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 lawsuit over federal funding freeze revived by appeals court

By Angela Woolsey
Entrance to a Fairfax County Public Schools building with glass facade and greenery nearby, including a lamppost in front.
The entrance to Fairfax County Public Schools' Gatehouse Administration Center in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County Public Schools’ legal bid to restore funding withheld by the U.S. Department of Education due to its policies supporting transgender and other gender-expansive students has found new life.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Appeals Court for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 yesterday (Thursday) to send the lawsuit filed by FCPS and Arlington Public Schools (APS) in August 2025 back to a federal district court that had previously dismissed the complaint.

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News

Fairfax County revs up pilot testing 20-mph speed limits on 10 roads

By Angela Woolsey
Red SUV driving on a two-lane, tree-lined road with a 25 mph speed limit sign on the right curb.
Ingleside Avenue in McLean with a 25 mph speed limit sign (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County will soon start testing speed limits of 20 mph on select streets, more than two years after local governments in Virginia gained that authority.

Starting this fall, speed limits will be lowered from 25 to 20 mph on 10 roads in the Dranesville, Mason and Providence districts, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announced yesterday.

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Around Town

Five N. Va. restaurants ranked among region’s 40 best by new WaPo food critic

By Angela Woolsey
Front view of a brick-and-glass building with large vertical windows; entrance for Mama Chang restaurant with red sign and black awnings, cars in the parking lot fronting the building.
Mama Chang is located on the ground floor of an office building in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Northern Virginia remains a hot spot for Asian cuisine, judging by the five local establishments that found spots on the Washington Post’s annual ranking of the top 40 restaurants in the D.C. region.

Released yesterday (Wednesday), the 2026 list is the first compiled by new food critic Elazar Sontag, who took over the position in November 2025 following the retirement of longtime reviewer Tom Sietsema.

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News

County targets empty land near Innovation Center Metro for affordable housing

By Angela Woolsey
Aerial map view of Herndon, VA area with Dulles Access Road; red pin marks a construction site near Sunrise Valley Drive and King Johns Way.
Land acquired by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority at 3625 and 3627 King Johns Way in Herndon (via Google Maps)

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is continuing an aggressive push to expand its affordable housing supply with the recent acquisition of land near the Innovation Center Metro station.

The agency announced Tuesday (Oct. 13) that it has purchased two parcels at 3625 and 3627 King Johns Way in the McNair area south of Herndon for nearly $23 million.

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News

Washington Post plans layoffs tied to Springfield printing plant closure

By Angela Woolsey
Front page of The Washington Post showing a suited man on the left and the headline 'Iran shifting to harder targets,' U.K.'s MI5 says.
The Washington Post's front page for Oct. 14, 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The impending closure of the Washington Post’s longtime printing plant in Springfield will cost more than 100 employees their jobs.

The Jeff Bezos-owned media company notified state and local officials on Oct. 7 that the facility’s relocation from 7171 Wimsatt Road to a smaller site in Loudoun County will result in layoffs affecting 118 workers. The layoffs are scheduled to take effect on Dec. 31.

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Around Town

Upscale Maryland restaurant taps McLean for first N. Va. location

By Angela Woolsey
Hotel entrance at Glenwood's with warm lights, people lounging outside under a covered walkway at sunset.
Glenwood's will open a new restaurant at Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean (courtesy Aria Group)

A Maryland restaurant that specializes in sushi as well as steak, burgers and other American fare is coming to McLean.

Glenwood’s has signed a lease to open an approximately 7,000-square-foot restaurant at Chesterbrook Shopping Center, its first location in Northern Virginia, property owner Federal Realty announced today (Wednesday).

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News

Kelvin Garcia pledges to be a ‘doer’ if reelected to Herndon Town Council

By Angela Woolsey
Smiling man in a light gray suit and white shirt stands with hands clasped, against a dark wooden paneled backdrop.
Herndon Town Council member Kelvin Garcia (photo by PJ Morgan)

If he’s reelected to the Herndon Town Council, Kelvin Garcia has no intention of becoming complacent.

The former law enforcement officer is proud of his accomplishments from his first two years on the council, including the creation of a youth advisory committee and his support of collective bargaining for the town’s police department. But he believes he still has more work to do.

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Around Town

Home remodeling firm moves HQ to Vienna, replacing longstanding beauty spa

By Angela Woolsey
storefront with a white clapboard building reading 'Diamond Spa' above the entrance, framed by a festive circular wreath; construction fencing with 'MOSS Building & Design' banners in front and a parked gray car to the left
MOSS Building and Design renovates the former Diamond Spa building in Vienna for its new architectural design center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Northern Virginia business that specializes in remodeling houses is putting the finishing touches on a new home of its own.

In a milestone that coincides with its 25th year in business, MOSS Building and Design will celebrate the opening of a new Vienna Architectural Design Center at 108 Church Street NE with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 22 from 5-6 p.m.

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Around Town

Fairfax eateries participate again in ‘Bakes for Breast Cancer’ fundraiser

By Angela Woolsey
Cookie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle on a white plate.
Large chocolate chip cookie sundae from Mookie's BBQ for the 2026 Bakes for Breast Cancer fundraiser (courtesy Mookie's BBQ)

An annual fundraiser that encourages diners to indulge their sweet tooth in the name of supporting breast cancer research will return to Northern Virginia this Friday (Oct. 16).

Four eateries in Fairfax County are participating in this year’s Bakes for Breast Cancer campaign, which asks restaurants, cafes, bakeries, grocery stores and other businesses to donate proceeds from their dessert sales to fund research and treatment of the disease.

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News

Fairfax City’s Historic Blenheim closed today for oak tree removal

By Angela Woolsey
Three people stand on a grassy park lawn near a large tree, talking with a backpack on the ground and white buildings in the background.
Southern red oak tree at Historic Blenheim (via City of Fairfax)

The Historic Blenheim grounds in Fairfax City are closed for today (Tuesday) to accommodate the removal of a large southern red oak tree near the preserved 19th-century home.

The tree was initially scheduled to be removed on Oct. 2 as part of a larger project to restore the site’s woodland habitat, including by eliminating dead or invasive trees, but the contractor’s plans were foiled by “equipment problems,” the City of Fairfax said.

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