Countywide

To kick off the new year, the Fairfax County Park Foundation is offering hikers gift cards ranging from $75 to $100 for their best photos of local trails.

This upcoming Monday, Jan. 1, hikers are invited to snap pictures while exploring any of the county’s 334 miles of trails.


News

A man who claimed he was stabbed by two masked strangers outside Dulles Town Center in November now faces charges of filing a false report and embezzlement from the mall’s Sports Nation store where he worked.

On Nov. 10, Fawad Fafa, 44, filed a report with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office claiming to have been a victim of a stabbing in the parking lot of the Dulles Town Center Mall in Sterling.


Countywide

Metro Offers Late Night Service for New Year’s Eve — “Good news for those celebrating New Year’s Eve in the D.C. region: Metro trains will be running till around 2 a.m., two hours later than usual for Sundays. The exact last train times will vary depending on the station and line…Trains will start running at around 7 a.m. as usual.” [DCist]

Fairfax County Casino Bill Expected — “State Sen. David Marsden, D-Fairfax, is planning to re-introduce legislation that would allow Fairfax County to hold a referendum on building a casino. He introduced similar legislation last year that went nowhere. This year, though, his proposal envisions far more than a casino and includes a convention center, concert hall, hotel, and other amenities.” [Associated Press]


Event

Bypass the mall. Skip the big-box store. Ditch the web. 🎁 The 23rd Annual Holiday Gift Show is Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Ayr Hill Church, 100 Ayr Hill Avenue NE in Vienna. Come browse handmade bags, clothing and accessories; original watercolor, acrylic and mixed-media art; hand-painted cards, ornaments and candles; homemade jams and specialty salts; one-of-a-kind stuffed animals; knitted and crocheted toys, wearables and home decor; dog treats and accessories; homemade baklava; stovetop potpourri and more, all from local artists and makers. Free admission, open to the public. See you there! #ViennaVA #ShopLocal #HolidayGiftShow


News

(Updated at 6:35 p.m.) A driver hit three pedestrians on Herndon Parkway near the Elden Street intersection, police say.

Herndon Parkway’s outer loop is currently closed from Elden Street outside H-Mart to Summerfield Drive in response to the crash, according to the Herndon Police Department.


Around Town

The winter gift-giving season has come to a close, but a new retail incubator store in Fairfax City will encourage the community to shop local year-round.

Set for a grand opening at 10 a.m. this Saturday (Dec. 30), Wander In will host more than two dozen painters, candle-makers and other artisans in a shared retail space at 3950 University Drive, Suite 211 in Old Town Plaza.


Countywide

Almost a dozen men, whose jobs reportedly range from technology worker to yoga instructor, have been charged with attempting to solicit sex from children after a three-day sting operation by the Fairfax County Police Department.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced this morning that 10 men were arrested as a result of “Operation ADC Express 2,” which began on Dec. 18 and involved undercover detectives with the department’s Child Exploitation Unit posing online as 13 or 14-year-old teens.


Around Town

Mimi’s Handmade is now chilling at the Mosaic District in Merrifield.

The ice cream maker quietly opened its newest shop at 2985 District Avenue, Suite 160, about a month ago, owner Rollin Amore told FFXnow yesterday (Wednesday).