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

Driver to be sentenced for manslaughter in 2025 Herndon shooting death

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Red brick Fairfax County Courthouse facade with three arched windows and the sign Fairfax County Courthouse atop, framed by leafy branches in the foreground.
Fairfax County Circuit Court (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A McLean man will be sentenced in Fairfax County Circuit Court this week after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2025 shooting death of a man in Herndon.

Kianmehr Shirinipaziziba, now 20 years old, was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Jason Hann.

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Countywide

Former DOJ prosecutor seeks to unseat Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Professional woman in a black blazer, smiling, with bookshelves in the background.
Brittany Dunn-Pirio (courtesy Friends of Brittany Dunn-Pirio)

Former state and federal prosecutor Brittany Dunn-Pirio announced today that she will challenge Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for the Democratic nomination in the June 2027 primary election.

Dunn-Pirio, a resident of the Vienna area, says she’s a “lifelong Democrat” who wants to reform the office. According to her website, her platform “centers on standing up for seniors and survivors, expanding access to treatment, protecting the right to a fair trial, and above all, restoring competence Fairfax can trust.”

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News

Fairfax County World War II veterans celebrate triple-digit birthdays

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Two elderly men in separate vertical photos hold plaques with the word "Resolution" in large red font. The gentleman on the left is wearing a "World War II veteran" baseball cap and a polo shirt; the gentleman on the right is wearing a sweater.
World War II veterans Dan Palenski and Ed Kesler (Staff photos by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Ed Kesler and Dan Palenski may have been born a thousand miles apart, but they have a few things in common: Both are celebrating birthdays this fall, and both were recently honored by Fairfax County for their service in World War II.

Kesler, a Rose Hill resident, is turning 101 on Nov. 26, while Palenski, a resident of the Greenspring Senior Living Community in West Springfield, is turning 100 on Oct. 17.

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Around Town

Month-long celebration of the arts returns to Fairfax in October

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Four musicians perform on an outdoor stage in front of a bright yellow mural with flowers and a hummingbird, playing banjo, mandolin, guitar, and upright bass.
A band performs at the inaugural Mason Arts Festival. (Courtesy ArtsFairfax)

For the second year in a row, Fairfax County’s designated nonprofit arts agency is hosting a month-long celebration of the arts — and this time, there will be twice as many opportunities to join in the festivities.

Organized by ArtsFairfax, the “artoberVA” initiative will offer residents a variety of ways to enjoy the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts. More than 60 discounts and events from over 40 artists and organizations in Fairfax city and county are planned throughout October.

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Around Town

‘Dog Krazy’ pet shop to open in Chantilly’s Sully Plaza

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Retail storefront with brick columns and a colorful flower bed in front; signs read 'Retail space for lease' and '2,400 SF'.
The site of the new Dog Krazy franchise in Sully Plaza. (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A Fredericksburg-based specialty pet supply store plans to open its tenth location in Chantilly — its first in Fairfax County — this fall.

Dog Krazy, a franchise founded in 2006 by Nancy Guinn, will open at 13932 Route 50 in Sully Plaza. In addition to food and supplies for both dogs and cats, the 2,400-square foot store will offer self-service dog washes and grooming.

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News

Planning commission backs proposal for housing on vacant Sully District land

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Aerial map showing Lincoln Park area with labeled streets and sites like Discovery Square, Data Center, Sully Community Center, and McLearen Shopping Center
A screenshot from a 2025 Fairfax County staff presentation showing the location of the proposed development. (Courtesy Fairfax County)

A missing piece that would complete Discovery Square’s transformation from planned office park into a mixed-use, residential development in the Sully District is nearing the final stages of approval from Fairfax County.

The proposal, which calls for 108 multifamily units and about 31,400 square feet of neighborhood-serving retail on an 8-acre site in the northwest quadrant of Centreville Road and Wall Road, obtained a key endorsement from the Fairfax County Planning Commission earlier this month.

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Countywide

NEW: Gov. Spanberger orders ‘framework’ for regulating data centers, establishes AI task force

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A woman with blonde hair, wearing a suit, stands at a podium surrounded by people. The Virginia state flag is visible on a screen in the left corner behind her.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger announces a new executive order on data centers (courtesy Office of the Governor)

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an executive order creating a new “accountability framework” that aims to increase transparency around proposed data center projects, establishes checkpoints around energy and environmental impacts, and convenes a new “rapid response” AI task force.

Touted as the “most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability framework in the country,” Executive Order 22 bans nondisclosure agreements by state agencies or employees, eliminates “by-right” approvals in favor of requiring public hearing and approval processes for projects that generate over 25 megawatts of power, and requires centers to contribute a “more equitable share” of electric costs.

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Around Town

Reston Multicultural Festival returns this weekend for 25th anniversary

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The Reston Multicultural Center (Courtesy Reston Community Center)

Thousands are expected to gather at Reston Town Center this weekend for the Reston Multicultural Festival, which will celebrate its 25th year of making connections across cultures.

The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow (Sept. 19), will include dancing and music at three stages, artisan vendors, and community organizations. Pop-up performances are also planned throughout the day.

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Countywide

What to expect as early voting for the 2026 election kicks off Friday in Fairfax

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
"I voted" logos on a voting booth (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

As Democrats attempt to flip control of Congress from the current Republican majority, all eyes will be on national races, but the Nov. 3 election will also give Fairfax County voters a number of questions with local and state implications to consider.

Early in-person voting will kick off countywide tomorrow (Sept. 18) for seats in the House and Senate as well as local issues regarding funding for parks and health and human services projects. In addition, voters will be asked to vote on three constitutional amendments addressing abortion, gay marriage, and voting rights.

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News

Man convicted of 2025 attempted rape at Groveton hotel

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Man at a store checkout wearing a white T‑shirt with a large marijuana leaf graphic.
Surveillance footage released by the Fairfax County Police Department shows the man accused of attempting a sexual assault of a woman at a Groveton hotel on Oct. 4, 2025 (via FCPD)

An Alexandria man has been convicted after attempting to rape a housekeeper at a Groveton hotel last year, though several felony charges were dismissed.

Following a two-day bench trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 15 and 16), Oscar Junior Barrios was convicted of the attempted rape and misdemeanor simple assault, according to court records.

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