Justice High School cafeteria staff prepare meals for distribution to students during a snow day (courtesy Donnie Biggs/FCPS)
The Trump administration’s plan to freeze federal spending could’ve disrupted free and reduced-price meals for thousands of students if it had taken effect, according to Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid.
The directive, issued Monday (Jan. 27), ordered federal agencies to halt grants, loans, and other aid and review federal financial assistance programs to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, which has prioritized cutting government spending and scaling back diversity and equity efforts, among other goals.
Bare trees line the path to the “Ascent” sculpture at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Airplane and Helicopter Crash at National Airport — “A massive emergency response is on scene of an aircraft crash in the water near Reagan National Airport. A military helicopter and a regional jet with about 60 people on board collided mid-air, according to an FAA statement and initial reports.” A military spokesperson said the helicopter was on a training flight from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir. [ARLnow]
McLean Woman Killed in Ballston Crash — Arlington County police identified 32-year-old Xuewei He of McLean as the woman who died in a four-vehicle crash at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road on Monday (Jan. 27). Charges are pending against a pickup truck driver who was hospitalized with serious injuries from the crash. [ARLnow]
Youngkin Defends Attempted Federal Funding Freeze — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had a message early Wednesday for everyone claiming President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again, on-again freeze on trillions of dollars in federal spending would create chaos: Get over it — this is what people want.” [Washington Post]
Shrinking Federal Government Could Upend Region — “For all of the IT, education, healthcare, and service industry activity in the DMV, [GMU researcher Terry] Clower says, the region’s economy is still starkly dominated by the federal government, its contractors, and the jobs they create. Massive reductions in federal jobs could hit DC like the closure of steel mills hit Midwestern company towns.” [Washingtonian]
Surviving Dogs From Crash That Killed Pilot Find Homes — “Two dogs that survived an animal-rescue flight crash that killed the pilot have found new homes as the late aviator’s friends work to honor him by helping more pets, a shelter director said Wednesday. The Nov. 24 crash in New York’s Catskill Mountains killed Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, a dedicated volunteer who transported cats and dogs from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters to rescue groups.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Doggie Day Care Opening in Lincolnia — “Playful Pack, a new daycare and boarding center for dogs, opens in Barcroft Plaza on Feb. 3. The community is invited to an open house on Saturday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.” at the center, which will be located at 6464-C Lincolnia Road. [Annandale Today]
Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer to Midnight — “Humanity is closer than ever to catastrophe, according to the atomic scientists behind the Doomsday Clock. The ominous metaphor ticked one second closer to midnight this week. The clock now stands just 89 seconds away — its first move in two years and the closest the clock come to midnight in its nearly eight-decade history.” [NPR]
County Launches Environmental Sustainability Campaign — “A new county-sponsored public awareness campaign draws attention to actions that residents can take to foster environmental stewardship and promote sustainable practices that will ensure a greener, healthier future. The county’s ‘Sustain Fairfax’ campaign makes it easy for residents to get involved.” [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 48, with light winds becoming southwest at 5-7 mph in the morning. Thursday night will bring rain, primarily after 1 am, with a low of around 40 and a south wind at 6-9 mph. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, with potential rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]
The champion Langley team (courtesy of Langley athletics)
Girls wrestling continues growing as a high-school sport in Northern Virginia, and the Langley Saxons recently won the initial Liberty District tournament.
The Worldgate Drive and Centreville Road intersection in Herndon (via Google Maps)
Police are investigating a shooting in the area near the Worldgate Shopping Center in Herndon.
Officers with the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County police departments were dispatched to the 2100 block of Centreville Road around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 29), though there was some confusion about where exactly the reported shooting occurred.
Power lines connected to Reston substation (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Fairfax County is proposing new zoning regulations for utility substations that could limit where they can be built and impose stricter standards on projects near residential neighborhoods.
The draft amendments, discussed at a Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 28), aim to address community concerns about the noise and industrial appearance of substations, while accommodating the region’s growing energy needs, zoning administrative staff said.
Reston Hospital Center staff cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of a new inpatient cancer treatment unit (courtesy HCA Virginia)
The future will bring new services and, potentially, a brand-new facility to Reston Hospital Center.
The hospital opened a new, 8-room unit for patients receiving cancer treatment on Dec. 20, 2024, completing the first phase of an expansion of its oncology program, HCA Virginia Health System announced last Thursday (Jan. 23).
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity (photo via patherrity.org)
It hasn’t taken long for Fairfax County’s own Pat Herrity to become the GOP’s top fundraiser in the lieutenant governor race.
The 64-year-old’s campaign announced more than $200,000 in total contributions within a week of its Jan. 3 launch, handily surpassing the $645.53 raised by Williamsburg businessman John Curran, who was the first Republican to declare his candidacy for Virginia’s second-highest statewide office.
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A Fairfax Connector bus passes the Idylwood Towers Condominiums (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Federal Workers Offered “Buyouts” — “The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is offering buyouts to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed.” [Associated Press]
FCPS Teachers Fear Possible ICE Arrests of Students — “David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said educators are concerned about the ripple effects … He’s unaware of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visiting Fairfax County schools in the last week, and anecdotally, he hasn’t heard about teachers reporting an unexpected number of absences since the policy switch was announced.” [WTOP]
Bill Would Update Commanders’ Name in Virginia Code — “Legislation to officially remove ‘Washington Redskins’ from the Code of Virginia and replace it with ‘Washington Commanders’ took a step forward Tuesday, advancing to the full House Transportation Committee … House Bill 2721, sponsored by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, aims to update state law regarding special license plates for team supporters.” [Virginia Mercury]
Tysons Software Company Might Be Rebranding — Microstrategy, which has spent the past few years buying cryptocurrency, filed a plan with Fairfax County on Friday (Jan. 24) “to replace the exterior ‘MicroStrategy’ building sign at its 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza headquarters with a new sign that reads StrategyB — a clear reference to the business’s transformation into a bitcoin bank.” [Washington Business Journal]
Metro Launches Food Donation Drive — “Metro is inviting the public to participate in the ‘Fill-A-Bus’ campaign to drive out hunger and food insecurities in the region.” Aiming to collect enough food and raise enough money for the Capital Area Food Bank to provide about 41,000 meals, Metro will park a bus outside Giant Food stores across the region, including the one in Annandale (7137 Columbia Pike) on Feb. 13. [WMATA]
Fairfax City Hall Gets Landscaping Makeover — “Fairfax City is beginning the landscape and hardscape improvements to the front of the City Hall building, 10455 Armstrong Street, as of Jan. 27.” Expected to finish this summer, the project “includes expanding the landscaping area in front of the City Hall and replacing the stairs leading to Armstrong Street and upgrading lighting and irrigation.” [City of Fairfax]
Local Firefighters Donate Blood — “#FCFRD partnered with @IAFF2068 and Inova to host a blood drive for department members at Public Safety Headquarters. Thanks to everyone who gave their time and blood to help save lives right here in our community!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Community Excited for New Mount Vernon Rec Center — “The Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) Jan. 23 community information meeting on the reopening of the Mount Vernon Rec Center was so popular that the parking lot quickly filled up at Belle View Elementary School … Overall, community members seem to be excited about the renovated $70 million facility.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 56 degrees, accompanied by breezy conditions, including a west wind blowing at 13 to 23 mph and gusts reaching up to 44 mph. The night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 30 degrees, a northwest wind at 8 to 16 mph, and gusts peaking at 30 mph. [NWS]
Update: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s order freezing federal grants and loans minutes before it was set to take effect at 5 p.m.
Earlier: Fairfax County officials are scrambling to assess how a new federal directive halting financial aid programs might impact local services and capital projects.
