Community News at a Glance
The 2025 Chief vs. Chief Adoption Bowl
Four days of free adoptions for dogs 45 pounds or more.
Screenshot Source: Facebook
Sunday, Feb. 9, was the last day of the 2025 Chief vs. Chief Adoption Bowl held at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter Michael R. Frey Campus and Fairfax County Animal Shelter Lorton Campus. Chief Kevin Davis scored five adoptions; Chief Butler three. The shelters waived all adoption fees for dogs weighing 45 pounds or more from Thursday, February 6, through Sunday, February 9. Ultimately, what mattered wasn’t which chief had the winning score but that eight dogs crossed the welcome mats to their new homes.
Screenshot Source: Facebook
One of many dogs at the shelters, 45 pounds or more, up for adoption.
Screenshot/ Source: Instagram
Team Davis scored the win at the 2025 Chief vs. Chief Adoption Bowl.
Mental Health Hotlines
Stress Crisis: Need someone to talk to? Low-cost options.
Screenshot Source: Fairfax County
“The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) provides lifesaving services for people experiencing mental health concerns, substance misuse and/or developmental disabilities. Our vision is that everyone in our community has the support needed to live a healthy, fulfilling life.”
Some local individuals support the new administration's actions. For others, ongoing shock and awe, compounded by feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty, are at an all-time high, leaving them chronically stressed.
Many factors contribute to stress, each impacting different sets of community members. For federal employees, it is the ongoing mass layoffs and firings at various federal agencies. The immigrant community fears deportation, family separations and an uncertain future. The LGBTQIA2S+ communities fear losing freedoms to express their identities. Black, Indigenous and other people of color face racism. Four U.S. aviation accidents have occurred since Inauguration Day — Jan. 29, Arlington, Va.; Jan. 31, Philadelphia; Feb. 6, Alaska; and Feb. 10, Arizona (plus Toronto Feb. 17) — raising concerns about flying for some, while at the same time, hundreds of FAA employees are fired despite the crashes. Most people can handle small doses of stress, but chronic stress risks individuals' health.
"A body under constant stress is like an engine that's continuously being revved," the Cleveland Clinic reports. Low-cost mental health resources are available. For life-threatening and medical emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
* National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988)—Dial 988 for free, confidential, 24/7 support from trained counselors. You can also text 988 or Crisis Chat at https://chat.988lifeline.org/. Website: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. LGBTQ youth who contact the 988 Lifeline via phone, text, or chat between 3 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET daily can connect with a specially trained, LGBTQ-competent counselor by phone 24/7 and via text and chat.
* Fairfax County's CSB Emergency and Mobile Crisis Units number is 703-573-5679. You can call staff at 703-383-8500 or just come in, without an appointment, to the CSB Merrifield Center at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Fairfax. Call center and walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline at 703-360-7273 for resources and information about domestic or sexual violence. Hotline Advocates are able to help. Through the language line services, advocates can access over 140 languages. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/domestic-sexual-violence/24-hour-hotline
* VeteransCrisisLine.net provides 24/7 confidential crisis support for veterans and their loved ones. Call 988, press 1, text 838255, or chat online.
* LGBT National Hotline—serves callers of all ages, offering peer counseling, information, and local resources. 888-843-4564 - hours: Monday-Friday, 2–11 p.m. ET; Saturday and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. ET. https://lgbthotline.org/
* Trans Lifeline—Trans Lifeline's Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people for trans and questioning callers. It offers direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. 877-565-8860 Hours: Monday through Friday, 1 p.m.–9 p.m. Eastern.
* The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline is 800-656-HOPE (4673). Helping Survivors Advocacy Center — Information & Support for Survivors: https://helpingsurvivors.org/
* Domestic/Partner Violence Hotlines: 800-799-7233 — ndvh.org
* Doorways for Women and Families: 24-Hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline 703-237-0881
What happens to a body under stress? Stress caused by a perceived threat prompts the adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones; among them, adrenaline makes the heart beat faster, raises blood pressure, and releases cortisol. This changes immune system responses and suppresses the digestive, reproductive, and growth processes. The long-term activation of the stress response system and too much exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all the body's processes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stress causes health problems such as anxiety, depression, headaches, muscle tension and pain; digestive issues, sleep problems, memory problems, eating challenges, as well as heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Fairfax County Held $400 Million Bond Sale
Low interest rates fund key county projects.
Source: Fairfax County
Christina C. Jackson, chief financial officer of Fairfax County
Fairfax County announced in early February it successfully held a $400 million general obligation bond sale and secured “a competitive interest rate of 3.57 percent, significantly lower than the national average of 4.28 percent for similar bonds,” reports Fairfax County News. The county's triple-A bond rating helped it secure the rate.
Proceeds will fund key projects, including $230 million for schools, $55 million for public safety, $44 million for transportation, $25 million for parks and park facilities, $25 million for human services and community development facilities, and $21 million for libraries. “This bond sale allows us to maintain investments in critical infrastructure and services that support our community,” said Christina C. Jackson, chief financial officer.