News

ICE Arrests Soar in Virginia — “Arrests in the state by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are up more than 350 percent since 2024, one of the steepest increases in the country … Nearly 3,000 people were arrested by ICE in Virginia in the first five months of 2025, on par with numbers in a much larger state like New York.” Fairfax County has seen “roughly twice as many arrests” as any other county in Virginia, a rate attributed to both practical and political factors. [New York Times]

Miyares Centers Schools in Reelection Campaign — “[Virginia Attorney General Jason] Miyares has revisited the issues of diversity and gender identity in schools in recent months, grabbing the attention of the Trump administration and resulting in two federal investigations. His focus on the way the state’s school systems operate has rankled school officials in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, two of the state’s largest districts.” [Washington Post]

Coffee Shop Opens in Penn Daw — “A taste of the French Quarter has arrived in Fairfax County with the opening this week of PJ’s Coffee‘s first Virginia location at the South Alex development on North Kings Highway. The New Orleans-born coffee brand will open its doors Tuesday (July 8) at 6220 N. Kings Hwy.” [ALXnow]

N. Va. Office Construction Stalled — “There are at least 33 companies scouring the Northern Virginia office market for 50,000 square feet or more, according to CBRE’s second-quarter office report, but their options are severely limited regionwide and there’s literally nothing under construction that would fit their requirements.” There are, however, completed office buildings with available space, including the recently renamed Boro Central in Tysons and Comstock’s Reston Row offices. [Washington Business Journal]

Stabbing Suspect Lived in Storage Unit — “The man charged in the June 10 fatal stabbing of 32-year-old Marvin Waters at a Huntington Metro station bus stop was living in a storage unit in Alexandria, according to the Alexandria Police Department.” Charged with second-degree murder and drug possession, the man “is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on September 3.” [ALXnow]

Metro Station Gets New Escalators — “Brand-new Franconia-Springfield Station escalators are here 41 weeks early … The escalator replacement project is on track to be completed in Spring 2026, two years ahead of schedule.” It’ll be a couple weeks before the escalators see real use, though, with track work suspending train service at the station through July 26. [WMATA/Bluesky]

Falls Church Considers New Parking Requirements — “A work plan from City Manager Wyatt Shields includes a possible rewrite of existing rules for how much parking new development projects must include, plus possible changes to the city’s tree canopy ordinance and towing ordinance.” [ARLnow]

Great Falls Vet Seeks to Add Dog Runs — The Seneca Hill Animal Hospital, Resort, and Spa in Great Falls is looking to add three outdoor dog runs to support the up to 120 dogs that can be housed in the facility at any given time. “The veterinary hospital had been operating an outdoor dog run at its 11415 Georgetown Pike location” until November 2022, when Fairfax County notified it that the amenity wasn’t allowed under the site’s current zoning. [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms after 5pm, with increasing clouds and a high of 93°F. The heat index may reach 103. There’s a 60% chance of rain and a possible quarter to half-inch of rainfall. At night, thunderstorms persist mainly before 8pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a low of 73. [NWS]