Fairfax County’s top Republican policymaker is entering the race for lieutenant governor.
Pat Herrity, who has represented the Springfield District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for more than 15 years, formally announced his candidacy for the office this morning (Friday).
Though a flurry of flakes rushed through the area in late November, this weekend could bring D.C. area’s first serious snowfall of the season.
The National Weather Service is currently predicting a 70% chance of precipitation today (Friday), with rain likely turning into snow mixed with rain after 3 p.m. Less than half an inch of snow is expected.
Events to Look Forward to in 2025 — “Northern Virginians have so much to look forward to, from the return of the giant pandas to celebrating 50 years of Kings Dominion to so many new openings. You won’t want to miss any of these 25 events and attractions in 2025.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Legislator to Preview General Assembly Session — State Del. Holly Seibold, “who represents Virginia’s 12th House District, including Vienna, Tysons and some adjacent parts of Fairfax County, will preview the upcoming state legislative session” at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:30 p.m. The county’s General Assembly delegation will also hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Bill Would Require Political Ads to Disclose A.I. Use — “Virginia State Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, already pre-filed a bill before the General Assembly convenes in January that would require political ads to disclose the use of AI. The content can mislead voters by distorting reality, such as deepfake robocalls generated in New Hampshire that sounded like President Joe Biden.” [WUSA9]
Retiring Rep. Wexton Seeks to Raise Awareness of Disease — “In January, Wexton will retire from the House of Representatives, where she has served since 2019. Yet the manner in which she’s making her exit is atypical. Many diagnosed with PSP retreat from the world … But Wexton has chosen to fight, using her platform to bring attention to the disease and working to pass legislation to fund potential new treatments for it and other brain disorders.” [Washingtonian]
Lottery Ticket Bought in Herndon Among $1M Winners — “Five lottery winners have scored a million-dollar prize in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, including two in Northern Virginia.” One of the winning raffle tickets was sold by the McNair Farms Sunoco at 13470 Coppermine Road in Herndon. [Patch]
Vegetarian Indian Restaurant Coming to Chantilly — “It looks like a vegetarian restaurant chain is expanding into Northern Virginia. It’s called Saravanaa Bhavan and it specializes in meat-free dishes from southern India … Saravanaa Bhavan has taken a roughly 4,800 s.f. space in the Chantilly Crossing shopping center.” [The Burn]
Volunteers Invited to Help Package Oatmeal — “The Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads, the Arlington Moose Lodge, and the Bailey’s Crossroads Lions Club invite community members to take part in an oatmeal packaging event on Jan. 4. Volunteers will assemble 18,000 servings of fortified oatmeal to help low-income people get through the cold winter months.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Friday — Expect rain and snow showers after 1pm, with mostly cloudy skies, a high near 42, and southwest winds of 5-11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. For Friday night, there’s a 20% chance of snow showers before 10pm, clearing up to mostly clear skies and a low of 25. [NWS]
The golf season ended weeks ago, and the Virginia High School League has now released its official all-state Class 6 team for the 2024 fall campaign.
That 10-player golf squad included six from Fairfax County schools.
A new report says Fairfax County leaders need to work on better determining the county’s deer population, explaining the need for deer management to the public and recruiting volunteers for deer-culling efforts.
Those are some of the suggestions made to the Board of Supervisors by the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) in its 134-page annual report for 2024.
A Maryland man is facing felony charges after an apparent traffic argument escalated into a hit-and-run crash in Tysons that sent a pedestrian to the hospital.
Police officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Chain Bridge Road at 4:28 p.m. on Dec. 23 for the crash, which reportedly occurred outside the American Girl store at Tysons Corner Center, according to scanner traffic.
A project to convert a vacant office building in Merrifield into workforce housing could move forward this year.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) and private developer Conifer Realty are in the midst of negotiations with Inova Health Care Services to acquire the four-story office building at 2990 Telestar Court, according to FCRHA spokesperson Allyson Pearce.
Lightning Strikes D.C. Landmarks — “2024 did not go out with a whimper, as storms moved into the region on New Year’s Eve, producing heavy rain, wind gusts and prompting a tornado warning and lightning strikes at two iconic D.C. structures. Lightning struck the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night as the storms rolled through the District.” [WTOP]
Rep. Connolly Reacts to New Orleans Attack — “I am heartbroken by the horrific attack in New Orleans. My heart is with the victims, their families, and the people of New Orleans. Thank you to every first responder who ran toward danger to protect innocent lives.” [Rep. Gerry Connolly/Twitter]
Fairfax City Police Investigate Shots-Fired Incident — “Police are asking the public’s help in identifying the person who shot a firearm around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday in the 9900 block of Fairfax Square. This is the second such shooting in the neighborhood” in December. No injuries or property damage were reported, but bullet casings were found. [Patch]
South County Sees Rebound in Tourism — “Visit Fairfax, the county’s destination marketing organization, is upbeat about the post-pandemic resurgence of tourism in Southeast Fairfax County — particularly in the resource- and attraction-rich parts of the Mount Vernon District.” Attractions like the Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House and the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton reported upticks in visitors for 2024. [On the MoVe]
Police Seek Suspects in Annandale Home Burglary — “On December 27, at 2:48 p.m., officers responded to the 3300 block of Elm Terrace in Annandale for a residential burglary alarm. The complainant reported seeing two suspects enter her home on surveillance cameras. After activating an audible alarm, the suspects fled prior to police arrival.” [FCPD]
Tysons Marriott Hotel Sold — “The Tysons Corner Marriott has sold for nearly $63.9 million, or $161,227 per key, to a New York real estate investment management firm that appears to be making its first entry into Greater Washington’s hospitality market. The sale, to an affiliate of Prospect Ridge, was recorded Dec. 5, per Fairfax County land records.” [Washington Business Journal]
Incoming Fairfax City Council Member Gets Engaged — “As if getting elected to the Fairfax City Council didn’t make 2024 special enough for Anthony Amos, he decided to cap the year off by getting engaged … Monterrosa and Amos first met in Hawaii in 2018. The couple has set Sept. 20, 2025 as a tentative date for their wedding ceremony.” [Patch]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 40 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 11 to 16 mph and gusts up to 28 mph. For Thursday night, the conditions will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 29 degrees and a west wind at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]
With 2025 on the horizon, FFXnow is taking a final look back at the past year in Fairfax County news.
In the past, we’ve closed out the year by reviewing the 10 most-read stories, but with “best restaurant” rankings taking up nearly half of the top 10 spots (in case you’ve ever wondered why we cover every shoutout to a local establishment by the Washington Post, Washingtonian or another outlet), we’re going to instead highlight the most memorable stories of this year.
New Year’s Day will bring a number of new laws and regulations into effect across Virginia.
While legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor typically has an effective date of the start of the state government’s fiscal year on July 1, some measures are delayed until Jan. 1 each year.
