Angry Birds on the Road: Lawmakers to Crack Down on On-the-Road Screen Time
Texting while driving is already illegal, but what about all the other screen time?
Lawmakers in Richmond are a bunch of angry birds, frustrated at existing law they believe does not solve the problem of drivers devoting their attention to their handheld screen instead of the road.

Angry Birds on the Road: Lawmakers Want to Crack Down on Screen Time
Texting while driving is already illegal, but what about Facebook and Twitter?
Lawmakers in Richmond are a bunch of angry birds, frustrated at existing law they believe does not solve the problem of drivers devoting their attention to their handheld screen instead of the road.

South Lakes Girls, Boys Win Liberty Conference Championship
Junior Olivia Beckner won both the 1,000 meters (2:55.67) and 1,600 meters (5:04.44) in meet record times while seniors Timiebi Ogobri and Don’ta Whitely had outstanding performances to lead the South Lakes High School track teams to the Liberty Conference Championships.

Freezin’ For A Reason Set for Feb. 11
Fun
The 10th Annual Freezin’ for a Reason (Virginia Polar Dip) will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 at Lake Anne Plaza (Waterfront) - 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston, 12– 3 p.m.
Reston: Lake House Review Gets More Expensive
Price tag for independent review goes from $1 to up to $45K.
The Reston Association Board of Directors hired StoneTurn Group, LLC to independently review the processes it used to purchase and renovate the Lake House property. The decision was made in executive session during the board’s regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
RA Divided On Lake Anne Dock Revitalization
Lake Anne Dock Revitalization Debated
The Reston Association needs to replace its aging dock at Lake Anne Village Center, but its Board of Directors were divided on how to move forward with the work during its last meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.

At the Half 2017
Commentary
The 2017 session of the General Assembly that got underway on Jan. 11 is barreling ahead towards its midpoint of Feb. 7. At that midpoint, referred to as “crossover.”
Fear, Anger Make National Politics Local
Independent Progressive
The aftermath of the 2016 Presidential Election sent shockwaves around the nation and through our community. The ferment from turmoil around the White House seems especially strong in Reston.

Oh, The #Adulting You’ll Do
Reston resident writes for children and adults.
Alissa Buoni knows a thing or two about how to talk to kids. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in School Counseling from The George Washington University. She uses all of that experience - personal and educational - in her debut children’s book “Oh, The #Adulting You’ll Do.”

Week in Herndon
Nysmith Team Wins Highest Honors in WordMasters Challenge
A father daughter dance, the semi-formal dance for girls ages 3-12, will be held at the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon on Saturday, Feb. 4, 6:30-9 p.m.

Neighbors Rehash Shooting Death
Herndon neighborhood recovers from shooting incident.
“No purse, no phone, no nothing,” she says. “I could not contact my daughter to come and pick me up. I could not call my son … It was very scary,” she says. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Neighbors Rehash Shooting Death
Herndon neighborhood recovers from shooting incident.
“No purse, no phone, no nothing,” she says. “I could not contact my daughter to come and pick me up. I could not call my son … It was very scary,” she says. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Victims of Tribe-For-Rent Scam to Get $15 Million Payout in Settlement Agreement
15,000 Virginia victims get $6 million worth of predatory loans absolved, $9 million in cash awards.
The commercial features images of teepees and a tribal drumbeat. The company billed itself as having ties to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. But Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says that was nothing more than a fraud, a scheme he calls rent-a-tribe.
Submit Photos to Pet Connection
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish the last week of February, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by Feb. 15.

Chief Withholding Name of Officer in Herndon Fatal Shooting
Officer files temporary restraining order for Roessler to not release name.
Fairfax County chief of police Edwin Roessler has yet to release the name of the 16-year veteran officer who fatally shot Mohammad Azim Doudzai, 32, at his Herndon-area home on Jan. 16 this year. On Feb. 7, FCPD said the unnamed officer has filed a temporary restraining order to keep the name from being released.
In Session: Virginia Assembly Briefs
In Session: Virginia Assembly Briefs

So Much Happening, Don’t Blink
Demonstrations at Dulles in reaction to travel ban; fast moving General Assembly lacks transparency; other key issues.
As this date approaches, the General Assembly has a serious transparency issue, as it continues to kill most proposed legislation with unrecorded voice votes in subcommittee, with no accountability or record of how members voted.

Arrest Made in Shooting at Police Car in Great Falls
Suspect first apprehended in Herndon for waiving a gun.
Just before midnight on Jan. 22, several shots were fired at a marked police cruiser from another vehicle in the Great Falls area, Fairfax County police said.

Fairfax: Board Approves 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Program
Five-year plan includes three new elementary schools and one new high school.
This year, Fairfax County Public Schools experienced one of the smallest annual enrollment increases in nearly a decade: 1,368 students, compared to the average of 2,400 since the 2008-09 school year, bringing the total to 187,202.

Anti-Immigration Ban Rallies Held at Dulles
Demonstrators, volunteer attorneys and elected officials welcome travelers, extend help detainees.
Demonstrations sprang up at airports around the United States over the weekend, following an Executive Order by President Donald Trump that blocks travelers from seven largely Muslim countries — Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia — in the interests of more significant vetting and preventing would-be terrorists from entering the country.