Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Residents at one Reston condo complex might not have AC this summer

Published April 6, 2026 at 1:45PM

Vehicles parked at the Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Residents of the Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston might not have access to air-conditioning this summer after the central cooling system that served the neighborhood shut down last year.

Abaris Real Estate Management, which manages the 152-unit complex, informed residents last Tuesday (March 31) that individual AC units are still prohibited for now because the property currently doesn’t have the electrical capacity to support them.

News

Construction on Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 nears finish

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 6, 2026 at 9:15AM

Construction barrels on the Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 in McLean (courtesy VDOT)

The new toll lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean have been operating for a few months now, but construction on the project known as 495 NEXT is not yet complete.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will set the stage for a new milestone tonight (Monday) with a traffic shift on the Georgetown Pike Bridge over I-495.

News

Second fatal pedestrian crash on Richmond Highway in 2026 under investigation

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 6, 2026 at 8:30AM

A fire truck arrives at the scene of a fatal pedestrian crash on Richmond Highway at Pohick Road in Fort Belvoir on April 3, 2026 (courtesy Dave Statter/X)

For the second time this year, a pedestrian has died in a crash on the Fairfax County section of Richmond Highway (Route 1).

Police responded at 10:30 p.m. on Friday (April 3) to Richmond Highway’s intersection with Pohick Road and Backlick Road in Fort Belvoir after receiving a report of a crash involving a pedestrian.

News

Delayed Lake Thoreau dredging will begin this month in Reston

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 3, 2026 at 10:00AM

An excavator scoops up sediment from Lake Thoreau in Reston during its last dredging in 2018 (via Reston Association/YouTube)

The water in Lake Thoreau is finally high enough to allow crews to begin clearing sediment.

Delayed from last fall due to insufficient water levels, Reston Association now anticipates beginning the approximately four-week process of dredging Lake Thoreau’s Westcove next week.

News

Frustrations grow with parking, traffic disruptions at West Falls Church Metro station

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 3, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated April 3, 2026 at 5:31PM

A notice outside the West Falls Church Metro station for construction on new roads, bus facilities and a parking garage renovation (staff photo by Jared Serre)

An increased fee for non-riders is one option reportedly being considered to ease traffic and parking constraints at the West Falls Church Metro station in Idylwood.

Traditionally one of Metro’s sleepiest stops, the West Falls Church station has become a hub of activity in recent months due to simultaneous construction on three different developments.

Countywide

United Airlines testing security wait times tracker at Dulles, as DHS shutdown drags on

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press

Published April 3, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated April 3, 2026 at 1:43PM

A security screening area at Dulles International Airport in April 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

United Airlines is testing a digital tracker for airport security wait times after the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown snarled lines at major airports across the country.

Touting the tool as the “first of its kind” from a major U.S. airline, United added the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times tracker to its mobile app on Wednesday (April 1). It’s currently available for seven pilot locations, including Dulles International Airport.

Around Town

Annual bluebells celebration to take over Riverbend Park in Great Falls

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 2, 2026 at 3:45PM

Bluebell buds have emerged at Great Falls Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Cherry blossoms are so last week. In Fairfax County, April is the delicate bluebell’s time to shine.

The wildflower will take center stage at the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Bluebells at the Bend celebration, which is set to return to Riverbend Park (8700 Potomac Hills Street) in Great Falls on Saturday, April 11.

News

Hilton in Tysons ranked among top companies to work for in U.S.

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 2, 2026 at 2:45PM

Hilton's headquarters building in Tysons seen from I-495 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hilton is still among the best companies to work for in the U.S., but it’s no longer number one, according to Fortune.

After holding the top spot in 2024 and 2025, the hospitality giant, which has been headquartered in Tysons since 2009, slipped to no. 2 behind Synchrony — a financial services company located in Stamford, Connecticut — in Fortune’s annual ranking of the country’s 100 Best Companies to Work for.

News

Property tax, water and trash bills will increase under proposed Herndon budget

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 2, 2026 at 10:00AM

The Town of Herndon's logo on a trash bin (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Herndon is planning to maintain its current tax rates in the new fiscal year, but residents should still brace for increases in their property tax, water and trash bills.

Town Manager Dan Hoffman officially submitted a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Herndon Town Council yesterday (Wednesday) that holds local real estate, lodging and meals taxes at their existing rates of 27 cents per $100 of assessed value, 6% and 4.5%, respectively.

Around Town

NEW: Tysons’ former Bed Bath & Beyond might turn into grocery store

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 2, 2026 at 9:15AM

The vacant Bed Bath and Beyond building at 2051 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A grocery chain appears to be working on a new store in Tysons, but unfortunately for residents of the Park Crest neighborhood, it won’t be filling the void left by Harris Teeter last year.

For the past couple of months, Fairfax County staffers have been reviewing renovation plans that would transform a portion of the former Bed Bath and Beyond building at 2051 Chain Bridge Road into an Aldi.