Abigail Spanberger speaks at a campaign event in Annandale (staff photo by Jared Serre)
As the deadline for her to act on 2026 General Assembly legislation approaches, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed additional bills yesterday (Wednesday) on health care, housing and energy, including a few championed by Fairfax County lawmakers.
The governor has approved hundreds of bills since the General Assembly session ended on March 14. The latest round of bills includes a codified right to contraception, limits on prior authorizations on prescription drugs from insurance plans, stricter emissions standards for data centers, tools to incentivize and preserve affordable housing, and a longer mandatory waiting period before landlords pursue evictions.
A Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department ambulance responds to a vehicle explosion on Lee Chapel Road in Burke (via FCFRD/X)
A vehicle explosion rattled Burke earlier this morning (Thursday), sending the driver to the hospital and shutting down Lee Chapel Road.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department was dispatched around 7:34 a.m. to Lee Chapel Road at Old Keene Mill Road for a vehicle fire near Burke Town Plaza, a shopping center anchored by Safeway.
Residents attend an in-person update on the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project at the Gerry South Hyland Government Center on Jan. 15, 2025 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Fairfax County is pinning all its hopes for a new round of regional transportation funding on a single major project, but local travelers could also benefit from some of the other contenders.
As authorized last fall by the Board of Supervisors, the county is seeking $463 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for its planned “The One” bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which would serve nine stations along a 7.4-mile stretch of Richmond Highway, also known as Route 1, from Huntington to Fort Belvoir.
Five people have been arrested and charged in connection with reported thefts of merchandise from various businesses last month, including four people in Reston alone.
The arrests, which occurred between March 17-27, were part of what the Fairfax County Police Department called a “coordinated enforcement effort” that resulted in 17 felony and 15 misdemeanor charges.
People run on the Mount Vernon Trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway (staff photo by James Cullum)
Metro Seeks Funding for New Fare Machines — “Over the decades Metro’s fare vending machines have not changed very much, but this Thursday the transit agency’s board of directors will vote on a plan that would get rid of them. Metro wants to spend more than 93 million dollars to buy and install new machines” that could also be used to “plan trips and receive alerts.” [WJLA]
Dulles Toll Road Closures in Tysons This Weekend — “Beginning on or about Friday night, April 10, and continuing nightly through Sunday night, April 12, all lanes of eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) will be closed and detoured between Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and the I-495 (Capital Beltway) interchange … These closures are to accommodate overhead sign work as part of the 495 NEXT project.” [VDOT]
Spanberger Tries to Balance Governing and Campaigning — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday pushed back against criticism from some fellow Democrats who say she has not done enough publicly to rally support for Virginia’s April 21 redistricting referendum. Spanberger argued that she has been clear in her support while prioritizing governing in the early months of her administration.” [Virginia Mercury]
Great Falls Family Cheers on Tanking Wizards — “Erin-Michael Gill and his son Nicholas had tickets just behind the scorer’s table. Good ones. They got up Sunday morning in Great Falls, Va., went to Easter Mass at 7 a.m., and then drove four and a half hours from the D.C. area to get [to Barclays Center in New York City] for the 3:30 p.m. tipoff.” They were among the hundreds crowding the arena for a Kids’ Day game between the Wizards and Nets, despite the teams’ dire records. [The Athletic]
Park Service to Restore GW Parkway Vistas — “A major phase of the years-long repaving project on the George Washington Parkway is finally winding down. And now the National Park Service will focus on rehabbing the roadway’s trademark views,” considering several options for 15 locations along a 2.65-mile segment of the roadway. [Axios DC]
Annandale Cafe Eyes Second Location — “Underdog Coffee & Bread, the café that opened on Columbia Pike in Annandale a year ago, is opening a second location on Carlin Springs Road in Bailey’s Crossroads next to REI.” [Annandale Today]
Wonder Wagon Coming to Vienna — “Join us to explore with the Parks & Rec Department’s Wonder Wagon at Patrick Henry Library’s Temporary Location (Cedar Park Shopping Center)!” The mobile nature center will stop by the temporary library at 262 Cedar Lane from 10:30-11:30 a.m. tomorrow (Friday). [Fairfax County Public Library]
New Look for Falls Church Pottery Studio — “A paint-your-own-pottery studio in Falls Church has received a freshly glazed look under new ownership. Jessi Cash, who has worked at Clay Cafe Studios since 2019, took over the reins from retired owner Gayla Hassett in January.” [ARLnow]
New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks mixed beverage, wine and beer on/off-premises license. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — The day will be mostly sunny with a high of around 62°F. Winds will be calm initially, becoming southeast at about 6 mph in the afternoon. Night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 42°F and southeast winds between 3 and 6 mph. [NWS]
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Woodson High School sign advertises first day of the 2025-2026 school year (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
As the current school year enters its final stretch, the Fairfax County School Board is considering tweaking the calendar for the next year in response to mounting complaints about disruptions to class schedules.
At the board’s meeting tomorrow (Thursday), members led by governance committee chair Melanie Meren will propose nixing Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Veterans Day as official student holidays and limiting the number of scheduled early release days to four per year.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation director Gregg Steverson (screenshot via Fairfax County)
Fairfax County transportation officials think they have found a better way to prioritize and manage sidewalk, trail and crosswalk improvements after several rocky years.
Yesterday (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors informally ratified a proposal for Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) staff to develop a three-year cycle for listing all potential projects, then prioritizing them based on cost and community impact considerations.
A Virginia State Police vehicle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A Virginia State Police officer was hospitalized after being struck by a driver last night (Tuesday) on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in the Huntington area.
The trooper, who has not been publicly identified, was struck near Telegraph Road by a passing motorist during a foot pursuit, according to a VSP spokesperson. The trooper was transported to an area hospital shortly thereafter.
What investigators believe the man behind the skeletal remains looked like (photos via NamUS)
Local and state investigators continue to hunt for the identity behind skeletal remains found in Fair Lakes two decades ago.
It’s been 20 years and two days since the remains were discovered in a wooded area near the I-66 East ramp to the northbound lanes of Fairfax County Parkway on April 6, 2006.
Pulte Group's concept plan for Lofts II at Reston Station (via Land Design Consultants/Fairfax County)
Fairfax County staff are prepared to allow housing on an aging office property near the Wiehle Metro station in Reston with the expectation that the future developer will also deliver some transportation improvements.
The county’s planning commission will hold a public hearing tonight (Wednesday) on a proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would pave the way for Lofts at Reston Station builder Pulte Group to redevelop three low-lying office buildings at 1810, 1825 and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive with stacked townhouses and condominiums.
