Omicron Variant, Apartment Fire Displaces 44 People | Top News

Patch has 32 sites in communities in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Here are some of the top posts from the past week.

44 Displaced, 9 Injured In 2-Alarm Apartment Fire In Herndon

Nine people were injured and 44 residents were displaced in a two-alarm fire Thursday night at a Herndon apartment building, according to a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue blog post.

• Mobile Hope Collects Donations For Herndon Apartment Fire Victims

Spread Of COVID Omicron Variant Puts VA Health Officials On Alert

The new omicron variant of the coronavirus has not yet been detected in Virginia, but officials are keeping an eye out for it.

• Booster Guidance Strengthened In Fairfax Due To Omicron Variant
• Booster Guidance Strengthened In Arlington Due To Omicron Variant

Lee, Lee-Jackson Highway Renamings Recommended By Task Force

A Fairfax County task force voted Tuesday to recommend the renamings of Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway to the Board of Supervisors.

National Safety Alert Issued Over Wheel Defect On DC Metro Trains

Federal regulators issued a nationwide rail transit system safety alert Wednesday as part of their investigation into a D.C. Metro train derailment in October that forced the transit system to remove a majority of its fleet of train cars from service.

I-495 Express Lanes Extension East Of Springfield To Be Studied

As one extension of Interstate 495 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia advances, federal, state and local agencies are studying another potential extension.

Plastic Bag Tax Comes To Fredericksburg On January 1

A tax on disposable plastic bags is coming to the City of Fredericksburg, starting on Jan. 1. The tax of five cents per bag will be charged to shoppers at checkout at grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores.

Pediatric Elf Squad To Deliver Gifts To Children In NoVA Hospice

A Pediatric Elf Squad, sponsored by Capital Caring Health in Northern Virginia, will be delivering hundreds of gifts to children at Capital Caring Health's Adler Center in Aldie on Saturday.

New City Manager Appointed By City Council In Alexandria

City Council voted to appoint James F. Parajon as the new city manager Wednesday evening. Effective, Jan. 18, 2022, Parajon will succeed City Manager Mark B. Jinks, who will retire in January.

DC Priest Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Adult Parishioner

A D.C. judge on Monday found a Catholic priest guilty of sexually abusing an adult woman while he worked at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart church in Northwest D.C., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

School Speed Camera Warning Period Extended Through Dec. 31

Drivers passing through the City of Fairfax will have an additional month before the city's photo speed enforcement program goes into effect, according to a post on the Fairfax City Police Department's official Twitter account.

Free COVID Test Kits Out At Fairfax County Libraries, More Coming

As Fairfax County Public Library started to distribute free at-home COVID-19 test kits Friday, the supply ran out early. More will become available next week.

Child Porn, Sex Abuse Charges Filed Against Dulles Track Coach

A 26-year-old Aldie man who coaches a youth track team in the Dulles area is facing multiple felonies in connection with the possession and production of child sexual abuse material, according to a Fairfax County Police Department blog post.

Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic Deaths Decrease In Virginia: Police

Four people died in traffic crashes in Virginia over the Thanksgiving weekend, the smallest number of traffic fatalities during the holiday weekend in the past 10 years, according to preliminary data released by the Virginia State Police.