FFXnow is the definitive local news source for Fairfax County, featuring countywide coverage and hyperlocal reporting on the Reston and Tysons areas. This article was written by an editor or other member of FFXnow's full-time staff.
In and around Fairfax County, a variety of small business boutiques, vintage stores and gift shops can make for a fun afternoon of browsing.
Here are the nominees for “Best Local Shop in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite store below? If not, write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24.
Voting for the Best Hardware Store in Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
A cardinal in a bush along the W&OD Trail in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Army Ten-Miler Proceeds Despite Shutdown — After raising the possibility of a cancellation, the U.S. Army announced yesterday that “the race with over 28,000 registered participants will take place as scheduled at 8 a.m. on Sunday — beginning and ending, as usual, at the Pentagon.” Runners must pick up their packets today or tomorrow (Saturday) at The St. James in Springfield. [ARLnow]
Two Injured in Reston Parkway Crash — “Police said charges are being pursued after two vehicles collided on the Reston Parkway in Fairfax County early Thursday morning … A preliminary investigation determined that one of the vehicles was driving the wrong way when the collision took place, police detailed. Both drivers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment.” [DC News Now]
Fiery Crash Slows Beltway Traffic — “Here’s the video from the crash and fire a short time ago on the Beltway, I-95/495S, with at least one person injured. Fire is now out. Traffic down to one lane to the right on the Inner Loop. Left lane closed on the Outer Loop. Video from SafetyVid.org.” [Dave Statter/X]
Springfield Gym Seeks to Expand — “The St. James sports complex is planning a major expansion of its private academy for elite student athletes. The facility, located on Industrial Road in the Springfield area of Mason District, is proposing a 20,000-square-foot expansion to accommodate future growth of the St. James Academy, a private school that opened in August 2024.” [Annandale Today]
Arrest Made in Credit Card Skimming Scheme — “Fairfax County police have arrested a man after they discovered a credit card skimming operation involving ATMs and other payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor. The operation was initiated after two skimming devices were discovered in the area in early September.” [WUSA9]
FCPS Offers Algebra to Elementary Students — “After students eagerly entered Amanda Blevins’ classroom at Mosaic Elementary on Thursday afternoon, she returned a graded assignment and then shifted their attention to a series of warmup problems projected in the front of the room … Blevins has 23 sixth graders enrolled in her Algebra I class, a high school course Fairfax County Public Schools is expanding access to through a pilot program this year.” [WTOP]
Falls Church Considers Tree Canopy Rules — “Developers of commercial projects in Falls Church could for the first time be required to meet minimum tree-canopy requirements. City Council members at an Oct. 6 work session generally were supportive of a staff proposal that would set a minimum [of] 10% canopy for future commercial development.” [ARLnow]
New Public Health Center Now Open — “The Fairfax County Health Department is pleased to announce that the Franconia-Springfield Public Health Center, located at 6564 Loisdale Court in Springfield, is officially opened. The state-of-the-art facility provides a wide array of public health services.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 65, with northeast winds at 6 to 9 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon. Friday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and southeast winds at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
Clouds will increase, leading to a high near 65, with the north wind shifting to southeast at 6 to 8 mph in the afternoon. The night will remain mostly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 51 and a southeast wind of 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Sun eeks through clouds behind the Pohick Regional Library clock tower (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Poisonous Spiders at Chantilly School — “Fairfax County Public Schools has confirmed its pest management team has been called out to Westfield High School in Chantilly to deal with spiders, with News4 confirming through a letter sent out to parents that they are poisonous black widow spiders.” [NBC4]
Lt. Gov. Financial Discrepancies Reported — “Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears built her political brand on transparency and accountability. But a closer look at her public filings reveals a pattern of omissions and inconsistencies in her financial disclosures — including a $12,000 ‘gift’ far above the state’s legal limit and multiple undisclosed trips funded by outside organizations.” [Virginia Mercury]
Jay Jones Cancels Fundraiser — “Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, has canceled a Thursday night fundraiser at the home of novelist David Baldacci, according to a person with the matter … The scrubbed fundraiser is another indication that Jones’ campaign is in crisis mode” after the discovery of texts from 2022 where he “mused about” violence against then-Virginia Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert. [Axios]
Falls Church HS Renovation to Affect Sports — While the renovation of Falls Church High School is mostly complete, “the athletic fields won’t be done until next summer or early fall. That means spring season sports will have to be conducted at other locations, said Scott Eschbach, director of design and construction for Fairfax County Public Schools, at a community meeting on Oct. 6.” [Annandale Today]
McLean Actor Appears in HBO Show — “Kelly Schwartz, a business consultant and actor based in McLean, has a role in the new HBO miniseries Task. The show, starring Mark Ruffalo, follows an FBI agent who works to stop a string of violent robberies in Philadelphia.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Publix Planning New N. Va. Store — “Publix Super Markets on Wednesday announced plans to open a new store in Ashland Square in mid-Prince William County. The new grocery store will be Northern Virginia’s first Publix, not counting the supermarket that opened in North Stafford in 2020.” [Inside NoVA]
Record Flip for McLean Mansion — “A McLean mansion that had been on the market for three years before it sold in August for $18.5 million just sold for the second time in six weeks, for $22 million.” The unknown buyer’s purchase of the 22,000-square-foot home at 6431 Georgetown Pike “appears to be the highest-recorded flip in Greater Washington history.” [Washington Business Journal]
Great Falls Fire Dept. Open House — With National Fire Prevention Week ending, the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department (9916 Georgetown Pike) is hosting an open house this Saturday (Oct. 11) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “This will be an education-filled event, with activities for the children, games, give-always, hands-only CPR instruction, and the always popular fire truck and ambulance climb-aboard … NEW this year is a junior firefighter training course complete with uniforms for the kids to try on.” [Great Falls VFD]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high near 63 degrees during the day, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 9 to 11 mph and gusting up to 20 mph. As nighttime approaches, the sky will remain clear with temperatures dropping to around 40 degrees, while a northeast wind persists at around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Fairfax County Parkway work zone speed limit sign (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Shutdown Affects Air Travel — “Travelers across the U.S. are beginning to feel the impacts of the government shutdown, as air traffic control staffing shortages disrupt flights across the country … According to the FAA, Monday’s delays affected air space across the country, including Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.” [NPR]
WaPo Food Critic Leaving — “Tom Sietsema’s 25 year reign as food critic of the Washington Post is coming to an end. He announced today that this will be his last week on the job — while also publicly revealing his face for the first time. Sources tell Washingtonian that Sietsema was among the journalists who took a buyout in July, though he stayed on to finish his fall dining guide.” [Washingtonian]
ICE Fears Slow D.C. Construction — “Many construction workers are terrified of President Trump’s immigration crackdown and have stopped showing up to D.C. job sites, contractors tell Axios … A Virginia-based contractor tells Axios that two of their workers have been detained while driving — one was deported, and they’re unsure where the other is.” [Axios DC]
Va. Prosecutor Not Charging NY AG — “A top prosecutor in Virginia has informed colleagues she plans to decline to seek charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, resisting intense pressure from President Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with her discussions.” [MSNBC]
Soda Spraying Leads to Arrest — “A Vienna man who sprayed carbonated beverages around the inside of a Fairfax City convenience store on Thursday night is facing multiple charges, according to authorities. Officers from the City of Fairfax Police Department responded around 7:05 p.m. to a disorderly subject report from the 7-Eleven at 3910 University Drive.” [Patch]
Pickleball ‘Vandalism’ Temporarily Closes Courts — The tennis courts at Kendale Woods Park were temporarily closed in recent weeks due to “ongoing vandalism involving unauthorized painting and taping of pickleball lines,” a Fairfax County Park Authority spokesperson said. Scheduled to reopen by 3 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday), the courts were reverted to tennis only last year after a neighbor complained about pickleball noise. [Annandale Today]
SAIC Breaks Acquisition Cold Streak — “The Reston government technology giant announced Monday that it is acquiring SilverEdge Government Solutions, a Columbia, Maryland-based provider of software and cybersecurity services to defense and national security agencies, for $205 million … The deal, expected to close later this month, would be the first for SAIC (NASDAQ: SAIC) since 2021 and the first on CEO Toni Townes-Whitley’s watch.” [Washington Business Journal]
Falls Church Newspaper Hopes to Resume Deliveries — “We are announcing the imminent launch of a crowdfunding effort to restore the home delivery of the Falls Church News-Press to every household address in the City of Falls Church. The difficult decision to cease carrier home deliveries of the paper, something we’d done since our inception in March 1991 until this past year, was due to financial constraints.” [Falls Church News-Press]
It’s Wednesday — Expect showers primarily before 2pm with a high temperature near 70°F. There is an 80% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts ranging from a quarter to half an inch. At night, the sky will be mostly clear, accompanied by a low temperature around 47°F. [NWS]
Expect showers primarily before 8am with a high temperature near 69°F. West winds from 7 to 15 mph will shift to the north in the afternoon with gusts reaching up to 26 mph. There is an 80% chance of precipitation, and rainfall could measure between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 46°F. North winds will be around 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
People wait for a bus at the Tysons Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Jay Jones Texts Rattle Va.Elections — “What began as a quiet October Friday in Virginia politics erupted into a full-blown national scandal when screenshots of private, three-year old text messages showing Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones fantasizing about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children were made public.” [Virginia Mercury]
Two Killed in GW Parkway Crash — “Two people were killed yesterday (Sunday) in a one-car crash on GW Parkway. Shortly after 2 p.m., a vehicle left the roadway and struck the overpass at the ramp from southbound Washington Blvd to southbound GW Parkway, according to the U.S. Park Police.” [ARLnow]
Reston Office Complex Seeks Buyer — “JLL is marketing the three-building Makers Point property at 11130, 11180 and 11190 Sunrise Valley Drive for sale on behalf of” Bridge Investment Group, which bought the 12-acre site in 2018. “The property could present an opportunity for a buyer to redevelop it to multifamily or another use … but JLL’s marketing flyer focuses on its future as an office asset.” [Bisnow]
New Coffee Shop Welcomed to Fairfax City — “Fairfax City officials and business leaders helped launch a new coffee shop in Old Town with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon. Common Culture Specialty Coffee & Brunch Cafe is located at 3955 Chain Bridge Road, taking over the space previously occupied by The Commons Fooderie.” [Patch]
Annandale Dessert Shop Reopens — “SnoCream, formerly at The Block, has resurfaced inside Garden Social at the same EastGate Shopping Center on John Marr Drive in Annandale. SnoCream has taken over the tiny window formerly occupied by Tiger Sugar. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is also co-located with Garden Social.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Tennis Courts Temporarily Close — “The Lake Newport Tennis Courts 5 and 6 will be closed starting tomorrow, October 7, for painting. They are expected to reopen on Thursday, October 9, weather permitting. Courts 1 through 4 will remain open for lessons and open play.” [Reston Association/Facebook]
Truck Art Contest Deadline Extended — Fairfax County’s “Solid Waste Management Program is currently accepting entries for the 2025 Truck Art Design Contest, which will feature a winner’s artwork on solid waste trucks … Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 10, 2025, and winners will be announced on Fairfax Recycles Day in November 2025.” [ArtsFairfax/Instagram]
Chantilly Gardens to Host Fantasy Cosplay — “The National Botanic Garden is opening its gates October 25 and 26 for ‘Cosplay Enchantment in the Gardens,’ the October edition of its monthly event series … There are several fantasy-like attractions where visitors can capture their cosplay on camera, including a stone castle, a carved stone dragon, a sculpture garden, and even a Hobbit Town.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 80 and a south wind at 6-11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. Tuesday night brings showers and possible thunderstorms after 5am, a low around 61. Precipitation chances stand at 90%. [NWS]
Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching around 80°F accompanied by a south wind blowing at 6 to 13 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. Tuesday night will bring showers and potential thunderstorms after 5am, as the temperature drops to around 60°F with a south wind at 8 mph. There is a high 90% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts may range between a quarter and half of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
The windmill in Bailey’s Crossroads at the Route 7 and Columbia Pike interchange (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Teacher Charged With Assaulting Student — An instructional assistant at Providence Elementary School was charged on Friday (Oct. 3) with misdemeanor assault after allegedly “aggressively” handling a student during a physical education class on Sept. 18. “No injuries were reported. A teacher who witnessed the incident reported it to the school administration, and the instructional assistant was placed on administrative leave.” [City of Fairfax Police]
New Safety Measures After DCA Crash — “The Federal Aviation Administration made permanent changes to how helicopters operate in the airspace around D.C. in response to the Jan. 29 midair collision near Reagan National Airport … Similar adjustments were made at Baltimore Washington International and Dulles airports to increase the distance between helicopters and commercial flights.” [WTOP]
Va. Moves Toward Trans Sports Ban — “The Virginia Board of Health on Thursday voted to begin a lengthy process to bar transgender people from playing in female sports and restrict the facilities they use. Shortly before the vote, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issued an executive directive giving his support to the move.” [Washington Post]
Tysons Apartments Up for Sale — Developer LCOR “is marketing Kingston at McLean Crossing, a 319-unit apartment complex at 7480 Birdwood Ave,” as for sale. Currently 96% occupied, with an average rent of $2,745 per unit, the two towers are “the first of several buildings planned as part of the 21-acre The Commons of McLean phased development, later rebranded McLean Crossing.” [Washington Business Journal]
Police Investigate Assault at Park — Fairfax City police “officers were dispatched around 4:15 p.m. [on Thursday, Oct. 2] for the report of an assault at Kutner Park, which is located at 3901 Jermantown Road, according to a police spokesman. Investigators believe that there were fewer than eight juveniles involved in the assault.” [Patch]
Reminders for Pedestrian Safety Month — “October is Pedestrian Safety Month so there’s no better time to take a moment and renew your efforts to travel safely. Whether you are walking, biking or driving, keep in mind that safety is a two-way street and is everyone’s job. If we each take a moment and consider safety, we hope to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents in Fairfax County.” [Fairfax County Government]
Automotive Teacher Wins $50K Prize — “Rebecca Fenton received quite a shock last week. The Fairfax County Public Schools automotive instructor was surprised in her classroom by family, FCPS staff and students, and a news crew. They had all gathered to celebrate Fenton winning a prize in teaching excellence that included a $50,000 check.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Craft Festival Coming to Chantilly — “When the Capital Arts and Craft Festival opens October 10 at Dulles Expo Center, there will be one Reston-based artist making her debut at this largest indoor art festival in the region. Ceramic artist Laurie Baron will be among 225 artisans from throughout the country at the three-day event.” [The Burn]
It’s Monday — Patchy fog is expected to clear by 10am, making way for a sunny day with a high near 81 degrees and calm winds turning south at 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. The evening will be mostly clear with a low around 61 degrees and a gentle south wind at 6 mph. [NWS]
