Countywide

Morning Notes for September 24, 2025

A former Lorton Reformatory tower, now part of the Laurel Hill development in Lorton (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Springfield Man Killed in Crash — “A Springfield man died Saturday after his disabled vehicle was struck by another car traveling at high speed on Interstate 395 in Alexandria, according to a Virginia State Police press release.” Police identified the victim yesterday (Tuesday) as 45-year-old Hennry O. Ortuno Flores and said charges against the other driver, a woman from Woodbridge, are pending. [ALXnow]

Rape Suspect Found Unable to Stand Trial — “A man accused of raping a woman on a trail in Herndon has been found incompetent to stand trial during a hearing on Tuesday. Denis Humberto Navarette Romero will have another hearing in December to determine whether he has been ‘restored to competency,’ according to the Fairfax County prosecutors’ office.” [WJLA]

GOP Makes Big Early Voting Push — “Early voting in Virginia began just last week, but the first wave of ballots already shows Republican-leaning House of Delegates districts pulling ahead of their Democratic counterparts.” Eleven of the 20 districts with the most votes cast in the Nov. 4 statewide elections so far “are strongly Republican or lean Republican” based on data from the Virginia Public Access Project. [Virginia Mercury]

Woman Injured by Falling Tree Branch — A woman was transported to a hospital yesterday afternoon after she suffered possible back and neck injuries reportedly from a “large, falling tree branch” while walking on the Pimmit Run Trail in McLean. “The incident happened around 2 p.m. on the trail, which runs along Pimmit Run near the Arlington-Fairfax County border.” [ARLnow]

Youngkin Takes Issue With Power Grid — “Governors of more than a quarter of U.S. states pushed on Monday for greater influence over PJM Interconnection, the country’s biggest power grid, where electricity prices are surging as AI data center demand outpaces the connection of new supplies.” [Reuters]

Local Ice Cream Shop Founder Honored — “Robin Rinearson, the founder of Jake’s Ice Cream, was honored with the Illinois College of Optometry Alumni Association’s Humanitarian Award earlier this month for her support of people with disabilities.” [Annandale Today]

How D.C. Region’s Colleges Rank — “The latest U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings didn’t have dramatic changes from last year, but a few D.C.-area colleges saw some surprising shifts.” Virginia institutions on the list include the University of Virginia (no. 26), the College of William & Mary and Virginia Tech (in a four-way tie for no. 51), and George Mason University (no. 117 in a seven-way tie). [WTOP]

Great Falls Mansion Hits Market — A 11,222-square-foot estate on Mine Run Drive in Great Falls recently entered the housing market for a list price of $14 million. “The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home is surrounded by a carefully landscaped 5.44 acres that features a brick motor court driveway, several fountains, and a Haddonstone garden gazebo.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with an 81°F high and calm winds. At night, there’s a 60% chance of precipitation, including potential showers and storms before 11 pm, with a low of 69°F. [NWS]

About the Author

  • FFXnow is the definitive local news source for Fairfax County, featuring countywide coverage and hyperlocal reporting on the Reston and Tysons areas. This article was written by an editor or other member of FFXnow's full-time staff.