Article Text
Fairfax County’s farmers market season begins Saturday, April 18, in Burke, bringing fresh produce, baked goods and specialty foods back to local shoppers. Markets in Reston and Mount Vernon will also open in April, followed by seven additional locations in May.
Virginia lawmakers, meanwhile, appear unlikely to reach a quick agreement on the state’s two-year budget. The General Assembly will reconvene for a special session Thursday, April 23, with the Democratic-controlled chambers still divided and a July 1 budget deadline approaching.
Early voting is accelerating in Northern Virginia on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade redistricting. Turnout initially lagged behind Republican-held congressional districts elsewhere in Virginia, but expanded polling access on April 11 produced an apparent surge. Fairfax County voters have cast 17,000 ballots.
A federal commission has approved the design concept for a 250-foot triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built at Memorial Circle. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members are all Trump appointees, will consider an updated design before holding a final vote at a later meeting.
Two sweeping utility regulation bills are also facing uncertainty after revisions from Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling of Henrico and Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth sponsored the measures, which address underground power lines, weatherization programs, data center grid costs, long-term fuel payments and other issues. LeVere Bolling and a Dominion Energy spokesperson said the governor’s amendments would undermine the bills’ goals.
In Mason District, Fairfax County supervisors have scheduled a public hearing on moving the Holmes precinct polling place from Culmore Community Library to Bailey’s Elementary School. The hearing is set for May 5 at 4:30 p.m.
Nearly 40 Fairfax County Police Department recruits are preparing to enter the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy. The department’s Pre-Academy Recruit Program, launched in 2017, is intended to help prospective officers prepare for academy training.
Reston Association’s semiannual Community Yard Sale returns Saturday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More than 80 families are expected to operate tables in the association’s parking lot, and all vendor spaces have been claimed.
The Friday forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers, mainly before 11 a.m., followed by mostly sunny skies and a high near 83 degrees. Northwest winds will be around 7 mph. Friday night should be mostly clear, with a low near 62 and light, variable winds.