By OLIVIA DIAZ and MARC LEVY Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Nearly two decades ago, Virginia gave tech companies a tax break on equipment and software, and they began to build. The state became a data center hub, and they kept building. Residents bemoaned the noise while they built some more. Artificial intelligence boomed, and the power grid strained — still, more building.
Fairfax County officials are seeking input on how to allocate millions of dollars in funding for improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) unveiled a list of proposed projects last month and is now actively accepting survey responses until 4:30 p.m. on March 31.
Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe is officially running for Congress.
The onetime state department official and wife of former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced today (Wednesday) that she will campaign for the proposed 7th Congressional District seat, which would include Annandale, Burke, West Springfield, West Falls Church and Pimmit Hills in Fairfax County.
Nearly three years after a medical emergency abruptly halted a community meeting on the topic, Reston Association is reviving its consideration of a possible renaming of Lake Audubon.
The homeowners’ association anticipates holding a new community meeting to gather input on the proposal later this spring, while staff finalize a policy establishing a formal process for changing amenity names.
Fairfax County is teaming up with the Arbor Day Foundation to give away free trees to residents as part of its efforts to nurture the local tree canopy.
Starting today (Tuesday), all county residents can sign up online to receive up to two one-gallon trees that will be delivered directly to their homes, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services’ (DPWES) Urban and Community Forestry Division.
Assault Weapons Ban Heads to Governor — “Virginia is one step closer to enacting an assault weapons ban. The Senate is sending a bill to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) desk on Monday that would make it illegal to sell, purchase, import, manufacture or transfer assault weapons in Virginia starting on July 1, 2026, with some exceptions.” [WRIC]
Gambling Commission Push Stalls — “A Virginia Senate committee killed a House bill that would create an independent body to regulate various gambling industries Monday, as state lawmakers seek to corral the sprawling industry.” A separate Senate bill currently being negotiated by members of both General Assembly chambers would instead hand most regulatory authority over gaming to the Virginia Lottery. [VPM Media]
Rarely Seen Bird Spotted in Great Falls Park — “Since a birder named Phil Kenny first discovered a female red-flanked bluetail in a tree just off the Capital Beltway on New Year’s Day, crowds of visitors have flocked to Great Falls Park — where the bird has been living for the past three months — to try to catch a glimpse. Locals young and old, plus bird nerds from as far away as Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, Michigan and Florida have all showed up with binoculars in tow.” [Washington Post]
Va. Could Clear Way for Plug-In Solar Panels — “Bills allowing for portable solar generation devices are nearing the finish line to be sent to the governor’s desk.” Led by Fairfax State Sen. Scott Surovell and Del. Paul Krizek, the bills prevent landlords with “more than four rental dwellings from prohibiting the use of balcony solar panels.” [Virginia Mercury]
Annandale Masonic Lodge for Sale — “The Elmer Timberman Masonic Lodge is selling its building at 6911 Columbia Pike in Annandale. The Masons only use it for monthly meetings. They own the building but they’re finding it hard to keep up with maintenance expenses” after a slowdown in event rentals post-Covid. [Annandale Today]
Vietnamese Eatery Launches at Tysons Galleria — “At his upscale restaurant Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien and his team reimagine Vietnamese food with modern dishes like mochi beignets with fresh eel or green-curry sponge cake. But at his new fast-casual spot, Chao Ban, in Tysons Galleria, Tien is focusing on more familiar staples like pho and banh mi — albeit with some of his usual cheffy twists.” [Washingtonian]
Vienna Steakhouse Aims for Spring Opening — “Electric Bull is slated to open this spring at 176 Maple Ave. West. It began as a basic idea: a neighborhood grill and butcher shop centered on great meat and live fire. Somewhere along the way, that vision attracted an elite group of chefs and partners whose combined experience is helping shape it into something much bigger.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fairfax City Schools Take Cautious Approach to Budget — “City of Fairfax school leaders say they are building a cautious Fiscal Year 2027 budget that preserves student programs and staff support while budgeting for a lower tuition bill than the roughly $77 million figure initially projected by Fairfax County Public Schools.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 50% chance of rain with partly sunny skies, and a high near 82 degrees. South winds will range from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Evening brings a 70% chance of rain, along with cloud cover and a low around 51 degrees. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
The Fairfax County Police Department is moving forward with plans to partially seal off its radio communications from the public.
The department has proposed encrypting its “main channels” to both limit the disclosure of sensitive information and prevent “someone’s worst day from being used for entertainment,” officers told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a Safety and Security Committee meeting this afternoon (Tuesday).
The fallout from the January sewer collapse that dumped over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River continues to pile up, bringing a new lawsuit and a report that suggests the river might still be getting contaminated.
A Great Falls resident filed a class action lawsuit against DC Water on Friday (March 6) in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, calling for the utility to compensate himself and other individuals “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by [the] Defendant’s conduct.”
Fairfax County is likely to receive most, but not all, of the funding it is seeking through a regional transit grant program.
The county’s request for just under $4.4 million in funding to support a new limited-stop Fairfax Connector service between the Tysons and Franconia-Springfield Metro stations has been removed from the list of projects being considered for the fiscal years 2027-2028 I-66 Commuter Choice funding cycle.
A new developer hopes to try its hand at transforming an office park on the south side of the Reston Town Center Metro station into a fully inhabited community.
Bethesda-based Bernstein Management Corporation is seeking to revive and expand on a mixed-use redevelopment of the Reston Crossing offices that still exists only on paper, nearly seven years after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project.
