morning notes

Superintendent Addresses Handling of Former Glasgow Counselor — “Fairfax County parent Staci Ali-Ibrahim sat at the end of a long table at Glasgow Middle School Thursday night, and asked Superintendent Michelle Reid why Virginia’s largest school system doesn’t have a clear plan in place to ensure they are notified by law enforcement when a staff member is arrested and charged with a crime.” [WTOP]

Springfield Students Upbeat After First Week of School — “Everyone at Forestdale seems to be having plenty of feelings this week. The prevailing one is joy at being back together again, and hope that this year — the second one back full time after pandemic lockdowns — will be even less disrupted by COVID-19 than the last one.” [DCist]

Former Glasgow MS Counselor Faces New Charge — “A former counselor at a northern Virginia middle school has been charged with providing false information to the state’s sex offender registry. Virginia State Police said they arrested Darren Thornton, 50, on Thursday in Richmond. Thornton’s tenure as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School…has prompted multiple investigations.” [Associated Press/WTOP]

Counselor Conviction Raises Reporting Questions — “Fairfax County leaders and Virginia’s Attorney General are calling for changes after a counselor convicted of sexually soliciting a minor stayed employed at a middle school years after his arrest.” A letter asks the General Assembly to look at “how Virginia handles information sharing regarding the arrest and conviction of people between jurisdictions within the state and across state lines.” [WUSA9]

County Lags Behind Regional Affordable Housing Goals — Producing just under 7,500 new affordable housing units over the past three years, Fairfax County is nearly 5,000 units behind a goal set by the Metropolitan Council of Governments in 2021. Inflation, rising construction costs and “skyrocketing” housing values could complicate the county’s efforts to meet its ambitious target for the next decade. [DCist]

McLean Man Arrested for Soliciting Minor — “Montgomery County police said they believe a Virginia man charged with sexual solicitation of a minor may have solicited other victims. Jose M. Jimenez, 34, of McLean, Virginia, was arrested after starting a social media conversation on Aug. 11 with a Montgomery County detective who was posing as a 15-year-old girl.” [WTOP]

Nine Displaced by Herndon Townhouse Fire — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to a fire in the 2100 block of Monaghan Drive at 5:46 p.m. on Monday (Aug. 22). Investigators determined it was ignited by a malfunctioning electrical circuit above the second-floor bathroom. There were no reported injuries, but the fire displaced nine people and caused about $70,000 in damages. [FCFRD]

Courthouse Road Lane Closed in Vienna — “The southbound traveling lane of Courthouse Road SW (south of Maple Ave and north of Nutley Street SW) will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the preparation of storm, sanitary, and waterline tie-ins. Please use caution when in the area.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

Police Make Arrest in Reston Sexual Assault — “A man is in custody in connection to last night’s sexual assault in Reston. Charges are forthcoming. More information to follow at a press conference planned for [Tuesday] at PSHQ.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Students Return for First Day of School — “There were celebrations across Fairfax County this morning as students greeted their classmates and teachers and administrators welcomed them back to the classroom. Students arrived at Fairfax County schools this morning, excited and ready to learn!” [FCPS, The Washington Post]

Fairfax County Public Schools Kick Off New Year — Led by new Superintendent Michelle Reid, FCPS administrators and staff welcomed students back in a video message. “I can’t wait to see our bright future taking shape in our Fairfax County Public School classrooms as we all come together to learn and innovate this year. Our staff and leadership has been working hard all summer, and believe me, we are ready,” Reid said. [FCPS/YouTube]

Fire Department Investigates Fairfax Area Arson — “Fire Investigators are seeking the public’s help in obtaining information regarding an arson that occurred in the basement of a home under construction sometime between the evening on Monday, August 15, and the early morning on Tuesday, August 16, in the 11500 block of Leehigh Drive in the Fairfax area.” [FCFRD]

I-66 Lane Closure in Vienna Area Starts Tonight — “The left travel lane on I-66 East between Cedar Lane and I-495 will be closed beginning around 9 p.m. Friday, August 19, through 5 a.m. Thursday, August 25, to allow for continued construction of the future I-66 Express Lanes…Drivers should plan for traffic delays and consider alternative routes during this period.” [VDOT]

Superintendent Says FCPS Prepared for New School Year, Despite Gaps in Staff — “Out of the 15,000 teachers employed by FCPS, about 150 of them are part of the residency program. But a look at Fairfax County openings still shows a lot. By our count, more than 350. The county says that where they still have vacancies, central office staff with teacher licenses will be asked to cover until a permanent teacher has been hired.” [WUSA9]

Silver Line Phase 2 Drill Held Up by Rust — “Metro’s Silver Line is set to start running farther into Northern Virginia soon after years of project delays — but rust on the rails delayed an emergency drill Wednesday in Ashburn. Crews were set to simulate a real-life emergency starting at 8 a.m…Safety devices could not be installed quickly, and the drill was delayed more than two hours.” [NBC4]

Off-Campus GMU Students Moving in May Affect Traffic — “City of Fairfax Police are advising residents and commuters that The Flats on University will be moving in their residents on Friday, August 22. Move in begins at 7:30 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m…One section of Democracy Lane will be one way starting at the intersection of University and Democracy Lane.” [Fairfax City Police/Twitter]