The Fairfax County Park Authority is looking for feedback on proposed improvements to Oakton Community Park.
The authority is holding a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 to discuss the project.
Fairfax County’s volunteer fire departments are persevering in an era of change, local leaders were told earlier this week.
The current situation can be summed up as “good,” but “nothing is ever just a one-word answer,” Shawn Stokes, chair of the seven-member Volunteer Fire Commission, said when delivering the organization’s annual report to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Game, set, Gala! On Saturday, Nov. 14, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s annual Tennis Creates Gala, presented by QTS, comes to The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, celebrating the transformative power of tennis.
The evening raises critical funds to make the sport accessible to all across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and eastern/southern West Virginia.
Every dollar goes back into local communities through programs like Girls Rule the Court™, which has served more than 2,000 girls, along with Junior Player Scholarships and Tennis in Schools. Gala funds also help restore public courts. Over the last three years, the Foundation has invested $505,000 across 17 public facilities.
Emceeing the evening is Emmy Award-winning ESPN journalist Malika Andrews, host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, who joined ESPN’s tennis coverage this year for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Andrews has pointed to the electric moment American tennis is having, with stars like the DMV’s own Frances Tiafoe reaching the 2026 US Open men’s semifinals, and says she’s grateful for the chance to support the sport at the local level.
Joining the celebration is new USTA CEO Craig Tiley, who took the helm of the national governing body in July after over 20 years at Tennis Australia. As he leads the USTA toward its goal of 35 million players by 2035, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation drives the grassroots work to grow the sport right here in the region.
The Foundation will present its Tennis Creates Impact Award to Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, recognizing his leadership in fostering character, community, and well-being through tennis.
The heart of the night is the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards, honoring local changemakers. Alexandria’s Leigh Ann Jackson receives the Adult Leader Award for coaching Girls Rule the Court at Groveton Elementary, where she has served 130 students over five seasons and championed the program’s expansion to Hybla Valley.
Arlington’s Gabrielle Berg earns the Youth Leader Award for founding a Northern Virginia chapter of Tennis For Fun, which runs free year-round clinics for people with special needs in partnership with the Arlington YMCA. Burke’s Khoi Truong, head coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School, is the 2026 Coach of the Year.
They’ll be joined by fellow honorees Dr. Ellen Markowitz (Community Champion), James Skinner (Provider Champion), and Janelle Nichols (Tennis in the Classroom Awardee).
Tickets and tables are now available. Can’t make it? Make a gift to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation or bid in the silent auction to help put a racquet in the hands of the next generation of players.
The Tennis Creates Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA 22102.
For more information, visit TennisCreatesGala.com.
Fairfax County Public Schools this week celebrated the launch of a new program to help young learners make safe choices in the water with an immersive “water safety festival” featuring visits from Olympic swimmers.
Students from grades 3-5 gathered at the Skyview High School swimming pool on Tuesday (Oct. 13) to try out the basics of swimming, paddle from inside an inflatable boat, and hear from two-time Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones. Maritza Correia McClendon, an Olympic silver medalist, also visited earlier in the day.
A Herndon man was recently arrested on drug and weapons charges after allegedly attempting to sell fentanyl to an undercover police detective, the Fairfax County Police Department announced this morning (Thursday).
The 19-year-old has been charged with possession with intent to distribute schedule I/II narcotics, possession of a firearm while distributing schedule I/II narcotics, possession of an auto sear, and carrying a loaded firearm in certain localities.
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Join us in person for a day packed with excitement and peace of mind! Our Child Safety Fun event features a cool fair filled with games and activities for the kids, plus a seat check station to make sure the car seats are installed correctly and to ensure your little ones are buckled up safely. It's a perfect chance to have fun and learn some important safety tips. Don’t miss out on this awesome event made just for families!
Northern Virginia remains a hot spot for Asian cuisine, judging by the five local establishments that found spots on the Washington Post’s annual ranking of the top 40 restaurants in the D.C. region.
Released yesterday (Wednesday), the 2026 list is the first compiled by new food critic Elazar Sontag, who took over the position in November 2025 following the retirement of longtime reviewer Tom Sietsema.
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The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is continuing an aggressive push to expand its affordable housing supply with the recent acquisition of land near the Innovation Center Metro station.
The agency announced Tuesday (Oct. 13) that it has purchased two parcels at 3625 and 3627 King Johns Way in the McNair area south of Herndon for nearly $23 million.
The impending closure of the Washington Post’s longtime printing plant in Springfield will cost more than 100 employees their jobs.
The Jeff Bezos-owned media company notified state and local officials on Oct. 7 that the facility’s relocation from 7171 Wimsatt Road to a smaller site in Loudoun County will result in layoffs affecting 118 workers. The layoffs are scheduled to take effect on Dec. 31.
Va. Lagging on AI Expertise, Report Says — “Virginia’s information technology office is not up to speed on artificial intelligence, and the agency that helps draft laws does not have the AI expertise needed to address the quickly evolving technology, according to a state-directed report.” [Cardinal News]
Arlington Removes Flock Cameras — “All county-leased Flock Safety technology had been removed as of last week, in compliance with a County Board vote last month, county spokesperson Ryan Hudson told ARLnow … The decision, which came amid nationwide backlash against the technology and concerns about potential misuse by federal agents, does not affect cameras installed on private property.” [ARLnow]
Good Wednesday 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
- Upscale Maryland restaurant taps McLean for first N. Va. location (1,899 views)
- Fairfax County prepares to tax marijuana when retail sales begin in mid-2027
- Fairfax County restaurants burdened by long, inconsistent permitting process, study finds
🕗 More from today
Everything else we published today, Oct 14, 2026.
- Morning Notes for October 14, 2026
- Home remodeling firm moves HQ to Vienna, replacing longstanding beauty spa
- Kelvin Garcia pledges to be a ‘doer’ if reelected to Herndon Town Council
- County seeks more leeway to address cost increases for historic Mount Vernon HS redevelopment
- Skyview HS quantum computer could be ‘incubator’ for future FCPS programs
📣 Announcements
Fairfax PRISM Tree Invasives Removal October Extravaganza II
Help save a tree! Join Fairfax and Falls Church residents in a community-wide effort to rescue… [Announcement]
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Fairfax County, from our event calendar.
- 9:00 am: $19.99 HAIRCUTS — Thankful Thursdays!
- 👉 11:00 am: Powering the AI Decade: Data Center Policy Forum
- 12:00 pm: SCNOVA Lunch N Life : Murder Mystery- Dying for Chocolate
- 2:15 pm: Meet the Artists: Sopranessence
- 5:30 pm: Harvest Harmonies at River Farm
- 6:00 pm: Artist Talk with Beverly Ress
⭐ Featured events
Powering the AI Decade: Data Center Policy Forum
Oct 15: AI is driving data center growth faster than the power grid was built to handle, and Northern Virginia, home to the world’s largest concentr [Event]
🏡 Reston Home Tour Tickets on Sale Now!
Oct 17: Tour six beautiful and unique homes throughout Reston [Event]
Once Upon a Mattress
Oct 17: A Family Friendly musical comedy retelling of The Princess and the Pea! [Event]
11th Annual Walk to Bust Cancer
Oct 18: Walk with us at Fort Hunt Park to support access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV. [Event]
Big, Bold, Rich Red Wine Super Tasting at Arrowine
Oct 18: Big, Bold, Rich Red Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie Tasting! [Event]
Lunch with Dr. T: Let’s Talk About Perimenopause and Menopause
Oct 23: A free lunch and talk on perimenopause and menopause with Kavita Tripathi, MD [Event]
🗑️ Shred Day with Lafayette Federal
Oct 24: Shred your documents safely and free [Event]
Submit events, announcements, or home listings to FFXnow.
🌧️ Weather update
Today: Fairfax County saw a high of 90° at 2:15 p.m., a low of 63° at 5:50 a.m. and no rain.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9pm and 10pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday: Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thanks for reading!