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 — Apr 23, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

⛈️ Friday’s forecast

There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 PM, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 82°F. Winds will be light and variable, shifting to the north at about 5 mph in the afternoon. Later, the night will be mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 55°F, with southeast winds around 6 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.


Around Town

A national outdoor furniture retailer held a grand opening for its new Springfield store today (Thursday).

Fortunoff Backyard Store is now open at Springfield Commons, with a new, 11,000-square-foot store and showroom at 6721B Frontier Drive. The showroom sells a variety of outdoor furniture, including dining sets, chaises, gazebos, fire pits and other patio decor.


Countywide

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D)’s substitute to Fairfax County legislators’ collective bargaining bill has been rejected by the Virginia General Assembly.

The General Assembly is holding a reconvened session to consider the governor’s amended and vetoed bills, including SB 378 and HB 1263 from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) and Del. Kathy Tran (D-18). The General Assembly did not take up Spanberger’s substitute to the legislation yesterday or today (Thursday).


News

A nonprofit that provides day programs for adults with disabilities has expanded its services to Hybla Valley.

Joined by local and state-level elected officials as well as program participants and their families, Specially Adapted Resource Centers (SPARC) celebrated the opening of its newest site at the Hybla Valley Community Center (7950 Audubon Avenue) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday (April 17).


Event

Running through May 9! Called “a workout for your abs” by DC Theater Arts, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum delivers nonstop laughs with high-energy performances, sharp timing, and classic farce. Packed with outrageous disguises, physical comedy, and “multiple laughs per minute,” this Sondheim favorite is a fast-paced crowd-pleaser you won’t want to miss—pure joy from start to finish!


News

A fresh startup headquartered at Reston Station is testing the waters for its automated, contact-free laundry services lockers.

Washera deployed the lockers in public for the first time earlier this month at the coworking offices Venture X Brambleton (23710 Schooler Plaza) in Loudoun County, founder and CEO Ali Alawad told FFXnow.


News

State Del. Elizabeth Guzmán on Wednesday launched a campaign for Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District following Tuesday’s redistricting referendum approval.

Guzman, a Prince William resident who represents Virginia’s 22nd House District, joins a crowded field in the new 7th District, including former first lady of Virginia Dorothy McAuliffe, state Del. Dan Helmer and several others.


Around Town

Taste of Vienna is set to return this weekend, putting a spotlight on local restaurants while also raising funds for the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (Vienna VFD).

The 13th annual food festival will take over the fire department’s parking lot at 400 Center Street South from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. this Saturday (April 25).


Countywide

Three congressional candidates wagered on the outcome of their own elections on Kalshi, according to the prediction market, which said yesterday (Wednesday) that it fined and suspended the men from their platform for five years.

It is the latest high-profile case of alleged insider trading on prediction markets including Kalshi and Polymarket, which have brought bipartisan scrutiny from Congress and calls for stricter regulations of the websites where people can put money on just about anything.


Countywide
Rocks arranged in a person-shaped outline on the green at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Injuries in Metro Silver Line Collision — “Eleven people are injured after a Metro work vehicle collided with a Silver Line Metro train in the Metro Center station early Wednesday, authorities say … The 11 riders who were hurt have injuries that aren’t considered life-threatening or serious, according to Metro.” [NBC4]

Certification of Redistricting Referendum Results Blocked — A judge in Tazewell County Circuit Court has barred the State Board of Elections from certifying the results of Tuesday’s special election, which saw Virginia voters narrowly approve a redrawn congressional map. Attorney General Jay Jones said his office will appeal the ruling. [CNN]

Spanberger Revisions Rejected on Major Bills — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger now faces a tough choice: whether or not to veto marquee Democratic legislation after the General Assembly did not accept her changes.” While the House of Delegates and state Senate accepted most amendments, they rejected recommendations on bills dealing with prescription drug prices, an assault weapons ban, retail cannabis sales and public-sector unions. [VPM News]

Inside an Anti-Redistricting Watch Party — “All eyes were glued to the screen as the numbers came in, at a small watch party at Lil Havana Cigar Club in McLean, Tuesday night. The group is all opposed to the new congressional redistricting maps, that will give Democrats a 10-1 advantage in Congress.” [WUSA9]

US DOT to Prioritize Congestion Relief — “U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury told Spotlight on Maryland that the U.S. Department of Transportation is launching what it calls the ‘Freedom to Drive initiative.’ The plan calls on governors nationwide to identify a handful of their state’s worst traffic chokeholds and outline concrete plans to fix them.” [FOX Baltimore]

School Boundary Change Meetings Coming — “When the Fairfax County School Board approved comprehensive districtwide school boundary changes in January, it agreed to hold off on some of the changes, pending additional community engagement.” Meetings on potential changes for Bren Mar Park Elementary School will be held tomorrow (Friday) and for Glasgow Middle School next Tuesday (April 28). [Annandale Today]

Yemeni Cafe Brewing in Falls Church — “Rashfa Cafe hopes to open this June at 310 S. Washington Street, owner and founder Abdulrahman Al Harethi told ARLnow. He wants to share his heritage with the community through Yemeni-sourced coffee and menu items like rawani cake, sabayah pastries and honeycomb bread.” [ARLnow]

Sneak Peek of Hershey Pop-Up in Tysons — “After months of anticipation, The Hershey Super Sweet Adventure pop-up officially opens on Friday, April 24. As a frequenter of Hershey’s Chocolate World since childhood, I had to check out the pop-up to see if it lived up to the hype. And, I have to say, I give it a thumbs-up.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny weather with a high around 81°F and a northwest wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. By Thursday night, conditions will turn partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 58°F, accompanied by a light northwest wind. [NWS]

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