With Christmas nearly upon us, FFXnow is signing off for the holiday.
Barring breaking news, we will be taking a break from publishing this afternoon and on Christmas Day. Regular publishing will resume on Thursday, Dec. 26.
Tysons
Fairfax County leaders gathered earlier this month to break ground on a new apartment complex that will provide nearly 300 units of affordable housing right next to the Fairfax County Government Center.
The 279-unit Residences at Government Center II will occupy land that previously had been a little-used, 340-space surface parking lot on 4.5 acres between Post Forest Drive and the county government’s headquarters.
Dog Rescued From Accotink Creek — “Just before 6:30pm #FairfaxsBravest received a call for a dog who had fallen into the Accontink Creek. Units arrived to find a dog stuck in the freezing water. Crews entered and swiftly rescued the dog. The dog was transferred to a local vet for evaluation.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Fairfax Lawmaker Leads Push for Cannabis Sales — Del. Paul Krizek is introducing the House version of a bill that “would establish a legal framework to regulate the sale and taxation of cannabis for adults 21 and older.” Since Virginia legalized marijuana possession in 2021, measures to allow retail sales have stalled, including a bill passed last year that got vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. [Virginia Mercury]
Two Evacuated From McLean House Fire — “At 10:40 am [Monday] morning #FairfaxsBravest responded to a house fire in the 1600 block of Hunting Ave. Units arrived with fire showing from the attic. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and completed primary searches. All negative. 2 civilians evaluated on the scene.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Newington Gun Store Targeted for Theft Again — A 20-year-old man from D.C. has been charged with possessing burglarious tools and wearing a mask in public after allegedly setting off the burglary alarm at Dominion Defense at 7200 Fullerton Road on Dec. 20. Firearms were previously stolen from the business in May 2023 and on Sept. 18. [FCPD]
New Trial Date Set for Herndon Double Murder Case — “Initially, Brendan Banfield’s criminal trial was set for Feb. 3, 2025. But, on Friday, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge S. Azcarate granted a motion for continuance made by Banfield’s lawyers. The four-week jury trial was pushed back to Oct. 20, 2025, according to court documents.” [Patch]
County Launches Public Safety Data Dashboard — “The Safety & Security dashboard is the fifth dashboard now published to support the implementation of the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan.” The dashboard includes data related to arrests, crimes, diversions from arrest, 911 call processing times, “positive interactions with police” and more. [Fairfax County Government]
GW Parkway Gets New Superintendent — “The National Park Service (NPS) announced Dec. 19 that Jennifer (Jen) Madello will be the new superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, effective Dec. 29 … Madello will fill the role previously occupied by Charles Cuvelier, who assumed a new role at NPS this past August.” [On the MoVe]
Local Party City Locations to Close — “Party City is closing all of its stores, including the one on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Party City Holdco Inc. is carrying out a ‘wind down’ of its 748 stores nationwide, which it expects to complete by Feb. 28.” The company also has stores on Loisdale Road in Springfield and Fairfax Blvd in Fairfax City. [Annandale Today]
It’s Tuesday — Rain or freezing rain is expected until 1pm, followed by a slight chance of rain between until 2pm, with a high temperature near 45. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation and a possibility of less than 0.1 inches of new ice accumulation. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 32. On Christmas Day, expect partly sunny skies with a high temperature near 42. [NWS]
Dominic Knicely has received the highest honor for his performance on the football field for the Madison Warhawks during the fall season.
The senior slot back and kick returner has been named the Virginia High School League Class 6 state Offensive Player of the Year.
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.