Tysons is getting a community center, one that will exclusively serve residents 50 and older.
Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) has put out a call for public input on the programming that should be offered at the center, which has been named the Arbor Row Center and will be located on the ground floor of The Mather at 7929 Westpark Drive.
Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with a bill to crack down on the misuse of the “homeless” designation by school officials to recruit student athletes. House Bill 1656, introduced by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, also prohibits officials from accepting money or gifts intended to influence a student’s decision to transfer schools for athletic purposes.
The legislation narrowly advanced to the full House on an 11-10 party-line vote in the House Education Committee. No lawmakers spoke on the bill ahead of the vote.
Fairfax County to Review Leaf Collections — “Among the resolutions approved by the Board of Supervisors last week, one addresses leaf collections, and another deals with the need for apartments to have pet-friendly policies. Mason District residents were told to put their leaves on the curb in early November but in some cases, the leaves weren’t picked up until a month later, said Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez.” [Annandale Today]
State Senators Punt Bill to Legalize Online Gaming — “A proposal to legalize internet gaming in Virginia has been put on hold as lawmakers seek more time to assess its potential impact. Senate Bill 827, introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would authorize the Virginia Lottery Board to issue licenses to casino gaming operators for online gaming.” [Virginia Mercury]
Vice President Moves Out of N. Va. — “Del Ray officially lost one of its most famous residents this week, as Vice President JD Vance moved from his Del Ray home to the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The move also means that Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park … which is next to Vance’s former home has reopened to the public.” [ALXnow]
Frozen Yogurt Shop Faces Eviction — “Peachwave Frozen Yogurt has until 7 a.m. on Thursday to vacate its space at University Mall in Fairfax.” Store owner David Waskiewicz says he has been struggling to pay off debts that “snowballed” after a kiosk he opened at Tysons Corner Center in 2023 failed to take off. [Patch]
Dulles Airport Confiscates Record Number of Guns — “Two DC-area airports have set new records for the number of guns found last year at TSA security checkpoints. TSA detected 41 guns at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. That’s up from 39 in 2023. At Washington Dulles International Airport, 29 guns were found, up from 24 in 2023.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Local School Teacher Plays for Washington Commanders Band — “Perez, who’s a band director at Holmes Middle School in Fairfax County, got involved with the Commanders marching band because a friend needed a trumpet player to sit in on rehearsal. He did it, inquired about how to get involved, auditioned, and has been a part of the band since 1997.” [WTOP]
Fairfax City Arts Gallery Celebrates New Curator — “The Commission on the Arts has selected Debra Wright of the Rouge Arts Project to curate the Rotary Gallery, and her Inaugural Show is currently on display. The public is invited to attend the opening reception of Wright’s Inaugural Show from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Sherwood Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Wednesday — Expect clouds to increase, reaching a high near 20, accompanied by wind chills as low as -3. Northwest winds of 5 to 10 mph will ease in the afternoon. At night, you can anticipate partly cloudy conditions with the temperature settling at a low of around 12 and calm winds. [NWS]
Fairfax County Public Schools will join its neighbors in Arlington and Alexandria in opening two hours late tomorrow (Wednesday).
FCPS announced the two-hour delay in response to a Cold Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service, which predicts that temperatures could drop as low as 5 degrees below zero tonight (Tuesday).
With a winner of two individual races leading the way, the Oakcrest Chargers enjoyed a strong performance at the Northern Virginia Catholic Swimming and Diving Championships.
Oakcrest placed sixth in the girls private high-school meet in Manassas.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive plan amendment last Tuesday (Jan. 14) that ultimately could lead to the redevelopment of the Alliance Center office condominiums adjoining the Mosaic District in Merrifield.
Though there’s no current development proposal on the table, the amendment would allow nearly 360 residential units with 60,000 square feet of ground-floor uses on the 3.2-acre site, which currently hosts two buildings with 24 aging commercial-condominium units, surrounded by surface parking.
Metro has the capacity to accommodate federal workers ordered back to the office by the Trump administration, one top transit leader says.
President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders after his inauguration yesterday (Monday), including ones to eliminate telework options for all federal government employees, freeze hiring and terminate diversity initiatives.
If you’re thinking about taking the Capital Beltway near McLean this weekend, you might want to reconsider that plan.
Starting on the night of Friday, Jan. 24, four of the six northbound lanes on I-495 will be shut down for one mile from the Route 7 interchange (Leesburg Pike) in Tysons to Lewinsville Road in McLean to accommodate construction.
Schools Open on Two-Hour Delay — With some snow still on the ground from Sunday (Jan. 19) and frigid temperatures overnight, Fairfax County Public Schools is opening two hours late today (Tuesday). “Central Office employees may report two hours later than their regular scheduled time, but no later than 10 a.m. Central offices will open to the public at 10 a.m.” [FCPS]
Order Nixes Telework for Federal Workers — As expected, newly inaugurated “President Trump has signed an executive action directing federal agencies to order their workers back to the office full time,” though unions with contracts that allow telework have indicated they might take legal action. “Trump also signed a hiring freeze for most federal agencies, with the military being one notable exception.” [NPR]
Fairfax Motorcyclist Killed in Manassas Crash — “A Fairfax man is dead after the motorcycle he was driving collided with an SUV in Manassas, authorities said. According to Prince William County police, the crash happened shortly after 3:40 p.m. Friday on Centreville Road near Breeden Avenue.” [Patch]
ICYMI: Tysons Casino Bill Advances — A gaming subcommittee voted 5-2 yesterday (Monday), with Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39) abstaining, to report Sen. Scott Surovell’s bill to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino to the full Senate General Laws and Technology Committee, which is scheduled to meet next at 11 a.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 22). [FFXnow]
Former Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dies — “The Mount Vernon District, and all of Fairfax County, lost an influential and well-respected community member this past weekend with the passing of Gerald W. (Gerry) Hyland.” In addition to representing Mount Vernon District on the Board of Supervisors from 1987 to 2015, he founded the nonprofit Mount Vernon at Home and served on various boards and commissions. [On the MoVe]
Hispanic Supermarket in Annandale Could Open Soon — “Megamart, a grocery store focusing on the Hispanic community, is expected to open in Annandale in late February or early March. The store is located at 4415 John Marr Drive in the space formerly occupied by Party Co and AnnSandra.” [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Looks to Build First Roundabout — “The Falls Church City Council has voted to pursue eminent domain in order to build the city’s first traffic circle … The city has been seeking to acquire about 1% of the 2.48-acre Bowl America site as part of a project to install the roundabout at the current four-way intersection at S. Maple Avenue and Annandale Road.” [ARLnow]
Fairfax Surpasses Arlington in 2024 Housing Sales — “Arlington, Virginia, is typically the most expensive county in the D.C. region for home selling prices, and for much of 2024 that remained the case, but Fairfax County had a strong year. Closed sales in Fairfax County jumped more than twice as much as closed sales in Arlington County.” [WTOP]
It’s Tuesday — Flurries possible after 10am, with a cloudy high of 22 and west wind at 5-7 mph. At night, there’s a slight chance of snow showers before midnight, with clouds clearing and a low of 9 but wind chill values as low as -3. Expect light, variable wind becoming northwest at 5-10 mph in the evening and a 20% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Update — At its Wednesday, Jan. 22 meeting, the Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee voted 11-3 with Sen. Adam Ebbin, the committee’s chair, abstaining to advance the bill to authorize a casino in Fairfax County to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Earlier: A bill that would make Fairfax County eligible for a casino is again making headway through the Virginia Senate.
