The Red Bird has landed in Vienna.
The hot chicken chain’s first Northern Virginia franchise is in the midst of a soft opening at 282 Cedar Lane in the Cedar Park Shopping Center, where it has replaced the McDonald’s that closed in 2022. The location is currently open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Instagram posts.
At the halfway point of his administration, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled a budget proposal that calls for significant income tax cuts, increases in state sales and use tax — and a push to get rid of the car tax, which the Republican called “the single most hated tax” in Virginia.
“The car tax belongs in the trash can and not in your mailbox,” he said.
Report Recommends Options for Closing Metro Funding Gap — “The report, issued Tuesday by a working group of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, suggests boosting local jurisdictions’ collective subsidies to Metro by as much as $462 million, plus various additional compromise measures.” Suggestions include fare increases and “targeted service reductions” that could be less drastic than the partial Silver Line closure proposed by WMATA. [Washington Business Journal]
Three Arrested for Theft and Fraud at Tysons Clothing Store — “The Tysons Urban Team (TUT) detectives arrested a crew believed to be responsible for multiple fraudulent transactions and recovered property belonging to U.S. Postal Service (USPS). At 2:14 p.m. on December 15, detectives responded to the Diesel store in the McLean area for a suspicious person call. A store employee recognized several suspects from a fraudulent purchase that was made a few weeks prior.” [FCPD]
The man behind Divan in McLean has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for failing to pay taxes and stealing COVID-19 relief funds — including money used to establish the Persian restaurant.
Gholam “Tony” Kowkabi, 63, of Vienna was sentenced by a federal judge on Monday (Dec. 18) to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty on Aug. 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of D.C. announced.
For the first time in over four decades, Fairfax County’s police officers and firefighters got an opportunity this year to negotiate their pay, benefits and working conditions with the local government.
The collective bargaining process led to new contracts for Fairfax County Police Department and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department employees that union representatives and county leaders both lauded as meaningful wins for public safety workers.
The public can get a closer look at Fairfax County’s efforts to combat climate change with an updated Climate Action Dashboard.
The dashboard updates, released yesterday (Dec. 18) by the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC), include a new interactive map and sector-specific landing pages, so community members interested in buildings, for example, can view those metrics separately ones about waste.
Construction has begun on a development that promises to bring hundreds of affordable housing units to Tysons.
Officials with Fairfax County, nonprofit developer Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) and other partners broke ground yesterday (Tuesday) on the Dominion Square project, which has been newly renamed The Exchange at Spring Hill Station.
Next Phase of Dulles Airport Taking Shape — “A team of planners at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is working on a new vision for Dulles — one that could vastly expand the airport’s footprint and include construction of a new runway, concourses and completion of the AeroTrain system. The new master plan also could incorporate the next generation of transportation options…known as air taxis.” [Washington Post]
Burke Man Charged With Indecent Exposure — “At 12:46 p.m. on December 16, officers responded to a sex offense at the intersection of Coffer Woods Court and Blincoe Court in Burke. A victim observed a man running on a nearby trail exposing himself.” Police arrested a 53-year-old man, who “may have exposed himself on multiple other occasions along the Pohick Stream Valley Trail.” [FCPD]
(Updated at 11:30 a.m. on 12/20/2023) A Spanish fashion brand that has started utilizing artificial intelligence to design its clothes is coming to Tysons Corner Center.
Mango recently announced that it will expand to the D.C. area for the first time with four stores opening in 2024, including one in the region’s largest mall. New locations are also planned at 950 F Street in D.C.’s Penn Quarter, the Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda, and Pentagon City.
Fairfax County is moving forward with updates to its landscaping and screening requirements along streets and parking lots.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended the approval of changes to the ordinance at a meeting on Dec. 6. If fully approved, it would be the first major change to the ordinance in 40 years and could make parking lots greener.
