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.

Countywide

FCPS to roll out new student ID cards for school bus tech upgrades

By Angela Woolsey
Person in uniform attaches or reveals a blurred ID badge in a clear plastic holder clipped to a gray surface, focus on hand and badge
Fairfax County Public Schools Bus Driver Supervisor Lei Shi demonstrates how students will check in with their ID card (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools’ integration of technology into its operations will extend to its transportation system in the coming academic year.

New identification cards that can be used to track when students get on and off a school bus will be rolled out across the division when the 2026-2027 school year starts on Aug. 24, FCPS announced on Tuesday (July 21).

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News

Owner seeks help to save Reston’s historic Wiehle House after storm damage

By Angela Woolsey
Two-story white wooden house with a collapsed roof and extensive debris surrounding the structure.
The Robert Wiehle House in Reston was damaged by a storm on July 5, 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

One of the oldest buildings in Reston is at risk of falling into disrepair after a tree on a neighboring property toppled on its roof during a storm that swept through the area on July 5.

Built in the 1890s, the two-story Robert Wiehle House has endured more than a century of fluctuating weather and suburban development, still standing at 1830 Old Reston Avenue even as condominiums and apartments sprouted up around it.

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News

State trooper injured after chasing reportedly stolen vehicle on I-95

By Angela Woolsey
Side view of a silver state police sedan with a blue light bar on the roof and a seal/emblem on the front door
A Virginia State Police cruiser stopped on a highway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Virginia State Police trooper and a teen driver were taken to a hospital yesterday (Wednesday) following a high-speed chase on I-95 across the Fairfax and Prince William county border.

After receiving an alert for a reportedly stolen vehicle heading south on I-395 in Fairfax County at around 1:21 a.m., “several” troopers located the driver on southbound I-95 just south of the Springfield Mixing Bowl and unsuccessfully attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop, according to the VSP.

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News

BREAKING: Special education teacher at McLean school charged with assaulting student

By Angela Woolsey
Front-facing mugshot of a man with dark hair and beard wearing a red plaid shirt against a gray wall
Eliseo Perez (courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)

A special education teacher at Cooper Middle School has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a student.

Administrators at the school in McLean (977 Balls Hill Road) were alerted on June 4 to “concerns regarding inappropriate behavior” involving a teacher, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

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Around Town

JUST IN: Eataly officially confirms Tysons Corner Center store

By Angela Woolsey
Construction site in front of a modern storefront with exposed steel framing and plywood, a green fencing banner reading 'coming soon' along the sidewalk, and clear blue sky above.
Construction underway on former American Girl space at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After months of speculation and silence, Eataly has finally confirmed that it’s coming to Tysons Corner Center.

The New York-based Italian food and retail chain will open its first location in the D.C. region sometime in 2027, taking over the two-story space vacated in January by American Girl.

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News

Cafe, playground among amenities planned for The Mile’s Signature Park in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey
Aerial view of a city park with playgrounds, winding paths, a large grassy field, and rows of trees along the edges. Buses line the curb on the street in front.
A rendering of the proposed Signature Park for The Mile in Tysons (via VIKA Virginia/Fairfax County)

In the future, residents of The Mile in Tysons might be able to grab a bite to eat, take their kids to a playground and watch a concert all within their own 5-acre neighborhood park.

A cafe with food trucks, a signature playground and a plaza with a stage are among the amenities being proposed by property owner and developer Link Logistics for The Mile’s “Signature Park,” according to a final development plan (FDP) recently submitted to Fairfax County.

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News

Lingering concerns hold back vote on planned Aurora Station at Dulles development

By Nolan Stout and Angela Woolsey
Modern residential courtyard with green lawns, paved walks, trees, and a playground between apartment buildings on a sunny day.
The proposed Aurora Station at Dulles development near the Innovation Center Metro station (via VIKA Virginia/Fairfax County)

A major mixed-use development proposed near the Innovation Center Metro station still needs some work more than three years after the developer first asked Fairfax County for permission to revise its plans.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred a vote last week (July 16) on whether to recommend approval of the proposed Aurora Station at Dulles development until its Sept. 16 meeting.

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Around Town

Alta Strada closing after nearly a decade at the Mosaic District

By Angela Woolsey
Outdoor dining area in front of Alta Strada Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, red chairs and tables with closed umbrellas.
Alta Strada at the Mosaic District in Merrifield with its outdoor patio closed (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Alta Strada is bowing out of the Mosaic District about seven months shy of what would’ve been its 10th anniversary there.

The Italian restaurant and wine bar revealed on its social media pages yesterday (Monday) that its Merrifield location will be permanently closing its doors on Saturday, July 25.

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Around Town

Ornery Beer Company to close Fairfax City pub, keep Herndon location

By Angela Woolsey
Ornery Beer Company in Fairfax City with Girl Scouts selling cookies outside (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Ornery Beer Company is downsizing, sacrificing its Fairfax City restaurant to focus on ensuring the future of its other locations.

The brewpub announced today (Monday) that its location at 3950 University Drive, Suite 106, will permanently close on Sunday, July 26 after nearly eight years of operating in Old Town Fairfax.

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News

Bailey’s Crossroads man indicted for alleged murder, abuse of infant daughter

By Angela Woolsey
Misael Lopez Gomez has been charged with murder after his 3-month-old daughter was found unresponsive in a Bailey's Crossroads apartment (mugshot courtesy FCPD, apartment image via Google Maps)

A Bailey’s Crossroads man accused of killing his infant daughter earlier this year is set to face trial.

Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, was indicted by a grand jury this morning (Monday) on charges of aggravated murder and felony child abuse, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced.

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