A Town of Vienna employee returned to work after the holiday weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to find a pungent surprise in his vehicle.
“An employee reported someone entered his unlocked work truck and put dog feces on the steering wheel,” the Vienna Police Department said in its crime report for the week of Jan. 13-19.
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.
A new report from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) found a “startling increase” in the number of pedestrian fatalities in Northern Virginia last year.
Along with the increase in pedestrian fatalities, DMV found a smaller increase in overall traffic-related fatalities in the region.
The battle over transgender student rights has taken center stage in the race for the Fairfax County School Board’s Providence District seat.
Consultant and Vienna resident Jeff Hoffmann officially launched a campaign on Tuesday (Jan. 17) to challenge incumbent Karl Frisch, who announced last week that he’ll seek a second term in office this November.
Tim Kaine Expected to Announce Election Plans — “Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) will address his plans for the future when he appears at a news conference in Richmond on Friday, according to two people familiar with the senator’s intentions — which might mean he will reveal whether he will seek reelection in 2024.” [The Washington Post]
Man Sentenced in Springfield Shootings — “A Northern Virginia man was ordered to serve 20 years in prison — the maximum sentence — for fatally shooting two teens at a home in Springfield in 2021. Zachary Burkard, 20, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years for each voluntary manslaughter charge in the deaths of 17-year-old Ersheen Elaiaiser and 16-year-old Calvin Van Pelt. Once he gets out of prison he will have an additional three years of supervision.” [NBC4]
The groundwork has been laid for a new townhouse development on Leesburg Pike in Pimmit Hills.
Vertical construction is expected to start late this spring on Tysons Ridge, a 104-unit complex replacing the circular office building at 7700 Leesburg Pike, according to developer EYA.
Tysons is making good progress on fulfilling Fairfax County’s goal of turning it into a place where people live as well as work, county staff say.
Since the Tysons Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2010, the urban center has seen its population jump from 17,000 to 30,124 residents, according to data shared last week with the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s Tysons Committee.
County Prosecutor Uses Message-Deleting App — “Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano is using an app called Signal which deletes text messages like Snapchat…Descano is using the Signal app to avoid written communication from being obtained by the public and the press as allowed under the Freedom of Information Act, according to sources close to Descano.” [ABC7]
Hyundai and Kia Vehicles Targeted for Thefts — “On Jan. 14, officers responded to numerous calls for service involving stolen or damaged vehicles in Lorton. The thieves appeared to target Hyundai and Kia vehicles…The increase in calls for service regarding stolen and damaged vehicles is consistent with a pattern seen throughout the county.” [FCPD]
The new Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) budget could signal big changes for local schools, including extended availability of school counselors and new middle school athletics programs.
Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid presented the budget for the 2023-2024 school year at a meeting last Thursday (Jan. 12).
A proposal to increase the density of housing along Spring Hill Road just outside McLean is among several applications for potential redevelopment in the immediate Tysons area that Fairfax County will present for public comment at a virtual meeting next month.
In its Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) nomination, Spring Hill Road Investments LLC asks that the county allow three to four dwelling units per acre at 1336, 1340, 1344 and 1348 Spring Hill Road, a stretch of single-family houses between Lewinsville Road and the Dulles Toll Road.
