morning notes

Cats Rescued From Reston House Fire — Two people were displaced by a house fire in the 2300 block of Whitetail Court that started around 12:16 p.m. on April 29 due to an “electrical event involving a power strip” in a second-floor bedroom. Firefighters rescued two cats from the house, which totaled about $50,000 in damages. [FCFRD]

Homelessness Rates Rise Across D.C. Area — “The metropolitan Washington region experienced an 18% increase in homelessness between January 2022 and January 2023, the region’s Council of Governments announced Wednesday.” All nine jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, saw a rise, which is “pretty unprecedented,” COG’s housing program manager said. [DCist]

County Board Officially Adopts New Budget — “Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a budget that lowers the property tax rate for homeowners and gives county employees raises, part of a larger effort to combat the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on Northern Virginia.” [The Washington Post]

Terrorism Investigation Leads to Raid of Springfield Apartment — FBI agents recently raided an apartment on Kingsford Road and arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of providing financial support to ISIS members. Court documents filed on May 4 indicate that Mohammed Chhipa had been under investigation since 2021. [FOX5]

Police Begin Speed Enforcement Campaign — “Officers from our district stations & traffic division will be conducting our ’50 means 50′ campaign on the Fairfax County Parkway from May 8-May 12. Drivers can expect extra attention this week as we seek to educate drivers, enforce good driving behavior, & reduce crashes.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Local Man Sentenced to Prison for Capitol Breach — “Hatchet Speed, 42, of Vienna, was sentenced to four years in prison by a judge in DC federal court” for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He “was previously sentenced to three years in prison in a gun silencer case in Virginia federal court.” [Patch]

ZMOD Recommended by Planning Commission Again — After being struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court, Fairfax County’s zoning code overhaul got the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s support on Wednesday (May 3), even as “dozens of residents” voiced “the same complaints raised the first time” it was proposed. Concerns included allowances for data centers and accessory living units. [Annandale Today]

Fairfax City Introduces Solar-Powered Port-a-Potties — “Now open in Old Town Square and Van Dyck Park, Throne bathrooms bring the feeling of an indoor bathroom out into the parks. Thrones are ADA-accessible, are run by solar-power, have no touch entry and exit, changing tables, no touch flush, and running water!” [Fairfax City Parks and Recreation/Facebook]

Democratic Candidates to Replace Ken Plum Sound Off — “Four Democrats running to represent Reston in the Virginia House of Delegates squared off Tuesday night during a candidate forum at the Reston Community Center — Lake Anne.” Topics ranged from education funding to protections for the LGBTQ community. [Patch]

Arrest for Armed Robbery and Carjacking in Penn Daw — “A 19-year-old Woodbridge man has been arrested and is facing several charges after robbing one person and carjacking another late Monday night, officers said. Officers with the Fairfax County Police Department say just before midnight they responded to Furman Lane, off of South Kings Highway…after a report of a robbery.” [WUSA9]

Police Release Video of Fairfax County Parkway Crash — “Heart-stopping police dash-camera footage shows an out-of-control car spin across a median and hit a stopped car and an officer making a traffic stop in Fairfax County… 17-year-old driver going ‘well over 120 mph’ in a 2018 BMW M3 caused the crash, Chief Kevin Davis said.” [NBC4]

Vienna Councilmember Won’t Seek Reelection — “Steve Potter, who has served on the Council for two terms, said on May 1 he would not be joining the fray in the November election.” The first council member to announce his intentions, he cited health challenges from “living with the effects of diabetes and esophageal cancer and…undergoing immuno-therapy for leukemia.” [Gazette Leader]

Tax Rate Decrease on Table for County Budget — “The Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on a budget mark-up that provides a lower real estate tax rate but doesn’t fully cancel out the impact of increased assessment values. Pay increases for county employees are also provided in the budget.” [Patch]

Local Man Gets 10 Years for Fatal Crash — “A 45-year-old Fairfax County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last Thursday for a 2022 crash on Duke Street that killed a Fairfax County man and injured four others…[Carlos] McKethan, who drove a silver SUV, was high on Phencyclidine (PCP) when he attempted to pass a bus at 110 miles per hour.” [ALXnow]

FCPS Scales Back Falls Church HS Expansion — “The renovation and expansion of Falls Church High School, currently underway, is going to cost millions of dollars more than anticipated. As a result, some aspects of the original plan will be eliminated, and completion of the project has been pushed back a full year — from summer 2025 to summer 2026.” [Annandale Today]

Fairfax Runner Banned from Triathlons — “Collin Chartier, the triathlon champion who grew up in Fairfax and has strong ties to NoVA, has been banned from the sport for three years for taking a banned substance…Chartier admitted on Instagram to taking the drug and said he has no plans to return to the sport.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Arlington Residents Suing Over “Missing Middle” Look to zMOD Ruling — “The Virginia Supreme Court forced Fairfax to revert to an older zoning code because of this procedural misstep prior to the new laws taking effect. The 10 plaintiffs in the Missing Middle suit say it is a point in their favor, arguing the state Supreme Court signaled it takes seriously procedural violations.” [ARLnow]

New Signage Installed on GW Parkway — A temporary traffic pattern on the George Washington Parkway “has led to some confusion among drivers.” The National Park Service said new signs and barriers would be added to address issues, mostly in the afternoon rush hour, with northbound drivers trying to use the new center lane. [WTOP]