The Madison Warhawks and Marshall Statesmen had opposite results in their final boys basketball games prior to participating in holiday tournaments later this week.
Madison (6-2) routed visiting Independence, 62-39, in a non-district high-school game for its fifth-straight win on Dec. 20, while host Marshall (6-3, 1-1) lost to the Yorktown Patriots (7-1), 59-57, in a seesaw Liberty District contest on the same night.
A former drug dealer convicted in the stabbing death of a Mount Vernon woman will no longer be put to death.
Thomas Morocco Hager is one of 37 federal prisoners to have their death sentences commuted today (Monday) by President Joe Biden.
Fairfax County could be visited by some wintry weather on Christmas Eve.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the county and other parts of the D.C. area in anticipation of freezing rain and a potential “dusting” of snow tomorrow (Tuesday) from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid outlined a timeline on Thursday (Dec. 19) for revising policies related to student athletics following a controversy over alleged football-recruiting irregularities at Hayfield Secondary School.
Engaged in ongoing damage control, the superintendent told the Fairfax County School Board at its last meeting of the year that “clear, bright-line rules and regulations” will be rolled out in coming months.
One Seriously Injured in Mantua House Fire — Fairfax County firefighters were on scene shortly after midnight on Saturday (Dec. 21) for “a house fire in the 9100 block of Little River Turnpike in the Mantua area. Units arrived to fire showing. The fire is under control. One civilian was transported with life-threatening injuries. Fire investigators are on scene.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Defense Seeks Dismissal of Wesley Shifflett Conviction — “About two months before his sentencing date, the defense for a former Fairfax County police officer convicted in a shooting that killed a suspected unarmed shoplifter argued the verdict should be thrown out.” A jury found Wesley Shifflett guilty of recklessly handling a firearm but acquitted him on the more serious charge of involuntary manslaughter. [WUSA9]
Route 7 Crash Caught on Video — “Watch: A driver travels across five lanes of opposing traffic before crashing into a vehicle in the far right lane. This was [Thursday] evening at Haycock & Route 7 at the Fairfax County – Falls Church border. Video from SafetyVid.com.” [Dave Statter/Twitter]
New Casino Bill May Come From Different Lawmaker — “While it has yet to be introduced in the upcoming session, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, tells WUSA he plans to continue the fight to have a referendum to build a casino in the Tysons Corner area.” A recent letter signed by over 100 people argued a casino could pose a national security risk. [WUSA9]
Power Tools Stolen From Local Businesses — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are seeking the community’s help in identifying suspects who burglarized and stole power tools from businesses in Annandale, Merrifield, Lincolnia, and Chantilly.” The burglaries occurred on Dec. 15 and 16 and believed to involve the same suspects, police say. [FCPD]
Customers Frustrated With Metro Shuttle Service — “MetroAccess, which offers Metro’s door-to-door service for people with disabilities, faces growing criticism for a lack of performance and poor customer satisfaction. Numan Aslam, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, said he’s been using MetroAccess for more than 15 years. Recently, he’s been losing patience” with the service. [NBC4]
Montgomery Leader Responds on American Legion Bridge — At a recent Dulles corridor transportation panel, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Jeff McKay suggested Maryland doesn’t want to replace the American Legion Bridge so workers will stay on its side of the Potomac River. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says the assertion is “inaccurate” but he does “understand his frustration.” [MoCo Show]
DC United Visits Local Hospital — “Patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation services at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital (IMVH) got a special treat Dec. 20, courtesy of local professional soccer team, D.C. United. Every year, the hospital holds a winter market where patients recovering from a variety of traumatic conditions and injuries can ‘shop’ for gifts for loved ones, but this was the first year that an outside organization stepped in to donate gifts.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 35 degrees with calm winds that will later shift to the south at 5 to 7 mph. As for Monday night, the skies will turn mostly cloudy with a low temperature of approximately 27 degrees and a south wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
With an out-of-town holiday tournament next on the schedule, the Flint Hill Huskies warmed up by winning a key local boys basketball game.
In that Dec. 19 high-school contest, visiting Flint Hill (4-3, 2-0) defeated its top neighborhood and Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference rival Potomac School Panthers, 81-64.
Boys volleyball players from three different district-championship squads in Fairfax County recently were chosen to Virginia High School League Class 6 all-state teams.
From the Liberty District and region-champion McLean Highlanders team, senior Evan Li made the first team and senior Luke Cowan was selected to the second.
The third Senior Salute girls field-hockey tournament was held recently at Meridian High School in Falls Church.
The all-star event consisted of three games and included 48 of the top 6D and 6C North Region senior public-school players in Northern Virginia. Each player participated in two matches.
Anytime a high-school team accomplishes what the Madison Warhawks did in football this fall, the natural question is: What about next year?
So what about the 2025 season for the Warhawks? Will Madison have the potential to win a sixth straight 6D North Region championship and again challenge to capture its elusive first state title?
George Mason University has ushered a new class of graduates out into a world that they were told yesterday (Thursday) is filled with both opportunities and challenges.
“Believe it or not, your learning journey is just beginning,” George Schindler, former president and CEO of the technology firm CGI, said during winter commencement ceremonies held at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax.
