morning notes

General Assembly Approves State Budget — “Virginia lawmakers wrapped up their 60-day legislative session Saturday by approving a two-year budget that includes pay raises for teachers and state employees, increases education funding and extends the state sales tax to cover digital services.” [Associated Press]

Man Gets Prison for Killing Lorton Landlord — “A Prince William County man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for slaying his 72-year-old landlord in Lorton. Brian Sayrs Jr., 28, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder and concealing a body in the June 2021 killing of Emily Lu, who was found dead about 50 days after she vanished following what authorities said was a rent dispute with Sayrs.” [Washington Post]

Prospect Iffy for Wiz and Caps Stadium in Alexandria — “A visibly frustrated Gov. Glenn Youngkin made a last-minute appeal to the Virginia legislature to support the Potomac Yard arena ahead of the General Assembly adjourning on Saturday…Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) told the Washington Post [on Wednesday] that the Potomac Yard arena won’t be in the budget compromise.” [ALXnow]

Design of Route 1 BRT Stations Under Revision —  Fairfax County’s “Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project team continues to work on art design concepts for five of the nine future BRT stations…The county finalized artwork for windscreens to be located at the Lockheed, Hybla Valley, Woodlawn and Fort Belvoir stations” based on concepts submitted last year by high school students. [On the MoVe]

Fairfax Connector to Restart Service Friday — Fairfax Connector workers represented by ATU Local 689 voted yesterday (Wednesday) to ratify a new contract with bus operator Transdev, ending their strike after 15 days, the union announced. The bus system will officially resume service on Friday (March 8). [FFXnow]

Annandale Man Charged in Baby Son’s Death — “Detectives from the Mason Police District arrested Shane Frye, 37, of Annandale, in connection with the overdose death of his 4-month-old son. Officers responded to the 4200 block of Americana Drive in Annandale on June 15, 2023, for an unresponsive baby, who was being cared for by Frye.” [Annandale Today]

Polls Open for Presidential Primaries — Super Tuesday has arrived in Virginia and 15 other states that will help determine each party’s prospective nominee “ahead of the Republican National Convention from July 15 to 18 and Democratic National Convention from Aug. 19 to 22.” Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. An acceptable form of ID is required to vote in person, and all precincts will accept drop-off ballots. [Patch]

Burke Resident Advocates for Renaming — “The namesake of the unincorporated town of Burke has a dark history associated with slavery, leading some to speculate whether the time has come to change the name.” Resident David Martosko proposes renaming the area after Fenton, an enslaved child bought by Silas Burke, “but keeping the street names and shopping center names in order to force a conversation.” [WUSA9]

Free Bikeshare Rides Offered During Bus Strike — “Fairfax County is offering free Capital Bikeshare rides for the duration of the Fairfax Connector work stoppage. Enter promo code TRYCABIFFXMAR24 for a free 45-minute ride on a classic bike. This is just one transportation alternative. Please visit our website…for more travel options.” [Fairfax Connector/Facebook]

Fairfax Connector Strike Disrupts Commutes — “On Thursday evening, a succession of Fairfax County residents took refuge in bus shelters next to the Vienna-Fairfax Metrorail station, bracing themselves against frigid temperatures and piercing winds…After learning about the strike from a reporter, the Fairfax residents waiting at the bus stop pulled out their phones and booked rides home on ride-share apps.” [Washington Post]

Peak Bloom for Cherry Blossoms Predicted — “The cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin will reach peak bloom from March 23 to 26, 2024, the National Park Service announced at a National Cherry Blossom Festival press conference on Thursday…No matter when the flowers decide to bloom, this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place from March 20 to April 14.” [Washingtonian]

Still No Resolution to Fairfax Connector Strike — “Fairfax Connector bus service will remain suspended through Friday, March 1 as unionized workers continue to strike, demanding a new contract with the bus’ contractor group…Negotiations between Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 and bus operator Transdev continued Thursday, though the session ended without a new contract for workers, according to union officials.” [WJLA]

GMU’s Sports Stadium Proposal Questioned — “Students and neighbors of George Mason University are rallying in opposition to a proposed facility for Washington’s newly formed professional cricket team…GMU said it also could be an opportunity to move its successful baseball team out of an aging field and share a 5,000-person stadium on west campus.” [NBC4]

Co-Founder of Longtime Merrifield Restaurant Dies — “Kim Lai, the immigrant businessman who helped transform a small family-run establishment into one of the most widely recognized Vietnamese restaurants in the D.C. area, died Feb. 16…Lai died from a head injury, several hours after suffering a fall at home in Fairfax,” said Le Lai, one of his daughters who ran Four Sisters from 2014 until it closed last year. [Washington Post]

Herndon Pub’s Cheesesteak Voted Best in Region — “A stalwart in pub food, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern of Herndon claims the title of Best Cheesesteak in our NoVA Wars: Cheesesteak Edition reader poll. Readers chose Jimmy’s as the winner through four rounds of bracket-style voting. In the end, it topped Falls Church’s Celebrity Delly for the title.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Temporary Fix Proposed for Georgetown Pike Traffic — “VDOT is proposing to restrict left-turns from northbound Dead Run Drive to westbound Georgetown Pike” in McLean during rush hour in the hopes of easing congestion exacerbated by construction on I-495. “The meeting will take place Wednesday, from 7-9 p.m., Churchill Road Elementary School Cafeteria.” [Patch]

Local Man Dies in Alexandria Jail — “Ahntais Lucas, 39, from Fairfax County, was found unresponsive and alone in his cell experiencing a medical emergency. The release said the jail’s medical staff tried to treat Lucas but he was pronounced deceased at 4:42 a.m.” Lucas’s death is under investigation by Alexandria’s sheriff’s office and police department. [ALXnow]

McLean Man Forced to Drive at Gunpoint — “A McLean man was kidnapped at gunpoint early Sunday morning and forced to drive to his home and another location in Maryland, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Investigators determined that around 12:30 a.m…the victim had arranged to meet with the suspect” in D.C., but upon arriving, he was confronted by two people with handguns. [Patch]