Median apartment rents across Fairfax County in August were down 1% from a year before, but remained well above pre-Covid levels.
Median rents for the month stood at $2,073 for one-bedroom units, $2,401 for two bedrooms and $2,419 overall, according to figures reported Aug. 28 by Apartment List.
Lane Closures Lifted for Labor Day — “The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) encourages motorists to plan ahead, stay alert and keep safety top of mind throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend. VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Friday, Sept. 4, until noon on Tuesday, Sept. 8.” [VDOT]
N. Va. Residents Killed in Beltway Crash — Musammat Shamima Begum, a 46-year-old Burke resident, and her daughter Areebah Jahin, 23, of Alexandria were both killed in an apparent drunk-driving crash on I-270 in Montgomery County on Saturday, Aug. 29. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash has been charged with manslaughter, homicide by motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and causing a life-threatening injury by motor vehicle. [Maryland State Police]
Teen Missing for Two Weeks — “Virginia State Police issued a CODI Alert Sunday night for a missing 17-year-old girl who authorities say could be in danger. The alert was issued on behalf of the Fairfax County Police Department for Jasmin Ismary Garcia, 17.” According to the FCPD, she was last seen in the 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston on Aug. 18. [Patch]
Some Localities Seek Sales Tax Approval — “Voters in 47 Virginia jurisdictions will weigh a 1% sales tax to fund school construction and modernization costs. In Northern Virginia, the revenue could also support transportation projects. This comes as leaders face funding challenges for aging school facilities and rising demand to support Metro and other local transit systems.” [Virginia Mercury]
Former Fairfax Student Jailed for Groping in ICE Custody — A former Fairfax High School student who was convicted in April of assault after groping female students is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office officials say. Israel Flores Ortiz was picked up by ICE from the county jail yesterday (Monday), three days before his scheduled release on Sept. 3. [FOX5]
Fire Response to Reston Senior Apartments — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded around 5:47 p.m. yesterday to a fire alarm at the Hunters Woods Fellowship House (2231 Colts Neck Road). According to scanner traffic, the fire prompted some residents to evacuate, but no injuries were reported, and the fire was determined to be “minor,” resulting from food cooking on a stove, an FCFRD spokesperson said.
Student Training to Take 911 Calls — “Lily Smith, a West Potomac High School graduate, will head right into the workforce to answer 911 calls in Fairfax County.” While taking an emergency services class at her school, Smith landed an internship with the Fairfax County government, which led her to accept a job offer at the county’s Public Safety Communications Training Academy. [NBC4]
Reston Community Center Candidate Forum Tonight — “Reston Community Center (RCC) will host the 2026 Preference Poll Candidate Forum on Tuesday, September 1, giving Reston residents an opportunity to learn more about the candidates seeking appointment to the RCC Board of Governors.” Three seats are up for election, with voting taking place in person and online on Sept. 4-25. [RCC]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures peaking near 96 degrees, and the heat index reaching up to 100. At night, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. It will be partly cloudy with a low of about 77 degrees. [NWS]
Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.
Within the next few years, all middle school age students who qualify for advanced academic programs in Fairfax County Public Schools will have the opportunity to take those courses without leaving their neighborhood schools.
Under a plan approved by the school board on a 10-1 vote last Thursday (Aug. 27), FCPS will transition over several years from a model that let many students opt out of their assigned local school to join other students at one with an established advanced academic program, or AAP, center.
The Fairfax County government and others across the region are working to reduce bureaucratic regulations in an effort to help businesses thrive, local leaders said at an Aug. 26 forum.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay used the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit to say area governments must acknowledge concerns of the business community.
Some Fairfax Connector riders may now be able to ride free, thanks to help from new state funding, the county bus system announced last Thursday (Aug. 27).
The Connector will offer a new Transit Ridership Incentive Program, called TRIP100, offering 100% off fares to eligible riders, up from the 50% discount previously provided.
N. Va. Residents Missing After Nepal Floods — PKP Tender Hearts Foundation, a service organization that assists the D.C. region’s Nepali community, is raising funds to support rescue missions in Nepal, where nearly 2,500 people remain missing after flash floods and mudslides last week. Those unaccounted for include “at least 10 Northern Virginia hikers who were visiting Nepal as a part of a group trip.” [NBC4]
Power Outages a Recurring Issue for FCPS — “The strain on Northern Virginia’s electrical grid is now being seen – and felt – inside some of the region’s schools. Ten different public schools in Fairfax County lost power [on Aug. 23], hours before the first day of school, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said.” Dominion Energy said in a statement that it had no record of those outages. [NBC4]
Park Service Backs Trump Arch — “A new National Park Service report backs President Donald Trump’s proposed arch, despite what it says are adverse effects to the sightline between a host of iconic landmarks in Washington, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]
How ICE Has Affected Region’s Schools — Students, school administrators, workers and nonprofit leaders share how the impacts of the Trump administration’s “historic deportation push” have “also rippled across aspects of education — from a drop in multilingual students to a rise in absenteeism; from shifting school funding to a loss of immigrant school bus drivers.” [NBC4]
Anti-Abortion Advocates Poised to Challenge Referendum — “A legal challenge to amend the ballot language for Virginia’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment has been in limbo since June. Even if no movement on the case happens before Election Day, counsel for the plaintiffs said this week, they will seek to invalidate the vote.” [Virginia Mercury]
Reston Eye Doctor in Fashion Contest — Fairfax resident Dawn Devaney, a “55-year-old optometrist and former owner of The Eyewear Gallery at Reston Town Center[,] is competing in Next Runway Star, a national contest whose winner will receive $20,000 and an opportunity to walk in a show during New York Fashion Week.” [Patch]
A Look at Metro’s Customer Service Team — “Commuters complain about everything … But for the customer service team at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, it doesn’t matter what passengers are bemoaning. It’s their job to respond; they try to address every complaint.” [Washington Post]
Reston Community Center Head Shares Journey — “When BeBe Nguyen arrived in the United States in the early 1980s as part of the exodus following the Vietnam War, her family initially settled in Silver Spring, Maryland … More than four decades later, Nguyen is leading Reston Community Center, an organization she joined in 2007.” [Patch]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC beer/wine on and off premises license. [Public Notices]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 92°F and a light wind from the northwest. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 75°F. Winds from the southeast at 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 25) saluted the work of Daryl Washington, who earlier this year stepped down as executive director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) to accept a state government position.
Washington spent 30 years at the CSB, rising through the ranks to become executive director in 2018.
Politicians are scrambling nationally to address growing public concern over data centers, and in Northern Virginia, where many local elected leaders will be on the ballot in 2027, the issue is proving a delicate balancing act.
Fairfax County residents expect “fair rules of engagement” when it comes to addressing the impacts of data centers, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said at the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit, held on Wednesday (Aug. 26) in Arlington.
Worker Rescued on Dulles Toll Road Ramp — “On August 27, at 11:28 a.m., #FairfaxsBravest responded to a technical rescue on Route 267 WB at the exit ramp to Dolley Madison Boulevard. Units arrived to find a worker trapped approximately 20 feet above the ground in a bucket truck that had lost power.” The ramp had to be temporarily closed, but the worker was uninjured. [FCFRD/Facebook]
Va. IDs Available in Apple Wallet — “To prove their identity, Virginia residents can now upload their driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, the Virginia DMV announced this week. The tech functions similarly to a digital credit card. Instead of presenting a physical ID, people with an iPhone or Apple Watch can now simply tap their device against an identity reader.” [ARLnow]
Flight of Accused Killer Could Lead to Reforms — “Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is promising changes after an accused killer fled the U.S. while on unsupervised release from a Fairfax County mental health facility.” The governor’s office said in a statement that she “will work aggressively to make changes in the system that allowed this to happen.” [FOX5]
Arrests in Child Exploitation Sting — “A proactive enforcement operation led by the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Child Exploitation Unit (CEXU) resulted in the arrest of nine men, the majority of whom traveled to Fairfax County intending to engage in criminal encounters with minors.” [FCPD]
Proposal on Data Center Power Supply — “PJM, the regional grid operator for most of the East Coast, is asking federal regulators to approve a rule requiring new large-load customers, namely data centers, to bring their own power supply to the grid. With Virginia among the 13 states served by PJM, the proposal … could mean further changes to how the state regulates the growing industry.” [Virginia Mercury]
No More Tree Commission — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 Tuesday to dissolve the county’s 53-year-old Tree Commission before unanimously restructuring” the Environmental Quality Advisory Council. Some advocates expressed concern that the new Fairfax County Environmental Commission will have reduced “independent oversight, specialized expertise and opportunities for residents to participate.” [Patch]
Local Reporter Reunited With Cat — Fairfax County waste management and animal shelter staff helped WTOP reporter Neal Augenstein track down his family’s cat Mike this week. “After he and his wife, Paula, tossed out some old furniture, they realized one of their cats was missing, launching a search that took him to a Northern Virginia warehouse, trash transfer station and two animal shelters.” [WTOP]
Back-to-School Celebrations Abound — Tomorrow (Saturday) will bring multiple community events to ease the transition out of summer break with family fun. Catch a “School of Rock” screening at the Back 2 School Boro Bash in Tysons, take in live music and birds of prey at Reston Town Center’s KidFest, or check out local vendors and entertainment at Springfield Town Center’s first-ever Back to School Bonanza.
It’s Friday — After 2pm, expect a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Otherwise, it will be partly sunny with a high of about 87°F. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low of around 69°F and a 20% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff yesterday (Tuesday) to expedite efforts to fulfill goals laid out in the ongoing Plan Forward update related to the creation of “suburban village centers” throughout the county.
The designation could be applied to shopping and activity centers described as “mixed-use community focal points within suburban neighborhoods.”
