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

Herndon’s Weird Brothers Coffee to open first franchise in Vienna

By Angela Woolsey
Weird Brothers Coffee is coming soon to Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fresh off its designation as the region’s best coffeehouse by Northern Virginia Magazine readers, Weird Brothers Coffee is brewing an expansion to Vienna.

The Herndon-based coffee roaster is working to open its first franchise shop in Windover Square at 106 Lawyers Road. Construction is now underway in the storefront previously occupied by 29th Parallel Coffee, which can still be found in Fairfax Station.

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News

Lofts at Reston Station expansion heads to county board with mixed reviews

By Angela Woolsey
Rendering of proposed Lofts II at Reston Station development (via Land Design Consultants/Fairfax County)

Developer Pulte Group’s plan to expand the Lofts at Reston Station with more housing is poised to secure a final approval with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors holding a public hearing next Tuesday (June 23).

The project seeks to replace three low-rise office buildings at 1810, 1825 and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive with 158 homes, including 112 condominiums across three five- to six-story buildings and 46 stacked townhouses in one four-story building. Even after seven years of review and revisions, though, it has struggled to win over its future neighbors.

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News

County human services building to reopen after closure for flooding

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County's Pennino Building has been closed since early February 2026 due to flooding repairs (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Fairfax County has finally determined a reopening date for its Pennino Building following a months-long closure for flooding-related repairs.

The office building at 12011 Government Center Parkway, which houses the county’s Department for Family Services (DFS), Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) and other human services, will reopen to the public on Monday, July 6, the county announced yesterday (Tuesday).

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Countywide

Fairfax County calls for preemptive strikes against emerging spotted lanternflies

By Angela Woolsey
Spotted lanternfly nymphs on an outdoor stair in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Summer in Fairfax County means a break from school, an abundance of outdoor music options and, in recent years, the return of the spotted lanternflies.

The invasive insects started to reemerge earlier this month, but they are still in their young “nymph” stage, resembling small beetles with white spots on their black bodies instead of the larger, winged form they take as adults, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES).

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News

RA seeks input on opposition to Reston National Golf Course development

By Angela Woolsey
A person driving a golf cart on Reston National Golf Course (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston Association remains opposed to any development on Reston National Golf Course, but the latest proposal to add housing has it questioning just how much effort should be devoted to that cause.

RA launched a survey yesterday (Monday) asking community members to share their thoughts on whether its staff should prioritize the issue when determining where to focus their limited time and financial resources.

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News

Local and state police can enforce traffic laws on GW Parkway, starting in July

By Angela Woolsey
The George Washington Memorial Parkway (staff photo by James Cullum)

Local and state police will soon be allowed to enforce speed limits and other traffic laws on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, though drivers might not see an immediate increase in officers and troopers.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 81 in April authorizing state and local law enforcement officers to cite drivers for traffic infractions on federal highways in Northern Virginia, starting on July 1. Local agencies can also seek the federal government’s permission to install automated speed monitoring cameras.

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News

Search of Potomac River underway after swimmer reported missing in Great Falls area

By Angela Woolsey
Montgomery County and Fairfax County first responders are searching the Potomac River near Great Falls for a swimmer reported missing on June 14, 2026 (via Pete Piringer/X)

First responders in swift water boats and a U.S. Park Police helicopter are scouring the Potomac River for a man who went missing while swimming in the Great Falls Park area yesterday (Sunday).

Montgomery County’s police and fire departments received a call around 6:15 p.m. for a swimmer in distress near the Billy Goat Trail in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park in Potomac, Maryland.

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Weather

NOW: Over 21K people in Fairfax lose power as storm rolls through

By Angela Woolsey
Storm-related power outages in Fairfax County around 7:50 p.m. on June 12, 2026 (via Dominion Energy)

More than 21,200 Dominion Energy customers in Fairfax County have reported losing power as a result of thunderstorms currently passing through the region.

As of 8 p.m., the majority of outages are focused in the eastern part of the county, though some in the Fair Oaks area have also been affected, according to Dominion’s outage map. In most cases, the utility hasn’t determined an estimated time of restoration yet.

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News

Safety initiative would add stop signs at Fairfax County W&OD Trail crossings

By Angela Woolsey
A cyclist crosses Cedar Lane on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Dunn Loring (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Local and state transportation planners hope to provide some additional protection to users of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail with a new safety initiative.

If approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the initiative will add high-visibility stop signs at nine trail intersections in Fairfax County, according to NOVA Parks, which owns the 45-mile-long regional park and is supporting the proposal.

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Weather

Heat plan activated, outdoor school activities canceled in Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey
Sun glare through tree leaves (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

It’s going to be another hot, humid day in Fairfax County, which will be under Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today (Friday).

As it did yesterday, Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all outdoor activities on school grounds during the time covered by the advisory, including recess, extracurricular activities and recreational programs by community groups.

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