Author: FFXnow.com

Motorcyclist Critically Injured in Woodlawn — “A motorcyclist was hospitalized with serious injuries Wednesday evening following a crash during rush hour near Woodlawn, police said. In a post to X just after 5 p.m., Fairfax County police said officers were on the scene of a crash involving a motorcycle and a vehicle at Mount Vernon Highway and Battersea Lane, near Mount Vernon High School.” [DC News Now]

Former Student Convicted of Assault Deported — “An undocumented immigrant who was convicted of groping girls at a Virginia high school has been deported to El Salvador, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).” Israel Flores Ortiz was sentenced to serve approximately 140 days in jail in April after a judge found him guilty on nine counts of assault and battery. [FOX5]

Candidate Shares Antisemitic Videos — Shelly Arnoldi, the Libertarian candidate in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, has shared videos on social media defending Nazi book burning and depicting an Adolf Hitler rant. She has rejected accusations of antisemitism, but similar posts shared during an unsuccessful bid to chair the Fairfax County Republican Committee drew criticism from the Jewish Community Relations Council. [ARLnow]

Data Complicates D.C. Region Driving Cliches — “Jeff Dooley, a Virginia native and current D.C. resident who runs The Washington Sun’s local and sports coverage, asked if we could confirm the D.C. region’s most enduring stereotype: Are Maryland drivers really the worst. At first glance, the data seemed to confirm our suspicions,” but a deeper dive suggests drivers with Virginia plates are most likely to be at fault. [Washington Sun]

Kaine Sees Chance to Reverse Medicaid Cuts — “During a roundtable discussion at … a food bank in Henrico County Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he believed there’s a growing chance Congress could adjust or undo Medicaid changes the Republican-controlled legislature enacted last summer — with or without flipping Congress to Democratic control.” [Virginia Mercury]

Congressman Unveils Data Center Bills — “Rep. Suhas Subramanyam stood outside Discovery Elementary School in Ashburn, Virginia, on Tuesday. State lawmakers, local officials and community leaders gathered around him … The Northern Virginia Democrat was there to announce a package of four bills that would set national requirements for data center development.” [WTOP]

Seafood Eatery Eyes Fall Opening — Construction on Hot N Juicy Crawfish’s new restaurant in Centreville (14245H Centreville Square) is on track to finish by Oct. 23, the chain says. The company, which currently has just one location in Virginia in Falls Church, is planning to hold a soft opening near the end of October. [FFXnow]

New Paintings Celebrate Mason District — “Four paintings highlighting Mason District have been installed in the office of Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez. The artist, Todd Crespi, says he was inspired by Jimenez’ goal to celebrate the vitality of Mason District through the arts.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 89°F and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Night will see showers and thunderstorms before 3am, then likely showers, with a low around 68°F. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

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County to Host 9/11 Ceremony — “Fairfax County’s public safety agencies and county leaders will hold a remembrance ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, at 10:10 a.m. commemorating all those impacted 25 years ago by the 2001 event. The ceremony will take place at the county’s Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax, though the public is invited to watch the ceremony live online.” [Fairfax County Government]

Mechanic Killed in Bus Collapse Mourned — “A Virginia mechanic killed while working beneath a tour bus at Wolf Trap is being remembered by friends and colleagues across the country as a beloved husband, father and expert troubleshooter who earned the nickname ‘The Bus Doctor.'” [WTOP]

Rehab Planned for Va. to D.C. Bridge — “A rehabilitation project on the I-395 northbound bridge over the Potomac River has taken a key step forward. The construction firm Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract to conduct renovations and upgrades on the bridge … Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, Skanska said in a press release.” [ARLnow]

Tysons VC Firm Nabs Pentagon Contract — Red Cell Partners has “inked a one-year federal contract with the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office” that’s projected to generate up to $100 million in new revenue for startups in its portfolio. The company will identify “slow, manual or redundant processes” that could be made more efficient with AI or other tools developed by its startups. [Washington Business Journal]

Beyer Discusses Economic Challenges — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, joined a recent call with small business owners from around the country to discuss economic challenges Americans are facing due to rising healthcare, food and fuel costs, which he said are the result of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans not meeting their promise to lower costs.” [Virginia Mercury]

Foster Family Wanted for Reston Cats — “Oliver, a 4-year-old tabby, and Princess Peach, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat, need a temporary foster home together from Oct. 15, 2026, through April 20, 2027, according to Operation Foster. Their owner is deploying to the Middle East.” [Patch]

Reston Bank to Acquire Rival — “John Marshall Bancorp in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy Eagle Financial Services in Berryville, Va. The $2.4 billion-asset John Marshall said in a press release that it will pay $253 million in stock for the $1.8 billion-asset parent of the Bank of Clarke.” The deal is John Marshall’s first-ever acquisition since it was established by local business leaders 20 years ago, the Washington Business Journal says. [Bank Slate]

Woodson Graduate Finishes Epic Run — “A Woodson High School graduate who saw his professional career as a tri-athlete go up in flames has found redemption by completing a 2,000-mile run from Boulder, Colo., to Washington, D.C. Collin Chartier celebrated the end of the journey Aug. 30 at the Lincoln Memorial after completing the last 20 miles on the W&OD trail with members of the Marymount cross-country team.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 88 degrees and a south wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees. A southwest wind will continue at about 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Man Stabbed in West Falls Church — “Two people, including a teenager, are in custody Monday night after a stabbing inside a home left a man seriously injured in West Falls Church. The Fairfax County Police Department said the stabbing was ‘domestic-related’ and took place in a home in the 7000 block of Parkwood Court.” [DC News Now]

Call for Special Session Rejected — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Thursday she will not call another special session of the General Assembly to give state regulators more time to review the proposed $66.8 billion merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, rejecting a request from lawmakers who warned the current 180-day review period is too short.” [Virginia Scope]

Apartment Break-In Under Investigation — Fairfax County police are looking to identify a man who was seen on video climbing onto a third-floor apartment balcony in Groveton. “According to the apartment owner, the suspect got spooked, pointed a gun and made threats before walking out without taking anything.” [FOX5]

Amtrak to Pause Virginia-D.C. Service — “Rail passengers traveling through Virginia’s Northeast Corridor should expect cancellations, route changes and may need to rely on bus connections beginning Oct. 16, due to major track upgrades … Trains traveling through Virginia will effectively end at Alexandria, with only a limited number continuing north.” [Virginia Mercury]

Congressman’s Phone Wiretapped by FBI — “Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said Thursday he was informed by the Department of Justice that his phone calls with a Virginia state legislator in the spring were wiretapped.” Subramanyam said the wiretap was part of a probe into Senate President Louise Lucas, but called its timing during campaigning for the nullified redistricting referendum “extremely suspicious.” [Axios]

Decline in International College Students — “International students at Virginia colleges face new federal restrictions starting Sept. 15, as the state grapples with a sharp drop in international enrollment … Public four-year colleges lost over 1,100 graduate or professional international students last fall (a 13% decline) while gaining 287 undergraduates, per the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.” [Axios Richmond]

Gap in Va. Medicaid Reimbursement — “Virginia’s Medicaid programs reimburse doctors at significantly lower rates than private insurers for the same preventive-care services, according to a study published Friday.” George Mason University professor Alison Cuellar, who led the study, “said lower reimbursement rates can make physicians less likely to participate in Medicaid, potentially making it harder for patients to find care.” [WTOP]

Father-Daughter Pilots at Dulles Connect on Radio — “Kenny [Katnik], a 24-year-old CommuteAir captain, and her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, were preparing for separate flights Sept. 1 when they ended up on the same radio frequency. Their brief exchange spread online, giving listeners a glimpse of the family behind the flight decks.” [WJLA]

It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of 87°F and a calm morning wind shifting to the southwest at about 5 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 65°F and a light south wind at 6 mph. [NWS]

Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.

Groundbreaking Planned on Trump Arch — “Excavation work is set to start over the next two weeks at Memorial Circle, where the Trump administration plans to build a towering, gilded arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.” A construction timeline was announced even though the project hasn’t received final approval and is facing a lawsuit. [ARLnow]

Spanberger Visits Apartment Project — Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other elected officials visited Merrifield on Wednesday (Sept. 2) for a tour of Conifer Realty’s 80-unit affordable housing development on Telestar Court, which broke ground in June 2025 and is on track to finish construction this December. The office conversion project was touted as an example of “the commonwealth’s efforts to address a growing housing shortage.” [WTOP]

Flock Camera Opposition Gaining Steam — “One town in Northern Virginia recently voted to immediately remove all of its Flock cameras. Now, Virginia lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are considering a statewide ban … Fairfax County police said [license plate reader] technology has assisted in nearly 900 arrests and helped locate 57 missing persons since November 2022.” [NBC4]

Spanberger Skeptical of Flock Ban — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said calls to ban automatic license plate reading cameras, such as Flock devices, are ‘overly simplistic,’ instead vowing to work with lawmakers on a solution to protect privacy while also maintaining the ability for law enforcement to investigate crimes.” [WTOP]

Student Advocates for Pediatric Cancer Research — “Darya Golesorkhi, 15, of Reston entered South Lakes High School this week as a sophomore. While she and her peers in Fairfax County Public Schools navigate new districtwide restrictions on generative artificial intelligence in classrooms, Darya is heading to Capitol Hill on Friday, Sept. 18, to champion AI’s life-saving potential.” [The Connection]

Fairfax Water Seeks Public Input — “Your Water, Your Voice! Fairfax Water is hosting customer focus groups to better understand your experiences and help shape the future of our services. If you’d like to share your thoughts, apply here by September 14, 2026.” [Fairfax Water/X]

Mental Health Hospital Sold — “HCA Healthcare has sold Dominion Hospital in Seven Corners to Hill Valley Healthcare for $25.2 million, the Washington Business Journal reported on Sept. 1. The 116-bed Dominion Hospital, located at 2960 Sleepy Hollow Road, provides behavior and mental health services for children, teens, and adults.” [Annandale Today]

Regional Apple-Picking Options Limited — “Apple-picking season is here — but one of fall’s favorite pastimes will be shorter, sparser or canceled altogether at some D.C.-area orchards after last spring’s devastating frost … Local apple lovers may find higher prices and fewer varieties.” [Axios DC]

It’s Friday — Expect increasing clouds with a high near 91°F and a heat index up to 101°F. Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 2 pm, with a 40% chance of precipitation. Overnight, there’s a 50% chance of rain before 2 am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of around 72°F. [NWS]