Countywide

FCPS Proposes Limiting Phone and Social Media Use — “Proposed updates to school policies in Fairfax County Public Schools would ban students from using social media sites for non-academic purposes during school hours and define when cellphones can be used during the school day.” The phone policy has already been implemented at Herndon middle and high schools. [WTOP]

Falls Church Development Under Construction — Developer Insight Property Group will break ground today (Friday) on its 2.7-acre Broad and Washington project, which has been in the works since 2015. The mixed-use development will eventually include a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods, 339 residential units, space for the theater nonprofit Creative Cauldron, a public plaza, and ground-floor retail. [Falls Church News-Press]


Countywide

Reports of child abuse and neglect in Fairfax County have fluctuated wildly during the COVID-19 pandemic — based primarily on whether students are attending school in person or remotely.

Prior to the pandemic, Fairfax County Child Protective Services conducted 2,216 family assessments and investigations in fiscal year 2019, which ran from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, according to the county’s Department of Family Services.


News

An end is in sight for Vienna’s months-long debate over the future of outdoor dining in the town.

The Vienna Town Council intends to vote on May 11 on a new draft zoning ordinance that will permanently ease the permitting process for restaurants seeking to provide outdoor dining — with some limits in place to ward off conflicts over noise, parking, and other potential issues.


News

With fentanyl deaths reaching unprecedented levels nationally, Fairfax County is participating once again in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Take Back Day.

Led by the Fairfax County Police Department with other county agencies, the event will have drop-off sites set up across the county this Saturday (April 30) where people can dispose of their old and unused medications for free to prevent misuse.


Countywide

Fairfax County’s upcoming budget won’t fully resolve funding disparities between public defenders and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Instead, county leaders said they’ll continue working with General Assembly representatives to fix funding disparities, where Fairfax County public defenders say they’re underfunded and underpaid.


Countywide

The autonomous Relay shuttle in Merrifield has had lower-than-expected ridership, and it’s not entirely because of COVID-19 limitations.

Since its launch in October 2020 through February 2022, the vehicle has been out of service half the time, mostly due to technical glitches.


Countywide

Filler-Corn Ousted as House Minority Leader — Tasked with trying to retake a majority in 2023 — or this year, pending the outcome of a court case — the Virginia House Democratic Caucus removed former Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn as their leader in a secret ballot vote yesterday (Wednesday). Filler-Corn, who represents part of Fairfax County as the 41st District delegate, was the first woman and first Jewish person to serve as speaker in the chamber’s 400-year history. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Tysons Housing Project Lands Big Bucks — On Tuesday (May 3), officials from Fairfax County, the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, and more will announce a $55 million investment in the Dominion Square West project. The county says the funds will allow APAH to construct two planned buildings, instead of just the one that has been approved, accelerating the delivery of over 500 units of affordable housing. [Fairfax County HCD]


News

Updated at 8:10 p.m.The power outage in Tysons has been isolated to Tysons Corner Center, with Dominion Energy identifying a failed piece of equipment as the cause.

“Repairs are underway,” Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox said at 7:44 p.m. “We’re hoping to have power back on within the hour.”


Countywide

A teenager faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter after a woman died in a three-vehicle crash on Georgetown Pike in McLean last month.

While alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash, detectives have determined that the 16-year-old, male driver was going more than 80 mph in a section of the roadway with a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit, the Fairfax County Police Department reported today (Wednesday).


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