Countywide

Future of Retail Cannabis Sales in Limbo — “Five years after Virginia legalized simple adult possession of marijuana, lawmakers are at an impasse over how to finally stand up a legal retail market, after the General Assembly last week rejected more than 40 changes proposed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger and sent the legislation back to her desk.” [Virginia Mercury]

Box Truck Fire on Main Street — The Fairfax County and Fairfax City fire departments responded around 2:20 p.m. yesterday (Monday) to a box truck fire at the intersection of Main Street and Farrcroft Drive. Two people had exited the vehicle by the time firefighters arrived, but no injuries were reported. [FCFRD/Facebook]

Fairfax Station Church Burglarized — Fairfax County police arrested a 30-year-old man from Lorton last week for allegedly breaking into a church in the 4900 block of Ox Road on April 23. The man has been charged with burglary, larceny with the intent to sell, felony property destruction, drug possession and auto theft for stealing a vehicle owned by the church, police say. [FCPD]

ALU Changes Raise Concerns — “Residents are concerned that new, more lenient rules on accessory living units (ALUs) would lead to more rental properties and less parking in stable single-family neighborhoods.” Fairfax County staff say the revised rules would make it easier to establish ALUs “by eliminating some of the administrative barriers and streamlining the review process.” [Annandale Today]

Paralegal Leads Korean Restaurant Tours — “Alexandria resident Soomin ‘Mina’ Kim spends her weekdays immersed in the world of law as a paralegal in Old Town. But her weekends are reserved for Annandale in Fairfax County, where she guides culinary Koreatown adventures for her small business, Virginialicious.” [ALXnow]

Lamb Mowers Visit Local School — “Landscaping at Rolling Valley Elementary School in West Springfield looked a bit different this week, when lawn mowers were left in the sheds while a flock of lambs trimmed the school’s grass by nibbling it for their breakfast and lunch.” [FCPS]

McLean Mansion Sells After Makeover — “Stately homes designed in 18th-century French architectural style … are not unusual in the Langley Farms section of McLean. But when a palatial 22,000-square-foot house on Georgetown Pike, built on nearly four acres in 2023, lingered on the market, the Building Group brought in Will Thomas for consultation.” [Washingtonian]

Teen Creates Financial Literacy Game — Oakton High School junior Rishab “Nanduri created MoneyQuest, a gamified financial literacy app that teaches students about saving, credit, investing, and long-term financial planning.” The 17-year-old’s goal was to find a fun, accessible way to educate other students about managing money. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Showers are possible from late morning to afternoon, under mostly cloudy skies with a high near 65°F. Evening sees a slight chance of showers before 7pm and after 8pm, with a low of 52°F. The chance of rain is 40% during the day and 20% at night. [NWS]

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

Police Officer’s Gun Fired in Tysons Corner Center — “On the afternoon of April 2, a D.C. police captain was at Level99 … when he lost his personal weapon while playing a game, Fairfax County police said. A teen found the weapon, thought it was a prop and pulled the trigger, investigators said. No one was shot.” [NBC4]

GOP Suggests Returning Part of N. Va. to D.C. — Republican Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia) introduced legislation last week that would “Make D.C. Square Again” by ceding Arlington and Alexandria back to the District “in the wake of Virginia voters approving a redistricting referendum to benefit Democrats’ representation in Congress.” [ARLnow]

Metro Board Approves Automation Plan — “The WMATA board of directors voted [on April 23] to endorse a plan to fully automate the Red Line and add platform screen doors as part of its capital improvement plan. The other lines would come next. The changes wouldn’t be finished on the Red Line until 2032 at the earliest, and are contingent on federal funding.” [Washingtonian]

Bill Makes Contraceptives Free — “Contraceptive services will soon be free for all privately-insured Virginians under a new law starting in 2027. The Contraceptive Equity Act, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Fairfax), will require insurers to cover a broader range of birth control methods without patients having to pay out-of-pocket.” [WHRO]

Mobile Home Fire in Chantilly — Fairfax County firefighters responded just after 1 a.m. on Friday (April 24) to a fire that engulfed a mobile home in the 14500 block of Trans World Avenue in Chantilly. No injuries were reported, but an investigation into the cause of the fire remains underway. [FCFRD/Facebook]

FCPS Principal Defends Early Release Days — “Fairfax County elementary school teachers are using the extra time they receive on monthly early release days to plan, finish trainings, meet with parents and support chronically absent students,” according to Mosaic Elementary School principal Mahri Aste. She says she understands parents’ concerns about the school calendar, but the loss of the scheduled planning time will “impact kids.” [WTOP]

D.C. Considers Self-Driving Taxis — “Robotaxis could be allowed on D.C. streets under a new bill that lays out the rules of the road for autonomous vehicles, providing an alternative to Ubers and Lyfts or traditional taxis.” D.C. Council member Charles “Allen said he sought to address a number of concerns about autonomous vehicles, ranging from safety to congestion to the displacement of human workers.” [Washington Post]

McLean Houses Sell for Combined $25M — “The deals, which create a 6-acre compound across some of the most expensive and exclusive land in Greater Washington, closed 10 days apart. First, on April 14, Arthur and Linda Rodbell sold 1137 and 1169 Crest Lane to Splinter VA LLC for $12.825 million. Then, on Friday, 1173 and 1175 Crest, known as Easter Hill, sold for $12.45 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Monday — Expect patchy fog before 7 a.m., followed by sunny skies with a high around 69°F. Light winds will shift to an eastward direction at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Monday night will be mostly clear, with a low near 47°F and southeast winds of 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]

Fairfax City Asked to Repay Funds for Canceled Trail — “The Virginia Department of Transportation has formally requested that Fairfax City repay $3.5 million in concessionaire funding used for the now-canceled George Snyder Trail project, according to a April 6 letter from the agency.” Mayor Catherine Read said at an April 14 work session that the city “was in communication with the state” on the repayment process. [Patch]

GW Parkway Resurfacing Begins — Starting yesterday (Thursday), the National Park Service is repaving the parkway in Alexandria after previously working on the section “between Spout Run Parkway and Interstate 395 in Arlington. Crews will resurface the road and replace pedestrian crossing medians between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and First Street.” [ALXnow]

Democrats Split on Proposed Data Center Ban — “Most Democrats in Congress have criticized the moratorium proposal harshly. Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner dismissed the plan as ‘idiocy’ during an event hosted by Axios.” Meanwhile, Mo Seifeldein, a former Alexandria council member who’s challenging Rep. Don Beyer in Virginia’s 8th District, has expressed support for a pause on data center development. [Politico]

Book Vending Machine Added at Reston School — “The RoSigle Foundation, a local nonprofit, recently installed a book vending
machine at Langston Hughes Middle School, giving students a fun and engaging way to access free reading material. The initiative supports the organization’s broader mission to promote literacy and educational equity.” [Reston Letter]

New Chicken Restaurant Coming to Lincolnia — “Love & Honey Fried Chicken is replacing another chicken restaurant at Pinecrest Plaza in Lincolnia. The space, at 6544 Little River Turnpike, is being renovated following the closure of Hot Lola’s, which opened in February 2023.” [Annandale Today]

McLean AI Startup Raises Millions — “Rilian has raised $17.5 million in new funding to further expand the development of its artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity tools for the defense sector.” The company plans to use the funding from 8VC, a venture capital firm started by Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale, to hire more engineering staff, boost marketing and continue building out its products “for the U.S. military and its allies.” [Washington Business Journal]

Baby Born in Reston Miles From Home — “Akosua was born at Reston Hospital on October 26, 2025, at just 1 pound, 1 ounce — and more than 5,000 miles from her home in Ghana. Her mother, Afua, was 23 weeks pregnant when she traveled to the U.S. to attend her cousin’s wedding last fall.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Sporting Events to Watch for — “Sports fans looking to catch a game this spring have a number of options to explore without leaving the county.” Highlights include home games for Old Glory DC and DC Divas, the District’s professional rugby and women’s football teams, which will be playing at George Mason Stadium and Lewis High School, respectively. [Fairfax County Government]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny weather with a high near 81, although there is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms developing after 2 p.m. Night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. [NWS]