Early voting in Virginia’s 2025 Democratic primary begins tomorrow (Friday), officially kicking off the party’s bid to retake statewide seats that were swept by Republicans in 2021.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger has already secured the gubernatorial nomination, setting up a historic race with Republican nominee and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears that will give Virginia its first-ever female governor.
A Fairfax County School Board member accused of defrauding a company he is a part owner of out of more than $1.5 million has stepped away as chairman of the board’s budget committee.
Kyle McDaniel, an at-large representative, no longer oversees the committee, having willingly ceded the position to vice chair Rachna Sizemore Heizer in recent weeks, he confirmed to FFXnow.
Trump Administration Restores Student Visas — “President Donald Trump’s administration is reinstating international student visa records that it previously revoked. The announcement was made Friday, amid a slew of court cases filed by impacted students in recent weeks.” Records for 14 of 15 affected George Mason University students have been restored, a university spokesperson says, but eight students already left the country. [Virginia Public Media]
Deadline to Apply for Tax Relief Today — Seniors and people with disabilities who qualify for relief from Fairfax County’s real estate and vehicle taxes “must file their application no later than May 1, 2025.” Today is also the deadline to declare business furniture and fixtures, machinery and tools, and computer equipment on county tax forms. [Fairfax County Government]
Another Local CVS Store Set to Close — “The CVS store in the Heritage shopping center at 7859 Heritage Drive, Annandale, is closing. The store manager, known as JD, said the store’s last day will be June 5.” The company also shuttered its longtime location at the Cedar Park Shopping Center in Vienna in April. [Annandale Today]
Job Fair for Cut Federal Workers Planned — “Alexandria is joining forces with Congressman Don Beyer and nearby communities to hold a job fair this Saturday (May 3) for federal workers and contractors affected by recent government workforce cuts … Alexandria is working alongside Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Falls Church to organize the fair.” [ALXnow]
Metrobus Changes Will Eliminate Dozens of N. Va. Stops — “Fifty-seven bus stops are set to be cut from Metrobus’ routes in Northern Virginia, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The changes have been scheduled to take effect June 29” as part of the system’s first major redesign of its bus network since the 1970s. [WUSA9]
Tysons Spring Bicycle Ride to Return — “Kick off Tysons Bike Month with a scenic spring ride during Pedal with Petals … Join us at Westbriar Elementary School for a FREE fun-filled day of biking with family and friends.” This year’s bicycle ride, organized by the Tysons Community Alliance, will take place on Saturday, May 10, with registration starting at 10 a.m. [Eventbrite]
Fairfax Students Plant Trees for Arbor Day — “On April 23, [Katherine Johnson Middle School] students planted three Eastern redbud trees to green the school grounds, and they learned about the benefits trees provide … The trees were provided by SPROUT, a new city initiative to encourage the community to plant, care for, and learn about the trees that make up our urban forest.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Thursday — Expect a 20% chance of showers from 2-5pm, followed by possible thunderstorms after 5pm. The day will be partly sunny with a high around 80. On Thursday night, storms could occur before 11pm, possibly continuing until 2am. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low of 66 and a 40% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Fairfax County Public Schools is one of two Virginia school divisions that reportedly declined to sign a form committing it to complying with federal anti-discrimination laws and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that barred race from being considered in college admissions.
Superintendent Michelle Reid instead sent a “modified certification and assurance document” to Virginia education leaders last week affirming FCPS’ compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Virginia Mercury reported yesterday morning (Tuesday).
Six months after being defeated by Rep. Gerry Connolly in what turned out to be his final election, the most recent Republican nominee for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District will return to the campaign trail.
Mike Van Meter, who garnered almost 33% of the vote in the 2024 general election against the longtime Democratic incumbent, confirmed to FFXnow that he plans to run for the seat in the 2026 midterm elections.
A survey of Northern Virginia business leaders found high levels of uncertainty after months of turmoil from tariff policies and federal job cuts.
The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC) and communications agency Pinkston released a Q2 Business Leader Survey yesterday (Tuesday) that collected feedback from business organizations in Fairfax, Falls Church, Reston and other locations around Northern Virginia.
D.C. Sues Virginia Drivers Over Unpaid Traffic Fines — “D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Monday that the District of Columbia filed five lawsuits against drivers from Maryland and Virginia.” The prosecutor alleges that the drivers, including residents of Lorton and Herndon, collectively owe more than $400,000. [Washingtonian]
Fairfax County Spa Relocates to Alexandria — “Last month, King’s Beauty Center and Nail Bar/King’s Men Spa fully opened at 1102 King Street. Until the end of May, they’re offering 20% off all their services.” The owner previously “ran a smaller salon in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County for 13 years.” [ALXnow]
Reston School Celebrates 30th Anniversary — Aldrin Elementary School will celebrate 30 years today (Wednesday) with a school assembly at 3 p.m. followed by a community reception at 4:30 p.m. Students are encouraged to wear red, white and blue or spiritwear to show their pride, and firecracker ice pops will be handed out. [Aldrin Elementary School]
New Signage Planned for Bailey’s Crossroads Area — “Fairfax County is developing a gateway signage project for the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners commercial revitalization districts.” A survey to solicit community input on the characteristics of both neighborhoods and they could be incorporated into the sign designs will launch next Monday (May 5). [Annandale Today]
Roofing Company to Leave Herndon After Merger — “Connecticut-based QXO Inc. closed its acquisition of Beacon Roofing Supply Inc. on Tuesday, just a month after inking a deal with the Herndon construction company.” The company, which employs 8,000 people, will be rebranded as QXO and consolidate “headquarter functions in Greenwich.” [Washington Business Journal]
County to Increase Zoning Fees — “Starting July 1, Fairfax County will implement the second phase of updated fee schedules for Land Development Services (LDS) and zoning applications. The adjustments are intended to reflect the increase in costs related to inflation and personnel over recent years while ensuring the continuation of high-quality county services.” [Fairfax County Government]
Shuttered Climate Program Funded Chesapeake Bay Conservation — “The U.S. Department of Agriculture in April announced the termination of its $3 billion ‘climate smart’ program, a grantmaking initiative that was supporting hundreds of millions of dollars in conservation work in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.” [Bay Journal Media]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 20% chance of showers after 2 pm, though mostly cloudy skies will eventually turn sunny, with temperatures reaching around 80. The night will be partly cloudy with lows near 60. [NWS]
Fairfax County planning staff appear to agree with many neighboring residents that Reston National Golf Course should remain a golf course.
Property owner War Horse Cities and developer NVR’s proposal to replace the 168-acre golf course at 11875 Sunrise Valley Drive with housing and parkland or other public uses is among eight potential Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan amendments not recommended for advancement in a staff report.
Displaced Businesses Win Concessions — VHC Health “has agreed to assist the small businesses it’s displacing from” West Falls Church’s Graham Center to make way for an ER and urgent care facility. After a campaign led by the Viet Place Collective, “VHC extended the deadline to vacate the property from March 30 to May 15. VHC also promised to return tenants’ security deposits and fully cover the cost of junk removal.” [Annandale Today]
Retired Cop Intervened in Robbery Attempt in Huntington — “A retired D.C. police officer on his way to work Thursday says he stopped by his neighborhood store and walked right into a robbery in progress. He says he pulled his weapon, told the suspect to freeze and shared with police what he saw after the man ran.” [NBC4]
Reston Community Advocate Dies — “Community activist and attorney Barbara Cheryl Terio-Simon, the widow of Reston founder Robert E. Simon Jr., died peacefully on Friday, according to her daughter, Karen Terio.” In addition to serving Reston Association and other organizations, she “was instrumental” in getting Lake Anne Village Center designated as a national historic place. [Patch]
Multiple Failures Contributed to Fatal DCA Crash, Review Finds — “One error did not cause the worst domestic crash in the United States in nearly a quarter-century. Modern aviation is designed to have redundancies and safeguards that prevent a misstep, or even several missteps, from being catastrophic. On Jan. 29, that system collapsed.” [New York Times]
Federal Funding Cuts Could Affect Virginia Parks — “Virginia boasts several trails, parks and historic landmarks that fall under park service management which could be impacted. State officials hope park tourism stays strong because of the millions it generates, and park officials are trying to manage expectations with less resources.” [VCU Capital News Service/Inside NoVA]
FCPD Shares Drug Take Back Day Results — “On Saturday, our district stations partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect nearly 1,000 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from our community.” The haul was led by the Reston Police District Station, which collected 257 pounds of drugs. [FCPD]
GMU Receives $20 Million Donation — “A Fairfax County business woman has made a $20 million donation to George Mason University, the university announced Friday. The Kimmy Duong Foundation made the donation to support a department in the university’s College of Engineering and Computing; it will be renamed the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing.” [Virginia Business]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny weather and a high near 85 with a south wind at 9-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. At night, there’s a 20% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 67, and south winds similar to the daytime. [NWS]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, who has represented Virginia’s 11th district for nearly 20 years, will not seek another term in Congress, he announced today (Monday).
The 75-year-old congressman, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer late last year, has seen a re-emergence of the illness, according to a statement.
