Emily Leayman | FFXnow

Mason District supervisor asks Planning Commission to reject data center substation

Published August 7, 2026 at 2:45PM

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez (staff photo by Jared Serre)

The county supervisor who represents the Lincolnia area where data center development is being planned has shared opposition to the proposed electrical substation associated with the project.

Supervisor Andres Jimenez (D-Mason) called on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject the Edsall Road substation and related transmission infrastructure at Plaza 500. The substation was proposed by Dominion Energy to meet the data center load from planned data centers.

Around Town

Shotted to hold grand opening at first drive-thru location in West Falls Church

By Emily Leayman

Published August 7, 2026 at 10:00AM

New Shotted drive-thru location at 7393 Route 29 (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

Saudi-style coffee shop Shotted is continuing its expansion across the D.C. area with the opening of its first drive-thru location in West Falls Church.

The coffee shop had a soft opening last week at the Shops at West Falls Church (7393 Route 29). It was formerly home to Compass Coffee, which closed the location after filing for bankruptcy in January.

Around Town

Reston Town Center’s Rocktoberfest to return for second year with Vertical Horizon as headliner

By Emily Leayman

Published August 6, 2026 at 1:45PM

A crowd starts to gather for the Bacon Brothers concert at the Reston Town Center pavilion on Oct. 12, 2024 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After an inaugural Rocktoberfest at Reston Town Center last year, the event will return in October with a new headliner.

Alternative rock band Vertical Horizon will take the stage at the free Rocktoberfest at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Pavilion at Reston Town Center (11900 Market Street). The headliner will follow regional opening acts Virginia Coalition at 6 p.m. and Everything at 7:30 p.m.

Countywide

Here’s what you can buy tax-free during Virginia’s sales tax holiday this weekend

By Emily Leayman

Published August 6, 2026 at 10:00AM

Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Back-to-school shoppers will have an extra incentive to grab their school supplies, clothes and other items this weekend in Fairfax County and across the state.

Virginia will hold its annual three-day sales tax holiday, from Friday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 9. Over the three days, the state and local option sales taxes are temporarily waived on qualifying clothing, footwear and school supplies, as well as emergency preparedness products and some appliances. The tax exemption applies to in-store and online shopping, according to the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Around Town

New Orleans-style beignet and coffee shop to hold grand opening in Herndon

By Emily Leayman

Published August 5, 2026 at 9:15AM

Beignets & Brew at 348 Elden Street in Herndon (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

New Orleans-style beignets are on the menu at a new coffee shop opening Friday (Aug. 7) in Herndon.

Beignets & Brew will open at 348 Elden Street #460. The grand opening starting at 7 a.m. will include a ribbon cutting with Herndon Mayor Keven LeBlanc.

Countywide

Rep. Don Beyer wins Democratic primary as Mizusawa, Beckwith earn nods in GOP races

By Emily Leayman

Published August 4, 2026 at 8:55PM | Updated August 4, 2026 at 9:25PM

Rep. Don Beyer (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Fairfax County voters turned out in a trickle for Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday (Aug. 4) to choose who will move on to the congressional midterm elections in November.

In the lone Democratic primary, Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) earned the nomination in the 8th Congressional District, the Associated Press called at 7:34 p.m. The congressman, vying for his seventh term, defeated four challengers — former Alexandria City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, fired State Department worker Michael Duffin, veteran and former CIA officer Adam Dunigan and military family advocate Lorena Bruner.

News

QTS Data Centers takes office lease for headquarters at Reston Row

By Emily Leayman

Published August 4, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated August 4, 2026 at 9:18PM

The office building at 1800 Reston Row Plaza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A data center operator with multiple locations in Northern Virginia is establishing company headquarters in Reston.

Reston Station developer Comstock Companies announced that QTS Data Centers signed a lease at 1800 Reston Row Plaza in Reston Station. The data center operator will occupy 77,000 square feet in the building’s entire 11th, 12th and 13th floors.

News

Pressure grows on Fairfax County to deny substation for data center in Lincolnia

By Emily Leayman

Published August 4, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated August 5, 2026 at 10:03AM

Map of Plaza 500 site with substation (via Dominion Energy)

An earlier version of this story referred to the State Corporation Commission approving a substation, but the SCC approval only incorporates transmission lines.

As plans for the first phase of data centers have been submitted in Lincolnia just outside Alexandria city limits, residents are focusing opposition on an electric substation under review.

News

What Fairfax County voters need to know for the dual congressional primaries Tuesday

By Emily Leayman

Published August 3, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated August 5, 2026 at 10:09AM

Voting at Lake Braddock Secondary School (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Fairfax County voters will head to the polls Tuesday (Aug. 4) to cast their votes in Democratic and Republican primaries, which will determine nominees for the 2026 midterms.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters are not registered by party in Virginia, so they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As of Aug. 1, Fairfax County has over 817,000 registered voters.

News

Janet Howell, longtime former state senator in Fairfax County, dies at 82

By Emily Leayman

Published August 3, 2026 at 10:00AM

Virginia Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, watches the vote tally board during the Senate session at the state Capitol in Richmond, Va., March 7, 2020. Howell, the veteran Democratic Virginia state senator who co-chairs her chamber’s finance committee, announced Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, that she will not seek re-election. (via Steve Helber/Associated Press file)

Janet Howell, a former Democratic state senator who had represented parts of Fairfax County for decades, has died at age 82.

Howell was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 1991, taking office in 1992 as senator for the 32nd Senate District. The district included Reston, Tysons, Wolf Trap, northern Chantilly and portions of McLean and Arlington County. Before retiring on Jan. 10, 2024, Howell was the longest-serving woman in the state Senate alongside current President pro tempore Louise Lucas (D-18). When Democrats took control of the chamber in 2019, she was the first woman to chair the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.