Countywide

Federal Government Shutdown Ends — “The House passed a bill Wednesday to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse that saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families,” including their pets. [Associated Press/ARLnow]

Economic Challenges Await New Governor — “The strains resulting from federal cuts to the social safety net will likely be the biggest challenge facing the new Democratic leadership in Richmond. After Democrats’ resounding wins on Election Night last week, what to do about it will fall to Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.” [WAMU]

Fairfax City Affordable Housing Plan Unveiled — “Many City of Fairfax residents said they had faced affordable housing challenges over the previous year, according to a new Affordable Housing Strategic Plan presented to the Fairfax City Council last Tuesday.” Nearly half of all renters and 13% of homeowners reported experiencing affordability challenges over the past year. [Patch]

Utility Work to Close West Springfield Road — “Taft Drive (Route 4167) between Rolling Road (Route 638) and Smithfield Avenue (Route 4147) will be closed from 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, to 4 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14, for water main tie-in work as part of the Rolling Road widening project … Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT]

Kingstowne Condiment Maker Files for Bankruptcy — “Alexandria condiment company True Made Foods Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it faces a lawsuit filed by snack food manufacturer and distribution partner PIM Brands Inc.” True Made, whose products can be found in many area grocery stores, says the lawsuit over a 2020 distribution contract is “baseless,” but “the legal costs are too high” for the company to continue fighting it. [Washington Business Journal]

Annandale Fashion Boutique Closed — “Thauma, the Korean fashion boutique at 7224 Columbia Pike in Annandale, closed at the end of October, and the property is available for lease. Thauma owner Yoon Lee is focusing on her small shop, K Fashion, at the food court inside the K Market grocery store on John Marr Drive.” [Annandale Today]

Meet WaPo’s New Food Critic — Elazar Sontag, formerly the restaurant editor for Bon Appétit, introduced himself this week as the Washington Post’s new food critic, taking over a position held for 25 years by Tom Sietsema. Among Sontag’s first meals for his new gig was an “over-order of such hilarious proportions at Mama Chang in Fairfax, that my next five breakfasts were all lion’s head meatballs and glossy seafood-rice stew.” [Washington Post]

Veteran Oversees Reston Hospital Heart Surgeries — “Twenty miles outside the nation’s capital, Reston Hospital Center is developing a world-class cardiac surgery program with a decorated Army veteran at the helm. 7News Anchor Victoria Sanchez spoke with Dr. William Cooper about how his decades of military service and clinical work will help reshape Northern Virginia.” [WJLA]

New Legal Notice — Salt + Light Hair Co. seeks ABC Marketplace license for a Fair Lakes location; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 56°F. Northwest winds will blow at 7 to 14 mph, and may gust up to 26 mph. In the evening, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 35°F. A gentle west wind at approximately 6 mph is expected. [NWS]

FCPD Helicopter Visits Middle School — “On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Katherine Johnson Middle School will host their annual career day. As a part of this year’s career day, Katherine Johnson Middle School has arranged for a Fairfax County Police Department helicopter to land and take off on the school’s athletic field. The helicopter will be in the area from approximately 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.” [City of Fairfax Police]

Stabbing Victim Was a Teacher — “A young teacher who was stabbed to death on Friday had just wrapped up a home session with a student in Annandale, Virginia. Fairfax County police were called to the 3900 block of Terrace Drive. They found 26-year-old Isha Koroma with several stab wounds to the face and neck, police said.” [NBC4]

Rescue Team Returns From Jamaica — Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue returned to Fairfax County Monday night (Nov. 10) after spending 10 days in Jamaica to assist with the emergency response to Hurricane Melissa, which resulted in at least 98 deaths on that island and in Haiti. “During the task force’s deployment, they helped to clear storm debris, assisted with food and water delivery, worked on reconnaissance missions and more.” [DC News Now]

New I-495 Toll Lanes to Open Next Week — “The northern extension of the 495 Express Lanes is on track to open on Saturday, Nov. 22 — ahead of the design-build contract schedule and the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period — pending no weather delays or unforeseen circumstances.” The new toll lanes will extend from Tysons to just south of the American Legion Bridge in McLean. [VDOT]

Delegate Partially Settles Defamation Lawsuit — “Days before the June 2024 Democratic primary for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, allegations surfaced that Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, had sexually assaulted a woman. Helmer, who finished second in the crowded contest, later filed a defamation lawsuit claiming the allegations were false and politically motivated.” As of late October, two of the three defendants in the lawsuit have settled out of court. [Virginia Mercury]

DMV Honors Purple Heart Recipients — “The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be setting aside a parking space for Purple Heart recipients at 16 different locations,” including centers in Alexandria, Fairfax and Tysons.” Announced on Veterans’ Day, the “initiative is part of the national Purple Heart Parking Project, which aims to honor and raise awareness of the sacrifices made by service members.” [WJLA]

Fairfax City Finishes Playground — “We’re excited to share that the new Pat Rodio Park playground is officially open and ready for play! Please note — the temporary fencing currently in place will remain while we finish final touches, including the new walkway, permanent fencing, and landscaping.” [Fairfax City Parks and Recreation/Facebook]

FCPS Views Girls’ Flag Football as Success — “Fairfax County Public Schools is putting its first girls flag football season in the win column. This sport was offered for the first time this year at all of FCPS’s 25 high schools, and more than 770 girls participated.” FCPS Executive Director of Student Activities and Athletics Tom Horn says the sport will be offered again next fall. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high around 58 degrees, with southwest winds of 10 to 13 mph shifting to west in the afternoon and gusts up to 24 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with a low temperature of 39 degrees and west winds between 6 and 9 mph. [NWS]

Spanberger Discusses Initial Priorities — Following her election as Virginia’s next governor last Tuesday (Nov. 4), Abigail Spanberger says she intends to sign executive orders on her first day in office that deal “with high costs and overall issues of affordability, particularly in housing and health care and in energy.” She also says a top priority right now is advocating for an end to the federal government shutdown. [WTOP]

Suspect Arrested in Annandale Stabbing — A 42-year-old man from Maryland is expected to be charged with second degree murder after allegedly fatally stabbing a woman in Annandale on Friday night (Nov. 7). Police say the stabbing doesn’t “appear to be a random act as the suspect and victim are believed to be known to each other.” [FCPD]

Furloughed Fed Starts Food Pantry — “Inside the Landsdowne Community Pool House, shelves are stacked with sauce, soups, beans even diapers and period products. The mastermind behind it [is] Katrina Ksander a furloughed federal employee. When the government shutdown left her without a paycheck,  she decided she wasn’t going to wait for help,  she was going to create it.” [WUSA9]

Meetup Group Offers Solace During Shutdown — “Every Friday starting at 7 a.m., you can find Abraham Walker with a group of fathers at the Panera in Kingstowne. Even for a few hours, the weekly meetup group is an opportunity for community. Amid the government shutdown, it has also become a saving grace.” [WUSA9]

New 24-Hour Gym Open in Vienna — After some delays, Pump24 is now open for business in the Vienna Shopping Center (136A Maple Avenue). “Co-owner Nash Cook shared that the decision to open in Vienna was intentional. ‘Vienna residents really support local businesses — and we can’t wait to be part of that,’ he said.” [Town of Vienna Economic Development]

Vegetarian Eatery Coming to Chantilly — “Chay is coming to a large end-cap unit in the Westfields Restaurant & Retail Park off State Road 28 at Westfields Boulevard. The spot used to be a Moe’s Southwest Grill. This will be the second location for Chay” after the Vietnamese restaurant made its debut a couple of years ago in Falls Church. [The Burn]

County Pumpkin Composting Underway — “Used Halloween pumpkins can get a second, Earth-friendly life as compost in Fairfax County’s annual Pumpkin Palooza collection drive, now underway until the end of November. Again this year, the county’s Solid Waste Management Program will turn your post-Halloween pumpkins and other gourds into compost gold.” [DPWES]

Reston Association Seeks Board Candidates — “Reston Association is calling for candidates to run in the 2026 Board of Directors election. The RA Elections Committee is seeking candidates to fill a total of four seats on the RA Board of Directors,” including one at-large director, directors for the Hunters Woods/Dogwood and Lake Anne/Tall Oaks districts, and an apartment owners’ representative. [RA]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of 49 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 11-16 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. Night will be mostly clear with a low of 29 degrees. On Veterans Day, it will be sunny and breezy, with a high near 45 degrees and a west wind at 15-20 mph, gusting as high as 33 mph. [NWS]

FFXnow Takes a Break on Veterans Day — Since it’s a federal holiday, FFXnow will take a day off tomorrow (Tuesday), with the exception of any urgent, breaking news. Our regular publishing schedule will resume on Wednesday (Nov. 12).

House GOP Accuses GMU President of Lying — “A Republican-led House committee is accusing George Mason University’s president of lying to the panel when he testified in September about diversity policies the Trump administration say amount to racial discrimination.” A lawyer representing Washington disputes the claim, saying “his client did not say ‘one syllable of untruth during his testimony.'” [Washington Post]

I-495 Lane Closures Coming Up — “A single lane will be closed in both directions on I-495 … between the Dulles Corridor Interchange and American Legion Memorial Bridge this Saturday, Nov. 8, and next Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. These extended daytime closures are needed for crews to complete paving work associated with the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project.” [VDOT]

Farmers Markets Offer Extra Food Benefits — “Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) is offering enhanced produce benefits at participating Fairfax County farmers markets and select grocery stores during November. At farmers markets, SNAP shoppers will receive an extra $20 in free tokens to use on fruits and vegetables — no minimum purchase required.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Outgoing and Incoming Governors Meet — “Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and Gov. Glenn Youngkin stepped out of the Executive Mansion on Thursday with their spouses, smiling as they paused to talk with reporters. The couples had just shared a lunch of crab cakes and ‘Virginia wine,’ Youngkin said, as he and Spanberger discussed their transition of power in the months ahead.” [Virginia Mercury]

Burger Truck Launching in Reston — “S&P Burger announced it will be launching its new food truck this weekend in Reston. The food truck will be holding a soft launch on Saturday, November 8, at The Spectrum at Reston Town Center. S&P will be serving up its press’d patties and sweets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Signature Apartments Reportedly Sold — “A partnership between New York-based Sterling Investors and Denver-based Simpson Housing has agreed to purchase the 508-unit Signature apartment towers, Green Street’s Real Estate Alert reported, citing anonymous sources.” The reported price range of around $240 million “would set a record for a Reston apartment sale, according to Real Estate Alert.” [Bisnow]

Braddock Candidates Participate in Forum — “The three candidates running for Braddock District supervisor participated in a candidate forum Wednesday night, where they discussed funding for public schools, the impact federal layoffs and furloughs have had on the local economy, and the preservation of Lake Accotink.” [Patch]

Sentence in Capital One Data Breach Reimposed — “A federal judge has reimposed a sentence on Paige Thompson, the former Amazon Web Services engineer convicted in the 2019 Capital One data breach that compromised the personal information of more than 100 million people.” [Cyberscoop]

It’s Friday — Clouds will increase, reaching a high of around 61°F, accompanied by south winds of 8-15 mph and gusts up to 29 mph. There’s a 60% chance of rain Friday night, primarily before 1am, as it becomes mostly cloudy with lows around 53°F. [NWS]