Sports

The South County Stallions opened their boys basketball season with a 30-point home blowout victory Thursday night (Dec. 5).

The Stallions defeated a young Washington-Liberty Generals team of Arlington, 71-41, in non-district high-school action.


Sports

As the 2024-25 high-school swimming and diving season begins, the Langley Saxons have an impressive championship streak in the works.

The boys team has won five straight significant postseason titles, including Liberty District, 6D North Region and Class 6 state crowns last winter. The season before, Langley won region and state crowns, after a second-place finish in the district.


Around Town

A new restaurant in Chantilly is working to make Korean food more approachable to curious foodies.

KoBo Korean Kitchen has seen a steady flow of customers since opening on Oct. 28, and it hasn’t just been the locals who are familiar with the cuisine, co-owner Chloe Jungae Lee told FFXnow.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Dec. 3) honored students and teams from the county’s public high schools for state-championship performances this fall.

“We have a long list of champions, which is fantastic,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said during a presentation that helped kick off the body’s final meeting of 2024.


Event

The Malls of JRKO show is a first of its kind opportunity for all members of the TCG community. Whether you’re a veteran vendor, a brand new tcg vendor, a seasoned collector, or a parent who just wants to take their kids to their first card show, this show is made for you!

We strive to build an incredible family friendly environment with tons of giveaways, children’s activities, incredible collector opportunities and digital guides for all levels of experience. You can find all our community resources on our linktree including a road map of all the progress and effort going into the event.


Countywide

An anticipated two-decade-plus effort to redevelop Fairfax County’s 48-acre judicial complex has taken its first major step forward.

County supervisors approved a conceptual plan on Tuesday (Dec. 3) that ultimately could add four new office buildings, affordable housing and parks to the site at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, adjacent to the City of Fairfax. The construction would bring the amount of development on the campus from 1.4 million square feet to about 2 million.


Countywide

With Fairfax County facing another major budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, local public school leaders are once again confronting difficult decisions regarding teacher pay raises.

This time, though, there’s a twist: Fairfax County Public Schools has a tentative agreement with the Fairfax Education Unions representing teachers and other employees that includes a roughly $150 million request for a 7% across-the-board pay hike for educators and support staff.


Around Town

The new year promises to bring at least one sure bet: First Watch cafes will continue to spring up across Fairfax County.

After opening its largest restaurant yet in Fair Lakes this summer, the national chain is expanding to three more locations in the county, all of them expected in the first half of 2025.


News

A teen died after they were hit by a driver while crossing Old Keene Mill Road in Burke on Wednesday (Dec. 4).

While crossing at the Sydenstricker Road intersection near Pohick Regional Library, the 14-year-old pedestrian apparently walked into the westbound lanes on Old Keene Mill Road and was struck by the driver of a Ford Fusion, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Thursday), citing a preliminary investigation by detectives.


Countywide
A display advertising the Winter Lantern Festival has been installed next to the longstanding “Tysons III” development signs off Route 123 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Metrobus Cracks Down on Fare Evasion — “Before the pandemic, about 25% of passengers didn’t pay when they got on a Metrobus, General Manager Randy Clarke said. But since then, about 70% haven’t been paying. In an effort to address that, the transit agency launched a targeted campaign this week, hoping that officer visibility and efforts will make customers think twice before avoiding the cost.” [WTOP]

Springfield Neighborhood Braces for Data Center Impacts — “As [Richard Andre Newman is] approaching 60, he’s considering selling his Fairfax County home and moving away. That’s because he’s getting a new neighbor: Plaza 500, a 466,000-square-foot data center and an adjacent electrical substation to be built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center.” [Associated Press]

Dominion to Expand Annandale Substation — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Dec. 4 approved the expansion and modernization of the Westcott Substation along the Holmes Run trail.” Dominion Energy says the upgraded station will better “manage additional energy demand, such as electric vehicle charging and storage of surplus energy generated by solar power cells.” [Annandale Today]

McLean Central Park Ribbon-Cutting Delayed — “Due to the extremely cold temperatures forecasted for Saturday, the planned ribbon cutting at McLean Central Park will be postponed until early Spring on a date to be determined. Stay tuned for updates and announcements on my social media pages.” [Supervisor Jimmy Bierman/Facebook]

Google Among Investors in McLean Finance Company — McLean-based Range has raised $28 million from Google seed fund Gradient Ventures and others “to help it bring artificial intelligence to the forefront of the wealth management industry.” The company’s custom AI-driven software could someday provide direct assistance to its 1,200 clients, who must earn at least $350,000 a year. [Washington Business Journal]

Annual Pancake Breakfast Returns to Turner Farm — “The Turner Farmhouse Foundation is hosting its annual pancake breakfast and open house on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9:30-11 a.m. Parking is available on site with volunteers able to assist. The event is open to the public at no cost.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Mount Vernon Trail to Get New Water Fountains — “Thanks to a grant the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail received from the National Park Foundation this past summer, seven new water fountains will be coming to the Mount Vernon Trail in 2025.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies, a high of 37 and a northwest wind with gusts as high as 23 mph. During Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low around 24 degrees. [NWS]