Fairfax County Public Schools is rolling out a new plan to tackle traffic and pedestrian safety concerns at its 200 schools, but not everyone on the school board is sold on the idea.
The School Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment Program, discussed during a school board work session on Tuesday (Jan. 14), aims to streamline how schools identify and address issues like clogged “Kiss and Ride” loops, bus congestion and pedestrian safety.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an updated conceptual development plan yesterday (Tuesday) that will replace the Commons of McLean apartments (1640 Anderson Road) with a new McLean Crossing mixed-use complex.
The unanimous vote allows property owner LCOR to start moving toward final development plans for an 11-building compound that could add up to 2.72 million square feet of residential, commercial and retail space near the McLean Metro station.
Virginia students would be allowed to take the state’s annual learning assessments in a language other than English under a bill that advanced out of a House Education subcommittee on Tuesday.
Del. Laura Jane Cohen, D-Fairfax, introduced the legislation, after the Virginia Board of Education recently made changes to include more testing results from English learners, who have typically been excluded because of the language barrier, into a school’s accountability calculations.
Fairfax County’s homes market saw year-over-year upticks in sales and prices in 2024.
A total of 11,787 properties changed hands during the year, according to preliminary figures reported by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.
A restaurant chain known for its abura soba noodles has begun serving diners in Idylwood.
Kajiken opened its doors on Monday (Jan. 13) at 7505-D Leesburg Pike as the newest tenant at the Idylwood Plaza shopping center.
Park Police Officers in Bijan Ghaisar Shooting Reinstated — “The two U.S. Park Police officers who shot and killed Bijan Ghaisar are back on the job after federal investigators cleared them in the case.” Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya had been on paid administrative duty and then paid leave since the Nov. 17, 2017 shooting. [NBC4]
Person Critically Injured in Springfield House Fire — “#FairfaxBravest are on scene of a house fire in the 7500 block of Long Pine Dr. Crews arrived with fire showing. The fire is under control. One civilian was transported with life-threatening injuries. No firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Lawsuit Alleges Fraud by Compass Coffee Owner — “The co-founders of the popular Compass Coffee chain in Washington have severed ties, with the company’s former chief executive accusing its owner of fraudulently misusing pandemic relief funds in a lawsuit filed Monday.” The chain’s 20 D.C.-area shops include locations in Fairfax City and West Falls Church. [Washington Post]
Police Make Arrest in Business Burglaries — A 32-year-old man was arrested and charged on Monday (Jan. 13) for allegedly burglarizing a business in the 9400 block of Mathy Drive in Mantua the previous day. Police say they found the man outside a business in Annandale that had reported a larceny and recognized him from surveillance footage. [FCPD]
Japanese Grocery Store Sets Opening Date — Marufuji Japanese Market will celebrate the grand opening of its new store in Tysons starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. Plans for the event are still being finalized, but expect plenty of giveaways, deals and demonstrations, Fuji Mart Corp. Vice President Joshua Nakama says. [FFXnow]
Stream Restoration Planned at Lincolnia Park — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is planning a major stream restoration project at Turkeycock Run in Bren Mar Park. The design is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall of 2025.” [Annandale Today]
New Fairfax City School Board Sworn In — “The five members of Fairfax City’s new school board were officially sworn in during a ceremony at City Hall on Monday night. Lauren A. Bartelme, Kristina M. Cecere, Amit S. Hickman, Sarah M. Kelsey and Carolyn S. Pitches were elected during the Nov. 5, 2024 general elections.” [Patch]
GMU Professor Shares Vision for Use of A.I. — In a podcast interview, Dr. Amarda Shehu, George Mason University’s inaugural chief artificial intelligence officer, “discusses her groundbreaking role at Mason, the university’s proactive approach to AI, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on education, the workforce, and the economy.” [Potomac Local News]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a sunny day with highs near 30 and northwest winds of 14 to 16 mph, gusting up to 31 mph. The night will be mostly clear with lows around 17, as northwest winds decrease to 6 to 11 mph, turning light westerly after midnight, and potentially gusting up to 18 mph. [NWS]
The Langley Saxons (9-3) improved to 3-0 in the Liberty District with a difficult road victory over the Yorktown Patriots in a Jan. 10 girls basketball game.
Langley led throughout the high-school game, but couldn’t pull away from Yorktown. The Saxons led 7-2 after the first quarter and 18-14 at halftime.
As the No Casino Coalition embarks on its second year of lobbying, it has learned some lessons in political realities.
Among them: Be careful when accepting help from anonymous sources.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is seeking answers to what it feels was an inadequate response to last week’s Jan. 6 snowstorm by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
“Planning, execution and communication fell far short of the service level that our residents demand and deserve,” supervisors said in a joint board matter adopted at the governing body’s meeting today (Tuesday).
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