A Heat Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service from noon until 8:00 p.m. today, Thursday, August 12. Temperatures in the high 90s and a heat index over 100 are expected in our area.

Sadly, a major new scientific report recently confirmed that human activity has heated the planet by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century and extreme heat events are now occurring more often. But there are ways we can slow global warming.

It is never safe to leave a child, a person with a disability, or a pet locked in a car. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), instances of children dying from heatstroke in cars, either because they were left or became trapped, have increased in recent years. Parents and caregivers should always check the car before locking it, then lock their empty vehicles to avoid children getting into unattended vehicles. Doing this will prevent tragedy.

The National Weather Service has issued Heat Advisory an Excessive Heat Watch in effect until today, Thursday August 12.

Heat indices will range between 100 and 110 degrees.

Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities.

Curious about police officers and what they do? The Fairfax County Police Department is inviting children of all ages to come meet some of their police officers from the West Springfield Station. Watch a video tour of the station. Tour a real police cruiser and patrol wagon. Get your picture with McGruff the Crime Dog. Ask them questions. FCPD wants to meet the kids of the area. The Fairfax County Sheriff's Department will also be at the event providing FREE Child ID cards*.

Parents and other adults are welcome too. This event will be held on Saturday, August 14, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. at the West Springfield District Station (6140 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA). It is NOT a drop off event. If you would like further information, or have questions, contact the Crime Prevention Officer at (703) 277-2363

*To protect the privacy of the family, none of the information is retained by the Sheriff’s Office. For families in our community, this card could be the key to assisting law enforcement agencies should their child ever become missing. For the children, the process of producing the card offers a fun and positive experience interacting with law enforcement officers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an extension for its eviction moratorium through October 3, 2021. The extension is more limited and applies to localities with “high” or “substantial” levels of transmission of COVID-19.

Given the new requirements and Fairfax County’s transmission level (as of August 11), this moratorium is in effect. The moratorium provides residents who may be facing eviction with valuable time to access rent, mortgage and utility payment assistance for which they may be eligible.

Fairfax County is providing numerous avenues to help residents pay their rent if they experienced a loss of income, illness or other burden that prevented the payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fairfax County is administering relief for renters experiencing a negative financial impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the new Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance (ERA) program. Through this program you can apply to receive funds to pay delinquent rent or utility payments back to March 13, 2020, and up to three months of future payments to maintain housing stability.

All residents experiencing financial hardship should call Coordinated Services Planning at (703) 222-0880. Specialists provide assistance in multiple languages and can help link residents to basic needs assistance, including housing payments (rent, mortgage, fees, security deposits) and utilities, including electric, gas and water. Landlords can also apply on behalf of their tenants through the Landlord Portal.

If you have experienced a financial hardship either directly or directly due to COVID-19, including but not limited to the following:

The first meeting of the Confederate Names Task Force will be held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic on August 16, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.

Public access to the Confederate Names Task Force meeting on August 16 is through the following:

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established the Confederate Names Task Force on July 13, 2021 to review the names of Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (U.S. Route 50) and make recommendations to the Board whether to change the name of one or both roadways and provide recommended names if they suggest changing the names. The Board has requested that the work of the Task Force be concluded by the end of 2021.

Fairfax County’s Redistricting Advisory Committee seeks the public’s input at a meeting on Tuesday, August 17, at 6:00 p.m.

This two-hour meeting is solely focused on hearing from residents and organizations — and it will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Conference Room 11, Fairfax.

The committee wants the public’s input now as it gets ready later this month to redraw new recommended electoral maps for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board.

People or groups that wish to speak are encouraged to sign up in advance, although this isn’t required to testify. There are also several options for providing input on August 17:

While it's not required to sign up in advance to offer testimony, it's strongly encouraged. Individuals and organizations may speak for three minutes.

About 12% of Fairfax County residents will see an increase in their car tax bills because of higher car values.

The average increase is $25 compared to last year for vehicles valued at $20,000 or less, say Fairfax County tax officials. The county wants to notify taxpayers now as personal property tax bills begin to go out in the mail.

What’s driving the rise in tax bills for some vehicle owners? The low supply and high demand for used and new cars are pushing prices to record levels. Automakers have been hit by a global computer chip shortage due to the pandemic that’s hampering their ability to build new cars. As such, many car buyers have turned to used vehicles instead, driving prices higher.

While a car’s value normally decreases every year it ages, the price tag for used vehicles has been climbing steadily since last year. Low interest rates and stimulus payments are also helping to fuel car purchases, say county officials.

Fairfax County bases car taxes on a vehicle’s value on the J.D. Power Used Car Guide. For most vehicles, the value is based on the “Clean Trade-in Value” as of Jan. 1 of the tax year.

Car owners can file an appeal of their taxes if they believe their vehicle has been over assessed. A vehicle’s value can be appealed based on body damage, rusting or high mileage — but car owners still must pay their tax bill by the due date.

Car tax bills are due on Tuesday, October 5. Paying online is quick and easy, and it’s free to use an e-check. The county offers other payment options, and cash or money order payments can also be placed in the red drop-off boxes at the Fairfax County Government Center. Additional drop-off locations at select library branches will be available starting September 15.

For more information, visit the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration or call (703) 222-8234, TTY 711.

Sharing essential medical information with 9-1-1 call takers during a crisis is always helpful and often can be the difference between life and death. Remembering all the details of your health situation and relaying it to 9-1-1 is difficult on a normal day – and is nearly impossible during an emergency crisis.

If you want to quickly provide 9-1-1 this information ahead of time, you can fill out a voluntary personal Emergency Health Profile. This is a free service to residents and anyone who frequents the county for work or leisure.

To complete the profile, you will need to go to the profile webpage to enter your information. You also will need your wireless phone and an email address.

You can voluntarily enter behavioral health information, pre-existing medical conditions, allergies, emergency contacts and more. The data fields on the Emergency Health Profile form are flexible and allow you latitude in telling your medical story.

Remember to be accurate but also brief as 9-1-1 emergencies move quickly and the first responders in 9-1-1 need to find the important information quickly.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will be holding a Virtual Public Information Meeting on Random Hills Road and Post Forest Drive Shared Use Paths. The meeting will take place on August 26, 2021 from 7:00p.m. through 8:30 p.m. The project website is live and you can visit it today. Register for the virtual meeting today. Please use this new link to register and disregard the link included in the August Braddock Beacon Newsletter.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Webinar ID: 273-642-779

To call in without registering and participate in listen-only mode:

Call: +1-877-309-2071

Enter Access Code: 979-679-462