Construction cranes at MetroWest can be seen from the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fox in Loudoun Tests Positive for Bird Flu — “Preliminary testing indicates a red fox taken to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center from the town of Hamilton in Loudoun County was infected avian influenza, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reported Friday.” The department says it’s the first known infection of a mammal in Virginia, though cases have been reported in birds, including in Fairfax County. [Inside NoVA]

Felony Charge Dropped in Strangulation Case — “Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office, in a plea agreement, dropped a felony charge against [a man] for allegedly strangling a woman in exchange for a guilty plea for brandishing a machete/blade in January, which is a misdemeanor, according to court documents 7News obtained.” [WJLA]

McLean Man Charged With D.C. Robberies — “A 28-year-old McLean man was arrested on [April 1] for his role in a pair of robberies in Washington D.C., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.” The man has been charged with attempting to commit robbery and second-degree theft. [Patch]

Route 29 Widening to Close Road — “Weather permitting, Willowmeade Drive (Route 5407) between Route 29 and Knight Arch Road (Route 7699) will be closed from 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 9 until 7 a.m. Saturday, April 12 to continue installing a water main as part of the Route 29 widening project.” [VDOT]

GMU ‘Body Farm’ Advances Forensic Science — “Since May 2024, researchers at George Mason University have been studying human decomposition in real time, taking meticulous notes as their donors melt into turmeric-colored puddles. The work is thankless, underfunded, and extraordinarily smelly. But it also has the potential to transform how homicide cases are solved.” [Washingtonian]

Ben and Jerry’s Offers Free Ice Cream — “Ben & Jerry’s is spreading joy with its annual Free Cone Day on Tuesday, April 8, from 12 to 8 p.m. No minimum purchase is required. Participating locations in Northern Virginia include Reston Town Center, Fairfax Corner, Vienna, and Old Town Alexandria.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Planning for America’s Birthday — “The Little City is starting to think big for the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. Much remains up in the air, including the question of how much funding the City of Falls Church will set aside. At a March Falls Church250 committee meeting, however, officials floated ideas ranging from history talks to planting a remembrance tree.” [ARLnow]

Herndon Seeks Applicants for Boards and Commissions — “The Town of Herndon is seeking applicants interested in serving on town boards, commissions, and advisory committees.” Some positions requiring specific expertise, such as the planning commission and Architectural Review Board, are compensated, while others feature volunteers. [Town of Herndon]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 47 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds at 14 to 16 mph and gusts reaching up to 29 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low temperature of around 30 degrees, while northwest winds will blow at 5 to 11 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

Two new eateries are coming soon to Maple Avenue in Vienna.

“Coming soon” signage has recently appeared in storefronts for Cuco’s Peruvian (146 Maple Avenue West) and Aroma Express (416 Maple Avenue East).


John Morrill, Director | Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC)

2024 was the hottest year ever recorded in Fairfax County. Extreme weather and high energy bills are hitting many households hard. From prolonged heatwaves to higher utility costs, it’s becoming increasingly clear that climate change and economic strain are affecting us all.

In response, Fairfax County is taking steps to reduce the emissions that drive climate change and helping our community adapt to its growing impacts.

A community-led climate action plan in 2021 set bold goals for Fairfax County: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. While your local government is taking steps to reduce its emissions, most of Fairfax County’s carbon footprint comes from everyday community activities — meaning we all have a role. We can only get there if everyone does their part.

That’s why we’ve launched the Sustain Fairfax campaign — an important initiative designed to empower everyone in Fairfax County to be part of the solution.

Why Every Resident’s Action Matters

Community-wide participation isn’t just helpful; it’s necessary. With the county government’s impact limited to a fraction of total emissions, collective individual actions are critical. Every small step you take at home or in your daily commute adds up significantly.

Simple but impactful actions you can take right now include:

  • Conserving energy at home, such as adjusting your thermostat and using energy-efficient appliances.
  • Choosing electric vehicles (EVs) or reducing car dependency by choosing public transportation, carpooling, biking, or walking.
  • Using solar energy not only reduces emissions but also enhances energy independence.
  • Composting food waste and adopting sustainable waste practices.

Introducing the Sustain Fairfax Challenge

Fairfax County developed the Sustain Fairfax Challenge — a user-friendly, interactive online platform to make these actions easy, enjoyable, and impactful. This resource provides Fairfax-specific information, rebates, and tips to help you cut carbon emissions and save money.

Participants can track their impact, earn badges for their achievements, collaborate with neighbors, and join community-wide sustainability challenges. This interactive approach creates a powerful sense of collective accomplishment, transforming individual efforts into community-wide victories.

 Simple Changes, Significant Benefits

Your participation isn’t just good for the environment — it’s great for your wallet, health, and community well-being. By adopting sustainable practices, you can immediately see benefits, including:

  • Lower utility bills from straightforward energy-saving measures.
  • Better comfort and health thanks to cleaner air, reduced pollution from EVs, and less traffic congestion due to increased use of public transportation.
  • Enhanced safety, preparedness, and resilience through targeted initiatives aimed at storm preparedness, flood mitigation, and cooling centers during heatwaves.

These actions also support smart energy choices. Improving your home’s efficiency helps reduce emissions and energy costs while making your space more comfortable and future-ready.

Join Us Today — Your Actions Matter

The Sustain Fairfax Challenge is accessible, easy to use, and designed for immediate impact. You’ll join your neighbors and actively help shape the future of Fairfax County by participating.

I invite you to visit sustainchallenge.fairfaxcounty.gov today and sign up. Let’s prove our actions can create a healthier, more resilient Fairfax County. Our climate goals are ambitious, but they’re achievable if we collaborate. We can build a greener, healthier community, one action at a time.


Countywide

Year-over-year apartment rents continue to trend upward in Northern Virginia, even as fears of economic upheaval loom.

The growth also comes despite a national year-over-year decline in median apartment rental prices.


News

Trash bags and dirt bikes were among the “highlights” of the Town of Vienna Police Department’s past week.

Vienna police cited an 83-year-old man from Dunn Loring for illegal dumping on Wednesday (April 3) after they identified him as the source of a “suspicious black trash bag” dropped off at the police station (215 Center Street South) the previous morning, according to a recap of the week from March 28 through April 3.


High-rise buildings flank a green space with cherry trees on Tysons Corner Center plaza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Lawsuit Accuses School Board Member of Embezzlement — At-large Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel has been “accused in a lawsuit of embezzling and misappropriating $175,000 from his former employer and spending the money on non-work expenses, including strip clubs and his political campaign.” [Patch]

Local Legislators Attend Anti-Trump Protest — Rep. Don Beyer and Delegates Kathy Tran and Paul Krizek were among the lawmakers representing Fairfax County who attended the “Hands Off” protest in D.C. on Saturday (April 5). There were reportedly more than 1,200 demonstrations across the U.S. “denouncing the Trump administration and DOGE, which have been working to shrink the federal government by slashing funding and laying off federal workers.” [WTOP]

Falls Church HS Student Navigates Ban on Trans Girls in Sports — “This wasn’t how Eliza imagined it would go when she tried out for track in February. But that month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender girls like Eliza from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Days later, the organization that regulates high school sports in Virginia, where Eliza lives and goes to school, followed suit.” [Washington Post]

Tysons Contractor Settles Allegations Against Employee — “Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH), located in McLean, agreed to pay $422,557 to settle allegations that a BAH employee assigned to work on a General Services Administration (GSA) contract overreported his time resulting in BAH issuing invoices for services under the contract that were not performed.” [U.S. Attorney’s Office]

Inova Opens Annandale Family Clinic — “Inova celebrated the grand opening of the Inova Cares for Families (ICF) clinic in Annandale on April 4. The clinic is located in an office building at 7617 Little River Turnpike. It’s one of six ICF facilities in Northern Virginia.” [Annandale Today]

Vienna to Hold Public Hearings on Budget — “The Vienna Town Council wants to know what the community thinks about the proposed FY2026 budget before it takes a final vote in May.” A public hearing on the budget and sewer rates will be held at 7:30 p.m. today, and the real estate tax rate, which isn’t proposed to change, will get a public hearing on April 28. [Town of Vienna]

County Celebrates National Library Week — “Join us from April 6-12 as we celebrate National Library Week! For its 2025 celebration, Fairfax County Public Library wants to remind you of all the amazing things you can do FREE at your library.” [Fairfax County Public Library/Instagram]

Vienna School Promotes Acts of Kindness — “At Kilmer Middle School, behavior referrals are at an all-time high. More than 1,600 students have been written up, but not for the reason you might be thinking. This past fall, Kilmer began writing students up, for acts of kindness.” [WUSA9]

It’s Monday — Expect rain mainly before 11am, with patchy fog from 7am to noon, and a high near 51. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation, with amounts ranging from a tenth to a quarter of an inch. Tonight, there’s a 20% chance of showers before 2am, with clouds giving way to partly cloudy skies and a low around 35. [NWS]


Around Town

Patrons at Sisters Thai in Tysons will be sipping plenty of tea this weekend.

After opening in Capital One Center last fall, the restaurant is expanding the offerings at its flagship location with the introduction of high tea service from its recently introduced Flore Café.


Countywide

Members of a Fairfax County School Board committee appear divided on whether high schools should adopt blanket rules and regulations for their graduation ceremonies, or whether each school should retain a degree of autonomy.

The matter arose as members of the board’s governance committee met Tuesday (April 1) to evaluate proposed updates to a host of Fairfax County Public Schools policies.


Countywide

While the future of foreign aid faces uncertainty, a Fairfax County-based disaster response task force has not yet felt trickle-down effects of ongoing cuts at the federal level.

Virginia Task Force 1 is operating like things are business as usual, even with the Trump administration moving to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to John Morrison, a planning manager for the task force.


News

Contractors in Fairfax County appear to be feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to slash federal funding.

Mitre Corporation will lay off 442 employees primarily at its Tysons headquarters campus on June 3, while Reston-based Leidos will eliminate 29 workers based in its Lincolnia office, effective May 30, according to notices that both companies filed this week with the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.


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