Congressional Candidates Drop Out — Several House of Delegates candidates have officially suspended their campaigns after the Virginia Supreme Court voided the results of the April 21 redistricting referendum. That includes former Space Force Col. Bree Fram, who was set to challenge Rep. James Walkinshaw in the 11th District, and contenders for the proposed 7th District: Dorothy McAuliffe, Del. Dan Helmer, state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim and J.P. Cooney. [ABC News]
Man Sentenced for Burke Lake Park Murder — “A man convicted of the 2023 slaying of his girlfriend at a Fairfax County park was sentenced Friday [May 15] to 40 years in prison, after a judge cited the defendant’s heavy use of psychedelic mushrooms on the night of the killing as one of his mitigating factors.” The judge said he believed Rami El-Sayed, 36, “was not fully aware of his actions.” [WUSA9]
Majority of Metrobus Riders Not Paying — “Metro says nearly seven out of every 10 bus riders are still not paying the fare to ride the bus. Now, a new crackdown is coming that will involve bus operators and transit police. Metrobus operators will quote the fare to ride the bus as a reminder to riders to pay.” [NBC4]
Burke Ranked Best Place to Live in Va. — “U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026–2027 Best Places to Live list, and the results might surprise you … Burke was the No. 1 Best Place to Live in Virginia, and it landed at 108 on the list of 250 U.S. cities. The Burke 22015 zip code also topped our list of the 20 Hottest Zip Codes in Northern Virginia.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Unionized Electricians Back Data Center Tax Break — “Dozens of electricians, all union workers who help build data centers across Virginia, attended a meeting of the Senate Finance committee Tuesday. They were there to urge negotiators to keep tax breaks for data centers, a sticking point in the ongoing fight over Virginia’s budget.” If a new budget isn’t in place by June 30, Virginia would face its first-ever partial government shutdown. [WVTF]
Metro Leader Pitches ‘Gold Line’ — “Randy Clarke sees Metro’s future in the Gold Line: A zippy, dedicated bus route from Georgetown to the new Commanders stadium.” The Metro general manager also that “fares are probably going up next year for inflation … three years after the last increase.” [Axios DC]
RA Revising Pesticide Notification Policies — “The Reston Association is updating its communication procedures for pesticide applications following community transparency concerns, according to an email sent Monday by Acting Chief Executive Officer Peter Lusk.” The changes are being implemented after local homeowner Amy Becker raised concerns at a board meeting on May 1. [Patch]
Asian Celebration Planned in Annandale — “The community is invited to an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration on Saturday, May 23, 2-6 p.m., at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space.” The festival will feature over 50 vendors, live entertainment, a fashion show, an eating contest, crafts and appearances by community organizations. [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 60% chance of rain, likely after 5 p.m. and a high near 95°F, with a west wind of 6 to 11 mph. Tonight, the low will be around 59°F, with a north wind of 5 to 7 mph and an 80% chance of rain. [NWS]
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