morning notes

Apple Store to Leave Fair Oaks Mall — “Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is expected to relocate its Fair Oaks Mall store to nearby Fairfax Corner as soon as late 2024, joining upscale furniture retailer Arhaus in a new building currently under construction…The move represents another big win for the open-air Fairfax Corner, which recently debuted a 12-story, 228-unit multifamily building, The Vista, and landed” a small-format Ikea store. [Washington Business Journal]

FCPS Accused of Revealing Rape Victim’s Identity — “A former Fairfax County Public Schools student who accuses the Virginia district of ignoring allegations that she was repeatedly raped, tortured and threatened when she was in middle school is demanding to know how officials accidentally revealed her identity last month.” [The 74]

“Free Palestine” Protest Disrupts Black Friday in Tysons — “Outside Tysons Corner Center in McLean, another group marched and chanted. A line of vehicles could be seen with Palestinian flags waving…Some posted on social media that they had been stuck in traffic for hours. One X user posted that they were stuck in the Tysons parking garage because of the protest.” [WUSA9]

Fairfax County Firefighter Dies Off-Duty — “With great sadness, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department announces the death of Lieutenant Travis Traynham. Lt. Traynham passed away while off-duty on Thursday, November 23, 2023. Lt. Traynham has been a valued member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department since joining in 2004.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Fire Department Has Thanksgiving Safety Tips — “Did you know Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires? According to the NFPA, Thanksgiving day has more than three times the daily average for such incidents…Please help prevent an unexpected visit to your home from our firefighters on Thanksgiving Day!” [FCFRD]

Man Arrested for Tysons Corner Center Burglary — Fairfax County police officers responded to Macy’s at Tysons Corner Center at 2:13 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday) after a community member reported that a burglary alarm was activated by “a man pushing a cart filled with merchandise away from the store.” Police recovered “$38,787 worth of clothing and accessories.” [FCPD]

Car Crashes Into Electric Pole on Route 29 — A two-vehicle crash took out an electrical pole at the Graham Road intersection in Idylwood early last night (Monday). No injuries were reported, but all eastbound lanes were blocked during the afternoon rush-hour as police and Dominion Energy responded to the scene. [FCPD/Twitter]

Tysons Corner Center Lights Holiday Tree — “Step into a winter wonderland at Tysons Corner Plaza, where the festive spirit comes alive! This quick highlight reel captures the essence of the Tysons Corner Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration that took place on November 17, 2023.” [Drew Lehmann/YouTube]

Hayfield Student Overdoses — “In a letter to families and staff, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid said a student at Hayfield Secondary School overdosed Friday. It is unclear if the student was on school property when the overdose occurred. Reid said in the letter that out of concern for the student’s privacy, the district will not be releasing any further information regarding the overdose.” [WUSA9]

Metro Fare Revenues Dip Despite Ridership Improving — “Revenue from fares, parking, advertising and other sources during the fiscal quarter amounted to $108.4 million, which is $17.7 million less than Metro predicted…Metro leaders didn’t express significant concerns Thursday while learning of the quarterly revenue gap, saying the pandemic proved the agency can’t rely so heavily on fares.” [Washington Post]

Holiday Gift Guide Highlights Local Artisans — “The Made in Fairfax network aims to be a one-stop shop for maker businesses and those who want to support them…This holiday season (or any time of year, really!) take ‘shop local’ to new heights by directly supporting the makers of these gift-worthy products — created right here in Fairfax County.” [Visit Fairfax]

Solar Panels Installed on Sully Community Center — “We’ve added yet another solar array on a county government building. This latest installation is in Chantilly at the Sully Community Center, which serves as the home of the Sully Senior Center and also provides a broad array of services, programs and activities for individuals of all ages and abilities.” [Fairfax County]

Metro Silver Line Extension Is One Year Old — “One year ago, we opened phase two of the Silver Line Extension! [On Nov. 15], we’re celebrating 3.5 MILLION trips at the 6 new stations. Take a look back at the big day that started it all and see all the excitement!” [WMATA/Twitter]

Virginia Representatives Continue Call for Review of FBI HQ Decision — “Both U.S. senators from Virginia and nine U.S. House members called for an investigation Wednesday into how Greenbelt, Maryland, was chosen as the future site of the FBI headquarters. A letter…to the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General cites a ‘fatally flawed procurement that demands further investigation.'” [NBC4]

New Study Shows Climate Change Risks in D.C. Area — “The latest National Climate Assessment shows the D.C. region is especially at risk of extreme weather, flooding, and sea level rise as the earth warms. The congressionally mandated assessment, released [Tuesday], also shows uneven progress in the region responding to a hotter planet.” [DCist]

FCPS Seeks to Address Chronic Absenteeism — At a school board meeting last Thursday (Nov. 9), Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid reported that the percentage of students missing 10% or more of the school year has climbed from 5.1% in 2021 to 17.1% this year. The school system “is looking at a multitiered approach to improve attendance.” [WJLA]

Woodson High School Officially Renamed — “The Fairfax County School Board unanimously voted to rename W.T. Woodson High School during their meeting November 9. Starting in school year 2024-25, the school will be known as Carter G. Woodson High School. The vote comes after two months of public engagement.” [FCPS]

Residents Torn Over Fort Hunt Road Safety Proposals — “Officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) held an Oct. 30 meeting with community members on proposed safety improvements at the intersection of Fort Hunt Road and Rollins Drive; however, many area residents voiced concerns or disagreement with aspects of the recommendations.” [On the MoVe]

Teen Arrested for Hybla Valley Shooting — “Preliminarily, Major Crimes Bureau detectives determined the victim was walking to a nearby apartment. He was approached by the 14-year-old suspect who displayed a firearm and shot the victim. A nearby home was also struck by one round, where no one was injured.” The teen was taken into custody Saturday (Nov. 11) evening after his mother brought him to the Mount Vernon District Station. [FCPD]

Occoquan Dam Siren Will Go Off Tomorrow — “Fairfax Water has scheduled its annual siren system test for the Occoquan Dam on Tuesday, Nov.14, at 10 a.m. This is a routine test to ensure the siren system is functioning properly in the unlikely event of a dam failure.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]