The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is turning up the pressure on Dominion Energy to end widespread tree clearings along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail.
At the regional agency’s request, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-0 to approve a resolution on Tuesday (March 18) urging Dominion to halt reported plans to cut down any tree along the 45-mile-long trail that might someday interfere with its overhead power lines.
The iconic all-pink Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will be making its annual return to Tysons Corner Center this weekend.
The truck is scheduled to set up at the Events Plaza at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. this Saturday, March 22.
What to Know About Measles Cases — “In the past few months, over 280 people in the United States have become ill with measles and two people have died. This includes a large and growing outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.” A traveler at Dulles International Airport was also confirmed to be infected earlier this month. [Fairfax County Health Department]
Utah Man Charged With Soliciting Minor — “Detectives from our Child Exploitation Unit arrested a Utah man following their ongoing operation targeting online predators.” Police say the 39-year-old man arrived in Fairfax County on Sunday (March 16) “with plans to commit sexual acts with a minor, only to be met by detectives.” [FCPD]
Virginia EV Charging Plans in Limbo — “Virginia’s push to expand electric vehicle charging stations has hit a major roadblock — 51 of 53 planned projects are now on hold after a federal freeze, jeopardizing efforts to build out the state’s public EV infrastructure.” Local Del. Karrie Delaney says the halt “defies logic.” [Virginia Mercury]
Loudoun Moves to Limit Data Center Development — “The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan amendments that will eliminate data centers as a by-right use within the county.” Going forward, all applications will be subject to public hearings and approval by the board and planning commission. [Loudoun Now]
More Falls Church Residents Miffed by Road Conditions — “Falls Church residents are less satisfied with their roads than they used to be, a new survey suggests. Still, they continue to have a generally positive view of city services and their community’s overall quality of life.” [ARLnow]
Construction Starts on Reston First Watch — “The Reston community is one step closer to getting its brunch on now that construction work has started on the town’s new First Watch restaurant … A big dumpster is sitting in front of the 6,500 s.f. building and workers are removing the former Carrabba’s fixtures in order to rebuild it as a First Watch.” [The Burn]
Springfield Student Pursues World Record — “Sai Charan Kintali carries so many puzzle cubes with him during the day at Irving Middle School in Springfield, Virginia, he keeps them in a special black case in his backpack.” After setting American records, the eighth grader “now has his sights on another achievement: Kintali wants his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.” [WTOP]
Kitten Yoga for Federal Workers Fills Up — The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is offering a free “gentle flow kitten yoga session” at its Lorton campus this Saturday (March 22). Led by Sara Jeffries of Fort Hunt Yoga, the event is aimed at current and former federal employees, who are evidently in need of an occasion “to relax, stretch, and spend time with adorable kittens,” as the limited space is fully booked. [Fairfax County Animal Shelter]
It’s Thursday — Expect showers to begin after 2pm with a high of 71°F, and a 90% chance of precipitation. A quarter to half an inch of rain is possible. On Thursday night, showers will mainly occur before 2am, with lows around 37. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation with similar rainfall amounts. [NWS]
The past week has been busy for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD), which is investigating the causes of incidents in Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads and McLean.
Most recently, firefighters were dispatched at 12:13 a.m. today (Wednesday) to the 6600 block of Locust Way in Annandale for a house fire. Upon arriving, crews found “heavy fire” throughout the single-family home.
Police set up a barricade at the CIA headquarters in McLean this morning (Wednesday) in response to a possibly armed man who appears to have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
Fairfax County police were dispatched shortly before 10 a.m. to assist the CIA police. Responders described a man with a gun to his head on a bench outside the facility’s security gate, according to the police scanner.
Having successfully integrated boys volleyball and girls wrestling into its offerings, Fairfax County Public Schools appears to be eyeing girls’ flag football next.
There has been conversation among the division’s directors of student activities about potentially moving forward with the sport for the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board at its March 13 meeting.
Citibank has officially joined the assortment of financial institutions dotting the Town of Vienna.
After starting operations on Jan. 27, the New York-based bank celebrated the grand opening of its newest D.C.-area branch at 201 Maple Avenue East yesterday (Tuesday) morning. The event included a ribbon-cutting, remarks from local elected officials and snacks courtesy of neighbors Call Your Mother and Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee.
Protest Organized Outside Tysons Tesla Dealership — “About 80 people demonstrated outside the Tysons Corner Tesla dealership on Saturday morning to condemn billionaire Elon Musk’s attempts to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda by closing federal agencies and firing thousands of government workers.” [Patch]
Bank Robbed in Lorton — Fairfax County detectives are investigating a robbery that appears to have targeted the Truist bank in Gunston Plaza at 3:15 p.m. on Monday (March 17). “A man entered the bank and displayed a note to the teller demanding money. No weapon was displayed, but one was implied during the robbery. The suspect took cash and fled before officers’ arrival.” [FCPD]
Two Silver Line Stations Hit Ridership Records — “Last Wednesday, two of our Silver Line stations hit new single-day ridership records. Thank you to our customers traveling through Loudoun Gateway in @loudoun.gov and Herndon in Fairfax County!” [WMATA/Bluesky]
How Federal Education Cuts Might Affect Va. Schools — “Public school districts still face potential federal funding cuts following President Donald Trump’s move to slash U.S. Department of Education staffing in half … If entirely eliminated, Virginia schools would need to fill a $2.4 billion funding gap with new sources.” [Virginia Public Media]
Attorney General Candidate Visits Bailey’s Crossroads — “Jay Jones, a Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, promises to fight back against policies from President Trump and ‘co-President Elon Musk’ that hurt Virginians. ‘The chaos in Washington has to be stopped,’ Jones told residents at a meet-and-greet in Bailey’s Crossroads on March 16.” [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Council Still Debating Accessory Unit Rules — “Significant divisions remain as Falls Church City Council members approach final-decision time to enact rules regulating accessory-dwelling units.” Questions that need to be resolved include the “maximum size of accessory units and whether the property owner should be required to live on the site.” [ARLnow]
Origin Story of Reston Restaurant Group — “Not only did the entrepreneur make good on that promise, but today his Reston-based Thompson Hospitality employs more than 6,000 people and owns and operates more than 70 restaurants across Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, and Washington, DC, with familiar names like Matchbox and Big Buns.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Students Restore Old Car for School Musical — Students in Edison Academy’s Auto Collision Services class were recently tasked with spiffing up the front of a 1949 Ford automobile for the upcoming production of “Grease” at Edison High School in Franconia. The vehicle was purchased by the Edison Theater Company’s boosters and delivered from the Midwest. [On the MoVe]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day, reaching a high of around 74, as light southeast winds shift to the south at 8 to 13 mph in the morning, with potential gusts up to 18 mph. The night will turn mostly cloudy, with lows around 48, and southeast winds at about 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
More than a dozen female spoken-word artists, authors and performers from around the country will convene in Fairfax City this week for the 2025 Women’s Storytelling Festival.
Now in its sixth year, the festival organized by local nonprofit Better Said Than Done serves as a showcase for the art of storytelling, which is defined as any performance of a story — a personal narrative or folk tale, for example — in front of a live audience.
Fairfax County is officially seeking public input on a potential meals tax.
The Board of Supervisors voted today (March 18) to advertise a public hearing on amending the county code to impose a meals tax of up to 4%, starting as soon as next January. The board will also advertise a base real estate tax rate of $1.14 per $100, up from the current $1.125, as recommended by County Executive Bryan Hill.
