Author: Mary Stachyra Lopez

Mary Stachyra Lopez is a staff reporter covering business, public safety, education, and other community issues. She covered Northern Virginia news for years at several media outlets, and spent half a decade as an editor on The Atlantic's audience team before joining Local News Now. 

News

Conviction upheld for man found guilty of shooting ex at Mount Vernon apartment

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Brick campus building with tall windows and white accents, shaded by dense green tree branches over a sidewalk.
The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Virginia’s Court of Appeals has upheld a Maryland man’s conviction on malicious wounding and firearms charges, ruling that a Fairfax County trial judge found an appropriate remedy for the prosecution’s failure to disclose information favorable to the defense.

An attorney for Collins Agyei had argued that the charges against him should’ve been fully dismissed by the Fairfax County Circuit Court in December 2024 due to a failure of prosecutors to disclose an admitted error in testimony, among other legal contentions.

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Around Town

Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken to open in Fairfax Corner with free food pop-up

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Construction for Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken in Fairfax Corner (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

South African restaurant brand Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken is set to open its 12th Virginia location in Fairfax Corner next week, with some freebies offered over the weekend to celebrate.

In anticipation of opening its doors at 11941 Grand Commons Avenue next Monday (Nov. 9), Nando’s will give away free chicken and chips to the first 500 guests starting at noon on Saturday (Nov. 7) as long as supplies last. The Saturday pop-up opening will also include games, giveaways, and a DJ playing South African-inspired tunes.

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Countywide

Fairfax County sees massive increase in early voting ahead of midterm election

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Early voting at the Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Election Day is still a day away, but Fairfax County voters have already been surging to the polls as part of a statewide and nationwide upswing in early voting.

More than 227,000 county voters have already cast their ballots for the Nov. 3 election through early voting, which concluded at 5 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 31), according to data from the Virginia Department of Elections collected by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).

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Countywide

New FCPS policies governing educational technology, use of AI start to take shape

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Sign for Fairfax County Public Schools with logo and the text ‘Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road’.
The sign in front of Fairfax County Public Schools’ Gatehouse Administration Center (file photo)

Some of the most high-profile actions the Fairfax County School Board is expected to take during the 2026-27 school year will relate to the use of technology, particularly in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence.

Based on feedback from a newly established advisory committee, Fairfax County Public Schools staff presented early drafts of two policies — one for use of educational technology in general and one for emerging tech — to the school board’s governance committee for its input last week (Oct. 27).

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Around Town

Popular Malaysian restaurant in Centreville to close, as owners retire

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A woman wearing an apron (left) and a man in a red polo shirt stand in front of a colorful mural.
Malaysian Kopitiam owners Penny and Leslie Phoon pose for a photo in front of a mural in their restaurant (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

After nearly a decade in Centreville’s Sully Station Shopping Center, a family-run Malaysian restaurant is closing its doors this week for good.

With husband-and-wife team Leslie and Penny Phoon ready to retire, Malaysian Kopitiam (5085 Westfields Blvd) will serve its final customers tomorrow (Oct. 31).

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Around Town

Vietnamese restaurant picked as one of region’s ‘100 Very Best’ expands to Chantilly

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A beige and brick restaurant, framed by small bushes, with the words in green font "Chay Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant"
Chay Restaurant has opened a second location in Chantilly's Westone Plaza. (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A well-regarded vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant on Columbia Pike is expanding with a second location in Chantilly, starting this week.

Chay Restaurant held a soft opening yesterday (Oct. 28) for its new Sully District location at 5005A Westone Plaza.

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News

Residents start moving into new affordable housing near Fairfax Government Center

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A group of 10 men and women stand behind a ribbon, with housing units visible behind them.
Members of the Board of Supervisors and others gather for a ribbon cutting during the grand opening of an affordable housing development on the grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center. (Courtesy FCRHA)

Less than two years after breaking ground, an ambitious affordable housing development on the Fairfax County Government Center campus is starting to welcome residents.

To mark the occasion, members of the Board of Supervisors and others involved in the development gathered on Monday (Oct. 26) to celebrate the grand opening of the nearly 300 newly constructed homes at 12020 and 12040 Government Center Parkway, now called Fairfax Crest.

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News

Four accused of burglaries targeting victims of home fires in Fairfax County

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The Fairfax County Police Department released this photo of guns confiscated in connection to burglaries in Fairfax County. (Courtesy FCPD)

Four men are facing charges in connection to a series of burglaries targeting victims of house fires in Fairfax County over the past year, including two incidents at the same residence, the Fairfax County Police Department said today (Oct. 28).

The FCPD says its Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives worked with the FBI and law enforcement partners in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Loudoun County to pinpoint suspects in five burglaries at four different residences across the county.

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Around Town

Fair Oaks Mall to host grand opening celebration for new play space

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Children play in the new Fair Oaks Mall play space (courtesy Meghann Butler/Olshan Properties)

On Halloween, Fair Oaks Mall is offering a treat for families: a grand opening celebration for its brand-new play space for young children, followed by the shopping center’s annual “Mall-O-Ween” festivities.

The grand opening celebration, which will include a costume contest, prizes, and a DJ playing family-friendly tunes, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 31) at the nature-themed play space, near JCPenney. Shortly after the celebration, “Mall-O-Ween” will kick off, bringing a full evening of trick-or-treating from 5 to 8 p.m. at participating stores.

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Countywide

Fairfax County School Board starts solidifying priorities for new General Assembly, Congress

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A Fairfax County Public Schools bus (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County School Board is asking lawmakers in Richmond to increase state funding for K-12 programs, provide state-funded universal Pre-K programs, and make changes to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act as part of its 2027 Legislative Program.

In preparation for the General Assembly’s coming session in January, the school board voted unanimously (with the exception of one absent member) on Oct. 8 to adopt eight priority positions for the state legislature and another 11 at the federal level.

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