Sign for Fairfax County Public Schools outside the Gatehouse Administration Center (file photo)
Fairfax County Public Schools is one of just three districts nationwide facing a federal investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce, which alleges Jewish students are being harassed and subjected to open antisemitism.
The scrutiny follows the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages, and Israel’s subsequent war campaign in Gaza that has left over 60,000 Palestinians dead. Tensions over the conflict have spilled into U.S. schools.
Reston Association's Lake Audubon swimming pool (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Reston Association has solidified a new budget for the coming year, approving funding for some new projects while cutting back on swimming pool hours.
The association’s board of directors voted 7-2 at its Nov. 13 meeting to adopt a $24 million budget for 2026 based on a new annual member assessment rate of $890.
Dulles Airport mobile lounges (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
People movers will continue darting across Dulles International Airport for years to come, despite recent incidents that have revived safety questions for passengers who use them.
At the Nov. 19 meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board of directors, MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter acknowledged the “long-term limitations of relying on mobile lounges,” which are colloquially known as people movers.
The Cinemark movie theater in Centreville (photo by Larry Lichtenauer)
A longstanding movie theater in Centreville has changed hands, raising the prospect that it could be redeveloped in the future.
Finmarc Management, a commercial real estate firm based in Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Friday (Nov. 21) that it has acquired Cinemark Centreville (6201 Multiplex Drive) and Xscape Theatres (7710 Matapeake Business Drive) in Prince George’s County for a combined $15.1 million.
Path to the McLean Metro station's north entrance (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Workers and visitors at Capital One Center can now take a more direct route to and from the McLean Metro station.
After years of planning and construction, a new entrance with bicycle parking has opened on the station’s north side facing Capital One Drive, providing easier access to the development on Capital One’s Tysons campus, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced last week (Nov. 17).
A sign for the Winter Lantern Festival, currently operating at Lerner Town Square at Tysons II (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Virginia U.S. Attorney Appointee Disqualified — “A federal judge has thrown out the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that President Donald Trump’s handpicked prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed to the role when she single-handedly secured the indictments.” [Politico]
State Budget Challenges Expected — Virginia General Assembly legislators gathered at Radford University last week to hear forecasts for the 2026 budget. “Democrats, who are now in control of all three branches of Virginia’s government thanks to a record win by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, are bracing for stark cuts and a slowed economy.” [WVTF]
Va. GOP Grapples With Post-Election Future — “After Democrats swept all three statewide offices in November 2025 and picked up more than a dozen seats to solidify a 64-seat House of Delegates majority, Buchanan’s concerns have become the center of a widening debate inside a party struggling to process the magnitude of its losses — and to figure out what comes next.” [Virginia Mercury]
Metro Awarded Hybrid Bus Funding — The Federal Transit Administration announced last week that Metro will receive a $50.3 million grant to help it “procure 50 new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses, replacing aging vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. The new buses will be deployed throughout the region and will enhance Metro’s ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable service for riders.” [WMATA]
Friends Open Pottery Studio — “Reston neighbors and friends Jennie Persson and Paola Lluberas first tried making pottery on a beginner wheel in Lluberas’ back yard. The two wanted a creative outlet, but they found that pottery classes and studios in the area often had long waitlists or strict requirements. Their solution? The two opened their very own studio, Potters Union, in Herndon in October.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Falls Church Considers Affordable Housing Plans — “The city, through its Economic Development Authority, already owns nine small apartment properties in the Virginia Village community near Annandale Road. At a Nov. 19 meeting between elected officials and staff, discussion turned to moving forward on a consolidated plan for housing the neighborhood.” [ARLnow]
Parade to Honor McLean Youth Sports Supporter — “The McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC) is pleased to announce that longstanding McLean youth sports leader Wayne Loving will be honored as the Grand Marshal of the McLean Winterfest Parade, to be held on Sunday, December 7 in Downtown McLean.” [Press release]
Winter Reading Program Starts Soon — Fairfax County Public Library is inviting community members to participate in its Winter Reading Adventure, which will kick off on Dec. 1 and continue through Jan. 31, 2026. Readers interested in taking on the challenge can pre-register through Beanstack now or pick up paper logs at their local branch once the program starts. [FCPL]
It’s Tuesday — Expect rain to begin after 3pm with a high temperature near 57. The precipitation probability is 80%, with less than a tenth of an inch expected. Rain will continue at night, with a low temperature around 52 and south wind at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]
Virginia Department of Transportation workers inspecting a truck that will serve as a snow plow (via VDOT)
This winter is expected to be a little warmer than usual in Northern Virginia. But when inclement weather does hit, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will have thousands of trucks — with access to 120,000 tons of salt, 250,000 gallons of brine, and 25,000 tons of sand — ready to go.
During VDOT’s annual winter weather briefing for local government officials and the media on Nov. 17, staffers with the transportation agency and the National Weather Service (NWS) explained how they’re preparing — and what Northern Virginia residents can expect to see on the roads — over the coming months.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission meets on Nov. 19, 2025 (via Fairfax County Channel 16)
Fairfax County is one step closer to updating its regulations for manufactured homes for the first time in nearly half a century.
At its meeting last Wednesday (Nov. 19), the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors amend the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance guidelines for manufactured homes, which are sometimes called mobile homes or trailers.
The Prosperity Avenue and Merrilee Drive intersection in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County police are investigating the death of a man who was reportedly involved in a fight near the Dunn Loring Metro station early this morning (Monday).
Around 1:10 a.m., law enforcement responded to the intersection of Merrilee Drive and Prosperity Avenue in Merrifield after multiple callers reported a physical fight between two men.
