Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Evacuation order lifted in Centreville after gas explosion

Published February 27, 2026 at 3:50PM

Police and firefighters respond to a house on Quail Pond Court in Centreville after a natural gas-related explosion (via FCFRD/X)

All Centreville residents displaced by the natural gas leak that resulted in a house explosion and fire on Feb. 15 have now been cleared to return home.

Washington Gas says it restored gas service to the 19 remaining evacuated homes by 10 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 24), and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) has now lifted its evacuation order after detecting no gas in the environment for 48 consecutive hours.

News

Longtime Reston accessibility advocate in need of support to retain housing

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 27, 2026 at 10:00AM

The Reston Accessibility Committee, with Ken Fredgren as its chair, gives a Universal Access Leadership Award to Kaiser Permanente's Allan Aziz for his help securing accessibility upgrades (courtesy Ken Fredgren)

After decades of serving his community, a longtime Reston resident and advocate for people with disabilities is now in need of that same community’s help.

Family friends of former Reston Accessibility Committee (RAC) chair Kenneth Fredgren are seeking to raise $75,000 through GoFundMe so he can stay in an assisted living facility.

News

Over 100 townhomes proposed for first phase of Merrifield office park development

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 26, 2026 at 1:45PM

The proposed first phase of EYA's Prosperity Business Campus redevelopment would include townhomes and a gateway park (via Design Collective/Fairfax County)

If Fairfax County approves the Prosperity Business Campus’ transformation into a residential neighborhood, townhomes will likely be the first element of the project to materialize.

PM Home Associates, an affiliate of the developer EYA, hopes to build 156 townhouses, including 20 affordable dwelling units, as the first phase of its overhaul of the 41-acre industrial office park in Merrifield, according to a final development plan submitted to Fairfax County on Feb. 20.

Countywide

FCPS considers limited bus service for students outside new school boundaries

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 26, 2026 at 9:15AM

A Fairfax County school bus driving down Nutley Street in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County’s first comprehensive school boundary rewrite in decades will affect only a handful of its approximately 177,000 current students, but Superintendent Michelle Reid believes the resulting transportation costs could still be too high to absorb.

The superintendent is expected to recommend tonight (Thursday) that Fairfax County Public Schools provide transportation only to high school seniors who were affected by the boundary changes and opt to remain at their currently assigned school, as permitted by the district’s phasing policy.

News

Fort Belvoir plans training exercise today with simulated gunfire

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 26, 2026 at 8:30AM

Fort Belvoir's Lieber Gate on Richmond Highway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Residents on and around Fort Belvoir may want to keep some earplugs close at hand today (Thursday).

The U.S. Army installation will host an active shooter preparedness exercise starting at 10 a.m. that could last “several hours” and involve loud noises, including simulated gunshots.

Around Town

Dick’s House of Sport coming to Tysons Corner Center

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated February 25, 2026 at 6:14PM

Entrance to the former Lord & Taylor store, now occupied by Timeless Living, from the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A major sporting goods store is making a play for Tysons Corner Center.

Dick’s House of Sport is on track to open at the mall in fall 2027, Doug Healey, property owner and developer Macerich’s senior executive vice president for leasing, told investors during an earnings call on Feb. 18.

News

Herndon road safety plan IDs crash hot spots, suggests improvements

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2026 at 1:45PM

Van Buren Street at the W&OD Trail crossing in Herndon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Design improvements, reduced default speed limits and campaigns to discourage drunk driving are some of the steps Herndon could take to make its streets safer under a newly proposed plan.

The Town of Herndon is seeking public feedback on its draft Roadway Safety Action Plan, which evaluated current road conditions and recommends strategies for achieving an ambitious goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries in the next 12 years.

News

Plan filed for affordable housing on Columbia Pike, as county finds ‘critical’ supply shortage

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2026 at 9:15AM

Rendering of NHP Foundation's proposed Columbia Crossroads affordable housing development (via Soto Architecture and Urban Design/Fairfax County)

A rezoning application is in for an affordable housing project proposed to replace the Crossroads Interim Park in Bailey’s Crossroads.

The NHP Foundation, a nonprofit developer headquartered in New York City, filed plans on Friday (Feb. 20) for a seven-story, 160-unit apartment building at 5831 Columbia Pike that would include approximately 6,000 square feet of space for community services.

Countywide

Amended Fairfax County casino bill sets referendum deadline, splits tax revenue evenly

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated February 26, 2026 at 12:50AM

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell presents his Fairfax County casino bill to the House General Laws Committee on Feb. 24, 2026 (via Virginia House of Delegates)

A bill to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino is advancing through the Virginia House of Delegates after undergoing some significant changes from the version passed by the state Senate earlier this month.

The House’s General Laws Committee voted 12-7 yesterday (Tuesday) to send Senate Bill 756, patroned by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34), to the chamber’s appropriations committee. All four delegates representing portions of Fairfax County, including committee chair Del. Paul Krizek (D-16), opposed advancing the legislation.

News

Source of gas leak identified days after Centreville house explosion

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 24, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated February 24, 2026 at 5:01PM

A road blocked off in Centreville on Feb. 19, 2026 near the Feb. 15 home explosion in Centreville (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

More than a week after a house in Centreville was decimated by a fire, leading dozens of residents to evacuate, investigators have finally identified the source of a natural gas leak that might’ve caused the explosion.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has removed a section of polyethylene plastic pipe near the corner of Quail Pond Court and Belle Plains Drive that leaked air during pressure testing, sending to a lab in D.C. for examination.