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

In-custody death of Fairfax County inmate on hospice prompts police investigation

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Fairfax County Adult Detention Center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An unidentified jail inmate who was on hospice care at a local hospital has died, according to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office.

The inmate, whose name and gender were not identified, passed away around 2:45 a.m. Sunday (Aug. 9). Since the person’s death occurred while they were in custody, it will be investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department.

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Around Town

Bluey’s House, slime ‘lake’ among new family experiences coming to Tysons Corner Center

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A child in a white t-shirt with cartoon dogs stands between two large colorful mascot characters, blue on the left and orange on the right, as a hand reaches in from the left to join the hug.
A child meets Bluey and Bingo during the Bluey x Camp experience. (Courtesy of CAMP)

An immersive experience for toddler to elementary school age fans of the hit Disney show “Bluey” is one of several new attractions for families opening at Tysons Corner Center starting in September.

The children’s play store CAMP will open its latest themed experience, “Bluey x Camp: Bluey’s House” for kids ages 2 to 10 on Friday, Sept. 4, with a grand opening party to follow the next day. The 50-minute-long experience features a 5,000 square foot recreation of the cartoon dog’s home, where kids can play games from the show, such as “Keepy Uppy” or “Grannies.”

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News

Lorton teen accused of firing gun into the ground near West Springfield homes

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A black pistol lies on dirt among green groundcover and grass, with a red rectangular item nearby.
The gun found on the ground after a discharge near West Springfield homes on Aug. 5, 2026 (courtesy of FCPD)

A Lorton teen was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm after firing a gun into the ground near homes in a West Springfield neighborhood, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Officers responded to the 5000 block of Hall Street at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 5) for a report of a shooting.

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News

JUST IN: Child on bicycle struck in Reston hit-and-run

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Fairfax County police car close-up (file photo)

A 10-year-old boy riding a bicycle near Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue in Reston was hit by a driver who fled the scene this morning (Aug. 7), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The crash occurred around 8:49 a.m., police told FFXnow. The child was subsequently taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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Around Town

Spill-resistant furniture brand opens dog-friendly showroom at Tysons Corner Center

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Bright, modern lounge with white sofas, beige rugs, a round marble coffee table, and gold chandeliers.
7th Avenue will open a showroom in Tysons Corner Center (courtesy of 7th Avenue)

An L.A.-based luxury furniture brand specializing in spill-proof modular sofas is opening its first showroom in Virginia today (Aug. 7) at Tysons Corner Center.

7th Avenue’s showroom — also its first in the D.C. area — will be set up with the brand’s water-repellent, stain-resistant modular sofas in a living-room-style area. The sofas come with removable, machine-washable covers and are designed to let customers rearrange cushions and sides into any type of configuration. The price for a love seat starts around $2,700; a three-seat sofa is nearly $4,000.

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News

VDOT proposes $8.7M project to address ‘unsafe’ portion of Popes Head Road

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Orange diamond sign reads 'New Traffic Pattern Ahead' with a winding road sign and 20 mph sign nearby by a rural road.
A car passes by the intersection of Popes Head Road (Route 654) and Quiet Brook Road (Route 7447) on a recent August afternoon. (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A small portion of Popes Head Road could undergo $8.7 million worth of construction in an effort to improve safety on the busy secondary road near the Fairfax County Parkway, in the Fairfax Station area.

The Virginia Department of Transportation project, presented during a public information meeting July 28, proposes straightening an “S” curve on Popes Head Road (Route 654), between Quiet Brook Road (Route 7447) and Revercomb Court. VDOT officials also propose upgrading drainage and adding stormwater management systems within the project parameters, which extend for a fifth of a mile.

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News

Reston penthouse breaks Virginia’s record for a condo sale price with $10.9M deal

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The digital crown sign for JW Marriott at Reston Station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A full-floor penthouse at the top of the JW Marriott Residences Reston Station has set a new record for the highest-priced condominium sale in Virginia, the building’s developer announced Wednesday (Aug. 5).

The $10.9 million sale surpassed the previous record set in April at the same building, for $10.25 million. Previously, the record was set in 2024, at $5.95 million for a 27th floor condo in Rosslyn.

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Around Town

India-founded Dumont Creamery to open in Greenbriar Town Center this month

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Brick Dumont Creamery & Café storefront on a sunny day, with large poster ads in the windows and green shrubs in front.
The new Dumont Creamery in Greenbriar Town Center (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Greenbriar Town Center will soon offer a new option for locals with a sweet tooth.

Dumont Creamery & Cafe — founded in Hyderabad, India, before expanding to the U.S. in 2024 — will open at 13041C Route 50, Suite C, near Chantilly, with a soft launch on Aug. 14, the company confirmed to FFXnow. A grand opening will follow on Aug. 28.

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News

New seven-story senior living community opens in Fairfax City

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Modern multi-story apartment building with balconies under a clear blue sky, urban neighborhood in the foreground.
Brightview Northfax senior living community in Fairfax (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A new seven-story senior community with 200 units for residents has opened in Fairfax City.

Brightview Northfax, located at 10575 Northfax Street, held a grand opening and began moving in new residents on July 7.

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News

First locally acquired dengue infection investigated by Fairfax, other health departments

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The Fairfax County seal at the Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by James Cullum)

Several health departments, including Fairfax County’s, are investigating Virginia’s first documented case of a locally acquired dengue virus infection, the Virginia Department of Health said yesterday (Aug. 4).

The Fairfax, Loudoun, and Virginia health departments are investigating the case. While the patient did not have any known travel outside of the state prior to onset of the illness, they were “in close proximity to a recent internationally acquired case in a Virginian who was diagnosed a couple weeks prior,” Cameron Webb, the State Health Commissioner, wrote to clinicians in a notice posted online.

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