New payment options, from 24-hour kiosks to cryptocurrency, could be on the way for those paying taxes and fees to the Fairfax County government.
If one county leader has his way, there also could be lower surcharges for those paying by credit and debit cards.
A French-inspired chain of breakfast cafes is going to say “bonjour” to Merrifield.
The Mosaic District will become home to the first Virginia location of Maman, a New York-based brand offering coffee, pastries and other bites.
Halloween has arrived, but this year, the real scares might still be lurking around the corner, as Election Day approaches.
Thousands of Fairfax County voters have already cast a ballot, either in person at one of the county’s 16 early voting sites or by mail.
Regional Campaign Urges Drivers to Slow Down — “As part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, the [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments] is launching a new Street Smart safety campaign with the slogan, ‘Slow Down, Life Ahead.’ The campaign aims to cut down on distracted and impaired driving this fall and winter, when there’s fewer daylight hours and decreased visibility on the road.” [WTOP]
Driver Rescued From Potomac River — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to a vehicle crash “into the Potomac River in the area of Waynewood Blvd/George Washington Memorial Pkwy. Bystanders were able to extricate the occupant prior to firefighter arrival. The occupant was transported to a local hospital.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Hazmat Response Company Opens New HQ — CHEMTREC, which provides hazardous materials emergency response services, celebrated the grand opening of its global headquarters at 3130 Fairview Park Drive on Tuesday (Oct. 29). After 12 years in Fairfax County, the company will spend the next 13 years at “its new 25,000-square-foot headquarters, which will accommodate 100 full-time employees. [Fairfax County EDA]
Halloween Safety Tips — “Halloween is one of the most highly anticipated holidays, especially for children. Dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating and collecting loads of candy is a highlight for kids every Oct. 31. However, it’s important for both parents and children to prioritize safety during the spooky festivities.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Reston Town Center Classified as Business District — BXP classified Reston Town Center as a “central business district” asset in a third-quarter report released Tuesday (Oct. 29). The categorization suggests the developer views RTC as more like urban properties in D.C., Boston and other cities than “suburban” sites like Kingstowne Towne Center’s movie theater. [Washington Business Journal]
New Park Proposed in Falls Church — The Falls Church City Council appears supportive of plans to allocate $1.5 million of $5.3 million in unspent fiscal year 2024 funds “to complete design and move forward with construction on what they call the Fellows site.” The planned park will be on a 1.9-acre property near Oak Street Elementary School that the city acquired in 2019. [ARLnow]
GMU Expands Work with Reston Contractor — “George Mason University and General Dynamics recently expanded an existing partnership to give students more access to career development in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud, and software development.” The space and defense company will offer recruitment, mentorship and other initiatives. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Yoga Studio Opening in Belle View — “Jess Purtell Yoga will hold its first classes Nov. 1 at its new space at Belle View Shopping Center.” Meanwhile, a butcher shop is coming to Fort Hunt, possibly early next year, and the international supermarket Fresh World has bumped back its expectations for opening in Mount Vernon to December or January. [On the MoVe]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine, a high around 79 degrees and a southwest wind between 7 and 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. At night, there will be a 20% chance of showers after 2am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 64 degrees. The southwest wind will continue at 11 to 14 mph with gusts as high as 22 mph. [NWS]
This year, the Potomac School Panthers want to finish the job and win the boys Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference boys soccer tournament.
As they are this fall, the Panthers also were the top seed in the 2023 event as a result of winning the regular-season title, but lost badly, 5-2, to Sidwell Friends in the high-school tourney-championship match.
With 13 or more victories, three different teams recently won Northern Virginia Senior Softball League regular-season fall championships.
The Reston Green won the five-team National Conference crown with a 13-3 record. Reston finished four wins ahead of the runner-up McLean Light Blue (11-7) and five in front of the third-place Alexandria Navy Blue (18-8). The Fairfax Royal Blue and Springfield Maroon each were 5-13.
Fairfax County’s elected leadership is standing firm in efforts to have the state government fulfill its responsibility for housing those sentenced to incarceration.
But exactly how local leaders will deliver that message in advance of the 2025 General Assembly session remains a work in progress.
The prospect of a winter of discontent awaits those navigating the area where Haycock Road meets Route 7 in Falls Church, but conditions should be better by springtime, city officials anticipate.
“Relief is on the horizon, but we still have some pain before we get there,” Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields told the city council on Monday (Oct. 28).
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday allowed Virginia to resume its purge of voter registrations that the state says is aimed at stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting.
If current trends continue, a majority of Fairfax County Public Schools students could come from families defined as economically disadvantaged.
“That would be a fundamental shift in the paradigm of our education system,” Mount Vernon Representative Mateo Dunne said at the Fairfax County School Board meeting last Thursday (Oct. 24).
