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A Silver Line passenger faces charges after allegedly threatening riders with a knife, while Northern Virginia lawmakers are pressing for federal help to repair the burst Potomac Interceptor.
A 37-year-old man was arrested Saturday, Feb. 21, after allegedly brandishing a knife at passengers aboard a train traveling from Herndon toward Ashburn. Deputies evacuated the affected car at Ashburn Station and said the suspect had also allegedly touched a 6-year-old child inappropriately.
Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, joined 13 other members of Congress from the region Tuesday in requesting federal money to rehabilitate and modernize the Potomac Interceptor. After a briefing on repair work and efforts to limit health risks, the delegation also sought additional funding for wastewater infrastructure nationwide.
In McLean, nonprofit cat café MeowTown Lounge will celebrate its grand opening Saturday, Feb. 28, from 2 to 6 p.m. The café, located in Salona Village Shopping Center at 1345 Chain Bridge Road, houses 14 cats. It has helped find permanent homes for 10 cats since its January soft opening.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue will hold a virtual town hall at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, to discuss the recent Centreville gas leak. Residents can receive updates on response and recovery work and ask questions about the incident.
Del. Marcus Simon agreed to postpone House Bill 447 for further study over the next year. The proposal sought to adjust requirements for lawsuits challenging local land-use decisions, with the goal of discouraging cases filed to delay housing projects. The Hanover County NAACP raised concerns that the measure could make it more difficult to fight development encroaching on historic Black neighborhoods.
In Maryland, ramp-metering signals along northbound Interstate 270 are now fully operational after years of testing. State transportation officials say the system is intended to improve merging and could shorten morning commutes by as much as 30 minutes.
Federal immigration enforcement has also influenced legislation in Richmond. State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, a Fairfax Democrat, introduced bills restricting federal immigration enforcement in Virginia, describing them as a response to fear within immigrant communities. Democratic leaders were initially reluctant to make the measures a central issue, but the proposals gained urgency as ICE activity increased nationwide.
Demolition is expected to begin in about two weeks at the Ravensworth Shell station in Springfield, where its former auto repair shop will be converted into a convenience store. The repair business closed Feb. 22.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for a slight chance of rain between 8 and 10 a.m., followed by skies clearing from mostly cloudy to sunny and a high near 55 degrees. The night will be partly cloudy with a low around 37. West winds of 5 to 7 mph are expected to become calm after midnight.