Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors remain supportive, in concept, of enacting a pilot program lowering speed limits from 25 mph to 20 mph on some streets.

But the availability of resources to implement a fully countywide program down the road remains an open question.


Countywide

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Fairfax County Democrats are confronting a more competitive Virginia, where heightened Republican mobilization has raised alarms about their hold on power in the purple state.

While Vice President Kamala Harris won Virginia by more than 5 percentage points, her margin was notably lower than President Joe Biden’s in 2020, when he won the state by over 10 points. Similarly, in Fairfax County, Harris captured 65.44% of the vote, down from Biden’s 69.85%.


News

White Oaks Elementary School’s principal and assistant principal have both been permanently removed from their posts after a special education teacher was charged in June with multiple assaults of students.

In a message sent to the school’s staff and families on Oct. 30, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid confirmed that principal Ryan Richardson and assistant principal Dana Chen won’t return after they were put on administrative leave this summer during a police investigation into the assaults.


Around Town

Tysons Corner Center and Fair Oaks Mall are getting into the winter holiday spirit with Santa Claus gliding into both shopping centers tomorrow (Thursday).

At Fair Oaks, the man in red will set up shop for photo sessions at Santa’s Flight Academy in Center Court, starting around 2 p.m. Tysons Corner Center will greet Santa with a VIP arrival event from 10 a.m. to noon on the mall’s lower level near Wasabi.


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.


News

The Town of Herndon has elected a new mayor and town council.

Councilmember Keven LeBlanc will be Herndon’s first openly gay mayor after defeating fellow Councilmember Pradip Dhakal with 55.3% of the vote to his opponent’s 43.5%, according to unofficial returns from the Virginia Department of Elections.


Countywide

The polls have closed, and the results of the 2024 general election are in.

While the results in Fairfax County and elsewhere won’t be certified for days, unofficial returns indicate that Republican nominee Donald Trump will once again be president of the United States, defeating Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris in a high-stakes race that will shape the country’s direction on issues from abortion and immigration to climate change, health care and, according to many voters, the very future of democracy.


Countywide
The Fairfax County Government Center on Election Day (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Republicans Projected to Control Senate — “The GOP has won control of the Senate as Sen. Deb Fischer secures reelection in Nebraska. With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years.” [Associated Press]

Fairfax Businessmen on Trial for Selling Tech to Russia — “Two senior executives from the Fairfax-based Eleview International Inc., made their initial appearance in federal court on Monday to face charges of transferring critical systems and technologies — some with military application — to Russia.” The alleged sales violated restrictions that the U.S. imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. [Patch]

Fairfax City Candidates Hear Voter Concerns — “Candidates running for office in the City of Fairfax entered the final stretch of their months-long campaign on Tuesday, with many making a final appeal to voters at polling sites around the city. By noon on Tuesday, 2,599 people — about 14.87 percent of the city’s active, registered voters — had cast in-person ballots,” the city’s general registrar said. [Patch]

FCPS Sets Meeting Dates on Boundary Review — “Our first set of boundary review meetings will begin in a few weeks, with a meeting scheduled in each of our six regions. Families, staff, and community members will be able to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.” [FCPS]

New Name Proposed for Eden Center Road — “The Falls Church City Council is expected to approve a resolution on Nov. 12 to designate the section of Wilson Boulevard in front of the Eden Center as ‘Saigon Boulevard’ … It will be an honorary name, not recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.” [Annandale Today]

Tea Shop Plans Fairfax Location — The Alley, a tea shop chain with locations around the world, has chosen Fairfax City as the site of its first Virginia location. The shop will open at 11017 Main Street and appears to specialize in “bubble teas or boba teas with tapioca balls in them.” [The Burn]

Cloned Ferret Gives Birth in Virginia — A female black-footed ferret that “was created by cloning gave birth to two healthy offspring at a Smithsonian Institution/National Zoo center in Virginia, in what a federal agency called a conservation milestone. Authorities indicated that techniques used in their work with black-footed ferrets could help preserve other endangered species.” [Washington Post]

It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 79 degrees and southwest winds at 10 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 63 degrees. The southwest wind of 6 mph will become calm after midnight. [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 — Nov 5, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect partly sunny conditions and a high around 79 degrees, accompanied by southwest winds at 9-13 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. As the night progresses, it will be mostly cloudy with temperatures dropping to about 62 degrees. The southwest wind will decrease to around 6 mph before calming down after midnight. 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.


Countywide

Results from today’s general election are starting to trickle in, and Fairfax County’s initial batch of tallied votes strongly favor Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

As of 9:24 p.m., Harris has about two-thirds or 66% of the votes that the county has counted so far, which include some early votes and Election Day results from 127 of the county’s 264 precincts, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.