Fairfax County saw high early voting turnout for this year’s presidential election, though the numbers didn’t reached the levels seen during the last presidential cycle.
Since early voting began on Sept. 20, over 322,000 residents, or 43% of the county’s 748,492 registered voters, have cast a vote, as of Friday (Nov. 2), the last day of in-person early voting, the Fairfax County Office of Elections posted on Twitter.
A new dining option is arriving in McLean, just in time to fortify local voters looking for some grub after they stop by the polls today.
Timber Pizza will serve its first official customers this afternoon (Tuesday), holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. and opening its doors at the McLean Village shopping center (8100 Old Dominion Drive) at 5 p.m.
Poll Worker Removed for Citizenship Question — Fairfax County’s Office of Elections removed a poll worker from the Franconia Governmental Center’s early voting site who asked an elementary school principal to show proof of her citizenship — a violation of state law. Liza Burrell-Aldana, once named principal of the year by the Washington Post, believes she was questioned because she looks and sounds Latina. [Washington Post]
Man Charged With Assault on Dulles Flight — A man has been charged with felony assault after allegedly punching another passenger “repeatedly in the face and head” during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport. An FBI agent says the attack against the sleeping passenger on Monday, Oct. 28 was unprovoked. [Associated Press/WTOP]
How County Is Ensuring Security of Election — With Election Day here, the Fairfax County Office of Elections offered a breakdown of the steps it takes to ensure “every vote is accurately recorded, safely stored and properly counted. From safeguarding ballots and voting machines to conducting post-election canvassing, the county’s Office of Elections prioritizes security at every step.” [Fairfax County Government]
Local Restaurants Offer Election Day Specials — “Make the most of Election Day by picking up a few free treats and special deals just for voters. Here’s where you can find food and drink specials on November 5.” Offers include a free nonalcoholic drink from Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Chantilly and Fair Oaks, and a themed cocktail from Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in McLean. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Trail Proposed Along GW Parkway — “A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is hoping recent controversy over tree-clearing along the Potomac River leads to creative thinking about the future.” The group suggested that the National Park Service create a trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s full Arlington County length. [ARLnow]
Buyer Search Underway for Vacant Annandale Building — “There is a lot of interest in the vacant property on Columbia Pike next to the Giant parking lot. But don’t expect anything to happen any time soon. The 1-acre site is available for a ground lease or sale for $3.5 million, says Craig Cheney with KLNB.” [Annandale Today]
Tysons Coffee Shop Opens Loudoun Expansion — “The new Shotted Specialty Coffee shop coming to Loudoun County has announced that its grand opening will be this coming Friday, November 8. They have already started a soft opening and busy brewing.” The cafe can be found in Fairfax County at both Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. [The Burn]
It’s Tuesday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. [NWS]
A Maryland man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly soliciting sex from a 15-year-old he met at the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
The teen’s parents reported to the police on Friday (Nov. 1) that a man had solicited their child first in person and then in subsequent communications in October, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The Potomac School Panthers have brought home both regular-season and conference-tournament titles in boys soccer.
And now, players and coaches have their eyes on a possible state crown.
This season the Division I private-school state football playoffs will not include the Flint Hill Huskies or Potomac School Panthers.
The overall records of the high-school teams were not good enough to earn one of the four berths. Potomac School finished 5-4 and Flint Hill 1-8.
Virginia’s plan to widen I-495 with privately financed, toll-based express lanes in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge corridor continues to get a decidedly mixed reception from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
On one side of the debate, Board Chairman Jeff McKay believes the project is “essential,” but he conceded at a meeting of the board’s transportation committee last Tuesday (Oct. 29) that “not everyone feels that way.”
Beneath a bustling stretch of Fairfax County Parkway lies a little-known wildlife crossing that might hold the key to reducing animal-vehicle collisions in Virginia.
Last Wednesday (Oct. 30), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and State Sen. David Marsden (D-35) toured the underpass nestled between Davison Army Airfield and Fort Belvoir. Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles.
Fairfax County school officials will try again this month to win planning commission support for the proposed new Dunn Loring Elementary School.
“Clearly, we need to do a little more work — [to] get all the pieces right,” Providence District Planning Commissioner Jeremy Hancock said last Wednesday (Oct. 30) after more than two hours of presentations, discussion and public comment.
Fairfax County’s unemployment rate saw little movement in year-over-year in new data, while those seeking to rent apartments across the county are likely to be paying more than they would have a year before.
The new figures represent employment conditions recorded in September and housing costs in October.
