Author: Emily Leayman

Emily Leayman is a senior reporter at ARLnow, ALXnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.

Around Town

Gourmet toast eatery plans grand opening with giveaways in Great Falls

By Emily Leayman
Toastique in Great Falls (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Toastique, a gourmet toast eatery with an expanding presence in Northern Virginia, will have an incentive for the first customers at its new Great Falls location.

The new Toastique at the Great Falls Center (9891 Georgetown Pike) will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24. The first 100 customers in line who make a $10 minimum purchase will get $50 in Toastique Reward Dollars.

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News

George Snyder Trail extension canceled by Fairfax City Council after split vote on funding

By Emily Leayman
George Snyder Trail head in City of Fairfax (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

The contentious George Snyder Trail extension will officially remain unbuilt, as the Fairfax City Council opted to nix the project Tuesday (Jan. 13) following more than two hours of public comments.

The council voted 4-2 to cancel the project, with Councilmembers Tom Peterson, Rachel McQuillen, Stacy Hall and Billy Bates in favor and Councilmembers Stacy Hardy-Chandler and Anthony Amos opposed.

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Around Town

Pennsylvania-style diner concept debuts at Audacious Aleworks in Fairfax City

By Emily Leayman
Audacious Aleworks in Fairfax City (courtesy of Brian Reinoehl)

A new food concept in Fairfax City’s Audacious Aleworks allows diners to get Pennsylvania-style diner food and locally-brewed beers all in one place.

Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium will celebrate its opening at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25 at Audacious Aleworks‘ tasting room at 10940 Fairfax Blvd Suite E in Fairfax City, Audacious Aleworks co-founder Brian Reinoehl told FFXnow.

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News

Au pair testifies against Brendan Banfield in Herndon double murder trial

By Emily Leayman and Associated Press
Juliana Peres Magalhães is escorted into the courtroom before continuing her testimony, during the double murder trial for Brendan Banfield in Fairfax County Circuit Court, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, Pool)

On the second day of Brendan Banfield’s trial for the February 2023 killings of his wife and another man at a Herndon-area home, the woman originally accused of fatally shooting the man testified against her alleged former lover in Fairfax County court.

Juliana Peres Magalhaes, who was employed by the Banfield family as an au pair, testified following opening arguments yesterday (Tuesday) in Fairfax County Circuit Court with Judge Penney Azcarate presiding. Brendan Banfield is facing seven felony charges — including four counts of aggravated murder — in relation to the killings of 37-year-old Christine Banfield and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan.

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News

Western High School could be name of Fairfax County’s new western high school

By Emily Leayman
The lobby of the former King Abdullah Academy, which will be converted into a new public high school for western Fairfax County (via FCPS/YouTube)

The Fairfax County School Board could opt for a geographical reference, rather than a person, for the newest high school’s name.

On Thursday (Jan. 8), Superintendent Michelle Reid presented Western High School as her final name recommendation for the future school at 2949 Education Drive in the Herndon area.

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Countywide

First Hike Fairfax photo contest opens voting for People’s Choice Award

By Emily Leayman
Joshua Brick's photo of a bird at Huntley Meadows Park won Best in Show for wildlife in the 2026 First Hike Fairfax contest (courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority)

Photographers braved the cold to capture moments from their New Year’s Day hikes for a chance to win the Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) First Hike Fairfax photo contest.

The annual contest invited Fairfax County residents to submit photos from their first hikes of 2026 on the park authority’s more than 420 parks and 334 miles of trails.

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Around Town

New restaurant Nalak Thai brings family’s food and matcha recipes to Fairfax

By Emily Leayman
Nalak Thai, a family-owned restaurant with family Thai and matcha recipes, is open in Fairfax. (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Comfort food from Thailand and matcha are the specialties of the family-owned Nalak Thai that opened in the Fair Oaks area.

Nalak Thai had its soft opening in December at the Fairfax Court shopping center (11270A James Swart Circle) near Fairfax City limits. The space formerly hosted U-SA Thai.

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