News

In anticipation of finalizing an agreement for the long-awaited downtown redevelopment, Town of Herndon officials are turning their attention to the arts organizations that will be at least temporarily displaced by the project.

Interim town manager Christopher Martino told the Herndon Town Council at a work session yesterday (Oct. 15) the town is on track to complete a final comprehensive agreement with developer Comstock by an imposed Dec. 10 deadline after years of delay.


News

Vienna’s plan to build a public aquatics and fitness center has already secured one major backer.

Navy Federal Credit Union — the town’s largest employer with 5,100 people working at its corporate headquarters (820 Follin Lane) — has offered to provide funding for the facility’s design, the Town of Vienna announced last Thursday (Oct. 10).


News

A proposal by the Humane Society of Fairfax County to expand its dog-kennel operations in Centreville has run into flak from a neighbor over noise concerns.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended on Oct. 9 that the Board of Supervisors approve the request, but several commission members acknowledged heartburn over the decision.


Countywide

Fairfax County voters will soon have more options for casting their ballot ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

The county is set to open 13 more in-person early voting sites tomorrow (Thursday), bringing the total number of sites up to 16. The Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County government centers have been available since Sept. 20.


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.


Countywide
A tree provides cover for a bench at the athletic fields outside Great Falls Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

New D.C. Pandas Land at Dulles Airport — A FedEx plane carrying two pandas destined for the National Zoo in D.C. touched down at Dulles International Airport shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday). Now in a 30-day quarantine, Bao Li and Qing Bao will make their public debuts on Jan. 24, with Zoo members getting a sneak peek earlier in January. [NBC4]

Local Cafe’s Pumpkin-Shaped Bagels Go Viral — “Pumpkin-shaped bagels have taken the internet by storm. And the trendsetter is no other than Northern Virginia’s Bobby’s Bagel Cafe … The viral treat is available at the shop’s Herndon, Oakton, and Reston locations. Customers need to preorder their bagels two to three days in advance due to high demand.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Community College Teachers Challenge President — “Faculty of Northern Virginia Community College, the second-largest community college in the nation, gave the president an overwhelming ‘no confidence’ vote. In a draft statement organized by the 9-Month Teaching Faculty Caucus Executive Committee, members outlined their concerns with Anne Kress, Ph.D., who has been serving as president of the school since 2020, along with Vice President Eun-Woo Chang.” [Fairfax County Times]

FCPS Seeks Boundary Review Committee Members — “As part of its community engagement plan, FCPS is accepting applications until Oct. 18 for its Boundary Review Advisory Committee,” which will meet biweekly to provide feedback on “potential future school boundary changes.” A consultant recently launched a systemwide review that’s expected to wrap up in January 2026. [On the MoVe]

Asian Restaurant in Vienna to Close — “The family-run Asian fusion restaurant Mixx Delight will be looking for a new location after just opening last year in Vienna. In a social media post, the Tran family said the Vienna location at 448 Maple Ave. E. will close ‘due to unforeseen circumstances.’ The Vienna location will be open until Nov. 17.” [Patch]

Hunter Mill Coat Drive Launches — The Reston nonprofit Cornerstones launched its annual Winter Coat Closet donation drive yesterday, accepting new or gently used heavy winter coats as well as new hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves through Nov. 8. Donations can be dropped off at 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 210, from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday to Friday. [Hunter Mill District Office]

Retired Supervisor Honored With Tree Planting — “Fairfax County leaders honored former Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross by planting a tree … at Mason District Park on Oct. 11. The Roots of Leadership event focused on Gross’s key role in establishing the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ regional tree canopy goal.” [Annandale Today]

Affordable Housing Developments Win Awards — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority is the recipient of several recent national awards, recognizing its leadership, innovation and equitable strategies in affordable housing.” Awards went to the Residences at North Hill, which opened last year, and One University near George Mason University’s Fairfax campus. [FCRHA]

It’s Wednesday — The forecast shows sunny skies and a high temperature near 56, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 8 to 11 mph with gusts reaching 20 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 40 degrees. [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 — Oct 15, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Wednesday’s forecast

Clouds will increase, reaching a high near 55 with northwest winds between 7 to 11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. By Wednesday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low around 39 with the northwest wind calming to around 6 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

Good luck taking the conference golf championship away from the Potomac School Panthers anytime soon.

With two talented freshmen on this season’s team, the high-school squad dominated and won the Oct. 9 one-day, 18-hole Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament title by 42 strokes with 229 team total. Sidwell Friends was second at 341.


Sports

With their first road win of the season, the Potomac School Panthers kept their state playoff hopes alive.

The Panthers (4-2) defeated the host Sidwell Friends Quakers, 28-6, Oct. 10 behind a strong defensive performance and, on offense, the production of runningback Lucas Boulter, who ran for 191 yards on 25 carries, including a three-yard scoring run.


Countywide

Fairfax County has a new policy that could lead to the prosecution of individuals who were removed from the voter rolls after being identified as possible non-citizens.

The move comes after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a new executive order in August directing the Virginia Department of Elections to update the voter rolls by removing deceased individuals, felons, those deemed mentally incapacitated and non-citizens before the general election on Nov. 5.