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.

News

RA begins invasive plant removal campaign in Reston woods

By Angela Woolsey
Dense deciduous forest with tall trunks, green undergrowth, and a leaf-covered path winding through trees.
Trees and undergrowth along a dirt trail south of Walker Nature Center in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Though temperatures are cooling, some of the trails around Reston will see plenty of activity in the coming weeks, as work begins on a campaign to uproot invasive plants.

Crews with the Gainesville-based consulting firm Wetland Studies and Solutions (WSSI) began working this week to remove invasive species, including vines and shrubs, from nine designated sites, Reston Association announced yesterday (Wednesday).

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News

Man charged with burglarizing multiple medical offices in Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey
Security camera footage showing a person in a burgundy hat and dark clothing walking down a narrow hallway toward a wooden door at the end of the hall.
Man seen on surveillance footage allegedly burglarizing a medical office in the 8200 block of Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield on May 19, 2026 (via Fairfax County Police Department/YouTube)

A Woodbridge man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing at least three different medical offices across Fairfax County in recent months.

The Fairfax County Police Department first began investigating a reported commercial burglary in the 8200 block of Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield on May 19, according to a press release.

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News

Up to 300 homes could replace Merrifield office after live/work plan stalls

By Angela Woolsey
Front view of a modern glass office building with a triangular central entrance and blue sky reflections in the windows, with trees in front.
Inova's former office building at 8110 Gatehouse Road in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A new vision is taking shape for one of Inova Health System’s former administrative headquarters buildings in Merrifield.

After a previous developer backed off plans to convert the office building at 8110 Gatehouse Road into live/work units, the new property owner — an affiliate of Bethesda-based Buchanan Partners — intends to demolish the existing six-story structure and replace it with up to 300 homes.

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News

Proposed data center expansion in Tysons put on hold

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press
Rendering of Serverfarm's proposed Vienna Cloud data centers from Quantum Field in Tysons (via Kimley-Horn/Fairfax County)

A proposal to replace office buildings in Tysons with an expanded data center has powered down for now.

The California-based operator Serverfarm recently requested that its special exception application to allow a “Vienna Cloud” data center complex on a 14.4-acre site at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive be deferred indefinitely, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik shared in a newsletter last Thursday (Oct. 1).

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Around Town

True Food Kitchen closes Reston restaurant, still open in Merrifield

By Angela Woolsey
Outdoor seating at True Food Kitchen with yellow umbrellas in front of a brick building.
True Food Kitchen in Reston Town Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

True Food Kitchen has permanently closed its Reston Town Center location after more than five years in business.

The health food chain announced yesterday (Monday) that it has filed for bankruptcy to kick off a restructuring process that involved shuttering 12 restaurants, including ones in Reston and Bethesda. The affected locations had their final day of service on Sunday (Oct. 4).

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News

Park Authority plans ‘reimagining’ of inclusive Clemyjontri playground

By Angela Woolsey
Colorful outdoor playground with yellow slides, blue structures, and multicolored rubber flooring under a cloudy sky.
Wheelchair-accessible equipment in the playground at Clemyjontri Park in McLean (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The inclusive playground at McLean’s Clemyjontri Park remains a gem of Fairfax County, but after two decades of operations, the local park authority is contemplating a refresh.

With much of the original equipment nearing or exceeding its expected life cycle, the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) plans to fully renovate the playground with the goal of creating a place “where every child can play,” according to a press release.

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News

Driver dies in hydroplaning crash on I-495 near Springfield Mixing Bowl

By Angela Woolsey
A Virginia State Police vehicle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

This weekend’s rainy weather apparently contributed to a fatal crash on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Springfield, police say.

Virginia State Police troopers responded at 4:40 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 3) to westbound I-495 for a single-vehicle crash at the 170-mile marker near the interchange with I-95 and I-395, a tangle of highways often called the Springfield Mixing Bowl.

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News

Owners of Herndon’s longstanding Upholstery Shop seek to add private events hall

By Angela Woolsey
Brick storefront with a two-story facade and a sign reading The Upholstery Shop; a white pickup truck is parked on a wet street in front on a cloudy day.
Designs and Interiors by The Upholstery Shop on Elden Street in Herndon (via Town of Herndon)

A family-owned interior design shop that has been furnishing Herndon homes for two generations could soon embark on a reconfiguration of its own.

The owners of Designs and Interiors by The Upholstery Shop are seeking a special exception from the Town of Herndon to allow a private events venue on the first floor of their historic downtown building at 757 Elden Street.

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News

Pedestrian killed in seventh fatal crash on Old Keene Mill Road in three years

By Angela Woolsey
Multi-lane urban road with cars in traffic; overhead signs and 'Franklin Rd' painted on the pavement.
Eastbound Old Keene Mill/Franconia Road approaching the Backlick Road intersection in Springfield (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County police are searching for the driver behind a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Springfield last night (Sunday).

Officers were dispatched at 10:22 p.m. for the crash, which occurred at the intersection of Old Keene Mill Road and Backlick Road, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

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Countywide

Drought conditions ease in N. Va. after ‘sustained’ rain, state says

By Angela Woolsey
Wet city street at dusk with reflections on pavement, modern glass building on left, elevated pedestrian bridge with walkers, and construction site with yellow panels in the background.
Drivers turning into and out of Tysons Corner Center on Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) in the rain (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The second half of September at last doused Northern Virginia in enough rain to ease the drought that the region has faced for months.

The drought warning advisory in place for Fairfax County and the rest of Northern Virginia since January has de-escalated to a drought watch, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced last Friday (Oct. 2).

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