Author: FFXnow.com

Va. Seeks to Fill SNAP and Medicaid Gaps — “The General Assembly set aside more than $500 million in the 2026-2028 biennial budget to cover new administrative costs and cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.” Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order Tuesday (Aug. 25) focused on mitigating the impact of the federal spending cuts but “acknowledged that the state will not be able to absorb the full cost.” [Cardinal News]

Flags Lowered for Dolly Parton — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ordered all state and local flags to fly at half-staff to honor the memory of country music icon Dolly Parton. Parton died Tuesday at the age of 80.” Her publicist said she passed away after “a brief battle with cancer.” [Inside NoVA]

Two-Way I-95 Toll Lane Study Underway — “News4 has learned that a study is now underway to transform the I-95 express lanes into a two-way operation at all times instead of just the one direction the lanes go in now. There could also be another expansion of those express lanes south past Fredericksburg.” [NBC4]

Legislators Concerned by License Plate Readers — “License plate readers are being used by many governments and law enforcement agencies. But details about the data are secret … Senator [Danica] Roem and Delegate [Irene] Shin both say they would like to see members of the General Assembly allow for more transparency when they gavel into session in January.” [WVTF]

County Adds AI Chatbot to Website — “Our new ‘Ask Fairfax’ Generative AI chatbot is designed to help you quickly find information across fairfaxcounty.gov … It’s similar in style to tools like Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude, but focused exclusively on county information so you can get answers from trusted sources.” [Fairfax County Government]

SOL Scores Tick Up — “Virginia students continued to make progress in reading and math last school year, posting gains that moved them closer to pre-pandemic performance levels, the Virginia Department of Education announced Tuesday.” [Virginia Mercury]

Asphalt Plant Proposed in Springfield Area — “Vulcan Materials Co. is proposing to add an asphalt plant to its Edsall concrete production facility on Industrial Drive in the Springfield area of Mason District. The company plans to file an application with the county within the next few days.” [Annandale Today]

Jeff Goldblum Headlines GMU Arts Lineup — “Actor and jazz pianist Jeff Goldblum will headline a fall performing arts lineup at George Mason University that also includes international dance and vocal groups, two major orchestras and student productions. Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra will perform Oct. 3 during the 21st annual ARTS by George! benefit at the Center for the Arts.” [Patch]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 90, though there’s a 30% chance of rain, mainly after 2pm. At night, there’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially before midnight, with a low around 69. The sky will be mostly cloudy, and winds will become calm. [NWS]

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DOJ Raises Prospect of Kennedy Center Demolition — “The Trump administration threatened the demolition of the Kennedy Center if the center is not allowed to close for two years for renovations. The Justice Department floated the notion in a court filing Monday.” [NBC4]

Rare Tree Frog Seen in Huntley Meadows — In recent weeks, a rare blue tree frog “has drawn dozens of naturalists, wildlife enthusiasts and hobby photographers to Huntley Meadows, where visitors have tried to catch a glimpse of a frog that has become a local attraction and generated a flurry of social media attention.” [Washington Post]

Judge: Va. Still Improperly Denying Voting Rights — “A federal judge says Virginia officials incorrectly applied his order in a landmark voting rights case ruling that found the commonwealth had wrongly kept people with certain felony convictions from the ballot box for more than a century … Potentially hundreds of thousands of Virginians who should have been able to vote in the August primary were prevented from doing so.” [VPM News]

Police Chief on Great Falls Killing — “Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis says he anticipates harsher charges for the man who confessed to killing a 42-year-old mother in Great Falls,” stating that “the level of premeditation involved in the murder should bring the charges from second-degree murder to first-degree murder.” [WUSA9]

Young Workers Still Living With Parents — “About 4.9% of households in the DMV include what a new Bright MLS report terms a ‘shadow buyer’ — an employed adult between ages 25 and 39 who’s living in their parents’ home. That’s the 10th-highest share among U.S. metros,” a reflection of the region’s high housing prices and cost of living. [Axios DC]

Tysons Startup Bought for $232 Million — “Los Angeles-area manufacturer Navitas Semiconductor Corp. plans to buy Claros Inc., a McLean startup developing technologies to improve data center energy performance, for $232.8 million … The company said it expects to close the acquisition by the end of the year, which would be a rapid exit for Claros and its investors following its launch” in 2024. [Washington Business Journal]

Mount Vernon Trail Joins Hall of Fame — “Trails advocacy organization Rails to Trails Conservancy announced that the Mount Vernon Trail received 58% of public votes to win the Hall of Fame accolade. The other nominees were National Battlefield Trail in Texas and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Ohio.” [ALXnow]

How Local Charity Helps Students — After buying a prom ticket for a student who couldn’t afford one, Mount Vernon High School substitute teacher Ron Fitzsimmons asked local charities “if they paid for smaller things he felt were important to a child’s self-esteem. They all said no … That reality inspired Fitzsimmons and his sister, Laura Fitzsimmons Peters, to launch Alice’s Kids in 2011.” [WTOP]

Record High Enrollment at GMU — “George Mason University undergraduate enrollment will hit a new high this semester with the arrival of more than 7,400 incoming students, thousands of whom packed into EagleBank Arena on Friday for New Student Convocation … Overall enrollment figures are not yet official but undergraduate enrollment is expected to top 29,600.” [GMU]

It’s Wednesday — Today will be mostly sunny with a high of around 88°F. Tonight, expect mostly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m.; the low will be around 71°F. [NWS]

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

Reston Peregrine Falcons Have Died — “Sad news: Both juvenile peregrine falcons that hatched in May and June and later left their nest atop a Reston Town Center building have died. The first, a male, died June 11 after colliding with a building. The second, a female, suffered a broken leg in a separate building collision June 19 and was euthanized in July.” [Reston Letter]

FCPS Superintendent on New School Year — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid discussed “the challenges facing her school district as the academic year begins,” including the logistics of operating one of the nation’s largest school bus fleets, federal and state funding concerns, and the role of technology in education. [WTOP]

Va. Considers Requiring School Nurses — “Legislators and experts are exploring updating the state’s Standards of Quality, the school funding baseline requirements for the state and local governments, to include mandatory full-time licensed nurse positions. A report is expected to be presented to the state’s School Health Services Committee next month.” [Virginia Mercury]

Independent Challenger to Beyer — “An independent candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) on Nov. 3 knows the odds are stacked against him, but thinks he can break through with voters.” Tim Sharman will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot alongside the incumbent, Republican nominee Tony Sabio “and likely one other independent.” [ARLnow]

Google Signs D.C. Office Lease — Google “plans to move staff, ranging from lobbyists to tech engineers, to 500 N. Capitol St. NW in phases over the next few years as” it builds out a new, 231,000-square-foot office. The tech company intends to consolidate multiple D.C. offices, but it’s not clear yet whether that will include workers at Reston Station, where it occupies over 168,000 square feet. [Washington Business Journal]

Fitness Chain Expands to Reston — “When Jeff Marco and April King decided to open Virginia’s first Sweat440 studio in Reston, they weren’t just launching a fitness business. They were creating the kind of supportive environment that each says transformed their own life.” Located in North Point Village Center, the franchise offers “40-minute classes that begin every 10 minutes while the gym is open.” [Reston Letter]

Hearing Today on Redwood Plaza Redevelopment — The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing today (Tuesday) on “proposed changes to the construction schedule for a 196-townhome development” that would replace the Redwood Plaza offices in Oakton. Developer Tri Pointe Homes is seeking to tweak the timing of park spaces, streetscape improvements, a bus stop and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. [Patch]

Students Write Financial Literacy Book — “Three Fairfax County students wrote a book teaching young kids about financial literacy. News4’s Jummy Olabanji spoke with Austin Chen, Ayush Ranjan, and Devi Rai about ‘The Seed That Grows.'” [NBC4]

It’s Tuesday — There will be increasing clouds with a high of around 86 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping to about 64 degrees, and a light northwest wind. [NWS]

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

Motorcyclist Critically Injured in Annandale — Fairfax County police officers responded yesterday (Sunday) afternoon to “a motorcycle crash at Braddock Rd and Pine Rd in Annandale. The adult male rider was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.” [FCPD/X]

Drought Warning Still in Place — “Despite significant rainfall, the Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF) has continued the existing drought advisory statuses for Virginia.” With groundwater levels still at “emergency” status, Northern Virginia remains under a drought warning advisory, meaning a “significant” drought could be imminent and voluntary steps to conserve water are encouraged. [Virginia DEQ]

Three Arrests for Herndon-Area Shooting — “The shooting broke out near Birch Run Circle and Elm Tree Drive, near the Herndon and Reston area on Aug. 19 … Around 2:43 a.m., officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area, where a man reported that a 17-year-old he knew fired several shots at his vehicle.” The teen and two adults have been arrested, Fairfax County police say. [DC News Now]

Proposed Head Start Changes Concern Advocates — “Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families proposed significant changes to the program, framing them as measures to reduce federal regulatory burden, restore local flexibility and give greater authority to states, programs, and parents.” The Virginia Head Start Association, however, says “the proposal risks the program’s future.” [Virginia Mercury]

AI Hiring Tools Used by Va. Contractors — State procurement records indicate that artificial intelligence technology that can identify hiring applicants, scan resumes and “conduct one-way interviews” have been used “by state agencies and offices, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and the attorney general’s office. Records show that in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the AG’s office had yearly subscriptions with the AI hiring company TestGorilla B.V.” [VPM News]

Burger Food Truck Plans Restaurant — “S&P Burger, is opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Fairfax, this fall. The new restaurant will be located at 11055 Main St., Fairfax,” and is aiming to launch in October. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Thousands Cited for Unsafe Driving — “Between August 10 and August 16, officers issued 16,235 citations and warnings, including 6,162 citations and 10,073 warnings, making Wave 3 the largest enforcement effort of 2026. These results highlight the continued importance of traffic safety and driver accountability across Fairfax County.” The Road Shark campaign will return for a fourth wave on Oct. 12. [FCPD]

Footbridges Replaced in Reston — “The Footbridge 60 & 64 replacement projects have been completed, and associated pathways have been reopened. These footbridges will serve Reston’s pathway users for decades and will also support maintenance/ emergency vehicle access to remote sections of the pathway.” Additional footbridges will be upgraded “in the coming years.” [Reston Association]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny weather today with a high of around 84°F and a light west wind picking up to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Tonight will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to about 61°F. The northwest wind will be around 6 mph, calming down in the evening. [NWS]