morning notes

In-Person Black Friday Returns — “Over at Tysons Corner in Virginia the parking lot gave you an idea of what to expect inside the mall. ‘Parking is insane,’ said Alisha McDougal. One shopper tells us it took 30 minutes to find a spot. For some, the traffic and congestion was worth it.” [FOX5]

Teen Indicted in West Falls Church Fatal Shooting — “A grand jury indicted a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting a Fairfax County man at an ATM last year. Winston Lark IV is accused of shooting and killing 73-year-old Nelson Alexander in October 2021.” [NBC4]

Thanksgiving Closures — Fairfax County government offices will be closed tomorrow and Friday (Nov. 25), though some facilities like the county rec centers will only close for Thanksgiving Day. Fairfax Connector buses will operate Sunday service tomorrow and holiday weekday service Friday, while Metro will have a Sunday schedule tomorrow and resume regular service Friday.

Person Dies in Lincolnia House Fire — “One person was found dead inside a home following a fire in Fairfax County, Virginia, late Monday night. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire on Monday night in the 6600 block of Pine Road in the Lincolnia area.” [WTOP]

I-66 Express Lanes Fully Open Today — “The eastbound direction of the new 66 Express Lanes from Route 28 in Centreville to I-495 (Capital Beltway) is on track to open on Tuesday, Nov. 22…When this final section opens, the entire 22.5-mile 66 Express Lanes corridor from Route 29 in Gainesville to I-495 will be open with tolling and HOV-2+ rules in effect.” [VDOT]

Mini Satellite Built by TJ Students Going to Space — “On Tuesday, November 22, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, NASA is scheduled to launch the TJ REVERB CubeSat as part of the SpaceX-26 Commercial Resupply Service Mission en route to the International Space Station…Led by Robotics lab director Kristen Kucko, many students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology have had a hand in this historic launch.” [FCPS]

County Chair Reacts to Club Q Mass Shooting — “I want to be unequivocal: I stand with our LGBTQIA+ community. The repugnant violence we saw in Colorado Springs has no place in society. We will never give in to the forces of hate or oppression. My heart breaks for the victims and their families.” [Jeff McKay/Twitter]

Developer Hopes to Obtain Land for Housing at Innovation Station — “While the details haven’t been hammered out, Peterson hopes the county would sell or ground lease its parcel for some nominal price, Taylor Chess, Peterson’s president of development, said in an interview. Such a deal would help to make the project economically viable over the long haul” [Washington Business Journal]

Tysons ID Verification Company Under Investigation — ID.me may have misled the public and Congress with “baseless claims” that the U.S. lost $400 billion to fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims. A House subcommittee says new evidence suggests the company used claims of “rampant” fraud “to increase demand” for its services, making it harder for those who needed aid to receive it. [Gizmodo]

Mixed Bag for Metro — “New Silver Line riders, an increase in train availability, shorter wait times and an apparent decrease in fare evasion provided tempered optimism to Metro leaders in the face of a new financial snapshot Thursday that showed rail ridership continuing to struggle…Metro said it recorded about 7,000 trips Tuesday at the new Silver Line stations.” [The Washington Post]

Reminder: I-495 Exit to Toll Road Changes Today — “Beginning on or about November 17, drivers traveling on northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) to westbound Dulles Toll Road will take an earlier exit, rather than the existing left exit (Exit 45), which is closing to allow room for construction of a new, replacement I-495 bridge over the Dulles Toll Road ramps.” [VDOT]

FCPS Considers Changes to Grading Policies — Fairfax County Public Schools is considering altering its high school grading policy for the first time in five years “after principals reported variation in grading processes from school to school.” Possible changes include whether to continue with a 100-point scale or shift to “a standards-based scale,” and how to determine a student’s final grade. [WTOP]

Developers Hope Silver Line Opening Will Boost Activity — “Officials responsible for building and operating the 11.4-mile, $3 billion extension…have insisted that it will spark and sustain considerable development…For developers, they’re hoping those words ring true, that it supercharges multimillion-dollar investments they’ve bet on, but also brings more riders back to the office from previously hard-to-reach residences” [Washington Business Journal]

Herndon Election Results Certified — The Fairfax County Board of Elections has certified the results of the Nov. 8 contests, cementing Herndon Mayor Sheila Olem’s reelection. Town Council candidate Stevan M. Porter fell just 119 votes short of Donielle Scherff, one of five victors, but said he won’t call for a recount. [Patch]

Silver Line Phase II Arrives — “The #SilverLineExtension opens [today]! We’ll be live streaming our opening event celebration on 11/15 at 10:30 am and we’d love for you to tune in virtually. Check back here in the morning or visit http://wmata.com/silverline around 10:30 to join the excitement. Let’s #RIDESILVER!” [WMATA/Twitter]

Hunter Mill District Supervisor on UVA Shooting — “Once again we are rocked by a senseless shooting at a Virginia school. As a proud graduate of @UVA I am devastated for the school and the whole UVA community. We must find a way to work together to prevent these recurring tragedies and end gun violence.” [Walter Alcorn/Twitter]

Accessibility of New Silver Line Stations Still Lacking — “As Metro prepares to open six new rail stations in Northern Virginia, some future passengers are expressing dismay over their limited access for pedestrians and cyclists. While they say they are pleased with station amenities…they see room for more improvements that could provide better connections to the transit points that don’t rely on vehicles.” [Virginia Mercury]

Tysons Sees Slow Progress on Walkability — “Fairfax leaders say plenty of Tysons-area residents are frustrated that walking and cycling doesn’t feel safer or easier. Still, public officials say, the area is showing potential. It will take more time, they say, to find a balance between moving thousands of vehicles and creating space for what they hope will be a growing number of pedestrians and cyclists.” [The Washington Post]

Last Day to Compete for Silver Line Tickets — The deadline to win one of 50 “Silver Tickets” to ride the first train on Metro’s extended Silver Line is 5 p.m. today. The tickets will go to 50 customers who share their favorite Metro story while tagging @wmata and using #YourMetroMemory. [WMATA/Twitter]

McLean Double Murder Conviction Vacated — A judge vacated Megan Hargan’s conviction yesterday after her attorneys alleged a juror “had inappropriately used her own rifle at home to test out evidence.” Hargan was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found her guilty of killing her mother and sister at their McLean home in 2017. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office intends to retry the case. [The Washington Post]