morning notes

County Mails Sample Voting Ballots — “The Office of Elections has mailed a sample ballot to each of the county’s 730,000+ registered voters…The sample ballot is customized for each voter to show the contest that will appear on their ballots.” [Fairfax County Office of Elections]

FCPD Welcomes First Female Bomb Technician — First Class Officer Melanie Todd has joined the Fairfax County Police Department’s Explosisve Ordinance Disposal Unit as its first female bomb technician after graduating from the FBI’s Hazardous Device School, a six-week program that teaches participants how to identify and disarm explosive devices. [FCPD]

One Reston Company Acquires Another — “Government contractor CACI International has made its second acquisition in the past month, acquiring Reston, Virginia-based cloud, data and cybersecurity company Applied Insight.” The all-cash acquisition of Applied Insight, which has 650 employees, is now complete. [WTOP]

FBI Raid Raises Contractor Concerns — “The FBI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s search of Carahsoft Technology Corp.’s headquarters last week is sparking new questions and concerns about the long-term viability of vendors selling in the federal market and dependable access to specific technologies by agencies.” [Federal News Network]

Falls Church Candidates Debate Accessory Dwellings — “Candidates for the Falls Church City Council seat on the Nov. 5 ballot are playing it cautiously when it comes to bringing accessory-dwelling units (ADUs) to residential neighborhoods in the city.” [ARLnow]

Horticultural Group Lands Big Donation — The American Horticultural Society (AHS) recently received “a donation of $5 million to set up a permanent endowment.” The gift was separate from a $2 million state grant that’s funding accessibility improvements for the nonprofit’s headquarters at River Farm in Fort Hunt. [On the MoVe]

Park Basketball Courts Get Repairs — The Fairfax County Park Authority’s contractor has started work on repairs to the basketball courts at Luria Park in Annandale and Tyler Park in West Falls Church. The improvements, including new goals, crack repairs and asphalt overlay, are expected to finish by the first week of November. [FCPA]

Back to School Celebration in Idylwood — “Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik and Fairfax County School Board Chair Karl Frisch are hosting the inaugural Providence Day & Back to School Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. at George C. Marshall High School. The event will include interactive booths, resource fair, food trucks giveaways and a fit games challenge.” [Patch]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high of around 76 accompanied by a gentle south wind at 3-6 mph. As the night sets in, the skies will continue to stay cloudy, with temperatures dipping to a low of about 62 and a mild south wind. [NWS]

Cell Service Disruptions Resolved — Fairfax County announced at 8:40 a.m. that a “fiber line issue” affecting cell phone service for multiple carriers in several areas has been resolved. The disruption temporarily may have impacted people’s ability to call 911. [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]

Error Jeopardizes Fatal Police Shooting Case — Defense attorneys for Wesley Shifflett will seek a mistrial after prosecutors played body camera footage during their closing arguments yesterday (Wednesday) that wasn’t admitted into evidence. The former Fairfax County police officer is on trial for involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting Timothy Johnson in Tysons last year. [Washington Post]

Shelter Takes Animals Rescued From Hurricane — “Homeless animals rescued from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene arrived in Fairfax Tuesday night, thanks to Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. The shelter took in nearly 70 cats, over 20 puppies, and eight dogs from Yancey and Mitchell counties in North Carolina.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Details Emerge on Post Office Relocation — The U.S. Postal Service says its new facility at 2923 E. Lee Street in Groveton “is nearly ready” and could start operating “in the next month and a half.” With the Alexandria Community Post Office in Mount Vernon Plaza closing, the Engleside office will expand to accommodate some routes and carriers. [On the MoVe]

Engineering Company Opens Dunn Loring Office — “Congratulations to @ENSCO_Inc on your new office in Dunn Loring! I hope this space will help serve your needs as you continue to grow in the aerospace, national security, and transportation sectors. We look forward to another 50 years of success!” [Gerry Connolly/Twitter]

Korean American Bank Adds Fairfax County Branches — PromiseOne Bank, which is based in Duluth, Georgia, and focuses on Asian American communities, opened new branches in Annandale and Centreville this month. The locations were acquired from Bank of Hope, a Los Angeles-based company that now has no physical base in the D.C. area. [Washington Business Journal]

Frontier Airlines Plans Dulles Return — “Discount carrier Frontier Airlines announced it’s launching 22 new routes in December, including nonstop service from Dulles International Airport to Tampa International Airport…Frontier returns to Dulles after discontinuing its operations at the airport in the first quarter of 2022.” [WTOP]

Blind Reston Woman Finds Footing as Ballroom Dancer — “Davida Luehrs raises her arm to indicate to her dance partner her readiness to begin. Typically, in ballroom dancing, the dancer who leads gives this signal. But Luehrs is legally blind and cannot see her dance partner, so this is one of the many modifications devised to enable her to fulfill her dream of competing in ballroom dance.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high around 74 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds. As night falls on Thursday, the sky will transition to being partly cloudy with a low temperature of about 62 degrees, and a gentle breeze from the south. [NWS]

Ex-Officer Testifies in Fatal Shooting Trial — “A former Fairfax County police sergeant who fatally shot an unarmed suspected shoplifter testified in his manslaughter trial Tuesday.” Wesley Shifflett told the jury that the moment before he shot Timothy Johnson outside Tysons Corner Center in 2023 was “the most scared I have ever been in my life.” [NBC4]

How to Help with Hurricane Helene Relief — “We are all aware of the tremendous destruction caused by Hurricane Helene for residents in Southwest Virginia, as well as our neighbors in North Carolina and Tennessee…The best way to help right now is through cash donations to the 2024 Southwest Virginia Disaster Relief Fund and volunteering with trusted organizations.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Crypto Scam on the Rise, FCPD Says — “If payment is not sent in Bitcoin, then the scammers say the most private contents of the victim’s phone or computer will be sent to all of the person’s contacts. Fairfax County police Maj. Veva Wallace-Spaulding told WTOP that 23 people contacted police in September alone to report that they received the threatening messages.” [WTOP]

New Centreville Restaurant Serves Instant Noodles — “The Ramyun Zip opened a couple weeks ago and is building up a collection that will include more than 120 ramen flavors filling an entire wall of the restaurant…Owner Chris Kim says instant ramen shops like this have taken off in South Korean, especially since the pandemic.” [Washingtonian]

Former Congressman Opposes Casino Proposal — Former Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican who represented Virginia’s 10th District from 1981 to 2015, urged the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to oppose legislation that would pave the way for a casino along the Silver Line. State Sen. Dave Marsden is expected to revive his paused bill for the 2025 General Assembly session. [Patch]

Virginia Reports Slight Drop in Accredited Schools — With 85% of Virginia’s public schools fully accredited this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin reiterated “concerns that the current metric doesn’t accurately reflect performance…Three schools were accredited with conditions in Fairfax, and two schools in Loudoun, both up from one school accredited with conditions the year before.” [Washington Post]

Springfield Lego Center Conjures Up Halloween Activities — “In the Halloween happenings front, the folks at the Lego Discovery Center in Springfield are putting on Brick-or-Treat through October. New this year will be the Potion Kitchen where kids can use the building blocks to build the ingredients to brew potions.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect cloudy skies, a light northeast wind and a high near 71 degrees. With a 20% chance of precipitation, isolated showers are possible in the afternoon. Wednesday night will have mostly cloudy conditions with a low around 61 degrees. [NWS]

Great Falls Man Allegedly Conspired with Iran — “A former Federal Aviation Administrator has been indicted for allegedly acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the U.S. and conspiring to do so…Between at least December 2017 and June 2024, Rahmati reportedly conspired with and acted on the behalf of Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives, according to an indictment.” [WUSA9]

Woman Charged for Tysons Robbery — A 27-year-old woman was arrested in Pennsylvania last Thursday (Sept. 26) in connection to the June 25 robbery of Chanel at Tysons Galleria. Released on bond pending a future court date, the woman is the third person to be charged in the case, but police are still looking for four other people believed to have been involved. [FCPD]

Construction Underway on Intelligence Agency HQ — “The Defense Intelligence Agency has broken ground for the $185 million DIA Headquarters Annex at the Intelligence Community Campus-Fort Belvoir North Area in Springfield…Expected to open in 2028, the DIA annex is adjacent to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s headquarters.” [ExecutiveGov]

Families Discuss How to Address Teen Opioid Addiction — “On Sunday, families from all around Northern Virginia, got the chance to talk about addiction, learn about resources available, and how to spot the signs. According to the Fairfax County Health Department, hospital emergency visits for opioid overdoses increased 115% from 2022 to 2023 among teens under 18.” [WUSA9]

Discount Tool Store Coming to Mount Vernon — “A new tenant will soon be moving into the building that formerly housed Goodwill at 8228 Richmond Highway. Harbor Freight Tools, a leading discount tool retailer with over 1,500 stores nationwide, plans to open its 38th Virginia-based store in that location, opening around mid-December.” [On the MoVe]

Former Nats Pitcher’s Home Officially Sold — “The end is officially here for Stephen Strasburg’s time in D.C. The sale of the nearly 12,000 square-foot McLean house of the former Washington Nationals pitcher and World Series champion closed on Friday for $8.55 million.” [UrbanTurf]

Local Amazon Fresh Store Gets New Look — “Amazon, which recently resumed openings of new Fresh grocery stores after a yearlong pause, held ‘grand reopenings’ for two of its D.C.-area stores Saturday. The redesigned Amazon Fresh stores, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Franconia, Virginia, followed similar redesigns of Fresh stores in Chicago and Southern California.” [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Expect cloudy conditions with a high near 68 and a 70% chance of showers. Overnight, there is a slight chance of showers before 2 am. It will be cloudy, with a low around 61 and the chance of precipitation dropping to 20%. [NWS]

Man Hospitalized After Crash in McLean — A driver was taken to a hospital “in life-threatening condition” after a single-vehicle crash at Old Dominion Drive and Kirby Road in McLean on Saturday (Sept. 28). An investigation into the crash is ongoing. [FCPD/Twitter]

Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run Identified — A preliminary investigation into the fatal hit-and-run crash last Thursday (Sept. 26) indicated that “James Matthew Martin, 57, was crossing Richmond Highway from east to west outside the crosswalk when he was struck by the driver.” Detectives have also identified the driver and “continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash and potential charges.” [FCPD]

Herndon Man in Murder Case Denied Bond — “Brendan Banfield was denied bond on Friday after being indicted earlier this month for the murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan, at the couple’s Fairfax County home…The defense argued that Banfield is not a flight risk and needs to care for his child.” [FOX5]

Addition to Justice HS Completed — “Justice High School is a lot less crowded now that a new classroom wing has been completed. The new three-story wing — finished just in time for the start of the 2024-25 school year — has classrooms for world languages, English, science, social studies, and career and technical education.” [Annandale Today]

Mason Neck Park Introduces All-Terrain Wheelchairs — “In the past few years, Mason Neck State Park in Lorton has been focused on increasing accessibility to all park users, and the park took one more step in that direction recently with the debut of the all-terrain wheelchair program.” Mason Neck is the first park in Virginia to move forward with the pilot program. [On the MoVe]

Lorton Golf Club to Serve as GMU Team’s Home — “The Fairfax County Park Authority and George Mason University Golf are proud to announce a new partnership naming the Park Authority’s Laurel Hill Golf Club as the university golf team’s home course. The collaboration…will also provide opportunities for expanded Park Authority summer camps utilizing the George Mason Field House in Fairfax.” [FCPA]

FCPS Nonprofit Gets Donation — “On Friday, September 27, Educate Fairfax received a generous donation of $131,056.80 from the now-dissolved Association of Fairfax Professional Educators (AFPE)… The donation is designated for Educate Fairfax Grants, which provide students across Fairfax County with equitable access to innovative education experiences.” [FCPS]

Dranesville School Sees Decline in Absenteeism — Chronic absenteeism at Dranesville Elementary School has dropped from over 20% during the 2022-2023 school year to 7% last year, thanks to “a renewed focus on connecting with every student.” Principal Jamie Gadley says students have started to hold themselves accountable. [WTOP]

It’s Monday — Expect showers with a high near 70, with a 90% chance of precipitation and possible new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Monday night will see continued showers, a low around 62 and an 80% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

Driver Hospitalized in Richmond Highway Crash — A man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after crashing on Route 1 at Janna Lee Avenue in Mount Vernon yesterday (Thursday). Fairfax County police say “excessive speed was a factor” in the single-vehicle crash, which occurred down the road from a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run that morning. [FCPD/Twitter]

Springfield Woman Charged in Fatal Crash — “Police have charged a 21-year-old Springfield woman with DUI manslaughter in connection with a Sept. 13 crash in Woodbridge that killed a passenger in her car and left another driver seriously injured.” [Inside NoVA]

Man Who Shot at Police Officers Sentenced to Jail — “A man who led police on a wild, high-speed chase involving gunfire and damage to numerous vehicles has been sentenced to two years of active incarceration.” Ricardo Singleton pleaded guilty in Arlington County Circuit Court but “still faces several weightier charges in Fairfax County.” [ARLnow]

Baby Reunited with Family After Carjacking — “The mother of a 4-month-old child has been reunited with her baby after the child was taken during a carjacking in Fairfax County. The carjacking took place just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday outside the Apple Federal Credit Union on Richmond Highway.” [NBC Washington]

Reston Company Raided by FBI Involved in Price-Fixing Case — The FBI has yet to confirm what prompted its recent raid of Carahsoft’s Reston headquarters, but there has been “speculation about possible — but thus far unsubstantiated — links to an ongoing court case that was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland last year and involved efforts to defraud government agencies.” [Government Executive]

Uyghur Restaurant Eyes Falls Church Expansion — Dolan Uyghur, which can currently be found in D.C. and Chantillly, “plans to expand further into Northern Virginia with a new Falls Church location. The new eatery hopes to open by Friday, Oct. 18 at 400 S. Maple Avenue, in the space formerly held by Pizzeria Orso.” [ARLnow]

Reston Contractor to Help Build Lunar Rover — “Lunar Outpost in Golden, Colorado, announced this week that Leidos has joined its effort to create a new class of lunar terrain vehicles to be used by astronauts on Artemis missions. Leidos, which already supports a number of NASA missions, will be part of a team that also includes General Motors, Goodyear Tire & Rubber and MDA Space.” [Washington Business Journal]

Marshall Girls’ Basketball Team Gets New Top Coach — “It makes sense that Doug Sawitzky is the new coach of the Marshall Statesmen’s girls varsity high-school basketball team. He knows both the school and the hoop programs very well.” [GazetteLeader]

It’s Friday — Expect showers throughout the day, with possible thunderstorms after 5pm and a high of 76°F. Precipitation is likely at 70%, with rainfall amounts ranging up to a quarter of an inch. Rain will likely continue until 2am, as temperatures drop to around 70°F. [NWS]

Task Force Activated for Tropical Storm Response — “VA-TF1 has been activated by @fema as an 80-person, 4-canine Type 1 US&R team for TC Helene.” The task force prepared “over 30 tons of equipment, including tents, boats, and rescue equipment,” before leaving Chantilly yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon for Florida. [VA-TF1/Twitter]

Langley Student Hit by Car on Way to School — McLean resident Nadia Leonova recalls the morning of Aug. 21, when her son “was struck by a car as he was trying to cross Georgetown Pike near Pine Hill Road. There is no crosswalk at the intersection. In fact, there are no crosswalks between the street on which the Langley freshman lives and his school.” [Patch]

GW Parkway Views to Be Restored — “Drivers on the George Washington Memorial Parkway may soon have clearer views of the Potomac, but they should also expect weekend lane closures during restoration work. The National Park Service announced…that crews will ‘rehabilitate’ 15 scenic vistas between the North Donaldson Overlook and Spout Run Parkway.” [ARLnow]

Metro to Bring Back Self-Driving Trains — “Metro’s Red Line trains will drive themselves starting in December, and the self-driving trains will be used across the rail system by spring 2025…The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority used to use automation to operate trains, but pulled the system after the 2009 Red Line crash at Fort Totten that killed nine riders.” [WTOP]

Potomac River Water Critical to Region, Report Shows — “Think of this the next time you kayak, drive over, run by or, simply, stare at the Potomac River: Its ruin would cost the D.C. region nearly $15 billion in the first month, according to a report released Tuesday.” [Washington Post]

Annandale Road Diet Gets Support — Fairfax County transportation staff detailed their proposal for a road diet on Annandale Road “between Little River Turnpike and Gallows Road at virtual community meeting on Sept. 23…The seven people who commented on the proposal at the meeting all said they supported it. Several people called for more bike lanes on other roads.” [Annandale Today]

Fairfax City Offers Grants to Nonprofits — “The City of Fairfax has established a grant program to help support nonprofit human services organizations that serve city residents…Applications will be accepted from Sept. 23 through 4 p.m Nov. 4. Recipients will be announced Dec. 10.” [City of Fairfax]

It’s Wednesday — There’s a 60% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. Patchy fog may occur between 7am and noon. The day will be cloudy with a high near 73 and a southeast wind around 9 mph. Wednesday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with cloudy conditions and a low around 68. [NWS]

Man Found Shot Near Herndon Park — “Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday evening in the vicinity of Hutchinson Park.” Officers found a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the lower body in the 13000 block of Parcher Avenue. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was shot during a fight that “broke out near where the man was found.” [Patch]

Construction to Start on Mount Vernon Apartments — Developer Elm Street Communities anticipates starting site work on its new residential building between Richmond Highway and Buckman Road within the next couple of weeks. The 280-unit Elms Mount Vernon apartments are “the first phase of the broader Mount Vernon Gateway project.” [On the MoVe]

Herndon Police See Tire-Slashing Spree — “Herndon PD has received calls for multiple tires slashed in town over the past week and half. A total of 15 vehicles have been identified at the following locations: 9/14/2024: 3rd Street/Stanton Park Court, 9/14/2024: 1100-blk Casper Court [and] 9/19: 12900-blk Alton Square.” [Herndon PD/Instagram]

Fairfax Block Party Raises Funds to Fight Cancer — A Fairfax neighborhood raised over $87,000 for the Pancreatic Action Network with a block party that drew over 400 people. The tradition began last summer to help a resident’s relative Kyle, who died this past June from pancreatic cancer. Organizers decided “to continue their tradition in honor of Kyle’s memory by raising funds for others going through their own cancer journeys.” [WUSA9]

GMU to Accept Students Without Applications — “Some Northern Virginia seniors will be admitted to George Mason University without having to fill out an application, as part of a pilot program that aims to address the falling number of underrepresented students applying to college. The initiative, which is part of the university’s Direct Admissions Program, includes a partnership with several D.C.-area school divisions.” [WTOP]

County to Extend Lease for Wellness Services — At its meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to authorize an Oct. 22 public hearing on a lease extension for Inova Health Care Services. Inova has leased the top floor of the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health in Merrifield since 2015 for community wellness services. [Gazette Leader]

Reston Eye Doctor Wins Lottery Money — “A Reston optometrist was blown away after winning $195,543 on the Virginia Lottery’s VIP game recently…[Dr. Michael] Khalil, who works at the Khalil Eye Care in the North Point Village Center in Reston, has no immediate plans for his winnings.” [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph; the chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will have a 50% chance of scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am with a low around 65. [NWS]

Early Voting Brings Out Crowds in Fairfax County — “Lines were long at early voting locations, including at the Fairfax County Government Center where hundreds stretched from the front door to the parking lot.” Fairfax County general registrar and director of elections Eric Spicer called the turnout for the first day of early voting in the Nov. 5 general election “record-breaking territory.” [WTOP]

Missing Campaign Signs Under Investigation — “When Mayor Catherine Read and a member of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee arrived at City Hall around 7:35 a.m. on Friday, they discovered that someone had removed campaign signs they’d placed outside the polls on Thursday.” The missing Harris-Walz signs, which appeared to have been replaced with Trump signs, were reported to police. [Patch]

Guns Stolen from Newington Store — Fairfax County police are searching for four people who allegedly stole 14 guns from Dominion Defense on Fullerton Road around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 18). The theft of over 50 guns from the same store in May led to prison sentences for two men who pleaded guilty to the crime. [WUSA9]

Kids Design New Fairfax City Voting Stickers — “Since 2020, the City of Fairfax has given voters and future voters custom stickers at the polls. These stickers are designed by city students. The city has selected new stickers for the Nov. 5 General Election, and the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts and the City of Fairfax Electoral Board honored the two young artists who created them at a special reception on Sept. 17.” [City of Fairfax]

Floor and Wall Store Opens in Bailey’s Crossroads — “A huge store that sells almost nothing except flooring and wall materials had a grand opening on Sept. 19 in Bailey’s Crossroads. Floor & Decor took over two large commercial spaces formerly occupied by A.C. Moore and Bed Bath & Beyond at the Crossroads Center on Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]

Mental Health Crisis Center Helps Address Trauma — “When [Wellness Circle Crisis Stabilization Unit Program Manager Amy] Miller and her staff began to track trends in the behaviors and needs of the individuals they were serving, the demand for a specialized program that addressed trauma was at the top of the priority list…The Trauma Resilience Program launched at Wellness Circle earlier this year.” [Fairfax-Falls Church CSB]

South Lakes Kicker Breaks Barrier — “Lila Jaster is the first girl to ever score a point in a football game for South Lakes, whose program dates back to the mid-1970s.” The junior varsity kicker first made a point-after kick against Falls Church High School last year, and she had a repeat on Friday (Sept. 20) when South Lakes High School enlisted her to make the kick with a 28-point lead. [Patch]

It’s Monday — Expect drizzle in the area starting around 11am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72. The drizzle will continue into Monday night, mainly between 11pm and 2am, while it remains cloudy and the temperature lowers to approximately 62 . [NWS]