Rev. Martin Luther King Day Monday Features Service

The Falls Church City Council will gather with staff at the Falls Church Homeless Shelter for a service project in recognition of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday Monday. They will meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Shelter on 217 Gordon Road, Falls Church, VA 22046.

The City of Falls Church commemorates the legacy of Dr. King, Jr. by declaring Monday, January 15, 2024, as a Day of Service and supporting and promoting civic engagement across The Little City.

The City Council proclamation read, “The Falls Church City Council believes that ordinary citizens, armed with compassion and the willingness to serve, can come together to change the world and pursue the Nation’s highest ideals.”

A march for unity and freedom will commence on Monday at the intersection of Tinner Hill Rd. and S. Washington St., directly in front of the old Target. Participants will then proceed north on S. Washington St. to E. Fairfax where the participants will turn onto E. Fairfax St. and then into the Falls Church Episcopal Church for a program in recognition of the holiday.

Falls Church Police advise drivers to expect road closures along the march route from approximately 11 a.m. to noon.

Meanwhile, the following City government offices, programs and services will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Closed will be City Hall and most government offices and services, including the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. But the Community Center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

McKay Hails U.S. Lowest Crime Rate in Fairfax Co.

Fairfax County chair of the board of supervisors Jeff McKay wrote this last week, “In September I had the pleasure of sharing our County’s second quarter violent crime rate report. I am happy to share with you all our updated data from the third quarter of 2023. Fairfax County remains the safest jurisdiction of its size in the country. Among the 70 large jurisdictions ranked by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) Fairfax County has the lowest rate of violent crimes (homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults) once again.

Meridian Hall of Fame Seeks New Candidates

The Meridian High School Mustang Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is currently considering candidates for Fall 2024 inductions. Anyone interested in nominating an athlete, team, coach, administrator, or program supporter, is urged to complete and submit a nomination form which can be found at mustangsports.org, click on “More,” and locate the form under “Hall of Fame Information.”

Athletes must have graduated by 2018 or earlier, teams must have concluded competition by no later than the 2017-18 school year, and coaches and administrators must have retired, finished service, or left the school system by that same year. Nominations should be completed and submitted by March 1, 2024.

Sen. Kaine Lists Gains For Virginia Under Biden

According to Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Virginia has now received $8.4 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law funding nearly 250 projects, which will promote economic growth and improve the lives of all Virginians.

The Inflation Reduction Act helped lower health care and energy costs, including implementing a $35 cap per month on insulin for Americans with Medicare — and many private insurers are following suit.

The Senate voted to pass his bipartisan legislation to formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars by repealing the 1991 and 2002 war authorizations.

The U.S. Senate passed a defense bill to bolster national security, which included his legislation to prevent any U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without the consent of Congress.

Georgetown Baseball to Play in N. Virginia

Georgetown University’s baseball team will play most of its home games this year at Capital One Park in Tysons, the Hoyas announced Tuesday.

“We are really excited to play at Capital One Park this spring as it is an amazing first-class venue that will provide our fans a great experience,” Hoyas Baseball Head Coach Edwin Thompson said. “We look forward to providing a great product on the field and we know with Capital One Park’s amazing amenities, our fans will enjoy the gameday experience. We look forward to opening day at our new home this spring!”

Capital One Park opened at 1820 Dolley Madison Blvd for its inaugural season in March 2023, hosting over 200 high school and college-level baseball games. The stadium features a synthetic turf field and can seat 650 people in fixed and bleacher seats.

Compass Coffee to Open West of F.C. on Route 29

Construction is underway on the Compass Coffee’s second drive-thru cafe at 7393 Lee Highway. The shop will occupy a former BB&T bank building in the Shops at West Falls Church.

Roughly 2,400 square feet in size, the new location will be Compass Coffee’s first in Fairfax County. The company currently has 16 shops, including one on Langston Blvd in Arlington that is the site of its first drive-thru.

In addition to coffee, the cafes sell breakfast sandwiches and pastries.