Fairfax County intends to move forward with phasing out the use of police officers as school crossing guards.
The Fairfax County Police Department would eliminate crossing guards at local public high schools and turn to contractors to fill vacancies at elementary and middle schools under the fiscal year 2027 budget proposed on Tuesday (Feb. 17) by County Executive Bryan Hill.
What Bills Are Still Alive in General Assembly — “The 2026 General Assembly reached its midpoint Tuesday night as lawmakers hit crossover, the session’s deadline for legislation to pass its chamber of origin and move to the other side of the state Capitol … At crossover, Democrats have moved several of their highest-profile priorities, and they approved three constitutional amendments that will appear on November’s ballot.” [Virginia Mercury]
Emergency Declared for Potomac Sewage Spill — “D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared local public emergency regarding the sewage spill in the Potomac River, according to the Mayor’s Office. The declaration allowed her to also make a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration request, which could bring in federal support to help respond to the disaster.” [NBC4]
Fatal Crashes Increasing in Region — “Vehicle crashes in the D.C. region remain below pre-pandemic levels but have been rising since 2020, and crash-related fatalities have increased almost continuously since 2015, according to the findings of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board’s 2025 Roadway Safety Study.” [WTOP]
Residents Share Thoughts on Possible Casino — “A proposal to allow Northern Virginia voters to weigh in on whether to build a casino in Fairfax County has advanced to the state’s House of Delegates. And even though the latest plan doesn’t specify Tysons as the location for the project, some community members there are still skeptical.” [WTOP]
Report on Deadly Mid-Air Crash Finalized — “A dizzying range of factors led to last year’s deadly collision between an Army helicopter and a regional jet over the Potomac River, per the final National Transportation Safety Board report out Tuesday.” Identified issues included the proximity of a helicopter route to the path airplanes use to approach Reagan National Airport, “unsustainable” traffic levels at DCA, high workloads for control tower operators and more. [Axios]
New Metro Railcars Running Late — “The next series of Metro railcars will modernize the transit agency’s fleet, but delivery of those trains could be delayed. The 8000 series is supposed to be in service in 2028, but Metro signaled it is not happy with the way the timeline stands right now.” [NBC4]
Community Center to Celebrate 20 Years — The recently reopened “Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate in Reston will celebrate its 20th anniversary this July. The center, which first opened on July 10, 2006, serves as an intergenerational hub for the community.” A community celebration will be held on Aug. 15. [Patch]
Eden Center Celebrates Lunar New Year — “The Vietnamese community celebrated the Lunar New Year at the Eden Center on Feb. 17 with a lion dance, speeches, the raising of Vietnamese and American flags, recognition of Vietnamese military veterans, and fireworks.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Thursday — Expect rain to begin mainly after 3pm with a high near 48°F. An east wind of 5 to 10mph accompanies an 80% chance of precipitation. There’s a 100% chance of rain and patchy fog at night, with a low around 42°F. New rainfall may reach a quarter to half an inch. [NWS]
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Del. Dan Helmer, a Democrat who has represented southwestern Fairfax County in the House of Delegates since 2020, is once again running for Congress.
The 44-year-old announced his candidacy today (Wednesday) to represent the newly-drawn 7th Congressional District — a sprawling “lobster-shaped” district that includes Helmer’s Fairfax home while stretching east to Arlington County, west to Augusta County and south to Goochland County.
Please stop flushing wipes down the toilet, even if they’re labeled “flushable,” Fairfax County said in a recent message to community members.
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services urged residents late last week to avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper after a mass of non-disposable wipes clogged a regional sewer pipeline, exacerbating overflows into the Potomac River.
Fairfax County supervisors have directed staff to return in coming weeks with information on the physical conditions of the local government’s more than 200 buildings.
The request for information was made Tuesday (Feb. 17) by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who contends maintenance of older buildings constructed between the 1960s and 1980s has been “consistently deferred in favor of new projects.”
Fairfax County officials sent mixed messages last Friday (Feb. 13) over General Assembly progress, or lack of it, toward dedicated transit funding for Northern Virginia.
Legislation to establish dedicated transit funding is unlikely to be acted on during the month remaining in the 2026 legislative session, county staff reported at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Legislative Committee.
A pair of Arlington-based technology companies are planning new offices in Fairfax County, collectively promising over 300 new jobs.
First, the space tech manufacturer Umbra announced last Thursday (Feb. 12) that it will expand to Reston, opening a 20,000-square-foot office expected to host over 100 employees. Then, defense contractor Grvty revealed yesterday (Tuesday) that it will establish a new corporate headquarters in Tysons.
GW Parkway Rehab Nears Finish — “After more than two and a half years of major traffic disruptions for commuters and other drivers, the National Park Service (NPS) said it has reached ‘substantial completion’ of rehabilitation work on a northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.” However, additional repairs will be needed on the Route 123 bridge over the GW Parkway at the McLean exit, starting by the end of February. [WJLA]
Minimum Wage Increases Pass — “Virginia’s minimum wage is on track to continue increasing over the next two years. Two companion bills — SB1 and HB1 — have passed both chambers and are expected to go to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), who has indicated that she will sign them into law.” [ARLnow]
Senate Advances ICE Cooperation Limits — “The Virginia Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would place hefty guardrails on any proposed 287(g) agreements allowing local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration functions. The bill still must go to the House … The Virginia bill is part of a growing wave of pushback against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown by Democratic-led states.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]
Video of Springfield Mall Shooting Released — “Video shows a fight between young people that escalated into a shooting inside the Springfield Town Center mall on Friday evening. A 19-year-old was wounded, and a 17-year-old was arrested, Fairfax County’s police chief said on News4.” [NBC4]
Residents Propose Data Center Land Swap — Homeowners’ associations in Bren Mar Park opposed to a planned data center near their neighborhood have suggested that Fairfax County buy that land from the developer in exchange for a portion of the police training campus in Chantilly currently under consideration for a sale to allow a data center. The group says the Plaza 500 site would be better suited for affordable housing. [Annandale Today]
Tips for Avoiding Tax Scams — “As tax filing season ramps up, so do attempts by scammers looking to steal personal information and hard-earned money. The Fairfax County Police Department is reminding residents to stay alert and recognize the warning signs of common tax-related fraud schemes.” [FCPD]
Cannabis Retail Sales Bill Heads to Governor — “After years of clearing the General Assembly only to meet a veto, legislation to create a legal, adult-use cannabis market in Virginia passed both chambers Tuesday — this time with a governor ready to sign it and retail sales poised to begin as early as November.” [Virginia Mercury]
Fairfax City IDs Capital Project Priorities — At a work session on Tuesday, Feb. 10, Fairfax City Council and Planning Commission members discussed the combined Willard Sherwood Community Center, the Fire Station 3 replacement and a study of the city’s property yard as three projects that should be prioritized for funding in the fiscal year 2027-2031 capital improvement program. [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — There is a 20% chance of rain after 2pm, with fog expected before 9am, followed by mostly cloudy conditions and a high temperature near 58°F. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph, with gusts of up to 20 mph. At night, clouds will gradually clear, leading to a low temperature around 43°F. [NWS]
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Fairfax County’s real estate tax rate would remain the same, but the typical homeowner would still pay $357 more due to higher assessments under the $5.98 billion fiscal year 2027 budget proposed today (Feb. 17) by County Executive Bryan Hill.
“Fairfax County is stable, competitive and positioned for growth. We are stabilizing and we are also advancing,” Hill told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, officially kicking off the two-and-a-half month budget process.
Fairfax County’s new western high school won’t be named Western High School after all.
The school board voted unanimously last Thursday (Feb. 12) to instead adopt “Skyview High School” as the new name of the former King Abdullah Academy campus at 2949 Education Drive, near Dulles International Airport and the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in the Floris area south of Herndon.
