Will Fairfax County’s latest energy-efficiency initiative deliver enough bang for the buck to make it viable in an era of constrained budgets?
County supervisors weren’t so sure, but the new Energy Compass initiative will have the coming year to prove its worth.
Fairfax County Elementary Schoolers Now Have Mandatory Homework — “Fairfax County Public Schools has updated its homework guidelines for elementary schoolers, a shift away from the optional homework policy that some parents said had become the norm.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny conditions and a high of 87 degrees accompanied by a light northwest wind at around 5 mph. Moving into Friday night, skies will turn partly cloudy with a low of 64 degrees. A calm wind will shift to the northeast at 5 to 7 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Fairfax County Schools Launch New Criminal Background Monitoring System for Employees — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is implementing a new criminal background check monitoring system, the first school district in Virginia to do so.” [ABC7]
Shake Shack Opens Kamp Washington Location — “Shake Shack officially opened its doors in Kamp Washington with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, charitable donation and tote bag giveaway.” [Patch]
Fast-Casual Fish Restaurant Set To Open First Of 3 DMV Locations — “West Coast restaurant chain specializing in responsibly sourced seafood is poised to open the first of three DMV locations.” [Patch]
The 11 Best Things to Do in Northern Virginia and DC this Weekend — “Check out these concerts, beer festivals, family-friendly events, stage productions, and more the weekend of September 19 to 21.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fairfax supervisors on Tuesday (Sept. 16) informally confirmed their support of the Interstate 495 Southside Express Lanes project as it moves toward a make-or-break regional vote next month.
Despite concerns about specifics of the 11-mile-long toll-lanes proposal across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, even the most skeptical supervisors said they supported keeping the project moving through the review process.
Starting tomorrow, Fairfax County voters will again head to the polls.
The nearly seven-week early voting period begins Friday, allowing voters to cast ballots ahead of Nov. 4’s Election Day.
Falls Church city officials are hoping for a collaborative effort with their Fairfax County colleagues as redevelopment takes place in the Gordon Road Triangle straddling the two communities.
“We have demonstrated we can work well with Fairfax County,” Falls Church Vice Mayor Debora Schantz-Hiscott said as city leaders on Sept. 15 began planning for the 20-acre parcel located within the locality’s borders.
A donut shop is still coming to a vacant storefront on Maple Avenue in Vienna, though it won’t be the same one announced more than a year and a half ago.
Shipley Do-Nuts, a predominantly Southern-based chain that has been expanding across the East Coast, is now set to occupy the storefront at 256 Maple Avenue East.
Trump Administration to Withhold Money from Thomas Jefferson High School — “The U.S. Department of Education has notified Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) that it cannot certify their Magnet School grant applications ‘as they are in violation of federal civil rights laws, including Title IX.'” [WJLA]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly cloudy day to eventually clear up and become sunny, with temperatures reaching a high near 82°F and a mild north wind at about 5 mph. As for Thursday night, the skies will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to a low around 62°F. A gentle west wind of around 5 mph will begin after midnight. [NWS]
Fairfax Co. Supervisors Tout Proposed Beltway Toll Lane Extension — “Several Fairfax County Supervisors on Tuesday indicated support for a proposal to extend toll lanes through an 11-mile stretch of the Capital Beltway, despite concerns about neighborhood impacts and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.” [WTOP]
Fairfax County Scouts Help Save Father’s Life with CPR — “The Scout’s Motto is ‘be prepared” — and that’s exactly what helped three Longfellow Middle School eighth-graders when the unthinkable happened.” [DC News Now]
Former Vice President Mike Pence Joins Faculty at GMU — “Former Vice President Mike Pence will be joining George Mason University’s Arlington-based Schar School of Policy and Government this fall.” [ARLnow]
New Food and Retail Coming to Dulles — “When the 435,000-square-foot Concourse E opens at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia later this fall, travelers will be able to enjoy some familiar retailers and restaurants, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Patch]
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announced yesterday that a series of meetings over the next month will cover plans to add new bike lanes and marked crosswalks around the county.
According to FCDOT, the restriping is scheduled for next year’s repaving season, which typically begins in the spring and ends in November.
Uncertainty remains as county leaders and budget staff begin looking toward the fiscal 2027 budget process.
“Overall, we’re kind of sitting in the same place,” said Philip Hagen, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget. He was briefing members of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Policy Committee on Sept. 16.
County supervisors reacted unhappily to how little of their approved funding for pedestrian and bicyclist improvements has filtered down to completed projects.
“How completely unacceptable — it has to change,” said Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman to the news that only about $12 million of the $82.1 million approved for improvements has been encumbered or spent.
