Around Town

Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — May 8, 2026.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  • Fairfax City’s Mamma Lucia closes for good after 39 years (32128 views)
  • BREAKING: DOJ investigating Fairfax prosecutor over policy on immigrant defendants (16785 views)
  • Herndon’s new festival on Lynn Street promises ‘cool vibes’ and ‘hot beats’ (13327 views)
  • Herndon considers creating zoning rules for casinos (11672 views)
  • Motorcyclist hospitalized after crash with dump truck on Route 1 (11243 views)
  • Maggiano’s to open this summer after Taste of Tysons preview (9895 views)
  • Electric scooter rider dies nearly a month after crash in Merrifield (8976 views)
  • County leaders vote reluctantly to trim Fairfax Connector bus service (8094 views)
  • AI defense intelligence company moves HQ from San Francisco to Chantilly (8071 views)
  • Fairfax County adopts new budget, seeks ability to lower some speed limits (7928 views)
  • Davio’s steakhouse takes over former Matchbox bar at Reston Station (7730 views)
  • Fairfax joblessness up 62% since start of current Trump administration (6857 views)
  • FCPS officials stress plan to engage community on future Skyview HS boundaries (6225 views)
  • New play space with cafe coming to Tysons Corner Center this fall (5897 views)
  • 📅 Upcoming events

    Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

    Here are the events planned for Sunday:

    ⛈️ Saturday’s forecast

    Showers and thunderstorms are possible, mainly after 3 PM, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 73°F. Winds from the south will reach speeds of around 11 mph, with gusts up to 21 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 55°F, and a southwest wind of about 5 mph becoming calm later in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

    🌅 Tonight’s sunset

    The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

    We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋


    Countywide

    Fairfax County supervisors saluted the Garden Club of Fairfax on May 5 for its members’ efforts over the past century.

    “Thank you for all you do in our community,” said Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, who sponsored the centennial resolution while acknowledging that he, unlike club members, lacked a green thumb.


    Countywide

    By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press

    The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.


    Around Town

    The Asian Festival on Main will be coming back to Old Town Fairfax for a sixth consecutive year next week in commemoration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    The free festival, which claims to be one of Virginia’s biggest cultural events, will take place on Sunday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., spanning Main Street, University Drive and Sager Avenue.


    Countywide

    The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office isn’t backing down on its policy guidance for cases involving undocumented immigrants as defendants.

    A day after the U.S. Department of Justice announced it’s investigating the policy for potential civil rights violations, a spokesperson for the prosecutors’ office criticized the probe as “the latest example of the Trump Administration’s own ‘pattern or practice’ of misusing the Justice Department to launch partisan attacks.”


    News

    Despite recent discussions regarding zoning changes in the town, Herndon has never been the target of Comstock Companies’ plans for a Fairfax County casino, the developer said in a rare public statement on the issue.

    “Comstock has not proposed, pursued, or supported casino development anywhere in Herndon,” the developer said yesterday (Thursday), also denying that it has ever harbored plans for a casino in Reston.


    Countywide
    A blue pinwheel in the garden outside the City of Fairfax Regional Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

    Man Charged in Reston Assaults Arrested Again — “A man who last month entered pleas in connection with a series of assaults in Reston is facing new charges after an abduction attempt in Pentagon City last night. The latest incident happened just before 8 p.m. Wednesday on the 1400 block of S. Hayes Street.” [ARLnow]

    Fire Limited in West Falls Church Business — A fire that broke out in Mavana Nails & Waxing, a nail salon in Graham Park Plaza, around 10:35 p.m. on April 28 was limited by the activation of ceiling sprinklers, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says. “Fire Investigators determined the fire was caused by the discharge of a lithium-ion battery.” [FCFRD]

    Double Murder Case Draws True Crime Interest — “The Northern Virginia au pair who had an affair with her boss and helped scheme to kill his wife and a stranger may have a good chance of selling her story. But the law limits whether she can cash in.” During Brendan Banfield’s double murder trial in January, Juliana Peres Magalhães “told jurors she was fielding calls from producers from behind bars.” [NBC4]

    Opposition to Proposed Annandale Development — “Residents of Willow Run and nearby neighborhoods filled a conference room at the Mason Government Center on May 6 to confront the developer of a proposed 120-unit multifamily building at 6675 Little River Turnpike.” They argued that the building would be “inappropriate for the property.” Developer George Hong wasn’t present at the meeting. [Annandale Today]

    McLean Man Sentenced for Ponzi Scheme — Warith Deen Muhammad, 39, was sentenced Wednesday (May 6) “to four years and two months in federal prison for running a $1.5 million Ponzi scheme” involving a precious metals investment business he owned and operated in Alexandria. “In addition to paying earlier investors, Muhammad used investor funds to finance what prosecutors described as a lavish lifestyle.” [Alexandria Brief]

    Virginian Part of Deadly Viral Outbreak — “The Virginia Department of Health says one Virginia traveler who was aboard a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has returned home and is under public health monitoring … The traveler ‘is currently in good health, not showing any signs of infection,’ the department said.” [FOX5]

    Hybla Valley Park Renovation Complete — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate recent improvements at Hybla Valley Park, located at 3431 Lockheed Blvd. in Alexandria, on Friday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m. … Recent improvements transformed underused areas into vibrant community spaces.” [FCPA]

    County Appoints New HR Director — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has appointed Christina Peterson as director of the Department of Human Resources. Her appointment is effective Monday, May 18.” The board has also appointed Nicole Rawlings as the next director of the county’s Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs. [Fairfax County Government]

    It’s Friday — Expect increasing clouds with temperatures reaching a high of around 70°F. Light winds from the northwest will shift to the southwest at 5 to 10 mph in the morning, with possible gusts up to 20 mph. Overnight, the weather will be mostly cloudy with a low around 54°F. [NWS]


    Around Town

    Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

    🕗 News recap

    The following articles were published earlier today — May 7, 2026.

    📅 Upcoming events

    Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

    ☁️ Friday’s forecast

    Clouds will increase throughout the day, with temperatures reaching a high of around 70°F. West winds will pick up to 5 to 10 mph in the morning, with gusts possibly reaching 20 mph. Friday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 54°F and a calm south wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

    🌅 Tonight’s sunset

    The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

    Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


    News

    The Fairfax County Park Authority’s overhaul of the Reston North playground — designed to replace aging equipment and make the park more accessible — is nearly complete.

    The Park Authority announced today (Thursday) that it will celebrate the playground’s official reopening with a ribbon-cutting on June 3 at 5 p.m.