Countywide

Police Wrap Up Traffic Safety Campaign — “The Fairfax County Police Department has concluded the 2025 ‘Road Shark’ campaign, issuing nearly 50,000 citations and warnings to dangerous drivers on Fairfax County roadways over the last five waves. This represents a 43% increase from 2024.” [FCPD]

Region Braces for Loss of Food Benefits — “In days, the impacts of the government showdown could go from bad to much worse after the Department of Agriculture said it doesn’t have enough money to pay for SNAP Benefits or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in November … Stephanie Berkowitz with Northern Virginia Family Services says the impact of losing SNAP, even for a month, can’t be overstated.” [NBC4]

Local GOP Takes Issue with Absentee Ballots — “Fairfax County Republican leaders are raising concerns about ballot privacy after discovering a hole punched in absentee ballots could reveal a voter’s decision … Fairfax County election officials are now giving tips on their website about how to properly secure the ballot.” [NBC4]

Man Posing as Firefighter Arrested — “A 28-year-old Manassas man who was posing as a Washington, D.C. firefighter was arrested after he tried to enter a Fairfax City fire station on [Oct. 15], according to police.” The man was charged with impersonating a firefighter and being drunk in public. [Patch]

State Legislators Debate Gambling Expansion — “Virginia began legalizing casinos in 2020 with the first wager cast in 2022 … While recent gambling revenue numbers have dipped across the state, elected officials are holding judgement as more casinos and gambling alternatives are expected to be considered under the new state gambling authority.” [WVTF]

Virginia Reviews Special Education Compliance — “A Virginia commission on Tuesday unanimously accepted a study recommending that policymakers separate the Parent Ombudsman for Special Education’s office from the Virginia Department of Education to improve its ‘neutrality and public trust.'” The study was ordered after “years of ongoing complaints and a federal investigation” into the state’s system for resolving special education-related conflicts. [Virginia Mercury]

Capital One Reports Turnaround After Merger — “Three months after disclosing a $4.3 billion loss, Capital One’s profit jumped 80% year-over-year in the third quarter. Its revenue surged 53%. And its net interest income rose 54%, according to an earnings report released Tuesday.” The boost came after the financial corporation closed a $35 billion acquisition of rival Discover in May. [Banking Dive]

UVA Complies with Trump Admin Demands — “The University of Virginia has agreed to abide by White House guidance forbidding discrimination in admissions and hiring, becoming the latest campus to strike a deal with the Trump administration as the college tries to pause months of scrutiny by the federal government.” [Associated Press]

It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 62 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 7 to 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 23 mph. For Thursday night, the skies will be mostly clear with the temperature dropping to around 41 degrees, and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]

Lawyers Road Closures Scheduled — “Weather permitting, Lawyers Road (Route 673) between Hunter Mill Road (Route 674) and Garrett Street (Route 3217) will be closed to through traffic Saturday, Oct. 25; Sunday, Oct. 26; Saturday, Nov. 1; and Sunday, Nov. 2, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day for drainage pipe replacement … Through traffic will be detoured via Hunter Mill Road and Vale Road (Route 672)/Malcolm Road NW.” [VDOT]

Judge Sides with Seven Corners Nonprofit — “In an Oct. 7 oral ruling and Oct. 17 written opinion, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said [Attorney General Jason] Miyares’ push to obtain donor lists from American Muslims for Palestine is overly broad and likely violates the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of association.” [Virginia Mercury]

Metro Ridership Drops During Shutdown — “Metro platforms have been sparsely sprinkled with passengers for weeks, a clear sign of the effects of the government shutdown rippling through the region’s transit system … Metro says ridership among federal employees is down 24 percent since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, compared to weekdays in September.” [DC News Now]

Marine Corps Marathon to Return — “The Marine Corps Marathon is still happening this weekend despite the government shutdown, bringing numerous road closures to Arlington. Now in its 50th year, the sold-out race — one of the largest marathons in the country — will begin as scheduled on Sunday morning, just like the Army Ten-Miler last week.” [ARLnow]

Man Reunites With Life-Saving First Responders — “On May 17, 2025, Benjamin Shaul, 36, went into cardiac arrest at his home after feelings of indigestion … On Friday, October 17, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue held a Resuscitation Reunion to reunite the Shaul’s with the first responders who provided emergency medical care that day and undoubtedly helped save Mr. Shaul’s life.” [FCFRD]

Former Capitals Star Sells McLean Home — “The McLean, Virginia, home previously owned by former Washington Capitals star T.J. Oshie has sold for $9.3 million. Washington Fine Properties announced the sale of the home, at 1004 Dogue Hill Lane, on Tuesday. The house was built in 2021 and features six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, two half baths and 11,400 square feet of living space.” [WTOP]

Op-Ed Makes Case for Reston as Development Model — “Modern suburbia is rightfully characterized as car-centric and aggressively unwalkable with bland, copy-pasted building facades. But Simon’s vision was radically different in a way that yields continuous dividends to its residents, seemingly in perpetuity.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Reston Library to Host Puzzle Sale — The Friends of the Reston Regional Library are bringing back their annual puzzles and games sale this Thursday through Sunday (Oct. 23-26). Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except on Sunday, when the sale will end at 3 p.m. “Hundreds and hundreds (dare we say ‘thousands’?) of gently used puzzles in good condition are just waiting for you at this super fun sale.” [Fairfax County Public Library]

New Legal Notice — The Andalusia Lounge seeks an ABC restaurant permit for 6239 Little River Turnpike; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Wednesday — Clouds will increase throughout the day as the temperature reaches a high near 64°F. West winds will blow at 8 to 14 mph, occasionally gusting as high as 24 mph. For Wednesday night, expect mostly clear skies with a low temperature around 44°F and a gentle west wind of approximately 7 mph. [NWS]

Amazon Web Outage Stems From N. Va. Data Center — “A massive outage at Amazon Web Services disrupted major websites and apps on Monday, in a show of how one company’s online infrastructure has become essential for many modern businesses to function … Amazon reported ‘increased error rates and latencies’ starting around 3 a.m. ET that involved its facility in Northern Virginia.” [NPR]

Woman Hit by Falling Tree Dies — “A woman crushed by a falling tree on Pimmit Run Trail last month was later pronounced dead at the hospital, ARLnow has learned. The incident happened around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, near the Arlington-Fairfax County border.” [ARLnow]

Warmer Winter Forecast — “La Niña can benefit winter lovers in the D.C. area by tilting odds toward slightly cooler winters, mainly when the event is weak. But that tendency is running headlong into a steadily warming climate, which is one reason forecasters at the Weather Service still lean toward above-normal temperatures this winter.” [Washington Post]

Va. Leaders Dispute Recession Prediction — “The Youngkin administration and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond are pushing back on a recent analysis saying Virginia is one of 22 states and districts in, or at risk of, a recession … Virginia isn’t immune to a downturn, but local economists and state leaders tell Axios they’re not seeing one yet.” [Axios Richmond]

Founder of Prominent Developer Dies — “Robert “Bob” Youngentob, a founding partner at Bethesda developer EYA LLC, died Saturday after a battle with cancer, according to an online obituary. He was 64.” Started by Youngentob and Terry Eakin in 1992, EYA has been involved in a number of Fairfax County developments, from the Mosaic District in Merrifield to Reston Station. [Washington Business Journal]

Franconia Food Drive Underway — “My office is collecting donations of non-perishable food and household goods to benefit three organizations doing impactful work in the Franconia District: ECHO, The Koinonia Foundation, Inc., and United Community. Donations will be distributed by need … The donation box will be in the lobby of the Franconia Governmental Center through November 30.” [Supervisor Rodney Lusk/Facebook]

Campaign to Reduce Water Bottle Use Awarded — “The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is presenting an Environmental Excellence Award to the Friends of Holmes Run and Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect (HACAN) for promoting the use of tap water in Culmore. The groups encouraged residents to use refillable water bottles for tap water instead of buying disposable water bottles that often end up in streams.” [Annandale Today]

Program Brings Ballet to Kids with Down Syndrome — “Program Director Madison Harden brought The Purple Tutu to Alexandria with the goal of teaching ballet to dancers in the special needs community. Every Sunday, young dancers meet up at the Just Dance Studio and receive a free 30-minute ballet class, taught by members of the West Potomac High School Dance team.” [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 71 degrees, accompanied by a south wind ranging from 5 to 11 mph and gusts reaching 22 mph. Tonight, there is a 40% chance of showers before 2 am; however, the mostly cloudy skies will gradually clear with a low of around 49 degrees. The west wind will be around 7 mph. [NWS]

‘No Kings’ Rally in Annandale — “The pedestrian bridge over the beltway in Annandale was packed with ‘No Kings’ protestors with signs and American flags on Oct. 18. Many beltway drivers honked and flashed their lights to show their support. There were No Kings events at Bailey’s Crossroads, Falls Church, throughout Fairfax County, and all over the country” as millions of people expressed their opposition to the Trump administration. [Annandale Today]

Brush Fire Extinguished in Centreville — “Just after 4 p.m. [on Sunday, Oct. 19], #FairfaxsBravest responded for reports of smoke on the side of Braddock Rd prior to Newton Patent Dr. Units arrived on the scene to find a brush fire that was quickly spreading. Crews quickly contained and extinguished the fire. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Update on Maryland’s Beltway Plans — “In August 2023, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore announced a plan to reconstruct the American Legion Bridge and add managed lanes … Although a Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) spokesperson confirmed to 7News that the plan is still in effect, more than two years later, the project has still not secured any federal grants, and Maryland appears not to be even close to starting any construction.” [WJLA]

Nighttime Fairfax County Parkway Closures — “Weather permitting, northbound Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) between Route 123 (Ox Road) and Burke Centre Parkway (Route 643) will have nighttime closures Sunday night, Oct. 19, through Thursday night, Oct. 23, for stormwater pipe installation as part of the Fairfax County Parkway south widening project.” [VDOT]

Reminder to Watch Roads for Deer — “Fall is breeding season for deer and you can expect to see more of them on our roads. Please be aware that deer are unpredictable and crashes with them are a safety concern. There are hundreds of reportable accidents involving deer in the county and more than half of our annual crashes occur during the months of October, November, and December.” [FCPD]

Korean Immigrant Builds New Restaurant — “Since July, Han has been following the same routine in an unassuming strip-mall space in Chantilly, within deafening distance of the Dulles landing path. Baek Ban, her new restaurant, is named after the simple bento-like set meals centered around rice and available in Seoul’s high-quality cafeterias and mom-and-pop lunchrooms.” [Washingtonian]

Inova Nurse Wins National Award — “A D.C.-area nurse had an idea to change the way her hospital fed babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and her project just won her national recognition. ‘It is a big deal, and it was shocking,’ said Renee Bloom, who is an NICU RN Unit Supervisor at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Virginia.” [WTOP]

Drug Takeback Day Returning to Vienna — “For the second time this year, the Vienna Police Department is participating in the 29th National Drug Take Back Day … On Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Vienna residents are invited to drop off medications at the collection site in front of the Vienna Police Department.” [Vienna Police]

It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with highs near 65 degrees and west winds blowing at 13 to 15 mph, gusting up to 28 mph. The night remains clear with lows around 44 degrees, and the west wind slowing to 6 mph before becoming calm during the evening. [NWS]

Attorney General Candidates Spar in Debate — “In their only debate of the election cycle, Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares and Democratic challenger Jay Jones laid out their plans should they be elected Virginia’s top prosecutor Thursday night at the University of Richmond … Both men portrayed themselves as defenders of the law who would work to stem crime statewide, enforce consumer protections and uphold Virginians’ rights.” [Virginia Mercury]

Space Industry Conference Postponed — “Connected DMV, one of the hosts of the conference, has moved spaceNEXT to Feb. 18-20, saying the [federal government] shutdown hindered its ability to attract speakers across key agencies who need federal travel approvals … SpaceNEXT was set to take place on Nov. 11-12 at Capital One Hall in Tysons, which remains the venue.” [DC Inno]

Dolly Parton Library Coming to N. Va. — “A new Northern Virginia chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library announced Thursday it is launching a fundraising campaign to provide free books to young children, with Alexandria [becoming] the first city in the region to host the program.” [ALXnow]

Honeygrow Arrives in Lincolnia — “Honeygrow, a fast-casual dining spot in Barcroft Plaza, opens tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. Honeygrow specializes in stir-frys, salads, and ‘Honeybar’ desserts. It’s located at 6464 Lincolnia Road in the space formerly occupied by Chico’s Natural Pet Market.” [Annandale Today]

New Shop Opens at Dulles Airport — “We’ve got The Goods @ IAD!!!!! This new addition has just opened its doors … From travel essentials to the latest tech from iStore, sweet treats from Dylan’s Candy, and a dazzling array of unique gifts, souvenirs, self-care items, delicious snacks, and grab-and-go goodies, you’ll find everything you need to prepare for your journey!” [Dulles Airport/X]

Ace Hardware Celebrates Vienna Opening — “The Town of Vienna officially welcomed its newest neighbor, Ace Hardware, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 9, 2025. Vienna residents, business leaders, public officials, and other community members gathered for the highly-anticipated opening.” [Town of Vienna Economic Development]

Grants Available for Fairfax City Nonprofits — “The City of Fairfax is offering a competitive grant process for human services nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Fairfax City. Applications will be accepted from Oct. 8 through Dec. 1 … This grant opportunity is intended to help nonprofit safety net providers remain sustainable by mitigating some of their financial burdens.” [City of Fairfax]

Glow-in-the-Dark Show in McLean — “McLean’s Alden Theater is planning a truly glowing performance this month. Lightwire Theater will present Dino-Light on Friday, October 24. The group combines puppetry, dance, and electroluminescent technology to create extravagant light-up creations.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

New Legal Notice — Sonesta ES Suites is seeking an ABC alcohol license for 12815 Fair Lakes Parkway; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

New Legal Notice — Sonesta ES Suites is applying for an ABC hotel beer/wine license for 13700 Coppermine Road in Herndon; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees with a northwest 6-to-8-mph wind during the day. On Friday night, the sky will be mostly clear with a low temperature of around 46 degrees, accompanied by calm wind conditions. [NWS]