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Mercia Hobson

Stories by Mercia

Fairfax County Budget Hearings

Comments favor funding for low-income and affordable housing, police and first responders pay increases, parks, and more.

Budget

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Coalition for TJ Files Emergency Request to Vacate the 4th Circuit Stay

Case alleges anti-Asian American discriminatory admissions process

Emergency request

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44th Annual Fairfax County Valor Awards

Valor is more than bravery or courage. It goes beyond what is expected.

Valor awards

2022 Shape of the Region Conference

‘Finding our way back to mental health.’

Mental health

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Helping to Feed Hungry Families

Stuff the Bus event brings in much needed food donations.

Stuff bus

New Deputy County Executive for Safety and Security Named

Board of Supervisors appoints former Fire and Rescue Department's assistant chief.

Appointee

Sheriff Ends Pre-Release Notice to ICE

Incremental steps matter.

ICE

New Deputy County Executive for Safety and Security Named

Board of Supervisors appoints former Fire and Rescue Department's assistant chief.

Executive named for county

New TJ Policy Invalidated in Fairfax County

Policy is discriminatory, writes judge in win for plaintiff, Coalition for TJ and Pacific Legal Foundation.

TJ School

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County Executive Presents FY 2023 Advertised Budget

Increase in assessed values for real estate and vehicles drive higher tax payments.

County budget

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Adopting a Senior Dog Could Be a Better Match, Really

One woman's passion and 'Tribute'.

Senior dogs

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Mount Vernon 35th Annual Town Meeting

District tradition returns in person and a virtual option.

Mount Vernon Town Meeting

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Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Transitions From All Advanced Life Support System

Reintegration of the dual-tier EMS system, 12 stations impacted.

EMS transitions

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FCPS Initial ‘Test-To-Stay’ Pilot Results

Limited participation attributed to high vaccination rates.

Vaccination at Schools

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Seeking Shelter: Changes in Housing Preferences

Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship at George Mason University School of Business presents.

Housing

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Impact of Vehicle-Bicycle Collisions in Fairfax Courts

FABB's discussion with Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney for Community Justice and Policy

Bike ruling

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Brabrand: 'Stay the Course'

We have a right to do things up until that right impinges or infringes on the rights of others.

Masks

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FCPS Takes Legal Action Challenging Gov. Youngkin's Ex. Order No. 2

County School Board files suit jointly with six other boards.

Executive order

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New Governor Revokes Mask Mandate for Schools

FCPS says masks requirement remains in effect.

Mask Mandates

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Return to School 2022

After a week of weather closures, FCPS opens with Covid-19 surging

Returning to school

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FCPS Faces Staff Shortages in the Face of Omicron

Superintendent pledges to keep students in the classroom, but it will “not be business as usual.”

School with Covid

2022 Real Estate Forecast

Real Estate Forecast

2022 Northern Virginia Association of Realtors Forecast

Single-family homes in Arlington are still the hottest real estate ticket in town.

Realtors Forecast

Challenged Books, Ballooning Waitlists for Mental Health, ADA Playgrounds

What you might have missed at the Dec. 2 School Board meeting.

School Board

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VolunteerFest, 2021

Volunteers work on projects countywide for the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Volunteers

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Crisis in Afghanistan Reverberates Locally

Afghan Americans speak out.

The United States and other countries have welcomed more than 150,000 Afghans and their families since the emergency evacuations began in mid-August.

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Crisis in Afghanistan Reverberates Locally

Afghan Americans speak out.

The United States and other countries have welcomed more than 150,000 Afghans and their families since the emergency evacuations began in mid-August.

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Overcoming Mental Health Stigma

Suicide Walk-a-Thon brings awareness

The pandemic's psychological and socioeconomic fallout may be driving an accelerated trend in depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths in Fairfax County, reported experts in mental health at the "Fight Suicide" Walk-a-Thon at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston held Aug. 21.

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Back to School: The Best Shot: Vax Up!

Fairfax County families and educators discuss COVID-19 School Year 2021-22.

The first day of the much-anticipated, in-person return to school for SY2021-22 looms for many families, friends, and educators in Fairfax County's independent, public and home-based education systems.

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Fairfax County Public Schools Priority One: Get Eligible Students Vaccinated

Expansion of school COVID-19 vaccination clinics underway

The level of community transmission of COVID-19 in Fairfax County is increasing again.

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Fairfax County Supervisors Proclaim August 3 National Night Out

Proclamation celebrates neighborhood spirit and cooperation among residents and police

National Night Out is a time to celebrate, whether the clock that day says noon or 8 p.m. It is a time to have community fun, to say thank you to law enforcement officers, and get more involved in the community.

Fairfax County Holds County-wide Vaccine Equity Clinics

Bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to the people rather than relying on them to find their way to a site is one option to get people vaccinated and slow the surging Delta variant.

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Delta Variant Has Room to Run Rampant

Removing invisible vaccine barriers for communities in Fairfax County

Jump on a moon bounce, grab an empanada from a food truck and get a Covid vaccine.

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New Food Scrap Composting at Select Fairfax County Farmers Markets

Nature’s recycling reduces methane and lowers carbon footprint

Fairfax County residents have another option for managing organic wastes such as fruit and vegetable peels, food left on dinner plates, coffee grounds, and even paper towels and napkins.

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Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent to Depart at End of Next School Year

Dr. Scott Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, announced on a YouTube video released Thursday, July 15, 2021, that he is leaving FCPS at the end of the next year, consistent with his FCSB contract.

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School Buses and Sites Provide Free Grab and Go 7-day Meal Kits in Fairfax County

No questions asked, no IDs needed – County children under 18 and all FCPS students eligible

Ten Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) buses began rolling Monday, June 28, on a mission to deliver their precious cargo: coolers full of nutritious breakfast and lunch items packed in seven-day, bulk meal kits, grab-and-go style.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Seen in TJ’s Freshman Class

In 2021, the U.S. News Best High Schools report ranked TJ the number one school nationwide for the second year running.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology admitted 550 students strong as its Class of 2025.

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WANTED Feedback Involving No-chase/Chase Fairfax County Police Department Vehicle Pursuits

Flurry of proposed revisions should discourage pursuits of suspects in non-violent felony incidents.

Police vehicle pursuits create the potential for officers, residents and suspects to be killed or seriously injured.

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Holding Dear: 2,364 Local Souls Lost to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Northern Virginia Regional Commission holds Remembrance Ceremony

On March 21, 2020, the Fairfax County Health Department reported its first death of a resident due to COVID-19.

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Fairfax Dems Clash with Supervisors

Demand firing of FCPD Chief Kevin Davis

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) called on the Board of Supervisors ("Board") on May 25 to terminate Kevin Davis's employment as Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department.

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Fairfax County School Board Member’s Post Fosters Heated Reactions

Amid division, voices seek to be heard.

With Ramadan's ending on May 13 and on May 14, Fairfax County School Board Member Abrar Omeish posted what some considered controversial statements on her Twitter and Facebook accounts.

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Ceremonial Swearing-in of Fairfax County Police Chief Davis

On Monday, May 10, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) tweeted, "This morning, Chief Davis was surrounded by family, senior staff, and members of the Board of Supervisors for his ceremonial swearing-in as Chief of Police."

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Fairfax County Community Presses New Police Chief and Chairman for Answers

Citizens call for starting over on police chief, not being part of Davis' “redemptive” career journey.

On day four in his new position as Chief of Police Fairfax County, the ghosts of Kevin Davis' law enforcement past clung heavily in the County's public arena of the May 6 virtual Community Input Session hosted by Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay (D-At-large), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Supervisor Rodney Lusk (D-Lee).

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Fairfax County Police Chief Begins Job with Trust Deficit

Faith leaders question 'flawed' selection process and Supervisors' values during prayer vigil.

Approximately thirty interfaith leaders from across Fairfax County gathered in the "First Amendment" area outside the Fairfax County Government Center at noon, Tuesday, May 4.

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Davis Promises ‘Blue Waters Ahead’ for Fairfax County Police

Advocate ACLU People Power Fairfax joins the Fairfax County NAACP and others calling for new search

County To Hold “Community Meeting with Chief” Thursday, May 6.

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Kevin Davis Appointed Fairfax County Chief of Police

Supervisors respond to a new era of policing.

Coming out of a closed-door session on Friday, April 23, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors prepared, as Supervisor Penny Gross (D-Mason) said, “to select one of the most important hires it undertakes.”

Fairfax County Supervisors Validate Hire of New Police Chief

Aware of concerns, comments provided

Media reports concerning former Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, appointed last week as the new Fairfax County Chief of Police, raise concerns about his employment history, including allegations of excessive force and violations of civil rights in 1993 and 1999.

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Results of Arlington and Montgomery County Collaboration on Airplane Noise

Contractor proposes randomizing approaching flight path to share the noise of disturbing DCA flight tracks; testing underway

Local officials in Arlington and Montgomery counties continue their collaborative efforts following upticks in their communities' airplane noise complaints as aircraft approach and depart Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, DCA, located in Arlington County.

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Fairfax County Public Schools to Offer Four Days a Week In-school

Phased plan to start April 20 for most vulnerable students

Some students in the Fairfax County Public Schools system could be poised to clean off the family dining room table by April 20.