Virginia Democrats released their long-awaited redistricting proposal yesterday (Thursday) in a bid to expand the party’s presence in Congress while countering similar gerrymandering attempts by Republicans.
Party leaders rolled out a map that’s projected to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 Congressional districts, and as expected, much of that comes at the expense of Northern Virginia — the bluest part of the state.
Person Hospitalized After Falling Down Slope — “At 2:14pm #FCFRD responded to 700 blk of Bulls Neck Rd in McLean for a person who fell down a slope. Crews found 1 civilian 200ft down a ravine on steep hill. Tech Rescue crews operated on rope systems to remove the civilian who was transported w/ non-life-threatening injuries.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/X]
Trump Official Target of Alleged Murder Attempt — “A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after reportedly showing up to the Arlington home of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russ Vought while armed. Colin Demarco, 26, was taken into custody Jan. 22, five months after the Aug. 10 incident,” though his arrest wasn’t announced publicly by police until yesterday (Thursday) evening. [ARLnow]
Longtime Local Reporter Among WaPo Layoffs — “On Wednesday, The Post announced plans to move on from that legacy as part of widespread cuts to the newsroom. The layoffs, affecting more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists at the paper, are landing hard on the local news desk, where [Martin] Weil has worked since 1965. He was among those laid off, one of the last ties to the paper’s Watergate era.” [NY Times]
House Democrats Pass Gun Control Bills — “Virginia House Democrats on Thursday muscled through a sweeping package of gun control legislation, passing more than half a dozen bills aimed at restricting access to certain firearms, tightening storage requirements and expanding civil liability for the gun industry, as Republicans … spoke forcefully in opposition but were ultimately unable to stop the measures.” [Virginia Mercury]
Arrest for Tire Theft Spree — A Maryland man has been charged with several counts of larceny for allegedly stealing tires from “numerous” vehicles in the Fair Oaks district. Police began investigating the thefts after a reported incident on Oct. 24 at the Extended Stay on Route 50, but the man wasn’t arrested until last Sunday (Feb. 1) when his vehicle triggered a license plate alert in the Town of Herndon. [FCPD]
Police to Escort Monks’ Walk for Peace — “Our Police Department is planning to assist with the Monks’ Walk for Peace as they travel through our county.” After receiving a hearty welcome in Richmond, the Buddhist monks are expected to arrive for lunch at the Hoa Nghiem Pagoda in Fort Belvoir this Sunday (Feb. 8), Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn says. [Fairfax County Government/Bluesky]
Reston Association Rec Passes Available — “Reston Association is excited to announce that Recreation Passes for the 2026 season are now available. Recreation passes provide access to RA pools, tennis and pickleball courts.” RA members can receive a pass free of charge as part of their annual assessment, and for the first time this year, they can choose to have their pass automatically renewed when they pay their assessment. [Reston Association]
Burke Lake Park Scouts for Seasonal Hires — “Drop-in interviews at the Burke Lake Park Information Center will be held Feb. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 from noon to 5 p.m. Appointments are not necessary, so come by to explore job opportunities, complete an application and interview on the spot — all in one visit!” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
New Legal Notice — Hotel seeks limited beer and wine ABC on/off-premises license. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — Hotel seeks limited ABC license for beer and wine, on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
It’s Friday — Snow is likely after 2pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 34. A calm wind will shift to the south at 5mph. Precipitation chance is 40%. On Friday night, snow may occur before 1am, followed by gradual clearing and a low around 13. Winds will be light, becoming northwest at 13-18 mph and possibly gusting up to 31 mph. Precipitation chance remains at 40%. [NWS]
Fairfax County supervisors gave their blessing on Tuesday (Feb. 3) to a new Flagship Carwash express location near the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Dranesville Road north of Herndon.
“I’m very happy to see this coming through,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said after the 9-0 vote.
Two bills that would have dramatically changed local governments’ ability to enforce traffic laws have changed course despite bipartisan support in Richmond.
S.B. 297 and S.B. 306, authored by state Sen. Mark J. Peake (R-8), would have repealed the authority of localities to install speed-monitoring and red light cameras, respectively. But as of Monday (Feb. 2), the possibility of a ban has been stripped from both bills.
Fairfax County supervisors voiced cautious optimism last Tuesday (Feb. 3) about Metro’s proposed fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budgets.
“A financially stable and reliable transit network is essential to the economic vitality of Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and the entire metropolitan region,” county leaders said in a letter to Valerie Santos, who chairs the Metro board of directors.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has found itself aligned with the Trump administration on one issue: the need to update the American Legion Bridge.
The span over the Potomac River connecting Fairfax County with Montgomery County, Maryland, is “a critical transportation link,” but at more than 60 years old, it needs immediate attention, Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said when the board met on Tuesday (Feb. 3).
In addition to enduring a winter storm, anyone who shopped at Target in Reston around noon on Jan. 25 may have been exposed to measles.
The department store at 12197 Sunset Hills Road is one of five different locations in western Fairfax County visited late last month by an adult who is now confirmed to have measles, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
WaPo Axes Third of Staff — “Mass layoffs at The Washington Post [announced Wednesday] have prompted grief and outrage among D.C.-area reporters and a pointed rebuke of the newspaper’s owner from U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). The publication eliminated about one-third of its staff today, cutting the jobs of numerous respected journalists on its Metro desk while eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage.” [ARLnow/Associated Press]
Virginia to End ICE Agreements — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive directive Wednesday instructing the state’s law enforcement agencies to terminate agreements that allowed them to be deputized to conduct federal immigration enforcement activities.” Earlier, Spanberger rescinded an executive order from her predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, that encouraged local law enforcement to assist ICE. [VPM News]
Man to Plead Guilty to Carrying Gun at Library — “A man arrested with a handgun last June in the garage of the City of Fairfax Regional Library is expected to plead guilty to a federal weapon charge, according to court documents.” The man was wanted by Fairfax City police officers for a probation violation when they encountered him in Old Town Fairfax on June 11. [Patch]
Bill to Limit ICE Presence in Courts Advances — “The Virginia Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would limit the work of immigration enforcement officials from operating inside courthouses … The bill, sponsored by Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, passed the Senate on a 21-18 party-line vote.” [Virginia Scope]
Two Fairfax Athletes Head to Winter Olympics — “Vienna native Ilia Malinin is set to hit the ice in Milan, Italy, in both the figure skating team event and men’s single skating competition.” In addition, Brandon Kim, a Thomas Jefferson High School graduate, will make his Olympic debut in short-track speedskating. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Tysons Apartment Complex Sold — Developer LCOR sold the Kingston at McLean Crossing apartments in Tysons to Pantzer, a New York-based multifamily residential property owner and operator on Jan. 30. The sale price wasn’t publicized, and the transaction doesn’t appear to have been recorded yet in Fairfax County’s property records. “The property was 96% occupied at the time of sale.” [Press release]
New Seven Corners Mural in Design — “The Community Revitalization Section of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development is seeking community feedback on a mural proposed for Seven Corners. The mural, part of the Paint It, Fairfax! program, will be located on the former CVS building at Willston Centre I, facing Patrick Henry Drive.” [Annandale Today]
TJ Breaks Ground With New Coaches — Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is the first high school in Virginia to appoint women as head coaches for both its baseball and football varsity teams. “On the football sidelines this year for the Colonials will be Coach Rachel Worsham, while over in the baseball dugouts, Coach Jennifer Hammond is gearing up for the spring tryouts following her hiring in September.” [FCPS]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature of about 31 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 7 to 9 mph. As night falls, clouds will increase, leading to a low temperature around 16 degrees. The northwest wind will be between 3 to 5 mph during the night. [NWS]
By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced Wednesday that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual.
Fairfax County Public Schools will start classes two hours late for the rest of this week, as lingering “snowcrete” continues to hinder travel.
“As we look to the rest of the week and the persistent presence of snow and ice on many of our sidewalks and bus stops, we feel the safest thing to do for our students and staff is to continue with our delayed start times,” FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid said in a message to families.
