An American flag waves in the wind outside Great Falls Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Poll Worker Removed for Citizenship Question — Fairfax County’s Office of Elections removed a poll worker from the Franconia Governmental Center’s early voting site who asked an elementary school principal to show proof of her citizenship — a violation of state law. Liza Burrell-Aldana, once named principal of the year by the Washington Post, believes she was questioned because she looks and sounds Latina. [Washington Post]

Man Charged With Assault on Dulles Flight — A man has been charged with felony assault after allegedly punching another passenger “repeatedly in the face and head” during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport. An FBI agent says the attack against the sleeping passenger on Monday, Oct. 28 was unprovoked. [Associated Press/WTOP]

How County Is Ensuring Security of Election — With Election Day here, the Fairfax County Office of Elections offered a breakdown of the steps it takes to ensure “every vote is accurately recorded, safely stored and properly counted. From safeguarding ballots and voting machines to conducting post-election canvassing, the county’s Office of Elections prioritizes security at every step.” [Fairfax County Government]

Local Restaurants Offer Election Day Specials — “Make the most of Election Day by picking up a few free treats and special deals just for voters. Here’s where you can find food and drink specials on November 5.” Offers include a free nonalcoholic drink from Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Chantilly and Fair Oaks, and a themed cocktail from Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in McLean. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Trail Proposed Along GW Parkway — “A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is hoping recent controversy over tree-clearing along the Potomac River leads to creative thinking about the future.” The group suggested that the National Park Service create a trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s full Arlington County length. [ARLnow]

Buyer Search Underway for Vacant Annandale Building — “There is a lot of interest in the vacant property on Columbia Pike next to the Giant parking lot. But don’t expect anything to happen any time soon. The 1-acre site is available for a ground lease or sale for $3.5 million, says Craig Cheney with KLNB.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Coffee Shop Opens Loudoun Expansion — “The new Shotted Specialty Coffee shop coming to Loudoun County has announced that its grand opening will be this coming Friday, November 8. They have already started a soft opening and busy brewing.” The cafe can be found in Fairfax County at both Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. [The Burn]

It’s Tuesday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. [NWS]


News

Virginia’s plan to widen I-495 with privately financed, toll-based express lanes in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge corridor continues to get a decidedly mixed reception from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

On one side of the debate, Board Chairman Jeff McKay believes the project is “essential,” but he conceded at a meeting of the board’s transportation committee last Tuesday (Oct. 29) that “not everyone feels that way.”


News

Beneath a bustling stretch of Fairfax County Parkway lies a little-known wildlife crossing that might hold the key to reducing animal-vehicle collisions in Virginia.

Last Wednesday (Oct. 30), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and State Sen. David Marsden (D-35) toured the underpass nestled between Davison Army Airfield and Fort Belvoir. Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles.


Countywide

Fairfax County’s unemployment rate saw little movement in year-over-year in new data, while those seeking to rent apartments across the county are likely to be paying more than they would have a year before.

The new figures represent employment conditions recorded in September and housing costs in October.


News

Fairfax County police are turning to the public for help identifying a man who allegedly tried to burglarize several homes in Reston’s Edgewater neighborhood.

Police determined that the incidents were connected after responding to a report of a burglary at a townhome in the 12000 block of Edgemere Circle on Oct. 2, at 6:50 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department says.


An aerial view of the Reston Town Center skyline in early November, taken by a drone (photo by Chris Carlson of DullesDrone.com)

‘Ghost Gun’ Seller Settles Lawsuit over Fatal Shooting — “The sellers of a ‘ghost gun’ kit that a Fairfax County teenager used to build a working pistol, and then kill two of his classmates, agreed Friday to pay more than $2 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of the slain teens.” [Washington Post]

Alleged Drivers in Tysons Street Race Arrested — “Two drivers featured in a video of an illegal street race posted on social media were identified and arrested, according to the Fairfax County Police Department… A Tesla Cybertruck and Lamborghini illegally raced Oct. 13 near Leesburg Pike and Westwood Center Drive in Tysons, authorities said.” [Patch]

Safety Watchdog Sues Metro Agency — “The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission sued Metro on Thursday, alleging that WMATA authorities, who operate D.C. Metrorail and Metrobus, did not hand over information related to its workers’ safety, including a required asbestos program.” [WUSA9]

Fairfax Man Convicted Based on Drone Footage — “A Virginia man was found guilty of second-degree assault in Montgomery County after a jury trial where drone footage from Montgomery County’s Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program showed him stabbing a man in Silver Spring. This case marks the county’s first jury conviction using drone evidence.” [MoCo Show]

Local TV News Anchor to Retire — “Longtime DC-area news anchor Dave Lucas will step down from the anchor desk this month to retire, 7News/WJLA-TV announced in a news release [Friday]. Lucas, the weekday anchor of WJLA’s 24/7 news at noon and the afternoon editions between 2 and 5 p.m., will host his final afternoon newscast on November 22.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Sample of Early Voters in Annandale Favors Harris — “With the election just two days away, we dropped by the Mason Government Center on Saturday, the last day of early voting, to ask random people who they were voting for for president. We then asked them to give a reason in one or two sentences.” [Annandale Today]

Park Authority Proposes Fee Changes — The Fairfax County Park Authority is accepting public comments on proposed adjustments to the fees it charges for use of its golf courses, rec centers and other facilities. Currently under review by the park authority board, the changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. [FCPA]

It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high near 63, and a light southeast wind between 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Monday night brings patchy fog between 1 am and 4 am, but it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and a southeast wind at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]


Countywide

Those with disabilities would see more accessible parking spaces connected to new development under new rules vetted Wednesday (Oct. 30) by the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

The body voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a proposal to tweak accessible-parking ratios. Instead of the current minimum of one Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking space for every 25 spaces in a lot or garage, the ratio would be changed to one for every 15.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors will advocate for data center regulation to be a primary focus of the General Assembly’s 2025 legislative agenda.

Board members expressed support this week for several new recommendations from county staff aimed at granting state agencies and local governments broader authority to regulate data centers, including increased oversight of their environmental impacts.


News

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago is again on trial in a federal courtroom after a long-awaited civil case earlier this year ended with a hung jury.


Countywide

Fairfax County is inviting residents to turn their post-Halloween jack-o’-lanterns from holiday decor to “compost gold” at this year’s Pumpkin Palooza.

Through Nov. 15, the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program is accepting used pumpkins and gourds for composting at the I-95 Landfill Complex (850 Furnace Road) and the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road).


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