After more than a month of uncertainty, Lake Anne residents received clarity last week on their options for cooling their homes next summer.
The Reston Association (RA) Board of Directors signaled at its meeting last Thursday (Nov. 13) that it will declare the longstanding ban on individual air-conditioning units in the Reston Deed no longer in effect, starting in mid-December.
FCPS Expands Weapons Detectors to Football Games — Fairfax County Public Schools started using weapons detectors at high school football playoff games this past weekend “following a string of incidents around the D.C. region during the fall athletic season … Schools are advising sports fans to come early and to purchase their tickets online.” [WTOP]
State Senator Proposes End to Parking Mandates — “Some Falls Church leaders are expressing concern over a possible General Assembly measure that would take away local power to regulate parking in development projects. Such a measure could be introduced by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37), who represents the city in the upper house of the legislature.” [ARLnow]
How Federal Cuts Affected Va. Food Banks — “More than 1.7 million pounds of food aid earmarked for Virginia’s seven main food banks was canceled between May and August, according to data obtained by ProPublica. Among the lost shipments was about 550,000 pounds of chicken. Based on average consumption, the federal cuts translate to no chicken for nearly 6,400 typical households for four months.” [Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO]
Holiday Market Coming to Fairfax Corner — After setting up at Tysons Corner Center last year, Creative Collective’s annual Holiday Pop Up market is heading to Fairfax Corner this year, starting “from Friday, November 21, to Wednesday, December 24. Throughout the holiday shopping season, guests will be able to explore goods from more than 30 small businesses across the region.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Reston Row Office Space Leased — “Comstock Cos. has leased 310,000 square feet at two new trophy office buildings at Reston Row, the real estate firm announced Thursday … The company did not name the tenant or tenants, but it said the leases included the entire 210,000 square feet at 1870 Reston Row. Comstock also leased three floors — roughly 100,000 square feet —at sister building 1800 Reston Row.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Class of Police Recruits Graduate — “After completing six weeks of training, ten experienced officers have graduated Option 5 and will be starting their assignments in Fairfax County and around the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our four graduates bring a wide range of experience, education, and military service to the Fairfax County Police Department.” [FCPD]
ArtsFairfax Awards Grants — “As part of the nonprofit’s funding opportunities, ArtsFairfax awarded $160,000 in Project Support Grants to 13 local arts organizations to encourage wider participation in the arts through unique cultural programming.” [ArtsFairfax]
Rec Center to Revise Hours — “The George Washington Rec Center is updating its operating hours starting Thursday, Jan. 1. The new schedule provides access for fitness and recreation opportunities throughout the week while accommodating additional facility needs.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 50 degrees during the day, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 11 to 17 mph, and gusts reaching up to 30 mph. Night will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 33 degrees. [NWS]
In the wake of the country’s longest-ever federal government shutdown, a key safety-net organization is calling for a renewed emphasis on helping lower-income, working residents achieve economic independence across Fairfax County and the broader D.C. region.
While welcoming the shutdown’s end on Thursday (Nov. 13), United Way of the National Capital Area President and CEO Rosie Allen-Herring said at a briefing that morning that her organization believes “the impact will be felt, for thousands, for months ahead.”
At a time when electricity and other costs are on the rise, the last thing homeowners need is faulty wiring contributing to their monthly bills — or creating a potential safety hazard. Options abound in Fairfax for making sure your electrical systems are efficient and safe.
Here are the nominees for “Best Electrician Servicing Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite electrician below? If not, write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28.
Voting for the Best Plumber serving Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday, Nov. 21 at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best HVAC Company in Fairfax County. The results are now official:
Escalating costs have convinced an advisory board that Fairfax County should scale back its ambitions for funding transportation projects with special taxes collected from Reston property owners.
The Reston Transportation Service District Advisory Board voted at its Sept. 16 meeting to recommend taking three intersection improvement projects out of consideration for funding from the service district:
Fairfax County’s October home-sales market had its best showing since July, with total sales volume up 10% month over month and 12.8% year over year.
A total of 1,027 residential properties went to closing in October, according to figures reported Nov. 11 by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service. That’s up 6.6% from 963 sales in October 2024.
Trump Nominee Opposes Dulles Mobile Lounges — Former White House personnel office deputy director Trent Morse wants Dulles International Airport to eliminate its people movers, “saying the passenger-transport shuttles that drew headlines this week for a crash that sent 18 people to the hospital are slow, outdated and dangerous.” Morse’s nomination to the MWAA board is being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee in Congress. [Washington Post]
Man Charged With Threatening CIA Head — “A man armed with a box cutter who is accused of threatening to kill CIA Director John Ratcliffe was stopped on Nov. 5 by police as he tried to enter the agency’s headquarters in McLean, according to court documents.” The man was charged the following day with making threats against a federal official and was denied bond on Monday (Nov. 10). [Patch]
North Shore Drive Residents Frustrated by Crashes — “A drive along North Shore Drive in Reston shows one damaged car after another. Car parts and other debris line the side of the roadway. Fairfax County police say that in the past two years, 31 accidents and an additional 15 hit-and-runs have been reported along the well-traveled stretch.” [FOX5]
Virginia Introduces Digital IDs — “Virginians can now use a digital version of their driver’s license at the DMV, TSA, some ABC stores and a handful of police departments … Virginia is the first state in the nation where a digital ID will be accepted in lieu of a physical ID in multiple places, Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced this week.” [Axios Richmond]
Community College Students Walk Out — “Dozens of students staged a walkout at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus Nov. 12 to protest NOVA’s plan to convert the Humanities Building into HR and administrative offices … Students suspect NOVA’s goal is to cut costs by moving more courses online,” though NOVA President Anne Kress says the college has “no desire to displace classrooms.” [Annandale Today]
New Candidate for Potential Braddock School Board Race — “Annandale resident Alexa Krezel has announced plans to run for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County School Board, assuming current school board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer wins the special election for Braddock supervisor on Dec. 9.” Krezel and previously declared candidate Tom Dannan are both seeking an endorsement from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. [Annandale Today]
Potomac River Cleanup Progress Stalls — “It’s not fishable or swimmable yet, but according to the Potomac Conservancy, the Potomac River earned a grade of ‘B’ for the fifth year in a row.” While the river’s water quality has come a long way from the “D” it earned in 2011, officials identified “development that results in the loss of forest land” as one hurdle keeping the region from achieving an “A” rating. [WTOP]
Wellness Expo Returns to Vienna — The Vienna Business Association’s “Wellness Wonderland” expo will return for a third year this Saturday (Nov. 15) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center. The event will include a resource fair with 50 health, wellness and fitness exhibitors as well as presentations by experts, including a keynote address by author and chef Amy Riolo. [Press release]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of around 58 degrees and a west wind of 6 to 9 mph. For Friday night, the weather will be mostly cloudy with a low of approximately 43 degrees, accompanied by calm wind conditions. [NWS]
Though the peak season for chilly treats has passed, Meadows Frozen Custard still intends to open its new Reston location by the end of 2025.
After initially aiming for an early summer launch, the frozen custard shop is now eyeing early December to officially open its doors at 11130 South Lakes Drive in the South Lakes Village Center.
Two people were injured in a major house fire in the Wolf Trap area this morning (Thursday) amid a warning of elevated fire danger for Northern Virginia.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 1900 block of Hunter Mill Road around 10:13 a.m. for the fire at a single-family home. Upon arriving, responders observed “a large volume of fire,” per scanner traffic, and smoke from the blaze could reportedly be seen from Tysons.
It’s nearly that time of the year: Folks are ready to give back as the holidays approach. Even with the federal government shutdown ending after a final House vote last night (Wednesday), families need assistance more than ever in Northern Virginia.
Local organizations and Fairfax County supervisors alike are collaborating on ways to provide meals, cooking essentials and more during this tough season.
