Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Range of factors driving Richmond Highway pedestrian safety ‘crisis,’ analysis finds

Published May 28, 2026 at 3:05PM

Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

More than 60 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or seriously injured in crashes on Richmond Highway over the past decade — and conditions appear to be worsening instead of improving, a new analysis says.

Skimpy lighting and crossings, along with alcohol intoxication, appear to be driving factors behind the frequent serious crashes that occur in the approximately 14-mile corridor from the Alexandria border down to the Occoquan River south of Lorton, according to Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS).

News

Ex-CIA official charged with stealing millions of dollars in gold bars from federal government

By Associated Press and Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 11:45AM

The CIA seal next to a U.S. flag at the agency's Langley headquarters (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government and stashing them in his home.

David Rush was arrested and charged with criminal theft of public money last week, according to federal court filings in Virginia, where he lives.

News

Nurse campaigning for Herndon Town Council wants to give all residents a voice

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 9:15AM

Douglas Mejia (courtesy Doug Mejia for Herndon Town Council)

Though headlined by the Congressional midterms, this year’s election cycle will also feature critical local races in the Town of Herndon.

Douglas Isaac Mejia, a Herndon native and registered nurse, appears to be the first candidate to officially launch a bid for the Herndon Town Council, which will have all six seats on the ballot in November.

Around Town

Summer music festival in Tysons to celebrate 50 years of go-go

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 8:30AM

The DMV Summer Kickoff Music Fest at Lerner Town Square in Tysons (courtesy Tysons Community Alliance)

Lerner Town Square in Tysons will come to life this Sunday (May 31) with the distinctive beats of go-go music.

Take over the parking lot at 8025 Galleria Drive from noon to 8 p.m., this year’s DMV Summer Kickoff Music Fest will double as a 50th anniversary celebration of the musical genre invented in D.C.

Countywide

NOVA Parks boosts funding for staff, W&OD Trail plantings

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 27, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated May 27, 2026 at 4:18PM

NOVA Parks and Dominion Energy have been replanting cleared areas along the W&OD Trail with native trees and shrubs (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Over the next year, visitors can expect to see fewer invasive plant species and more native plantings along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and other regional parks.

The NOVA Parks Board of Directors adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget at its meeting last Thursday (May 21) that includes increased funding for invasive species management throughout the system, and for tree and shrubbery plantings along the 45-mile W&OD Trail, among other priorities.

News

Popes Head Road closes at Fairfax County Parkway, as new triple roundabouts start to open

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 27, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated May 29, 2026 at 8:16PM

Construction workers on the Popes Head Road bridge deck over Fairfax County Parkway (via VDOT)

Update — The Virginia Department of Transportation released more details about the partial interchange opening and how it will affect traffic patterns in the coming months on Friday, May 29.

Earlier: Fairfax County Parkway will be inaccessible from Popes Head Road for the next week, as the Virginia Department of Transportation prepares to start opening the reconfigured interchange in Fairfax Station.

News

Key Reston Midline buildings in limbo, slowing improvements to area’s walkability

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 27, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated May 27, 2026 at 6:50PM

Reston Station Blvd passing the office building at 1861 Wiehle Avenue in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Once expected to be demolished in 2025, the vacant office buildings at 1831 and 1861 Wiehle Avenue in Reston are still standing almost half a year later, with not even a construction fence to signal their future demise.

Plans to redevelop the two parcels with a senior living facility and apartment buildings, including one anchored by The Fresh Market, have ground to a halt after developer Comstock Companies reportedly relinquished control of the properties.

News

Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run at Seven Corners intersection

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 27, 2026 at 8:30AM

Car allegedly involved in hit-and-run at Arlington Blvd and Patrick Henry Drive in Seven Corners (car photo courtesy FCPD, road screenshot via Google Maps)

Fairfax County police are searching for the driver behind a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred early yesterday (Tuesday) morning in Seven Corners.

Officers responded at around 1:22 a.m. to Arlington Blvd (Route 50) at Patrick Henry Drive after a caller reported that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle and was lying in the roadway, according to scanner traffic.

Around Town

Pura Vida Miami opens new health-focused cafe at Mosaic District

By Katie Taranto and Angela Woolsey

Published May 26, 2026 at 2:45PM

Pura Vida Miami at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A new fast-casual cafe has opened its doors in Merrifield’s Mosaic District, with a menu focused on “health-conscious living.”

Pura Vida Miami is now open, serving up all-day breakfast, acai bowls, salads and more from its new space at 8296 Glass Alley, next to the Archer Hotel where Parc de Ville once stood.

News

New apartment building takes shape near the Herndon Metro station

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 26, 2026 at 1:45PM

Nell at 555 under construction along Herndon Parkway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Construction is well underway on the first mixed-use development to emerge on the north side of the Herndon Metro station.

The Nell at 555 Apartments is on track to deliver 399 homes with over 14,000 square feet of private amenity space, approximately 5,000 square feet of retail and a parking garage in the next year, according to developer Fairfield Residential.