Mary Stachyra Lopez | FFXnow

Two FCPS students to compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee

Published May 21, 2026 at 3:45PM

Fairfax County Spelling Bee 2026 winner Laasya Mohan, a fourth grader at Floris Elementary School, and runner-up Aadhya Vijayakumar, an eighth grade student at Rocky Run Middle School, with their trophies (photo by Karen Bolt/FCPS)

Laasya Mohan has a study routine: first, the fourth grader at Floris Elementary School sorts spelling words by topic. Then, she further divides them into two lists — the ones she feels sure that she knows how to spell, and ones she feels unsure of. She examines the roots of words and considers language patterns. Finally, her mom quizzes her.

The intense process often lasts five hours a day — but it has paid off.

News

Town of Vienna grapples with frustration over dead zones in cell phone coverage

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 20, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated May 20, 2026 at 4:59PM

Vienna Town Hall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Throughout the Town of Vienna’s 4.4 square miles, and in adjacent areas of Fairfax County, a number of businesses and residents have struggled with dead zones or otherwise weak cell phone coverage, leading to increasing frustration and even the passage of state legislation.

In a work session on May 11, staff and wireless providers told Vienna Town Council members that taller antennas are needed — and potentially a new review process with less oversight from the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) — to fix the recurring issues.

News

Centreville could get new library combined with affordable housing

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 19, 2026 at 11:45AM

Flowers at Centreville Regional Library (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Fairfax County is exploring the possibility of building a new Centreville Regional Library, combined in one building with affordable housing.

“The project could be built through a partnership with a private developer, and it may include new homes and an updated library in one building, featuring amenities for residents and the greater Centreville community,” Allyson Pearce, marketing and outreach manager for the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development, told FFXnow.

News

Fairfax City seeks to reduce waste, increase recycling with updated trash management plan

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 18, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated May 18, 2026 at 3:25PM

A Lime electric scooter leans against a trash can along University Blvd in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax City Council recently approved an updated waste management plan that it says is needed due to projections that landfills across Virginia may reach capacity in less than 20 years, a rising population, and soaring costs for disposing of municipal waste.

Council members unanimously voted May 12 to accept the 87-page plan with 54 actions planned across two decades. The plan emphasizes developing effective government systems; education and outreach to city residents; reducing waste overall and emphasizing reuse; increasing the amount and quality of items recycled; and resource recovery for food and yard waste.

Countywide

Fairfax County prosecutor, sheriff defend immigration policies before Congress

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 15, 2026 at 9:15AM

Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano testifies during a congressional hearing May 14. (Screenshot via YouTube)

Republican lawmakers accused Fairfax County’s top prosecutor and sheriff of being soft on crime and endangering lives due to policies limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a charge both denied during a tense congressional hearing yesterday (Thursday).

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid testified that they do not provide preferential treatment to immigrants, as congressional Republicans repeatedly alleged throughout the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing.

News

Fairfax City Council signals support for raising members’ pay

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 14, 2026 at 1:45PM

Fairfax City Hall sign (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The last time the Fairfax City Council approved a pay raise for its members, the year was 2015. The amount was $12,000 for council members, and $13,000 for the mayor.

During a work session on Tuesday (May 12), council members unanimously agreed it’s time to raise their own salaries — potentially up to the maximum allowed by Virginia law. For cities with a population between 20,000-34,999 people, that’s up to $24,000 for mayors and $22,000 for council members.

News

Divided Fairfax City Council moves forward with public hearing on accessory housing units

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 13, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated May 13, 2026 at 4:09PM

Depiction of an accessory dwelling unit in the backyard of a house (via City of Fairfax)

It’s not clear yet if many Fairfax City homeowners will have the option one day to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — more commonly known as “granny pods” or “in-law suites” — in their yards. But despite some hesitation expressed during a May 12 work session, Fairfax City Council members are ready to hear public comments on the issue.

In a presentation to the council, city staff laid out the implications of a new zoning ordinance that would let significantly more homeowners build detached accessory units in their yards.

Countywide

FCPS proposes budget cuts to cover $28 million funding gap

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 13, 2026 at 9:15AM

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid presents her proposed reductions in the fiscal year 2027 budget to the school board on May 7, 2026 (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid has proposed trimming a number of items from the school system’s fiscal year 2027 budget to address a $28.9 million shortfall.

“At this time,” Reid wrote in a May 8 letter to FCPS families, “I am proposing to make up the difference by reducing the staffing reserve, leveraging alternative major maintenance funding, extending the time to refresh FCPSOn technology devices, deferring microcredentialing, reducing math adoption curriculum materials, and reducing the Superintendent’s Strategic Reserve.”

Countywide

Fairfax County workers rally in support of Va. collective bargaining bill

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 12, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated May 13, 2026 at 1:08PM

Fairfax County Supervisor Andres Jimenez and public service workers rally outside the Fairfax County Government Center May 6. (Courtesy SEIU)

Fairfax County firefighters, teachers and other public sector workers recently rallied outside the county government center, asking Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign legislation granting public workers the right to engage in collective bargaining.

The May 6 rally was one of several held around the commonwealth by unions, including the Virginia Education Association, the International Association of Firefighters, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), in support of HB 1263 and SB 378.

News

Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging FCPS retaliated against teacher for abortion claims

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 11, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated May 13, 2026 at 10:13AM

Zenaida Perez speaks during a press conference in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse on Oct. 29, 2025 (staff photo by Jared Serre)

A federal judge has dismissed a Centreville High School teacher’s lawsuit alleging retaliation and violations of whistleblower protection laws by Fairfax County Public Schools after she claimed that school staff helped minors obtain abortions.

In his memorandum opinion, issued May 8, Judge Anthony J. Trenga wrote that the teacher, Zenaida Perez, had “failed to plead facts which, when viewed most favorably to her, plausibly give rise to a claim for whistleblower retaliation.”