Countywide

The Audrey Moore REC Center and Clemyjontri Park are among the amenities set to benefit from bond funding approved by Fairfax County voters in the general election on Tuesday (Nov. 3).

According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, a $180 million park bond and a $75 million community health and human services bond respectively were supported by 69.8% and 70% of voters, authorizing the county government to borrow money by selling bonds to fund capital improvement projects.


Countywide

Public hearings in the case to decide the fate of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy begin this week at the State Corporation Commission. The $67 billion all-stock deal would create the largest regulated utility in the world.

In the months preceding the hearings, scores of lawmakers, consumer advocates and citizens have strongly opposed the proposal, with leaders at the top level of state government pushing for more time to review the case.


Around Town

For the last four years, Krissy Reynolds has loaded up her truck with colorful handmade soaps, then driven more than three hours from Roanoke to Northern Virginia, ready to greet the crowds streaming in at the Northern Virginia Christmas Market at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly.

When the Chantilly events center closed at the end of 2025 to make way for an IKEA, Events Management Group (EMG), the company that organizes the Christmas market, shifted to a new venue: the DTC Expo & Events Center, which was anticipated to open this fall at Dulles Town Center in Sterling.


Opinion

Fairfax County is home to a variety of bakeries that serve as neighborhood gathering spots and brighten customers’ days with fresh bread and pastries. This week’s Readers’ Choice poll invites residents to select the top bakery serving the community.

Here are the nominees for Best bakeries in Fairfax County as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite bakery? Write it in!


Event

Spend the evening with Washington Spirit alum and former USWNT player Joanna Lohman, a true DMV women’s soccer legend.

This is your chance to meet Joanna in person, hear the stories behind the career, the competition, and The Amazing Race, and experience the kind of sports moment you’ll still be talking about long after the night is over.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has authorized changes giving Visit Fairfax more responsibility — and funding — for developing and running community events that could attract tourists and other outside visitors.

Board members voted unanimously at their Oct. 27 meeting to amend a memorandum of understanding between the county government and the independent nonprofit, handing it event management responsibilities previously delegated to Celebrate Fairfax.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is preparing to start work on more than a dozen infrastructure projects aimed at making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized travelers.

The department announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has finalized a list of 16 planned crosswalks, sidewalks, pedestrian signals and other improvements after soliciting public input this spring and securing $9.9 million in funding authorized by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25.


Around Town

Winter is coming to Reston Town Center, at least in spirit, with the return of its ice skating pavilion next week.

The RTC Ice Rink is slated to open for the 2026-2027 season on Tuesday, Nov. 10 and will continue operating daily through March 2027, as the weather allows.


Countywide
The BLVD apartment buildings in Reston Station seen from a parking lot on Sunset Hills Road (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Judge Blocks Trump Arch Construction — “A federal judge late Thursday blocked the Trump administration from breaking ground on a towering memorial arch for 14 days.” After the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project despite hours of opposing testimony, U.S. District Judge Tanya “Chutkan said Virginia and the District of Columbia had shown that the immediacy of the construction would cause real harm to the plaintiffs.” [Associated Press]

Federal Workers Felt Forced Out — “While most federal workforce separations under the Trump administration have been classified as ‘voluntary,’ results of a new survey show that many career civil servants who left government felt coerced into doing so … Politicization of an employee’s work or agency was the leading reason respondents cited for leaving.” [Federal News Network]

Arrest Made in Bank Robbery — A 65-year-old man from Alexandria has been charged with robbery and using a firearm while committing a felony after he confessed and turned himself in for a robbery yesterday (Nov. 4) in Hybla Valley. Officers responded at 12:48 p.m. to the 7700 block of Richmond Highway after the man allegedly demanded money from a teller with a note that threatened to harm them if they didn’t comply. [FCPD]

Alexandria Reviewing City Jail — “Alexandria has operated its jail for nearly 200 years, and now the city is asking residents whether it should stay in operation. The city’s survey on whether to continue operating the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center or consider other options is available online until Nov. 20.” [ALXnow]

Former Reston Man Sentenced to Prison — “A former Reston resident who used Snapchat to sexually exploit two 12-year-old girls in Southwest Virginia was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.” [Patch]

MetroAccess Satisfaction Declining — “Metro’s service for the disabled community, MetroAccess, got a bad report card. Recently released Metro documents show customer satisfaction with MetroAccess fell nine percentage points comparing the first quarter of this fiscal year with the last,” in part due to scheduling software issues. [NBC4]

Shock Gloves Used in Some Va. Jails — “A device that shocks individuals with more than 300 volts of electricity when applied to their skin is being used by law enforcement agencies across Virginia. The Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter — or G.L.O.V.E. — is produced by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies, which earlier this year contracted with the federal government to supply U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with the device.” [WVTF]

Abdul El-Sayed Coming to Chantilly — “Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed will address the Arab America Foundation’s CONNECT Empowerment Summit in Chantilly this weekend, the group announced … El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers on Tuesday after a narrow primary win over Congresswoman Haley Stevens in August.” [Patch]

Fairfax City Awards Grants to Nonprofits — “Seven nonprofit organizations that provide critical support to Fairfax City residents will receive a share of $200,000 in one-time grants from the City of Fairfax. The grants, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, will help these community partners sustain and expand services that support Fairfax City residents.” [City of Fairfax]

It’s Friday — After early morning rain, skies will turn from cloudy to mostly sunny, with a high near 69 and light north winds. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 50, and northwest winds increasing after midnight with gusts up to 20 mph. [NWS]

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News

Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Here’s a look back at today’s most-read stories and a look ahead to tomorrow.

📈 Today’s most-read stories

  1. FCPD: Chantilly man charged with committing lewd act in vehicle (2,071 views)
  2. Lake Braddock teachers ‘walk in’ to protest mandatory weapons detection duty (1,590 views)
  3. Santa, Milk & Honey and more coming to Tysons Corner Center this holiday season

🕗 More from today

Everything else we published today, Nov 5, 2026.

⭐ Featured events

🎗️ Do It for Dan Fall Fundraiser
Nov 8: Join the Do It For Dan Foundation on Nov. 8 at Caboose Commons for live music, trivia, raffles & more, benefiting lung cancer research at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. [Event]

Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan
Nov 12: Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan makes a stop at Mosaic District [Event]

Who Am I Now? Identity and Possibility in the Menopause Transition
Nov 15: Educational presentation about identity and possibility in the menopause transition [Event]

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Nov 15: Northern Virginia Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) cordially invites you to attend… [Event]

Catholic University Symphony Orchestra in Concert
Nov 15: Free Concert with Full Symphony Color and Majestic Organ Sound in Clifton! [Event]

BrownTown Comedy at the DC Improv!!!!
Nov 16: Best and brownest comics at DC Improv [Event]

Free Memory Screening
Nov 18: Free Memory Screening Event! [Event]

Washington Spirit Alum Meet & Greet + The Amazing Race Watch Party
Nov 18: Meet Washington Spirit alum Joanna Lohman, then stick around to cheer on Joanna and Ali Krieger as they compete on The Amazing Race! [Event]

Submit events, announcements, or home listings to FFXnow.

🌧️ Weather update

Today: Fairfax County saw a high of 75° at 1:35 p.m. (13° above normal), a low of 64° at 12:40 a.m., 0.06 inches of rain (Glade Rec Area, Reston) and a peak gust of 23 mph.

Tonight: A chance of rain showers before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 3am, then patchy fog and scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. West wind 2 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Patchy fog and scattered rain showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 2 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thanks for reading!