The weekend is almost here. Before you step outside to take in the cherry blossoms or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Reston
Local police are seeking the public’s help to identify two persons of interests in a Herndon assault on the 700 block of Elden Street.
According to the Herndon Police Department, the individuals may have been involved in an aggravated assault that happened on March 13. The department tweeted a video that shows the two men.
The Town of Herndon is gearing up to seek federal funding for a reconfiguration of Sterling Road.
The project would reconfigure the existing road between Herndon Parkway and Elden Street from three undivided lanes to two lanes with a middle lane for turning. A landscaped median is also planned for the project.
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Fairfax County Park Authority officials and others are calling for changes in funding to ensure people are able to access recreational amenities and address repairs.
Staff and community groups like the Fairfax County NAACP say the upcoming budget being considered by the county Board of Supervisors is inadequate for addressing the park system’s needs. It could even take longer to take care of those needs with a proposal to lengthen the amount of time between bond votes.
(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Fast food lovers can get their foodie fix for subs and pizza at a new shopping plaza in Great Falls.
Republic Land Development, a DC-based property management company, plans to begin construction on the second phase of Seneca Corner (1024 Seneca Road), a shopping center located at the corner of Leesburg Pike and Georgetown Pike.
Stuff the Bus Drive Returns Tomorrow — “Since inception, Stuff the Bus has collected over 220 tons of food to feed people experiencing food insecurity in Fairfax County. Donate to Stuff the Bus at any of these locations on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.” [Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services]
Reston Cooking Class Raises Funds for Ukraine — A borscht-making class raised nearly $179,000 to become one of the top fundraisers in World Central Kitchen “Cook for Ukraine” campaign, Reston Patch reported. Radhika Murari, the founder of Reston-based OmMade peanut butter, came up with the idea by helping two Ukrainian sisters promote their class. [Fairfax County EDA]
Outdoor dining could be here to stay in downtown Herndon.
Town Manager Bill Ashton is exploring ways to permanently implement outdoor dining, which was initially approved to help businesses survive during the pandemic and minimize COVID-19 transmission — a process that he says requires more research into legal and logistical ramifications.
Fairfax County Public Schools will officially end the use of seclusion as a tool for managing student behavior when the next school year begins on Aug. 22.
The practice of confining a student to a room is already prohibited in most schools, but the Fairfax County School Board approved an update on March 10 that expands the ban to include the Key Center School, Kilmer Center, and private day and residential schools, starting with the 2022-2023 school year.
Fairfax County officials are looking at ways to avoid drastic jumps in tax bills for vehicle owners.
The Board of Supervisors’ Budget Committee discussed options for providing relief on the county’s annual personal property tax with county staff on Tuesday (March 15). Assessment values on vehicles have spiked, leading to a potential increase from $229 to $415 for the average bill.
A former Reston resident was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday) to 20 years years in prison for his role in a drug-related murder that happened in Reston in 2011.
Saul Pacheco Mejia, 55, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in a drug trafficking conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.