However, the pause won’t bring relief to Vienna and Dunn Loring, where the utility will finish clearing trees and brush along a 4-mile section of trail in conjunction with a transmission line replacement between its Clark and Idylwood substations, Dominion Senior Vice President of Electric Transmission Joseph Woomer said yesterday in a letter to the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority (NOVA Parks).
The Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Jared Serre)
Fairfax County officials plan to put additional millions in fiscal reserves as they brace for the economic fallout from Trump administration policies to take hold.
County staff are recommending that the Board of Supervisors allocate $2.4 million more for reserves, with an additional $8.1 million available that also could be sent there or used to address other priorities.
An Orange Line train pulls into the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
For the immediate future at least, further expansion of rail lines across the D.C. region is likely to take a back seat to more modest upgrades to transit service moving forward.
That seemed to be a consensus, albeit not a unanimous one, as members of the regional DMV Moves task force met Monday (March 24) to narrow options for improving the area’s transit — and paying for a Metro system that’s now estimated to cost between $450 million and $600 million more per year.
Sola Salons at Plaza America in Reston (courtesy Sola Salons)
A national beauty salon chain has expanded its local presence in Fairfax County just in time for prom and wedding season.
Sola Salon Studios recently welcomed locations in Reston and Chantilly to its roster with grand openings on March 17 and 24, respectively. Both salons are corporate-owned but offer suites for lease to independent barbers, hair stylists and other beauty professionals.
A bicyclist passes the Vienna Community Center on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Federal Grant Funds Pulled From CovidPrograms — “The federal government is withdrawing up to $425 million in grant funding for several COVID-related programs operated by the Virginia Department of Health. The cuts have already led to ongoing layoffs and the early cancellation of existing contracts across the state.” [Virginia Public Media]
Families of DCA Crash Victims Plan to Sue — “An attorney now representing more than a half dozen families of victims of the Flight 5342 tragedy says his firm is ready to file suit against the federal government the moment a six-month review period is up.” The lawsuits from seven families will target the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Army. [WUSA9]
Bill Protecting Reproductive Health Data Signed — “Public concerns about menstrual health data privacy have flared in Virginia since the overturn of federal abortion protections and changes to state laws relating to the procedure. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has helped put some of those fears at bay by signing Senate Bill 754 by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Fairfax.” [Virginia Mercury]
Gubernatorial Candidates on Federal Job Cuts — “In what could be a preview of public debates on the campaign trail in Virginia’s race for the governorship this year, the leading candidates from both parties spoke with WTOP about the sweeping federal job cuts being carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration — and how they might affect Virginia.” [WTOP]
Lane Closures on Route 28 Start Next Week — “Weather permitting, Route 28 (Centreville Road) will have daytime single-lane closures at the Fairfax County/Prince William County line Mondays through Thursdays from Monday, March 31 through Thursday, April 24 for repairs to the bridge over Bull Run.” [VDOT]
Indian Restaurant Chain Eyes Fairfax Location — “An Indian restaurant chain called Hyderabad House is planning its first Northern Virginia location in Fairfax County. Hyderabad House will be taking over the space vacated by the Pho Golden Express restaurant … in the Fairfax Court shopping center off Fairfax Boulevard and Waples Mill Road.” [The Burn]
Vienna Seeks Feedback on Parks Plan — “Heads up! The Town wants to hear your thoughts about the future of Vienna Parks and Recreation! Head to the community meeting [today], March 27, at 6 p.m. at Vienna Community Center and don’t forget to take the online survey.” The draft parks master plan can be found on the town’s website. [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
Reminder Not to Interfere With Wildlife — “Every spring, Fairfax County’s animal protection police and wildlife management office get lots of calls about young wildlife that appear to be orphaned or abandoned. In most cases, these baby animals are not in danger and people should leave them alone.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Thursday — The weather will be mostly sunny with temperatures reaching near 60 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph and gusts reaching up to 18 mph. In the evening, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 44 degrees and southwest winds at approximately 6 mph. [NWS]
Townhouses along Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Hundreds of residents around Lake Anne in Reston are facing new uncertainty over how they will cool down their homes as the weather heats up.
SpringRELAC, a resident-run nonprofit, announced yesterday (Tuesday) that its authority to operate the central air-conditioning system that provides chilled water from the man-made lake to surrounding properties hasn’t been renewed for the 2025 season.
The Extended Stay America hotel at 3997 Fair Ridge Drive is planned for conversion into an emergency shelter (via Google Maps)
April will bring a major restructuring of facilities serving those experiencing homelessness across Fairfax County.
The county is on track to open its Fair Ridge Family Shelter, located in a converted hotel in Sully District, on Tuesday, April 1, staff told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a housing committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Glasgow Middle School in Lincolnia (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Update — The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously at its March 27 meeting to approve Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson’s motion for a pilot program to test later middle school start times.
Earlier: As the Fairfax County School Board continues weighing its options for bumping back middle school class times, one member says she wants to give her district a head start.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, of Reston has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting Joseph Ryan on Feb. 24, 2023 (courtesy FCPD)
The sentencing hearing for an au pair who pleaded guilty over her role in a 2023 double murder has been rescheduled for later this year.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, the 24-year-old au pair believed to have shot and killed a Springfield man as part of a plot with a Herndon man who allegedly wanted to get rid of his wife, will now be sentenced on Dec. 19, according to court records.
Entering Lake Anne Plaza in Reston next to Just Cats Clinic (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Federal Layoffs May Be Affecting Home Sales — Turmoil in the federal workforce may have impacted last month’s home sales across Virginia, which were down 9% year-over-year to 6,129. “February’s slowdown in sales could be an early signal that there is some hesitancy in some of our regional markets due to growing concerns around federal employment,” Virginia Realtors chief economist Ryan Price said. [Virginia Realtors]
Drivers in Viral Tysons Street Race Found Guilty — “The drivers involved in a viral street race video in Fairfax County were convicted Monday of multiple charges. A traffic divisions court judge found [a 48-year-old man from Vienna and a 38-year-old man from Sterling] guilty of reckless driving and stopping on a highway.” [WUSA9]
Recreational Weed Sales Bill Vetoed — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin has again vetoed legislation that would have allowed people to buy cannabis in Virginia for recreational use. The General Assembly passed bills from Del. Paul Krizek (D–Fairfax) and state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) … aimed to establish a regulated and taxed recreational cannabis marketplace with retail sales starting in May 2026.” [Virginia Public Media]
Fentanyl Testing Bill Named After Local Teen to Become Law — “After Absolon and Thurraya Kent of Annandale lost their 17-year-old son, Malcolm, to a drug overdose two years ago, they discovered he could have been saved if the hospital had tested him for fentanyl poisoning.” Del. Irene Shin’s bill, signed on March 21 by Youngkin, will require emergency rooms to test for fentanyl as part of urine screenings. [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Considers Tree Planting Requirements — “Falls Church officials are considering requiring future commercial developers to meet minimum tree-planting requirements. The number of projects that any change could impact might be small, however.” [ARLnow]
Herndon Names New CommunicationsHead — “The Town of Herndon has named Brent M. Heavner as chief communications officer. Heavner replaces Anne Papa, who is retiring from the town after more than 19 years of dedicated service.” Most recently a communications lead for the U.S. Education Department, Heavner will officially join the town on April 14. [Town of Herndon]
Historic GMU Basketball Seasons Conclude — George Mason University’s female basketball team saw its first-ever March Madness experience come to a quick end on Saturday (March 22) with a 94-59 loss to Florida State. After a record 15 A-10 wins, the men’s team beat the Sanford Bulldogs last week in the National Invitational Tournament but lost to Bradley 75-67 in the second round. [GMU]
Fire Department Hands Out Smoke Alarms — “Over the weekend, #FCFRD joined multiple county partners to install 160 smoke alarms and increase the safety of 193 residents at Penn Daw Terrace … This collaborative effort improved fire safety and strengthened community resilience, ensuring residents are better protected and informed with various prevention, safety, and resource information.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of around 56 degrees. The day will be breezy as a northwest wind increases to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon, with gusts reaching up to 36 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low of approximately 35 degrees. [NWS]
