Push for Cannabis Sales — Del. Paul Krizek is introducing the House version of a bill that “would establish a legal framework to regulate the sale and taxation of cannabis for adults 21 and older.” Since Virginia legalized marijuana possession in 2021, measures to allow retail sales have stalled, including a bill passed last year that got vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. [Virginia Mercury]

Two Evacuated From McLean House Fire — “At 10:40 am [Monday] morning #FairfaxsBravest responded to a house fire in the 1600 block of Hunting Ave. Units arrived with fire showing from the attic. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and completed primary searches. All negative. 2 civilians evaluated on the scene.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

Newington Gun Store Targeted for Theft Again — A 20-year-old man from D.C. has been charged with possessing burglarious tools and wearing a mask in public after allegedly setting off the burglary alarm at Dominion Defense at 7200 Fullerton Road on Dec. 20. Firearms were previously stolen from the business in May 2023 and on Sept. 18. [FCPD]

New Trial Date Set for Herndon Double Murder Case — “Initially, Brendan Banfield’s criminal trial was set for Feb. 3, 2025. But, on Friday, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge S. Azcarate granted a motion for continuance made by Banfield’s lawyers. The four-week jury trial was pushed back to Oct. 20, 2025, according to court documents.” [Patch]

County Launches Public Safety Data Dashboard — “The Safety & Security dashboard is the fifth dashboard now published to support the implementation of the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan.” The dashboard includes data related to arrests, crimes, diversions from arrest, 911 call processing times, “positive interactions with police” and more. [Fairfax County Government]

GW Parkway Gets New Superintendent — “The National Park Service (NPS) announced Dec. 19 that Jennifer (Jen) Madello will be the new superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, effective Dec. 29 … Madello will fill the role previously occupied by Charles Cuvelier, who assumed a new role at NPS this past August.” [On the MoVe]

Local Party City Locations to Close — “Party City is closing all of its stores, including the one on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Party City Holdco Inc. is carrying out a ‘wind down’ of its 748 stores nationwide, which it expects to complete by Feb. 28.” The company also has stores on Loisdale Road in Springfield and Fairfax Blvd in Fairfax City. [Annandale Today]

It’s Tuesday — Rain or freezing rain is expected until 1pm, followed by a slight chance of rain between until 2pm, with a high temperature near 45. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation and a possibility of less than 0.1 inches of new ice accumulation. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 32. On Christmas Day, expect partly sunny skies with a high temperature near 42. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 23, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌧️ Tuesday’s forecast

Rain or freezing rain is expected before 1pm, followed by a slight chance of rain between 1pm and 2pm. The high will be near 45 with light and variable wind. The chance of precipitation is 80%, with potential ice accumulation of less than 0.1 inches. On Tuesday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low around 31, accompanied by a north wind around 6 mph. Christmas Day will be partly sunny with a high near 42 and a north wind at 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Event

Dreaming about your next vacation? Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for an inspiring day devoted to ocean and river cruises, guided tours, luxury travel and unforgettable destinations!

Meet representatives from AmaWaterways, Collette, Oceania Cruises and Premier World Discovery. Hear informative presentations, ask questions, explore exciting vacation possibilities and discover which travel experience may be the perfect fit for you.


Sports

Dominic Knicely has received the highest honor for his performance on the football field for the Madison Warhawks during the fall season.

The senior slot back and kick returner has been named the Virginia High School League Class 6 state Offensive Player of the Year.


Sports

The Madison Warhawks and Marshall Statesmen had opposite results in their final boys basketball games prior to participating in holiday tournaments later this week.

Madison (6-2) routed visiting Independence, 62-39, in a non-district high-school game for its fifth-straight win on Dec. 20, while host Marshall (6-3, 1-1) lost to the Yorktown Patriots (7-1), 59-57, in a seesaw Liberty District contest on the same night.


News

A former drug dealer convicted in the stabbing death of a Mount Vernon woman will no longer be put to death.

Thomas Morocco Hager is one of 37 federal prisoners to have their death sentences commuted today (Monday) by President Joe Biden.


Countywide

Fairfax County could be visited by some wintry weather on Christmas Eve.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the county and other parts of the D.C. area in anticipation of freezing rain and a potential “dusting” of snow tomorrow (Tuesday) from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Around Town

MidnighTreats is going to bring its monster-sized, vegan cookies to Reston Town Center.

The homegrown business will move from its original Reston storefront in Plaza America to a currently vacant space at 1826 Discovery Street next to Playa Bowls, possibly late next spring, according to MidnighTreats owner and founder Johnny Nguyen, who said late last week that the deal “was just finalized.”