Countywide

Neighboring County Halts By-Right Data Centers — “The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a landmark zoning text amendment effectively ending by-right data center development countywide. The 8-0 vote greenlit the amendment’s approval under the 90-day grace period initially proposed by Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy.” [Inside NoVA]

Light Issues Disrupt Flights at DCA — “A major runway was again open at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after several flights were delayed or canceled Tuesday night when a lighting equipment failure forced the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a ground stop, according to DCA officials.” [Washington Sun]

Lawmakers Question Sales Tax Increase — “A new state law allowing localities to raise revenue for school construction has opened opportunities but also raised questions, with some local leaders and lawmakers asking if it could create funding shortfalls for localities that approve the measure.” House Education Committee Vice Chair Del. Shelly Simonds questioned if a 20-year sunset provision might not allow enough time for securing bond financing. [Virginia Mercury]

Food Banks Report Growing Lines — “According to a new study from the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, food insecurity is at record highs across the Commonwealth. And as public benefits dry up under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, food lines are returning to food banks.” [WVTF]

Study of AI in Higher Ed Coming — The General Assembly directed its research agency, JLARC, earlier this year to study the use of AI in higher education and developing a model policy. “George Mason University has also been thinking a lot about AI, and has developed guidelines for faculty, students and researchers similar to UVA’s.” [VPM News]

Regional Economic Development Alliance Forms — Yesterday (Tuesday), “four leading organizations announced the formation of the Potomac Regional Alliance, a new framework to strengthen the long-term competitiveness, resilience, and growth of Greater Washington and respond to the unprecedented disruption resulting from cuts to federal jobs and spending.” [COG]

Design Approved for Route 7 Sidewalk — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 15 endorsed VDOT’s design for a sidewalk along the north side of Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads between Magnolia Avenue and Halal Hunan Village in Glen Forest Shopping Center. The project will improve pedestrian safety along a roadway that has been called one of the most hazardous in the county.” [Annandale Today]

Metro Rolls Out 50th Anniversary Fare Cards — “Metro continues to celebrate our 50th year of service with the release of five commemorative Smart Trip card designs that honor the five decades of Metro … Starting Thursday, Sept. 24, a new card design will be released every two weeks. About 20,000 of each card design will be available at select stations.” [WMATA]

New Yemeni Coffeehouse in Falls Church — “A locally owned Yemeni cafe has opened its doors in Falls Church, serving spiced coffee, pastries and brunch fare from avocado toast to za’atar labneh. Rashfa Cafe soft opened last week at 310 S. Washington Street and is planning a grand opening next month,” according to owner and founder Abdulrahman Al Harethi. [ARLnow]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC beer/wine on/off-premises license; objections within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Wednesday — Expect cloudy skies and a high near 65°F throughout the day, with a 60% chance of rain. Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 53°F and northeast winds at 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

AI Tool Roll Outs at Area Airports — The federal government is testing a new Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories platform to predict air travel congestion and suggest alternative routes at the D.C. region’s three major airports, including Reagan National and Dulles. The tool faced skepticism from some passengers and a call for its suspension from Rep. Don Beyer. [WTOP]

Big Initial Early Voting Turnout — “More than 11,000 ballots have been cast already for the November election,” including over 6,000 ballots returned by mail, over 4,500 in-person early votes and over 900 ballots returned via drop box, as of yesterday (Monday) morning. “It’s the first full week of in-person early voting at three locations.” [Fairfax Office of Elections/Bluesky]

Call to Restart Dominion Merger Review Clock — “Attorney General Jay Jones told state regulators Friday that they should reset the 180-day review time period for the $67 billion Dominion Energy-NextEra Energy merger proposal, after the companies unveiled expanded conditions of the deal last week.” [Virginia Mercury]

Federal Grants for Hispanic-Serving Colleges Cut — “Virginia and Maryland colleges designated Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, are seeking new funding sources after the Trump administration canceled the grant program, claiming it discriminated ‘by conferring government benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas.'” Affected institutions include Northern Virginia Community College, whose student population is approximately one-quarter Hispanic. [WTOP]

Supervisor Fined for Speeding — “The reckless driving charge against Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez has been reduced to ‘improper driving’ … On Sept. 21, Jimenez pled no contest to the reduced charge of improper driving in Fairfax County Traffic Court. He was fined $500 plus $67 in court costs.” An odometer reading found a speed of 94 mph, lower than the 104 mph initially recorded by a Virginia state trooper on May 5. [Annandale Today]

Reston Hospital Gets Funding Boost — “A $25,000 grant announced Monday by Reston Hospital Center will help expand maternal health resources and blood pressure monitoring programs … The funding will help provide kits for new parents containing information” about pregnancy and postpartum health, and allow an automated blood pressure monitoring station to be installed in the community. [Patch]

McLean Mansion Sells for Over $17M — “A McLean mansion less than half a mile west of the CIA headquarters has sold for $17.5 million in a deal so private it appears to have been largely deleted from existence.” The 10,500-square-foot Georgetown Pike home was sold on Sept. 9 to an unnamed LLC, Fairfax County property records show, but listings on Realtor.com and Bright MLS have been wiped. The former “doesn’t even recognize the home as existing.” [Washington Business Journal]

Housing Authority Elects Chair — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) elected its chair and vice chair at its annual meeting on September 18, 2026. Lenore Stanton will serve as Chair, and Cynthia Bailey as Vice Chair. Ms. Stanton has served as Chair since 2024.” [FCRHA]

It’s Tuesday — Expect rain and possible thunderstorms with patchy fog and a high of 66°F. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Night will be rainy with patchy fog before 2 a.m., a low of 56°F, and still a 90% chance of rain. [NWS]

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

Woman Killed in Route 50 Crash Identified — Fairfax County police identified the woman who was killed in a crash while using a mobility wheelchair to cross Route 50 on Friday (Sept. 18) as 53-year-old Theresa Flynn of Chantilly. “Preliminarily, speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver.” [FCPD]

Trump Claims Arch Would Be Militarized — “President Donald Trump said Sunday that the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a ‘top grade military complex’ able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition.” [ARLnow]

Arch Gets OK From FAA — “The Federal Aviation Administration approved President Donald Trump’s ‘triumphal arch’ near Arlington National Cemetery, after determining that the structure will not pose a threat to aircraft.” However, the agency said an “eternal flame” and floodlights would be required to light the structure and make it easier for pilots to see. [FOX5]

State Faces Deficit for Highway Maintenance — “Virginia faces a funding gap of at least $1.7 billion for highway maintenance work, with roads falling into disrepair creating an economic and safety liability that could affect future construction projects across the commonwealth, state transportation department staff reported” last week. [Virginia Mercury]

Substation Near Dulles Airport Rejected — “The substation was proposed on 20 acres of an 83-acre industrially zoned property located south of Old Ox Road and just west of Carters School Road … During the Sept. 15 meeting, Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) won support to deny the application, citing concerns with converting flex industrial space to a substation use.” [Loudoun Now]

No Injuries in ‘Wild’ I-66 Crash — Traffic camera video shows a “wild” crash that occurred after a car stopped on I-66 West near Route 28 yesterday (Sunday) morning. “People got out. Then another car stopped, and more people got out. Five people were in or near the roadway when a driver didn’t see what was ahead, hit three vehicles, and scattered the extremely lucky people.” [Dave Statter/X]

Bus Rapid Transit Planned in Falls Church — “A blueprint for an expanded network of bus rapid transit (BRT) in Northern Virginia includes three lines passing through Falls Church.” Those lines would be on Route 7 from Tysons to Alexandria, Route 50 from Dunn Loring to Crystal City, and Route 29 from Dunn Loring to Farragut Square. [ARLnow]

New Middle Eastern Cafe in Bailey’s Crossroads — “Habibi House, a new café in Bailey’s Crossroads, is more than a coffee shop … Located at 3400-B Washington Drive between the Jerusalem Restaurant and the Afandina Hookah Lounge, Habibi House Café specializes in Middle Eastern coffee drinks and pastries.” [Annandale Today]

Funding for Reston Nonprofit — “Cornerstones, a Reston nonprofit that provides food and emergency assistance to Fairfax County families, has been awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant to expand its food access programs … The Cornerstones grant is part of more than $2 million the Maximus Foundation awarded to nonprofit organizations across the country this year.” [Patch]

New Legal Notice — Facility continues CACFP participation since 2003; meals free, nondiscriminatory. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Expect isolated showers in the afternoon with mostly cloudy skies and a high around 75°F. With a low around 62°F, there’s a 90% chance of rain overnight, with new precipitation amounts ranging from a quarter to half an inch. [NWS]

No time to read? Now you can listen to your local news. Subscribe to the FFXnow Daily Update on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.

Case for Fatal Pedestrian Crash Dismissed — “On June 18, the driver of a Prius jumped the curb of a Leesburg Pike service road near Seven Corners and fatally hit 38-year-old Sean King.” The 43-year-old driver was charged with reckless driving, but then pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. His 60-day jail sentence was suspended on the condition that he complete 20 hours of community service. [NBC4]

DHS Accused of Violating Election Laws — Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones “said Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security may have violated several state laws after a whistleblower accused its employees of misrepresenting themselves on voter lookup tools to hunt for noncitizen voters. Virginia “explicitly limits its voter lookup tools to individuals who attest under penalty of law that they are looking up their own records.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]

Yellow Line Service Pause — “Metro announced Yellow Line service will be shut down Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20. That’s due to planned bridge and track rehabilitation, according to the transit agency … Blue Line service will alternate between Downtown Largo and the Virginia end destinations of Franconia-Springfield and Huntington.” [ALXnow]

Tysons Contractor Sold Due to ICE Work — “Fairfax government contractor ITC Federal announced Monday it plans to buy Capgemini Government Solutions for an undisclosed price and rename it to ITC Digital Solutions … Capgemini Government Solutions is said to have provided ICE with technology to locate targets for the crackdown on illegal immigrants, according to multiple reports.” [Washington Business Journal]

Lorton HVAC Company Plans Layoffs — United Air Temp, Air Conditioning and Heating LLC, which was acquired by a private equity firm in 2024, filed a notice that it will lay off “93 employees — nearly one-third of its workforce — within the next 60 days” at its Lorton headquarters. The layoffs “will be permanent and will impact employees based on-site and those who work in the field and report to that office.” [WBJ]

Marijuana Sales Regulations Unveiled — “The Cannabis Control Authority last week published the first draft of regulations for the recreational market, including the fees for licenses needed to do business in the market. Under the legislation that set the framework of the legal market, the CCA will be able to award up to 350 licenses for retail marijuana stores statewide.” [Richmond BizSense]

Stuff the Bus Food Drive Is Back — “The Stuff the Bus Food Drive returns for a one-day event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. The buses will be located at various Supervisor District offices countywide 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Please consider supporting local non-profit food pantries by donating non-perishable food items or gift cards.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]

Algae Spotted in Lake Newport — “Small clumps of potentially harmful algae have been observed on the surface of Lake Newport following resident reports. While boating activities can continue, residents and visitors should avoid contact with algae and lake water in areas where algae is present.” [Reston Association]

Exhibit Documents Change in Lorton Inmates — “Twenty five years ago, what was once the Lorton Reformatory, then the Lorton Correctional Complex, closed its doors. Now the same complex in Fairfax County, Virginia, that once housed D.C. inmates is home to the Workhouse Arts Center where a new exhibit documents the power of change that comes with second chances.” [WTOP]

It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of 85°F and a gentle north wind of 7 to 9 mph. In the evening, skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 65°F. [NWS]

No time to read? Now you can listen to your local news. Subscribe to the FFXnow Daily Update on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.

Former Robinson Student Charged With Assault — “Video of the incident inside James W. Robinson Secondary School was shared on social media,” showing students running away from the former student in the school’s cafeteria at around 8 a.m. on Sept. 10. “Police said the teen entered the school without authorization and assaulted a staff member who tried to stop him.” [FOX5]

Limited Morning Silver Line Service — Today “and Friday from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., trains will single track on the Orange Line between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly, and the Silver Line will run modified service operating between Ashburn and Downtown Largo only.” Metro has been working to “destress” its train rails, a process it says helps prevent issues during extreme heat. [WMATA/Bluesky]

State of Emergency for Hay Shortage — “Virginia farmers struggling with drought-damaged pastures will be able to receive larger hay deliveries under a state of emergency declared by Gov. Abigail Spanberger Wednesday … Persistent drought conditions that began last winter have led to an estimated hay shortfall totaling 500,000 tons.” [Virginia Mercury]

New Guidance on Felon Voting Restrictions — “Among Virginians who are no longer incarcerated, only those convicted of murder and voluntary or involuntary manslaughter remain disqualified from voting under new guidance from the Virginia Department of Elections. The update comes days before early voting begins in the midterm elections.” [Virginia Mercury]

Microsoft Fined for Data Center — “Virginia environmental officials ordered tech giant Microsoft on Monday to pay roughly $2.5 million after its Leesburg data center violated air quality standards during a week-long power grid outage in 2025, according to state documents.” The consent order will be finalized after a public comment period ending Oct. 14. [WJLA]

Gov. Confident in Democratic Midterm Chances — “When Virginia’s state Supreme Court in April struck down a voter-approved redistricting referendum that would have helped Democrats pick up four seats in the House, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) feared the state would become an afterthought in this year’s midterm elections.” But now, she “feels the court’s action has energized the Democratic base.” [Washington Post]

Va. Preparing for Psychedelic Drugs — “FDA-approved psilocybin — the psychedelic compound in so-called ‘magic mushrooms’ — could be on the horizon, and some Virginia providers are already gearing up to deliver it if approved. Virginia has laid the groundwork for the treatment to become available if it wins federal approval,” and one company is already eyeing an expansion to Richmond. [Axios Richmond]

Smoothie Cafe Opens in Bailey’s Crossroads — “Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe opened last week at 5807 Leesburg Pike … Bora Bora was founded in 2023 in Dearborn, Mich. It has since become a franchise operation with 34 locations in 15 states. Another Bora Bora opened recently at the Tysons Corner Center.” [Annandale Today]

New Legal Notice — ABC wholesaler wine-consumed license application; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny with a high around 89°F and a 20% chance of rain after 2 PM. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with a low near 71°F, and there is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 PM, continuing as showers until midnight. [NWS]

Support local journalism. Join the FFXnow Press Club to boost our reporting and to get upgraded newsletters.