Democratic members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors again blocked efforts on Tuesday (July 14) by Springfield District’s Pat Herrity to designate an autumn day as “Church Heritage Recognition Day.”
Herrity, the 10-member body’s lone Republican, failed to get the necessary seconding motion required to take up consideration of his proposal to recognize Nov. 21 as Fairfax County Church Heritage Recognition Day, which he has unsuccessfully championed for several years.
Hazardous air quality levels due to wildfire smoke have been reported in the D.C. region, prompting cancellations of outdoor activities across Fairfax County.
Early this morning (Friday), the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) issued a Code Purple Air Quality Advisory for the region after conditions considered “very unhealthy” for everyone were recorded in D.C., Northern Virginia and parts of suburban Maryland by 9 a.m.
More Heat, Smoke and Storms Expected — “Fairfax County residents face a mix of weather hazards over the next several days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is reducing air quality now, and forecasters expect heat and severe thunderstorms to build in by the weekend.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Nonprofit Youth Programs Shut Down — “Second Story, a nonprofit that serves youths and families in underserved areas, learned with very little notice that four of its programs were at risk of closing on July 1 ‘due to unexpected interruptions to long-standing funding sources,’ said Chief Executive Officer Jade Leedham. Second Story was able to save the Culmore Teen Center, at least temporarily, thanks to donations, but shut down the Safe Youth Projects in Culmore, Annandale, and Springfield.” [Annandale Today]
Dominion Officially Files for Merger — “Dominion Energy on Wednesday submitted their official arguments to the State Corporation Commission to allow the utility to merge with the Florida-based NextEra … The SCC now has six months to review the arguments, hear testimony from both sides and make a decision on if the merger will succeed.” [Virginia Mercury]
New Acting U.S. Attorney Appointed — Former Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo “Stamos has been appointed first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. With the U.S. Attorney position currently vacant, she also will serve as acting U.S. Attorney until the post is filled permanently.” [ARLnow]
Youngkin Joins Tysons Company — “Virginia’s former Gov. Glenn Younkin has made a return to the private sector. Youngkin has joined Tysons-based company Red Cell LLC as a partner, chairman, and board member … Youngkin’s appointment at Red Cell follows months of speculation about his future plans, including whether he would return to politics.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Dominion Faces Data Center Connection Backlog — “For years, the number of data centers asking for connection dates from Dominion Energy had been a secret … Now a State Corporation Commission hearing has parted the curtain. What it revealed surprised and infuriated the one dozen data center companies, citizens, and environmental groups that participated.” [Prince William Times]
Negative Approval Rating for Spanberger — “The Summer 2026 Commonwealth Poll, released Wednesday by Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, found 44% of registered voters approve of the job Spanberger is doing as governor, while 47% disapprove. Nine percent said they were unsure. Voters cited economic concerns as their top issue.” [Virginia Scope]
National Ice Cream Day Deals in Fairfax — Moo Thru’s Herndon and Burke locations will celebrate National Ice Cream Day this Sunday (July 19) with 10% discounts on all sales. Meanwhile, Dolcezza will mark that occasion and its 22nd anniversary by offering free scoops of its limited-edition Chocotorta gelato on Tuesday, July 21 from 5-7 p.m. at all locations, including the Mosaic District.
It’s Friday — This afternoon, expect widespread smoke mainly after 2 p.m., with mostly sunny skies and a high near 92°F. Tonight, there is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m., along with widespread smoke. Conditions will be partly cloudy with a low around 74°F. [NWS]
Fairfax County hasn’t yet seen clear evidence of the wildfires raging in Canada and Minnesota, but that could change tomorrow (Friday), as smoke continues wafting toward the East Coast.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) are both forecasting Code Red air quality tomorrow for Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. region, meaning conditions will be unhealthy for everyone.
The Fairfax County School Board recently passed a resolution affirming its support for a possible 1% sales tax to fund its $400 million backlog of maintenance and capital improvement projects.
In light of the new state budget adopted by the Virginia General Assembly late last month allowing local jurisdictions to increase their sales tax rate up to 1% to support education and transportation, the school board voted unanimously on July 9 to ask the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to place the issue before voters as a referendum during a general election.
On another hot, muggy summer day, dozens of volunteers are fanning out across Northern Virginia to find the region’s hottest neighborhoods.
The “Urban Heat Island Mapping Project,” led by George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center and the local nonprofit Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS), involves more than 30 teams with at least two volunteer scientists each measuring temperatures and humidity at different locations.
Wildfire Smoke Enters D.C. Region — “Wildfires burning in parts of Minnesota and western Ontario, Canada, are sending thick plumes of smoke toward the eastern United States.” Smoke concentrations “may increase modestly in the DC area, especially across northern Maryland,” today. An Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for Northern Virginia. [Capital Weather]
Supervisor Charged With Reckless Driving — “Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez has been charged with reckless driving for going 104 miles per hour in a 70-mph zone. Jimenez is scheduled to appear in the Fairfax County General District Court on July 20, 9:30 a.m. The traffic stop, by Virginia State Police trooper Alex Pak, occurred on May 5.” [Annandale Today]
Diarrhea-Causing Parasite Cases Reported in N. Va. — “Ten cases of cyclosporiasis were reported in Virginia between the start of the year and June 6, including four in Northern Virginia, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. That’s compared to a year-to-date average of 6.6 cases statewide.” [ARLnow]
FCPD Expands Use of AI Tech — “Following a pilot program, Fairfax County police are using AI-equipped body cameras to translate 57 languages … Fairfax also uses AI to assist 911, handling transcriptions and deploying drones to incidents. In some cases, the AI deploys a drone to a scene and the drone pilot has eyes on an incident before officers can arrive in person.” [NBC4]
DOJ Bid for Va. Voter Rolls Dismissed — “A U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit seeking Virginia to hand over its voter rolls to the federal government has been tossed out by a federal judge … The ruling found that the Civil Rights Act does not require Virginia to provide the federal government with unredacted voter rolls.” [ALXnow]
Nightlife Spot Taking Over Chantilly Bob Evans — “An interesting new restaurant and lounge is in the works for the Route 50 corridor in Chantilly.” Taking over the former Bob Evans building at 14050 Thunderbolt Plaza after plans for Raising Cane’s fell through, Neat High Fidelity Indian Lounge will offer “elevated Indian flavors, handcrafted cocktails and magnetic nightlife,” owner Kishan Bikki says. [The Burn]
Reston Student’s Book Shared With County Board — At the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (July 14), Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn distributed “copies of a book written and illustrated by Lake Anne Elementary School fourth-grader Amaya Samba” with his colleagues. “The small booklet, titled ‘My Mindful Minis,’ was created by Samba to help children and adults manage stress and anxiety.” [Hunter Mill District Office]
D.C. Cracking Down on Ticket Scalpers — “The DC Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass the Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment (RESALE) Act, which implements key protections for consumers when buying tickets for live music and theatre. In effect: concert’s tickets should get a lot cheaper.” [Washingtonian]
It’s Thursday — Expect patchy smoke from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with mostly sunny and hot conditions, reaching a high near 100°F and a heat index up to 104°F. Night will be partly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., followed by patchy smoke. The low will be around 76°F. [NWS]
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The Fairfax County School Board recently voted to confirm calendars for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years that emphasize full five-day instructional weeks, while preserving a full week of spring break and two full weeks of winter break.
Superintendent Michelle Reid proposed calendars last Thursday (July 9) that maintain the 180 instructional days required by Virginia law and follow extensive parameters passed by the board earlier this summer. The school board adopted the proposal on a 10-1 vote.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Aug. 25 to consider eliminating the Fairfax’s Tree Commission and consolidating some of its responsibilities with those of the Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC).
The resulting body would be known as the Environmental Commission, under a procedural road map laid out by staff at the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Optimism among Northern Virginia business leaders is improving, although some expressed worries about taxes and the state’s approval of a paid family and medical leave program.
That’s according to the second-quarter 2026 Business Leader Survey released last week by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and public relations firm Pinkston, revealing the sentiments of the region’s CEOs, senior executives and business owners.
