Sunday, May 12, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
UPDATE: The deadline for the first annual Celebrate Fairfax Photo Contest has been extended to May 15. Enter today! Your photo could be on display at Celebrate Fairfax! --- Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. You have until May 1 to get your entry in! Let the county be your inspiration — the top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Fairfax County's median income puts it on top 10 list nationwide; third in Virginia.
Feeling wealthy? With a median household income of more than $105,000, Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest in the United States, according to a new report from Forbes. That places Fairfax County among America’s 10 richest counties in the United States. The list is from Census median household income numbers compiled by the U. S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates from 2011, the most recent year for which is available. Are there other top lists where you'd expect to find Fairfax County? Tell us in the comments! The wealthiest county in the United States is Virginia's own Loudoun County, with a median income of close to $120,000. Other Virginia counties (or cities) on the list: Falls Church City, Arlington County …
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Fairfax County human services officials say more funds are needed for housing and other programs.
Fairfax County officials have said the impacts of sequestration are largely unknown, but for some of the county's low-income residents that's no longer true: Last week, the cuts forced the county to stop issuing Section 8 vouchers for affordable housing to families in need. Officials say that up to 150 families in the county might not be getting housing vouchers that will help them pay their rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to the county for the program, but the budget sequester has put that in jeopardy. The county stopped issuing vouchers earlier this month and while some residents were able to get help at the last minute, others might not be so fortunate. These cuts directly impact organizations…
Monday, April 8, 2013
The first of three public hearings on FY 2014 plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday. Speakers can sign up in advance.
A series of public hearings on Fairfax County’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget package will kick off Tuesday evening, giving residents a chance to advocate for changes to funding allocations and other issues. County Executive Ed Long’s advertised $7 billion budget, unveiled in late February, proposes raising the county's real estate tax rate and making cuts to some county programs and services in an effort to close shortfalls. The 2-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.095, is expected to raise approximately $42 million in revenues. But on top of new, higher real estate assessments, the increase would burden the average resident with approximately $262 more in taxes each year. Some officials have…
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
“We’re just growing too much,” Superintendent Jack Dale said Tuesday as talks began between county supervisors and school board members.
Fairfax County is facing its own budget woes for Fiscal Year 2014: Property taxes could rise as much as 2 cents per $100 of assessed value, bumping the average homeowner's tax bill, and County Executive Ed Long has said raises for employees aren't likely. But the county's struggles could also make Fairfax County Public Schools come up short on its own $2.5 billion advertised budget, officials said Tuesday as they met to discuss budget issues and priorities. It doesn't appear the county, which gives an annual transfer to the school board, can afford to give the board as much as it asked for this winter. In order to close a $169 million shortfall and prepare for the still-unknown effects of sequestration, County Executive Ed Long has …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
As part of Registry Week, volunteers searched the woods to find those who live in encampments. The information will be used to track them - and hopefully get them into homes.
Fairfax County officials and volunteers counted 462 homeless living outdoors during the recently completed Registry Week, part of the national 100,000 Homes Campaign to track homeless individuals and their progress in finding permanent housing. More than 200 volunteers scoured the woods and other hidden areas of the county last week in order to count, photograph, and get names and histories of the county's homeless. The results helped create a registery local agencies can use in the future to measure the progress on the fight to end homelessness, officials said. Reston Interfaith CEO Kerrie Wilson said she saw great honesty from those living outdoors. "I was struck by the differences in talking with someone in their 'home' – in their space…
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
County attorneys will explore legality of measures to discourage county employees from smoking.
What can Fairfax County legally do to discourage employees from smoking? That’s the question Fairfax County Supervisor Gerry Hyland (Mount Vernon) wants answered. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion from Hyland on Tuesday directing the county’s lawyers to look at the legality of smoking bans on county property, required courses that would encourage quitting and the consideration of tobacco use in a person’s hiring. Hyland tossed around the idea of stop-smoking classes during the Oct. 30 Board of Supervisors meeting and got quick media attention. Hyland said the public’s reaction so far has been passionate, but not always positive. While some people agreed with the idea, others thought he was “the devil incarnate,” he …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Department says new technology will allow officials to track plows, redirect them to emergencies this winter.
When Northern Virginia gets snow this winter, the Virginia Department of Transportation says it's ready to meet it head-on, with a $55 million budget and new resources, including technology that allows for more efficient plowing and an increased road-salt supply. At a briefing about the department's winter preparedness plans Wednesday in Fairfax, Branco Vlacich, VDOT’s Northern Virginia maintenance engineer, said 4,000 trucks would be available to plow snow and keep roads clear this winter — 1,000 more trucks than VDOT had during the harsh winter of 2010. About 2,200 of the 4,000 trucks will be equipped with Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology, enabling officials to locate plow trucks are and deploy them to the nearest emergency …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The 11th District incumbent cast his ballot early Tuesday morning.
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th) stopped by the Mantua precinct in Fairfax County early Tuesday morning to cast his vote in the 2012 general election. Connolly is running for re-election in the Virginia's 11th Congressional District and faces opposition from Republican and retired Army Colonel Chris Perkins, Green Party Candidate Joe Galdo and Independents Mark Gibson, Chris DeCarlo and Peter Marchetti. Connolly arrived at the Fairfax Circle Baptist Church around 6:30 a.m. After voting, he shook hands with voters before continuing on to what is sure to be a busy day.
38.86411
-77.248
3110 Chichester Ln, Fairfax, VA
/articles/photos-gerry-connolly-votes-in-fairfax
/locations/8108158
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Grassroots campaign event set for Friday morning.
Fresh off this week's debate appearance with rival Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama returns to Northern Virginia on Friday, campaigning at George Mason University's Recreation and Athletic Complex. Obama recently campaigned at GMU. The grassroots event is set for Friday, when doors open at 8:45 a.m. at the complex, located at 4350 Bainster Court. Tickets will be required for entrance to the campaign rally. One ticket will be distributed ona first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available online and members of the public can request an e-ticket at http://OFA.BO/BarackGMU A limited number of printed tickets will also be available to pick up at the following locations beginning 9 a.m. Thursday. The appearance comes less than a month…
Savannah was
2:57 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013
That's doesn't mean much. I am In food stamps more ›