Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
Memorial Day weekend is a time to remember and honor those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s also the perfect kickoff to summer!
Fairfax County is continuing to see the number of locals experiencing homelessness over the last year increase — and a new report said inflation and housing costs are partially to blame.
This year’s point-in-time count — an annual count of individuals in shelters, transitional housing, and experiencing unsheltered homelessness — found 1,310 people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.
Dior has arrived at Tysons Galleria.
The French fashion house’s new boutique is now in business on the mall’s second floor near Neiman Marcus. Tysons Galleria announced that the store had opened on April 28 — beating its previously projected timeframe of summer 2023.
School Board Calls for Review to Address Drug Use — “As part of this review, the Board is asking the Superintendent to consider the merits of various initiatives, including creating a recovery high school, providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips, placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff, offering naloxone training to high school students” and more. [Karl Frisch]
Student Sports Officially Coming to Middle Schools — “For the first time, Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to launch an athletics program for middle school students. The program would start with cross country this fall. An outdoor track program would be offered in spring 2024. There would be no cost to students.” [Annandale Today]
Four Sisters will serve customers at the Mosaic District for the last time this Sunday (May 14).
The family-owned Vietnamese restaurant will permanently close after 30 years of business, about half of them spent anchoring the prominent corner of Strawberry Lane and Yates Way in Merrifield.
We need this notarized now! Who does that? Now there’s an answer: DC Mobile Notary
You might not need the services of a notary public every day, but when you do, there is generally a mad scramble to figure out where the nearest notary is. Sometimes, deadlines are missed.
Though a proposal to expand its headquarters in McLean is still under review, Mars Inc. has apparently gotten a head start on scouting locations to temporarily host employees during construction.
The candy and pet food manufacturer has submitted a bid for construction work on the 10th floor of 1676 International Drive in Tysons, the Washington Business Journal reported yesterday.
Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance has officially been modernized — for good this time.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the code overhaul known as zMod on Tuesday (May 9) even after overwhelming opposition at the public hearing. The readoption took effect immediately.
Cats Rescued From Reston House Fire — Two people were displaced by a house fire in the 2300 block of Whitetail Court that started around 12:16 p.m. on April 29 due to an “electrical event involving a power strip” in a second-floor bedroom. Firefighters rescued two cats from the house, which totaled about $50,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
Homelessness Rates Rise Across D.C. Area — “The metropolitan Washington region experienced an 18% increase in homelessness between January 2022 and January 2023, the region’s Council of Governments announced Wednesday.” All nine jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, saw a rise, which is “pretty unprecedented,” COG’s housing program manager said. [DCist]
After more than three years, COVID-19 will officially cease to be a federal public health emergency in the U.S. tomorrow (Thursday), bringing an end to the days of free testing and vaccinations.
The Fairfax County Health Department will still provide free services by appointment to people who don’t have insurance or otherwise can’t pay, but private insurance companies and health providers will be allowed to start billing patients, the department explained in a May 5 announcement.
