morning notes

Virginia Releases New Policies on Transgender Students — “The final model policies…include many of the same guidelines with an emphasis on parents’ rights ‘to make decisions with respect to their children.’ The policies, a version of which each of Virginia’s schools systems would be required to adopt, outline that teachers and other school personnel may not refer to a student by a different name or pronoun unless parents request the switch in writing.” [The Washington Post]

Northern Virginia Center Expansion Gets Support — The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval last week of Virginia Tech’s proposed campus redevelopment near the West Falls Church Metro station. Proponents said the promised affordable housing and more transit-oriented focus are necessary, while some critics feared the new buildings will overshadow existing condominiums. [Gazette Leader]

Canadian Wildfires Affect Local Air Quality Again — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code ORANGE Air Quality Alert Tuesday for Northern Virginia. A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.” [NWS]

Fairfax City Water Rescuers Assist Vermont After Floods — “The Arlington County Fire Department announced Sunday morning, that just the night before, they had teamed up with the City of Fairfax Fire Department to deploy eight swift water rescuers to Vermont to assist the state.” As of Friday (July 14), the storms that hit Vermont last week have been tied two deaths due to flooding. [WUSA9]

Man in Custody After Shots Fired Call — “Officers responded to the 13600 blk of Lee Jackson Mem Hwy in Chantilly for a shots fired call. Preliminary, there are no injuries, and all parties are accounted for. There is no apparent threat to the public at this time…Officers have one adult male in custody.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Eggs Rescued From Dumpster Result in Chicks — “More than 20 chicks have found homes with veterinary staff after being rescued from a dumpster in Fairfax County, Virginia. Late last week, Fairfax County Animal Protection Police were called to a shopping center in West Falls Church, where over 1,000 eggs had been abandoned in a dumpster.” [WTOP]

Reston Parkway Bridge Repairs Continue — “Motorists can expect delays on Reston Parkway/Route 602 at Sunset Hills Road/Route-675E to continue until Monday afternoon due to emergency bridge work, according to VDOT. A truck traveling southbound on Reston Parkway to the eastbound entrance ramp to the Dulles Toll Road in Reston struck the bridge on Monday morning” [Patch]

Opening Date Set for Lorton Lidl — “The long-awaited Lidl supermarket in Lorton will officially open July 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration…The 30,000 square-foot Lidl will soon be joined by several neighboring retail businesses and a childcare center that are slated to open this fall or winter.” [On the MoVe]

Army Acquisition of Mason Neck Land Halted — The Army had recommended a transfer of 50 acres of public land in the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area “for long-term usage” by horses in its Caisson Platoon, which supports military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Congress dropped the language from its draft defense budget after an outcry from the community. [On the MoVe]

Overhaul of Virginia Education Funding Recommended — “Virginia’s complicated formula for funding K-12 schools needs an overhaul in order for the state to adequately fund public education, according to the results of a major legislative study presented Monday…School divisions receive 14% less funding from the state than the 50-state average, JLARC found, equal to about $1,900 less per student.” [Virginia Mercury]

Overnight Traffic Stops Coming to I-495 — The southbound I-495 collector-distributor road near Georgetown Pike (exit 44) in McLean will be closed in 30-minute increments between midnight to 5 a.m. today (Wednesday) through Friday (July 14). “Following each stoppage, one lane will reopen to clear traffic before the next stoppage is implemented…These traffic stoppages are necessary for crews to remove overhead roadway signs.” [VDOT]

Youngkin Pushes Early Voting for Republicans — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Tuesday rolled out a web portal aimed at encouraging Republicans to register for absentee ballots and vote early in this fall’s legislative elections, embracing many of the voter-access policies enacted by Democrats in the past few years.” [The Washington Post]

Third Week of Traffic Safety Campaign Underway — “Road Shark is a high-visibility and coordinated enforcement and education effort to deter aggressive driving, reduce crashes, and change driving behavior…Last campaign, officers along with our Virginia State Police partners issued over 5,000 citations and warnings.” [FCPD]

Old Commanders Facility in Herndon Sold — “The Washington Commanders’ former Herndon practice facility, which the team left 31 years ago for Ashburn, has sold to the owner of a planned data center campus across the street.” The property at 13832 Redskin Drive was purchased for $25 million by “an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, which in 2021 earned Fairfax County’s OK to develop a 2.2 million-square-foot, four-building data center campus on adjacent…land.” [Washington Business Journal]

Over 20,000 Speeders Caught by School Zone Cameras — “Thousands of drivers have been caught speeding in the months since speed cameras were placed in school zones near eight Fairfax County…schools, according to police data obtained by WTOP. In total, 23,431 cars were caught going 10 or more miles per hour above the speed limit in April, May and June combined.” [WTOP]

Walt Whitman MS Assistant Punched Student, Police Say — “A 58-year-old teacher’s assistant in Fairfax County is charged with simple assault after allegedly punching a student in the face during an altercation…Investigators claim on the day of the assault, the student began arguing with the teacher and flicked his glasses.” [WUSA9]

Virginia Removes Resources for LGBTQ Youth — “The administration of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) quietly took down LGBTQ+ youth resources from a state website after a conservative media outlet questioned the links, records show, building on a pattern of removals derided by public health employees who say their work is being politicized.” [The Washington Post]

Fair Lakes Decor Store to Close — “World Market in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center is supposed to close on July 15, but will likely close sooner because the store is running out of inventory…World Market may be replaced by Savers Value Village, a thrift store chain that trades on the New York Stock Exchange.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

TGI Friday’s Might Leave Fair Lakes — “Bradenton, Florida-based First Watch on June 26 filed a food establishment application for 12249 Fair Lakes Promenade, where Friday’s has operated for roughly the last 15 years.” A spokesperson for First Watch, which serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, confirmed that the restaurant chain has been looking for a Fair Lakes location, but no lease has been signed yet. [Washington Business Journal]

Thousands in D.C. Area Disenrolled From Medicaid — “Thousands across the D.C.area have lost Medicaid coverage in recent months, as pandemic protections that allowed people to stay enrolled without reapplying came to a close. Known as ‘Medicaid unwinding,’ states are resuming annual Medicaid eligibility reviews, meaning many thousands more may lose their insurance over the next year.” [DCist]