morning notes

Victims of Fake Immigration Attorney Testify — Immigrants defrauded by a woman who posed as an attorney and threatened to report them to immigration officials when questioned shared their stories to a Fairfax County judge on Monday (Oct. 7). Jasmine Moawad will be sentenced next month after pleading “guilty in February to one felony count of obtaining money by false pretenses.” [NBC4]

Metro Proposes New Funding Model — “Leaders at the D.C. Metro system have been touting a huge drop in fare evasion at train stations since new, higher gates were installed. But only 30 percent of bus riders pay for the service, and the agency is considering a dramatic change to its funding model that would reduce the cost for jurisdictions whose riders pay their fares.” [Washington Post]

Hurricanes Send More Animals to Fairfax Shelter — “More animals are coming. Homeward Trails expects 30 pets from an affected shelter in Galax, Virginia, to arrive Wednesday, right before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida. The rescue anticipates even more pets will arrive in the DC area later in the week.” [Washingtonian]

County Expands WiFi to Parking Lots — In time for Digital Inclusion Week from Oct. 7-11, the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services has expanded free Wi-Fi to the parking lots of over 20 community, senior, teen and adult day health centers. It also now offers iPads, 3D printers and robotics kits at some senior and community centers. [NCS]

Speakeasy-Style Restaurant Opens in Fairfax City — “Chef Jon Krinn’s restaurant Elyse in Fairfax officially opens on Wednesday, October 9. Until now, the 29-seat restaurant on Fairfax Boulevard has been ‘invitation-only’…Krinn describes the restaurant as having a speakeasy vibe with a tasting menu format paired with wine and spirits.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Women-Owned Businesses Awarded Grants — Six women-owned business in Fairfax City won grants totaling $27,859 from Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED). The inaugural recipients of the Women’s Entrepreneur Grant Opportunity were announced at the Women’s Entrepreneur Empowerment Luncheon on Sept. 25. [FCED]

Snake Meat Found in Bag at Dulles Airport — “A 4-year-old beagle working as a detector dog at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia discovered two pounds of snake meat inside a traveler’s baggage recently…Although the meat is a routine protein source in Equatorial Guinea, it is one of the animal products that is illegal to import into the U.S.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 71 degrees, accompanied by a west wind at 5 to 10 mph. At night, the sky will be clear, with the temperature dipping to a low of around 47 degrees. A northwest wind of approximately 7 mph will persist. [NWS]

McLean Bank Makes Public Debut — “Chain Bridge Bancorp (CBNA.N), was valued at $138 million after its shares fell 2% in their NYSE debut on Friday, marking a grim start to its stint as a public company…While some analysts had lauded timing the IPO just a month ahead of the presidential election, the lukewarm reception highlights the challenges of attracting investors to a less recognizable conservative-leaning brand.” [Reuters]

Vienna Student Reported for Assaults and Threat — Vienna Adventist Academy’s principal reported a Sept. 26 incident where “a student had a violent emotional breakdown in class that resulted in them striking multiple other students and faculty members before being separated from the class. During the incident, the student made an additional physical threat.” [Vienna Police]

Fairfax Dunkin’ Donuts Robbed — A 21-year-old Fairfax man was arrested last week and charged with petit larceny in connection to a reported robbery of Dunkin’ Donuts (10020 Main Street) on Oct. 3. Police say “a male subject approached the victim, punched the victim, stole the victim’s electric scooter and cell phone, and fled the area. The victim sustained minor injuries.” [City of Fairfax Police]

N. Va. Unemployment Rate Rises — Northern Virginia’s jobless rate of 3.1% in August was up from 2.8% a year before, according to new state data, with 1.68 million employed and 54,500 seeking jobs. Fairfax County’s unemployment rate for the month was 3.1% with 20,132 people without jobs, up from 2.9% in July and 2.7% in August 2023. [Virginia Employment Commission]

Franconia Metro Station Getting New Escalators — “On October 7, 2024, Metro will begin a major capital project replacing two entrance escalators and three platform escalators at Franconia-Springfield. The five escalators will be replaced with brand-new ones that are more durable and reliable.” Expected to finish in July 2025, the work is part of a system-wide effort to update the transit agency’s escalators. [WMATA]

WaPo Critic Impressed by Fairfax City Restaurant — Southeast Impressions, which opened in Fairfax City’s Scout on the Circle development last year, serves Singaporean and Malaysian favorites as well as “a hit parade of Thai choices.” Critic Tom Sietsema says it’s an exception to the adage that “plastic, pages-long menus with photographs are typically a sign of a restaurant to avoid.” [Washington Post]

Dulles Airport to Offer New Flights — “United Airlines Inc. plans to add two nonstop destinations to its lineup of flights out of Dulles International Airport (IAD) later this fall, further cementing its status as the airport’s largest carrier.” Daily nonstop flights will be available to South Bend International Airport in Indiana starting Dec. 3 and to Morgantown Municipal Airport in West Virginia on Dec. 13 [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny weather with temperatures reaching up to 70°F. Northwest winds will be blowing at 8-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 50°F, accompanied by a northwest wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]

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]