Author: Angela Woolsey

Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

Around Town

Free concert series Friday Night Live! set for 2025 return to Herndon

By Angela Woolsey
Doc Marten and the Flannels perform at Friday Night Live! on Aug. 16, 2024 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Spring is in the air, which means another Friday Night Live! season is on the horizon.

The free outdoor concert series will return to the Town of Herndon for its 31st year on May 2. Highlights of the upcoming season include the first-ever introduction of a non-alcoholic beer option and a “special reunion show” by the D.C. area party band Gonzo’s Nose, according to Friday Night Live! Chairman Laura Poindexter.

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Countywide

FCPD issues hundreds of tickets in first ‘wave’ of traffic safety campaign

By Angela Woolsey
The Fairfax County Police Department's Road Shark campaign focuses on enforcing traffic laws and improving road safety (courtesy FCPD)

The Fairfax County Police Department has wrapped up the first “wave” of its now-annual campaign cracking down on traffic violations.

Launched on March 17 in partnership with the Virginia State Police (VSP), the 2025 Road Shark campaign aims to deter aggressive driving and reduce crashes by boosting enforcement in areas known to be problematic and promoting traffic safety through social media, educational events and community outreach.

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News

Dominion to continue cutting trees in Vienna area but ‘pause’ plans for rest of W&OD Trail

By Angela Woolsey
A bicyclist passes tree workers on the W&OD Trail in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After weeks of negotiations and public complaints, Dominion Energy has agreed to reassess plans to clear nearly all trees near its power lines in the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park.

However, the pause won’t bring relief to Vienna and Dunn Loring, where the utility will finish clearing trees and brush along a 4-mile section of trail in conjunction with a transmission line replacement between its Clark and Idylwood substations, Dominion Senior Vice President of Electric Transmission Joseph Woomer said yesterday in a letter to the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority (NOVA Parks).

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Around Town

Beauty salon chain expands with new Reston, Chantilly locations

By Angela Woolsey
Sola Salons at Plaza America in Reston (courtesy Sola Salons)

A national beauty salon chain has expanded its local presence in Fairfax County just in time for prom and wedding season.

Sola Salon Studios recently welcomed locations in Reston and Chantilly to its roster with grand openings on March 17 and 24, respectively. Both salons are corporate-owned but offer suites for lease to independent barbers, hair stylists and other beauty professionals.

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News

FCPD: Scooter rider still in critical condition after hit-and-run crash

By Angela Woolsey
Inova Mount Vernon medical center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A man who was hit by a car driver while riding a scooter in Mount Vernon last night (Tuesday) remains hospitalized in critical condition, police say.

Officers and medics responded to Mount Vernon Highway at Drew Court around 7:54 p.m. yesterday for a crash that the dispatcher initially said involved a pedestrian and a driver who fled the scene, according to scanner traffic.

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News

Future of air-conditioning system for Reston’s Lake Anne once again in doubt

By Angela Woolsey
Townhouses along Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hundreds of residents around Lake Anne in Reston are facing new uncertainty over how they will cool down their homes as the weather heats up.

SpringRELAC, a resident-run nonprofit, announced yesterday (Tuesday) that its authority to operate the central air-conditioning system that provides chilled water from the man-made lake to surrounding properties hasn’t been renewed for the 2025 season.

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News

Mason District to be proposed as testing ground for later middle school start times

By Angela Woolsey
Glasgow Middle School in Lincolnia (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Update — The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously at its March 27 meeting to approve Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson’s motion for a pilot program to test later middle school start times.

Earlier: As the Fairfax County School Board continues weighing its options for bumping back middle school class times, one member says she wants to give her district a head start.

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News

‘We’re standing with them’: N. Va. residents advocate for national parks after ranger layoffs

By Angela Woolsey
Community members express support for national parks and their workers at a Resistance Rangers rally on March 22, 2025 at Great Falls Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The steady stream of visitors who descended on Great Falls Park this past weekend likely noticed little amiss, as they enjoyed a hike, picnic and scenic views of the Potomac River on a balmy spring day.

But the couple dozen protestors who lined a path near the McLean park’s visitor center on Saturday (March 22) fear that may soon change, if the Trump administration’s plans to terminate hundreds of federal workers and open up more public lands for resource extraction move forward.

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News

Inspired by ‘Friendsgiving’ dish, Herndon students win D.C.-area schools culinary contest

By Angela Woolsey
Herndon High School’s Culinary Challenge-winning Creamy Dreamy gnocchi soup, garlic bread dippers and zesty sunshine salad (courtesy Real Food for Kids)

A dish inspired by one gathering among friends will now be served in schools across Fairfax County.

With a “Creamy Dream” gnocchi soup complemented by sides of whole wheat garlic soup dippers and a Zesty Sunshine Salad, four students from Herndon High School won the competitive lunch category at the 13th annual Culinary Challenge, held this year at Hayfield Secondary School (7630 Telegraph Road) on March 8.

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Around Town

Founder’s Day returns to Reston with new name, same celebratory spirit

By Angela Woolsey
The boardwalk at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston (staff photo)

Founder’s Day is out, Celebrate Reston! is in.

The annual festival honoring Reston founder Robert E. Simon’s birthday will return to Lake Anne Plaza on April 5 from 11:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. under a new name that organizers believe more clearly conveys the event’s “spirit of enjoyment and celebration,” Reston Museum Executive Director Lisa Watts says.

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