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.
The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is once again encouraging residents to welcome a new year by hitting its trails.
The First Hike Fairfax photo contest will return for New Year’s Day 2025, offering prizes to park visitors who take a snap while strolling or hiking and upload it to the FCPA website. The link will be posted online by 7 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).
Police Offer New Year’s Eve Safety Tips — “Traffic-related incidents often increase during holiday celebrations, especially when alcohol is involved. If you are planning to drive this New Year’s Eve, avoid drinking entirely to ensure you are fully alert and in control behind the wheel.” Free Lyft rides will be available through the Tysons-based Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP). [FCPD]
Culmore Residents Displaced by Apartment Fire — “A fire in an apartment building in Culmore on Dec. 18 displaced five people, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports.” There were no injuries after a fire alarm woke up residents, enabling them to evacuate the second-floor unit in the 6000 block of Argyle Drive. “Total property loss is estimated at $81,000.” [Annandale Today]
D.C. Records Warmest Year on Record — “Cooler December weather couldn’t keep the year from becoming the city’s warmest on record. This year’s annual average temperature of 61.8 degrees will end up 0.3 degrees ahead of the previous record high of 61.5 degrees in 2012.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Security Vestibules Added at Some Schools — “Several schools around the Richmond Highway Corridor, including West Potomac High School, have either finished or nearly wrapped up construction of their new security vestibules … With phase one of vestibule implementation nearly complete, there are still four more groups to go,” with FCPS seeking bids for a second round in early 2025. [On the MoVe]
Prolonged Street Closure Required Near Landmark Mall — “Some streets around the former Landmark Mall site, most notable a stretch of Duke Street, could see some closures starting today and running through next August. The City of Alexandria said the street closures are tied to construction of infrastructure at the WestEnd project.” [ALXnow]
Falls Church to Prioritize Affordable Housing in 2025 — “Some Falls Church officials are hoping 2025 will be a year of moving from conversation to concrete decisions in addressing affordable-housing goals.” The Falls Church City Council recently discussed goals recommended by a “working group that had spent much of 2024 focused on affordable housing.” [ARLnow]
TJ Student Raises Awareness of Light Pollution — “Lots of teenagers spend their time relaxing over winter break; but 15-year-old Rushil Kukreja was busy meeting with state lawmakers in Virginia about light pollution.” The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology junior created the nonprofit Princia to support “advocacy, education and research.” [WTOP]
It’s Tuesday — There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, starting at 1pm, with a high of 58 and southeast winds at 5-11 mph, gusting to 20 mph. On Tuesday night, expect a low around 42 and a west wind at 9 mph. New Year’s Day will be mostly sunny, breezy, and with a high near 48, accompanied by a west wind at 11-20 mph, gusting up to 34 mph. [NWS]
During his high-school football career for the Langley Saxons, Tre Vasiliadis gained more than 4,000 all-purpose yards over four years.
In college, Vasiliadis came oh so close to that 4,000-yard all-purpose milestone, as well.
When it got approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this fall, VHC Health and Intuitive Health’s planned hybrid emergency room and urgent care facility was touted as a clear upgrade for West Falls Church’s Graham Center, transforming the aging strip mall with an innovative health care resource and much-needed road safety improvements.
However, for the small businesses that in some cases have been housed at the Graham Center for decades, the impending redevelopment has brought stress and upheaval, as they consider whether to relocate or possibly close their doors for good.
In 2023, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors allocated $15 million to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Service Board to construct or renovate a crisis receiving center for youth behavioral health emergencies.
After more than a year, however, Fairfax has yet to pick a location – the next step to getting the center operational.
Driver in Fatal Hit-and-Run Still Unknown — “A Fairfax County family is still searching for answers after a devastating hit-and-run crash claimed the life of their matriarch, Mary Wong. The crash happened on Huntsman Boulevard near Bridle Wood Drive just before 8 p.m. on December 27th, 2023 — just two days after Christmas.” [FOX5]
Metro Construction Finishes Ahead of Schedule — Metro resumed normal service at 5 a.m. today (Monday) after suspending operations on parts of the Blue, Orange and Silver lines in D.C. for 10 days of track repairs and upgrades. The construction work finished a day early and “more than $450,000 under budget.” [WMATA]
Motorcyclist Killed in Fair Lakes Crash Identified — Police are continuing to investigate a crash that killed motorcyclist Michael Yung of Lorton at West Ox Road and Piney Branch Road on Friday (Dec. 27). Detectives are looking at whether “speed was a factor” in the crash, which saw Yung collide with an SUV that was turning left in the intersection. [FCPD]
Police Investigate Reston Burglary — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are seeking the community’s help in identifying suspects who burglarized a business and stole electronics in Reston on Christmas Eve.” Police say four people broke into the business in the 1600 block of Reston Parkway and stole electronics around 5 a.m. on Dec. 24. [FCPD]
Critic’s Take on Year’s Best New N. Va. Restaurants — “I’ve been through the good, bad, and forgettable this year, all to bring you a list of my favorite Northern Virginia restaurants of 2024. From vegan soups to dry-aged fish, these are the new restaurants that I’ve measured most favorably.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
This Silver Line Station is Metro’s Least Used — “About 400,000 people ride Metro trains daily, making it the second-busiest subway system in the country behind New York City’s … But at Loudoun Gateway, the second-to-last stop on the Silver Line extension, there is never any bustle,” with an average of 317 people entering the station each day this year. [Washington Post]
Community Centers Start Lending Tech Devices — “Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services is pleased to announce the new Technology Lending Program available at 12 NCS centers.” Any county resident can borrow technology, such as Canon EOS cameras, 3D printers and, in the future, Chromebooks, for 14 days. [NCS]
Local Student Builds Career on TV, Broadway — “Braden Allen King grew up in Fairfax County and watched as his dad and brother took part in local theater productions, and his mom taught dance, with his sister dancing at her studio. So, it wasn’t much of a shock to anyone in his family when he decided he wanted to pursue a career as an actor.” [Fairfax County Times]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy morning followed by gradual clearing and a high around 57°F. There will be west winds blowing at 8 to 11 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dipping to around 38°F. A southwest wind of around 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]
As he continues head-coaching duties of a boys varsity high-school basketball team in Southern Maryland, Brad Leydig credits two people for influencing his career path.
Those impressions were made when Leydig was a student/athlete at Madison High School in Vienna, learning from the Warhawks’ late head football coach Lenny Schultz and current head boys hoops coach Kevin Roller.
On a turnaround 12-foot jump shot in the middle of the lane, Anya Rahman scored her 1,000th career point for the Langley Saxons girls basketball team in a recent high-school game.
The basket came with 2:39 left in the second quarter against the Bishop O’Connell Knights on Langley’s home court, giving the Saxons a 20-9 lead.
Fairfax County has bumped up the amount of money developers must contribute toward public facilities in Tysons if they’re unable to deliver the goods themselves.
As of Dec. 16, the county is charging developers who submit rezoning applications for Tysons sites $2.22 per square foot of their project’s gross floor area to support the construction of roads, parks and other public spaces and infrastructure, Department of Planning and Development (DPD) staff said in a recent report to the Board of Supervisors.
