Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Criminal activity suspected in fire at Fairfax County search and rescue training facility

Published June 30, 2026 at 8:30AM

Surveillance footage of people at Virginia Task Force 1's training site in Lorton before a fire (via FCFRD/X)

While Virginia Task Force 1 remains busy combing through rubble in Venezuela for potential survivors of the earthquakes that devastated the country last week, Fairfax County officials are investigating a fire at its training facility in Lorton.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, which sponsors the federally funded urban search and rescue team, responded to the 9900 block of Furnace Road at around 5:20 p.m. on Saturday (June 27) after receiving reports that “a large column of black smoke” was issuing from the training facility.

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The PARC at Tysons to close after five years of hosting community events

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 29, 2026 at 11:45AM

The PARC at Tysons with a fall-themed outdoor lounge (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The PARC at Tysons will shut down at the end of this month, a few months shy of five years since it transformed a vacant retail building on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) into a vibrant community events venue.

Announced on June 17, the closure wasn’t planned or requested by events organizer Celebrate Fairfax, which has called the PARC its home since it opened in 2021. But the nonprofit is approaching the news with a positive outlook, using the occasion to reflect on the venue’s impact on local residents, artists and businesses.

Around Town

Drive-thru Panda Express eyes summer opening in Herndon

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 29, 2026 at 10:00AM

Panda Express under construction in Herndon (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Construction is well underway to transform Herndon’s former Burger King into a future Panda Express.

The Chinese American chain is “tentatively” aiming to open at 598 Elden Street in late July, though the timing could be affected by any construction delays, Panda Express public relations representative Brittany Rouse says.

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JUST IN: Fundraiser on Sunday to support Burke families displaced by storm ‘microburst’

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 26, 2026 at 8:35PM

Workers on the roof of a Burke area home on June 23, 2026 in the aftermath of a June 22 storm (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A fundraiser originally planned to support Alzheimer’s disease research has expanded its mission to include families in Burke affected by Monday’s thunderstorm.

Local resident Kim Pollard has partnered with Bunnyman Brewing in Burke (5583 Guinea Road) to collect donations this Sunday (June 28) for both her Walk to End Alzheimer’s team fundraiser and nine families who lost their homes in the storm on June 22.

Around Town

Great Falls Lodge Bar & Grill nears opening, with Merrifield restaurant to follow

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 26, 2026 at 9:15AM

Great Falls Lodge is slated to open soon in Great Falls Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

This summer, Great Falls diners will be able to escape the D.C. region’s heat at a new restaurant designed to mentally transport patrons to a rustic mountain lodge.

Great Falls Lodge Bar & Grill is on track for a soft launch at 9835 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls Center in the first week of July, with a potential opening as soon as Monday, June 29, according to owner and chef Neel Kamal.

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Springfield man convicted after guns, ‘explosive devices’ found during eviction

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 26, 2026 at 8:30AM

Justice statue over the entrance to the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Springfield resident could face more than a decade in federal prison after guns and explosive devices were found in his home while he was being evicted.

A federal jury in Alexandria convicted 42-year-old Amer Taisir Zghailat Qaralleh yesterday (Thursday) of possessing an unregistered firearm and improper storage of explosive materials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.

Around Town

Shipley Donuts now selling hexagonal sweet treats in Vienna

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 25, 2026 at 11:45AM

Shipley Donuts is now open in Vienna (courtesy Shipley Donuts)

With the short-lived mochi donut wars in the rearview mirror, a new contest between more traditional, Southern-style donut chains has officially begun in Vienna.

The Texas-based franchise Shipley Donuts is now selling its signature hexagon-shaped pastries at 256 Maple Avenue East, filling a long-vacant storefront previously occupied by T-Mobile.

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Coyote recently attacked resident and dogs in Great Falls, county says

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 25, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated June 25, 2026 at 10:01AM

A coyote on a road (via John Bell on Unsplash)

Fairfax County officials are warning residents in the Great Falls area to watch out for a potentially rabid coyote.

The coyote reportedly attacked multiple pet dogs and at least one person in and around neighborhoods along Utterback Store Road and Streamview Court during the day last Thursday, June 18, the Fairfax County Health Department said in an advisory issued Tuesday (June 23).

Around Town

Capital One Center’s Culinary Week to return next month with cooking classes, contests

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 24, 2026 at 3:45PM

Ometeo offers samples to Battle of the Chefs during Capital One Center's 2025 Culinary Week (courtesy Capital One Center)

Capital One Center’s inaugural Culinary Week was evidently a success, because the Tysons development will offer a second serving of the foodie celebration this summer.

Set for July 27-31, the second annual Culinary Week will feature cooking classes, contests and other events hosted by the restaurants on Capital One’s headquarters campus — including the forthcoming La Omri, a Mediterranean concept expected to open later this year.

Around Town

Not Your Average Joe’s in Reston to close for good next month

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 24, 2026 at 1:45PM

Not Your Average Joe's in Spectrum at Reston Town Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A decade of business in Reston will come to an end next month for Not Your Average Joe’s (NYAJ).

The Massachusetts-based chain is permanently closing its location in the Spectrum at Reston Town Center on July 15, according to a sign recently posted to the restaurant’s front door.