News

The developer behind Somos at McLean Metro is ready to begin construction on the affordable housing project’s second phase.

SCG Development announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has officially closed on the financing for the 225-unit apartment building, which will be constructed on top of an existing three-level parking garage at 1750 Old Meadow Road in Tysons.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors will advocate for data center regulation to be a primary focus of the General Assembly’s 2025 legislative agenda.

Board members expressed support this week for several new recommendations from county staff aimed at granting state agencies and local governments broader authority to regulate data centers, including increased oversight of their environmental impacts.


News

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago is again on trial in a federal courtroom after a long-awaited civil case earlier this year ended with a hung jury.


Countywide

Fairfax County is inviting residents to turn their post-Halloween jack-o’-lanterns from holiday decor to “compost gold” at this year’s Pumpkin Palooza.

Through Nov. 15, the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program is accepting used pumpkins and gourds for composting at the I-95 Landfill Complex (850 Furnace Road) and the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road).


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.


Countywide
The baseball diamond at Waters field in Vienna on a fall afternoon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Former CIA Trainee Found Not Guilty of Assault — “A former CIA officer trainee was found not guilty Wednesday of assaulting a fellow trainee inside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in the second trial in a case that helped spark an agency-wide reckoning over sexual assault and harassment within the famed agency.” [Washington Post]

McLean Mansion Tops D.C. Area Sales for 2024 — “The most expensive home to sell in the DC region in years closed on Halloween for an eye-popping number. The eight-bedroom, 35,000 square-foot home in McLean known as The Cliffs … given its location perched above the Potomac River, sold on Thursday for $25.5 million.” The buyer was unidentified. [UrbanTurf]

Annandale on Upswing, Residents Say — “Visitors to the Annandale Today table at the Taste of Annandale last month were asked to fill out a brief, nonscientific survey with the question: ‘Is Annandale getting better or worse?’ Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73.6 percent) checked ‘better.'” A town hall to discuss Annandale’s future is planned for Nov. 13. [Annandale Today]

Local Ice Skating Star to Perform in Showcase — “Vienna native and defending World Champion Ilia Malinin is returning to Northern Virginia to perform in front of the home crowd” as part of the upcoming Xtreme Ice World Premiere, an ice skating showcase coming to Leesburg’s Ion Arena on Nov. 15. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Broken Pedestrian Beacon Getting Fixed — “The rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the intersection of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (MVMH) and Southwood Drive … stopped functioning last December and is in the process of being fixed, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.” [On the MoVe]

Oakton Rec Center Upgrades Complete — “Oakmont Rec Center has reopened after a monthlong closure during which the facility underwent … environmental upgrades and building improvements that include mechanical and plumbing systems and many aesthetic changes throughout the facility.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Blood Drive Planned in McLean — “VFW Post 8241 in McLean is hosting a Red Cross blood drive on November 22, 2024, from 10 am to 3 pm, at 1051 Spring Hill Road (corner of Spring Hill and Old Dominion). The Red Cross is also giving away holiday socks to donors. Please help the Red Cross save lives by donating blood before the holidays.” [VFW Post 8241]

Reston Store Launches Chocolate Bar Line — “Following a year of development, OmBaked CBD Boutique is rolling out a new line of CBD chocolates.” Owner and founder Radhika Murari says the Lake Anne Plaza store won over customers with its chocolate when it first opened, but they had to be removed so the labels could be adjusted “to comply with Virginia laws.” [Patch]

It’s Friday — There’s a 20% chance of brief showers before 2pm. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 75°F. In the evening, the skies will remain mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 47°F. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Thursday 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 — Oct 31, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☔️ Friday’s forecast

Showers are likely before 11am, followed by a transition to mainly sunny conditions and a high near 79. There will be southwest winds of around 10 mph, shifting west in the afternoon with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. Friday night will be mostly clear, with a low of around 45 and a north wind of around 9 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.


Sports

Herndon resident Matthew Li, 16, recently won a silver medal at the USA Fencing North American Cup Division I competition.

Division I represents the highest level of fencing competition in the U.S. Li competed against many older participants.


Sports

Just months after departing as boys head basketball coach at Potomac School, Levi Franklin will be back on the bench — on the other side of the Potomac — this winter.

Franklin recently was hired as the head coach of the MacArthur Mammoths’ public-school boys team in D.C. He will remain at Potomac School as a math teacher and defensive coordinator with the varsity football team.


Countywide

Officials at Fairfax Water are bracing for one-time and ongoing costs that could approach a half-billion dollars over the next decade to comply with new federal environmental regulations.

Unless workarounds are found, most of the costs of addressing the looming impact of chemicals known as PFAS will be borne by its customers, the agency’s head told the Board of Supervisors’ Environment Committee on Tuesday (Oct. 29).