News

Fairfax County is moving forward with plans to turn a vacant 94-room hotel near Route 50 and West Ox Road into emergency housing for families and victims of domestic violence.

The former Extended Stay America hotel building at 3997 Fair Ridge Drive was purchased by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) in August for $14.5 million to address a growing need for emergency shelters and consolidate services provided by shelters in Reston.


News

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia man targeted by an FBI sting operation has been convicted on terrorism charges for collecting funds on behalf of the Islamic State group.

Mohammed Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, was convicted late Friday afternoon on all five counts against him, including providing material support to a terrorist organization, after a weeklong trial at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria. The jury deliberated for about three hours.


News

A proposal that would bring 131 independent-living, assisted-living and memory-care units to a parcel along Route 7 in the Reston/Great Falls area is advancing to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval on Dec. 11 of the facility planned by Silverstone Senior Living at 10819 Leesburg Pike, across from Riva Ridge Road and west of Baron Cameron Avenue.


News

Shovels are almost ready to dig into Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center in Idylwood.

HITT Contracting will begin construction in January on its new headquarters at the 7.41-acre academic campus, with an official groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 23, Jaclyn Randolph, the construction firm’s senior communications manager, says.


Event

Local author and Fairfax County Public Library librarian Luis D. Aponte invites parents and community leaders to an empowering discussion inspired by his book “A Safe Place: How to Prevent the Next School Shooting.” Drawing on seven years of research into more than 1,200 U.S. school shooting incidents, he shares practical, nonpartisan, research‑based steps families and schools can use to strengthen safety and emotional well‑being. Discover hopeful, community‑building solutions that help every child feel supported and able to thrive. Attendees receive two free ebooks, with a paperback signing to follow.

Adults. No registration required. Free event. For more information, visit ASafePlaceBook.com.


Around Town

A local diner chain will open its latest restaurant mere days before the calendar flips to 2025.

Bob & Edith’s Diner will start serving customers at 6451 Old Beulah Street in Newington on Dec. 27, business manager Rebekah Steele told FFXnow.


Countywide
Illuminated snowmen decorations surround a small green space at Capital One Center in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Holidays Bring Uptick in Respiratory Illnesses — Dr. Katherine Cox-Flaherty, a pulmonologist with Inova, says the flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses tend to increase around the holiday season. This year has been no exception, but the uptick in circulating viruses is currently “around par for the course for wintertime.” [WTOP]

Arrest Made in Recent ABC Store Thefts — A 38-year-old man from Alexandria has been charged with petit larceny in connection to six thefts at Virginia ABC stores reported on Dec. 13 and 14. Police say they’re still looking for more suspects in a string of thefts where individuals were seen “concealing bottles of high-end tequila and cognac in coats and bags.” [FCPD]

Connolly Wins Bid for Key Committee Role — House Democrats chose Rep. Gerry Connolly to serve as their top member on the House Oversight Committee over New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, favoring experience over calls for fresh leadership after a tough general election. “Connolly had unsuccessfully run for the Oversight role twice before. He was facing concerns from colleagues over his recent cancer diagnosis.” [Associated Press]

Contractor Opens Reston Headquarters — The aerospace and defense contractor V2X announced on Monday (Dec. 16) that it has opened its new corporate headquarters at 1875 Campus Common Drive in Reston. “This strategic move aligns with V2X’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence in support of national security, defense, and mission readiness worldwide.” [V2X Inc.]

Annandale Renter Fights Eviction — “Fairmont Gardens tenant Zahid Khan says he’s being evicted because he filed a complaint with Fairfax County about the unsanitary and unsafe conditions at the Annandale apartment complex. He’s fighting the eviction in court.” [Annandale Today]

New Annandale Sports Bar Offers Korean Fusion Dishes — The name of JMT Kitchen + Bar comes from a Korean saying that roughly translates to “just my taste,” says owner Jin-Gak Bae, whose family also owns Han Gang. “Anyone who heads to the Annandale building that shares space with A&J Restaurant and Kozy Ramen & Bar will realize that this statement is no exaggeration.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Longtime Tysons Santa Answers Questions — “Mike Graham has been Santa for 40 years now, long enough to long outlast the shops around him at Tysons Corner Center. Long enough for the kids who once perched on his lap to grow up and bring kids of their own, to build the kind of loyalty that leads families to jet in each year just to see him from Michigan, Texas, California.” [Fairfax Machine]

Truck Ban Approved for Two Lorton Streets — The Virginia Department of Transportation has “signed off on a ban on through truck traffic on Gunston Cove Road and Lorton Market Street between Richmond Highway and Lorton Road.” Signage alerting drivers to the change was recently installed by VDOT, not the Fairfax County Department of Transportation as initially reported. [On the MoVe]

It’s Wednesday — Expect rain to begin around 9am, with a high of 53 degrees and mild southeast winds at 6 mph. By night, rain will likely continue until 1am, cooling to a low of 36 degrees. Precipitation chances are 80%, with an additional tenth to a quarter inch of rainfall possible. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Tuesday 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 17, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect showers to start mainly after 2pm with patchy fog appearing after 4pm and a high near 52. The calm wind will become south at 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon, with an 80% chance of precipitation and possible amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. On Wednesday night, showers will continue mainly before 10pm with patchy fog clearing by 7pm. The low will be around 37 with southwest winds at 8 to 15 mph, becoming northwest after midnight and possibly gusting up to 23 mph. The chance of precipitation remains at 80% with similar amounts as earlier in the day. 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.


Sports

This year’s boys basketball Lake Braddock Holiday Tournament will include eight public high-school varsity teams.

The competition is set to run Dec. 26-28 at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke. There are four games each day, at 2:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All teams will play three games, one per day.