Countywide

Court Warns About Scam Mass Text — “On or about the morning of March 3, 2026, a message was sent out via mass text to a significant amount of people. It claims to be a Notice of Hearing – Toll Violation from this Court … This message was NOT sent by Fairfax County General District Court. It is an attempted scam.” [Fairfax General District Court]

House Fire Extinguished in Herndon — Fairfax County firefighters responded to the 900 block of Leona Lane in Herndon at 3:41 p.m. after receiving “reports of smoke in the residence. Crews arrived to smoke showing from the two-story home. Firefighters quickly located and extinguished a fire in a bedroom on the second floor. There are no civilian or firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Survivor of Mantua Stabbings Recovering — “From his hospital bed, Santosh Basnet says he still hears the echoes of his wife’s final cries for help. Covered in stitches and recovering from four surgeries, the sole survivor of a domestic stabbing … is struggling to understand how a family effort to provide a fresh start for his father-in-law ended in a bloody nightmare.” [WUSA9]

Senate Proposes Subsidizing Child Care Costs — “The state Senate’s budget proposal includes $3 million to gradually phase out [Child Care Subsidy Program] eligibility for Virginians like Gresham so they don’t suddenly lose access to subsidized child care as a result of a pay increase.” The proposed Senate and House of Delegates budgets both include funding for “a pilot program that would incentivize employers to contribute to employees’ child care costs.” [VPM Media]

Fairfax Senator Proposes Path for Self-Driving Vehicles — “Sen. Saddam Salim (D-37), the chief patron of legislation in Richmond supporting autonomous trucking and ride-hailing services in Virginia, told ARLnow that his bill would establish a path forward for businesses like Waymo, but it would by no means be the final word.” [ARLnow]

General Assembly Passes Jan. 6 Education Bill — “Virginia lawmakers on Monday passed a proposal that would require schools, if they teach students about the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to relay the facts of what actually happened, without including misinformation” suggesting the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” or minimizing the attack as “just a peaceful protest.” [Virginia Mercury]

Georgetown Dessert Shop Moves to Annandale — “Pasha Castle, a Turkish/Middle Eastern dessert and coffee shop, is now open on Columbia Pike in Annandale. The shop offers booza ice cream, which is popular in the Middle East, and has a stretchy, chewy texture.” The business was located on M Street in Georgetown before moving to its new building at 7228 Columbia Pike. [Annandale Today]

New Soccer Club Launches in Great Falls — “This spring, Riverbend Fútbol Club launches with a clear mission: to keep soccer fun for kids while reconnecting the community with youth athletics … Registration for recreational programs and tryouts for the summer league are now open. Tryouts for the club’s competitive program will begin in March.” [Reston Letter]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks on/off-premise alcohol license; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — There’s a 20% chance of rain before 10am and after 4pm, with patchy fog expected before noon. The cloudy weather will slowly turn mostly sunny, reaching a high of 63°F. There’s a 60% chance of rain at night, mainly after 7pm. It will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 51°F. [NWS]

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Virginia Economic Slowdown Predicted — “Virginia’s economy faces another slowdown and the loss of more than 10,000 jobs this year, University of Virginia researchers said in a new report, and Northern Virginia could once again play an outsized role in the downturn.” The forecast found that Virginia’s economy often “underperformed” compared to the U.S. overall last year, particularly during the federal government shutdown in October. [WTOP]

Murder Suspect Had Been Previously Convicted — The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman at a bus stop in Hybla Valley last month had previously served two years in prison for attacking another man near a 7-Eleven on Richmond Highway in February 2023. “Jalloh wasn’t out of jail long before he was arrested again two times, and that triggered a probation violation.” Prosecutors, however, didn’t ask for five years of prison time that had been suspended to be imposed. [NBC4]

Dog Belonged to Stabbing Suspect — “The Virginia State Police (VSP) said the dog that was stabbed and killed during a road rage incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County belonged to the suspect. VSP said on Tuesday that it is continuing to investigate the deadly stabbing stemming from a road rage incident that happened southbound of I-495 at exit 52.” [DC News Now]

Menstrual Products Bill Heads to Governor — “House Bill 998 by Del. Holly Seibold, D-Fairfax, would require ingredient labels be listed on all menstrual products sold in Virginia, an effort to better inform consumers about possibly toxic substances in the reproductive health items. Having passed both the House of Delegates and cleared the Virginia Senate Monday, it now heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger for her signature, amendment or veto.” [Virginia Mercury]

By-Right Housing Bills Move Forward — “Despite opposition from Alexandria and other Northern Virginia localities, bills permitting by-right multifamily development in commercial zones are advancing in the Virginia General Assembly.” Del. Dan Helmer’s HB 816 was advanced to the full Senate on Monday (March 2) with an amendment that set an expiration date of July 1, 2031, while the Senate version of the bill was read a second time by the House of Delegates yesterday (Tuesday). [ALXnow]

Vacant Seven Corners Offices Sold — “A small, long-vacant office building at 6320 Castle Place in Seven Corners has been sold for $2.7 million, reports Pauline Thompson, president of Tysons Realty Inc … The building had previously housed MVI Post, a family-owned post-production media company that filed for bankruptcy in 2009.” [Annandale Today]

New Chief Justice Sworn In — “On Monday, the Honorable Cleo E. Powell was formally sworn into her new role as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. She is the first Black woman to serve as the chief justice in Virginia, and is the only member of the state’s Supreme Court to have served as a judge at each level of Virginia’s judicial branch,” according to the state bar. [VPM News]

GMU Basketball Team Wins Playoffs Spot — “The George Mason women’s basketball team has captured a share of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship — the first regular season conference title in program history. The Patriots closed league play with a program-best 16-2 conference record, marking their strongest Atlantic 10 ever.” [GMU]

It’s Wednesday — Expect rain after 4pm, with a cloudy sky and a high near 52. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation with less than a tenth of an inch possible. At night, there’s a 70% chance of rain, with cloudy conditions and a low around 49. [NWS]

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Potomac River Advisory Lifted — “D.C. health officials are lifting a recreational advisory on the Potomac River, citing an improvement in water quality after a sewage line collapsed in January. A section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed Jan. 19, spilling hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the river and creating a stinky environmental disaster.” [WTOP]

Local Iranian Americans Split on Bombings — “Iranian Americans in the D.C. region are expressing sharply different views of the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, and whether the attacks will move Iran closer to a goal they share: safety and a better future for Iranians.” [WTOP]

Fundraiser to Help Stabbing Victims’ Family — “The Virginia Chapter of the Non-Resident Nepali Association has organized a fundraising campaign to support the remaining family of the victims of a brutal stabbing rampage by Chhatra Thapa, 54, on Feb. 23 in Fairfax. Thapa killed his wife, Binda Thapa, 52, and daughter, Mamta, 33, a nurse.” [Annandale Today]

Worker Assaulted During 7-Eleven Robbery — “City of Fairfax police arrested a juvenile suspect who they say seriously assaulted a convenience store employee on Monday morning. Officers responded around 5 a.m. to investigate the report of a robbery at the 7-Eleven located at 3965 Jermantown Road.” [Patch]

Rules for AI in Education Considered — “As schools adopt AI and students spend more time on screens, state lawmakers have questions about the technology’s impact on students’ safety, critical thinking and learning skills. Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, said due to these concerns, lawmakers and educators are now trying to keep pace with rapid AI advancements.” [Virginia Mercury]

Tulips to Take Over National Mall — “Tulip Day marks the beginning of spring with a massive, 150,000-flower display of freshly bloomed tulips in the heart of D.C. The event is from 11:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. Ticket-holding visitors will be able to pick their own bouquet, with a limit of 10 flowers per person.” [NBC4]

Meeting on Oakton Traffic Study Coming — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold a second public meeting for the Oakton Congestion and Safety Study on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 7 p.m., in the cafeteria of Oakton High School.” Staff will present an analysis of existing conditions and seek feedback on proposed improvements that came out of a public workshop in November. [FCDOT]

Trail Advocates Win National Recognition — “Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, a volunteer group dedicated to trail maintenance and education efforts, was recognized with an award last month for its trail renovation work. The organization was honored with the ‘Trail of the Year’ award from the Public Lands Alliance at the nonprofit’s conference in Daytona Beach,” Florida. [ALXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a 70% chance of rain before 2pm and possibly after 5pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 48. At night, there’s an 80% chance of rain after 7pm, with a low around 45, accumulating another tenth to a quarter-inch. [NWS]

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