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

Wolf Trap unveils summer season with spotlight on America’s 250th anniversary

By Angela Woolsey
Gianandrea Noseda conducts the National Symphony Orchestra (courtesy of Wolf Trap)

For anyone seeking a welcome reminder that this winter will eventually end, no matter what the snow still piled up on local sidewalks and parking lots suggests, look no further than Wolf Trap’s newly released summer schedule.

In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, a special series celebrating the eclectic music woven into the U.S.’s “rich cultural tapestry” will take center stage at the Filene Center throughout the season, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announced today (Tuesday).

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News

UPDATED: Gas leak forces evacuation of Justice High School

By Angela Woolsey
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is at Justice High School in response to a gas leak (via FCFRD/X)

Students at Justice High School will be heading home early today (Tuesday) after a gas leak was detected this morning.

Washington Gas crews were sent to the school in Lake Barcroft (3301 Peace Valley Lane) around 8 a.m. after receiving a report of a natural gas odor.

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Around Town

JCPenney to exit Springfield Town Center after 53 years

By Angela Woolsey
Sign outside vehicle entrance for Springfield Town Center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

After surviving recessions, the dawn of online retail and a sweeping redevelopment, JCPenney’s time at Springfield Town Center is at last coming to an end.

The department store will permanently close on May 24 after 53 years at the shopping center formerly known as Springfield Mall.

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News

Developer seeks to replace former Fannie Mae office in Reston with more townhomes

By Angela Woolsey
Sign for the Sunset Station residential development under construction at 11600 American Dream Way in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

As the first homes constructed on the former Fannie Mae campus in Reston prepare to welcome residents, developer Wheelock Communities is clamoring to add over 100 more.

Wheelock hopes to construct up to 150 stacked townhomes in place of the remaining office building on the nearly 5-acre site at 11600 American Dream Way, according to a rezoning application submitted to Fairfax County on Feb. 3.

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News

Kingstowne library to close Sunday ahead of new branch arriving this spring

By Angela Woolsey
Future Franconia Governmental Center and Kingstowne Regional Library site under construction at 6121 Franconia Road in October 2024 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The coming weekend will bring Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and, for Kingstowne residents, the closure of their longtime community library.

Fortunately, patrons won’t have to wait too long for a new place to check out books: after the existing Kingstowne Library closes this Sunday (Feb. 15), a regional branch that has been under construction since 2023 will open at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd early this spring.

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News

Historic Dranesville Tavern could offer day care, events or space for artists

By Angela Woolsey
Dranesville Tavern (photo via Fairfax County Park Authority)

Though it hasn’t served a drink since Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, the historic Dranesville Tavern appears to have retained its appeal as a lodging destination.

Where other sites in its Resident Curator Program might attract a single offer, the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) received three proposals from community members looking to restore the 19th-century property in Herndon in exchange for a rent-free stay.

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Around Town

The Escape Game and more open first Virginia locations at Tysons Corner Center

By Angela Woolsey
The Escape Game is open at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Tysons Corner Center is continuing to expand its entertainment options with an unveiling of The Escape Game.

Making its Virginia debut, the escape room company opened a 4,470-square-foot venue on Saturday (Feb. 7) on the mall’s first floor between Barnes & Noble and the recently relocated American Girl.

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News

FCPD: Monks’ Walk for Peace to arrive in Fairfax soon, expect road closures

By Angela Woolsey
The Monks' Walk for Peace has reached Stafford, Virginia, and will pass through Fairfax, Alexandria and Arlington en route to its destination in D.C. (via Dhammacetiya)

A 2,300-mile trek by Buddhist monks advocating for unity and compassion will soon enter Fairfax County.

The Walk for Peace is currently scheduled to arrive in Lorton at Richmond Highway and Furnace Road on Sunday (Feb. 8) around 8 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which will provide an escort for the pilgrimage while it’s in the county’s borders.

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News

When to catch Fairfax natives Ilia Malinin and Brandon Kim at the Winter Olympics

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press
Ilia Malinin, of the United States, practices during a figure skating training session ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are officially underway in Italy, with the opening ceremony unfolding this afternoon (Friday).

For Fairfax County viewers, eyes will be particularly fixed in the coming days on two local athletes: figure skater Ilia Malinin — a 2023 Marshall High graduate who still lives in Vienna and trains at Reston’s SkateQuest — and speedskater Brandon Kim, a 2020 Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology making his Olympic debut.

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Around Town

King Arthur Baking extends stay at Fairfax Corner

By Angela Woolsey
King Arthur Baking Company's pop-up store at Fairfax Corner (courtesy King Arthur Baking Company)

King Arthur Baking Company is cooking up a longer-than-anticipated stay at Fairfax Corner.

After previously announcing that it would close at the end of January 2026, the baking supply business now says it will continue operating its pop-up shop at 11948 Grand Commons Avenue through June.

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