In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on education policy, Virginia leaders have enacted sweeping changes to the state’s K-12 testing system, aiming to raise student performance and make the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments more meaningful.
Despite ongoing political clashes over broader education policy, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state lawmakers united earlier this month behind a plan they hope will strengthen student outcomes.
While some Fairfax County Public Schools grapple with overcrowding, a private school in the Wolf Trap area hopes to boost enrollment by welcoming younger students.
The Oakcrest School plans to start serving kindergarten and elementary students, expanding its current scope of sixth through 12th grade, according to a zoning application recently submitted to Fairfax County.
Fairfax County arts organizations have not been immune from the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal government.
Both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have started rescinding funding awards from projects and organizations they say don’t fit the priorities of President Donald Trump.
Graduation season is getting underway for college and high school students alike, which means an influx of traffic for people living around George Mason University.
GMU warns that “heavy traffic” is expected around its main Fairfax campus for the next month, with dozens of graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place at EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Circle).
White South African ‘Refugees’ Coming to Dulles — “Plans are underway to fly approximately 60 Afrikaners to Dulles International Airport on a State Department-chartered plane Monday, with federal and Virginia officials preparing to receive them in a ceremonial news conference.” The group is being welcomed despite the Trump administration’s suspension of other U.S. refugee admissions. [Washington Post]
Update on Herndon Double Murder Case — “Prosecutors are seeking to include statements made to police by a 4-year-old girl after her mother and another victim were found slain in the family’s home [in] Herndon.” The motion will be argued soon after attorneys met for a brief hearing last Friday (May 9). [NBC4]
Prison Sentence for Fatal I-395 Motorcycle Crash — “A Falls Church man who fled the scene after striking a motorcyclist near the Pentagon last year has been sentenced to three and a half years behind bars.” The sentence was handed down in Arlington Circuit Court last Friday, May 2. and exceeds the recommended 180 days. [ARLnow]
School Board Revises Cell Phone Usage Policy — After months of debate, the Fairfax County School Board voted 9-3 on Thursday (May 8) to permit “limited cellphone use by students. The compromise allows students to use their cellphones before and after class and during their lunch break.” A phone storage pilot program is still in effect. [WTOP]
Tree Falls Onto Fairfax City Home — “A falling tree crashed onto a duplex in Fairfax County, tearing down power lines and forcing a family out of their home.” The family that resides in the duplex was sleeping at the time, but fortunately, no one was in the bedroom where the tree fell, so there were no injuries. [NBC4]
New Watch Shop Opens in Tysons — “Luxury watch retailer Lenkersdorfer has unveiled a new 7,800-square-foot showroom in Tysons Corner Center, where customers can find a selection of watches from prestigious brands.” The showroom is complemented by the brand’s only Tudor boutique in the area. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Park Authority Awarded Invasive Species Grant — The Fairfax County Park Authority will receive a $60,827 grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry for invasive species management on parkland. The funds will support an Early Detection Rapid Response program that identfies new populations of invasive plants and “must be used by the end of June 2025.” [FCPA]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 76, accompanied by a 30% chance of rain. The likelihood of precipitation will jump to 90% at night, with showers and possible thunderstorms appearing after 5am. The low temperature will be around 64. [NWS]
Fairfax County police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in Clifton that killed a teenager yesterday (Thursday).
Officers responded to the 11000 block of Chapel Road at 3:24 p.m. for a report of a 2005 Toyota Highlander SUV “that left the roadway and struck a tree,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release today (Friday).
The man allegedly behind a recent shooting outside a Bailey’s Crossroads nightclub has been arrested.
Detectives believe Evangel McNeill, a 35-year-old from Maryland, shot another man during an argument outside the Black Rose Lounge (5815 Seminary Road) around 1 a.m. on April 30, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Voters won’t cast their ballots in the Democratic primary election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District for another year, but that hasn’t stopped early candidates from sprinting out of the gates.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who was the first Democrat to enter the race to replace retiring Rep. Gerry Connolly, has already garnered support from the incumbent congressman and former 10th Congressional District representative Jennifer Wexton.
Fairfax County saw an uptick in people experiencing homelessness this past winter, reporting its highest count in more than a decade.
The 2025 Point-in-Time Count conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Homeless Services Planning and Coordinating Committee found 1,322 individuals experiencing homelessness in the county on Jan. 22, 2025 — an increase of 3% or 44 people from last year.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted 10-1 on Wednesday (May 7) to recommend that the Board of Supervisors advance a contentious plan that would allow affordable housing on the current Franconia Governmental Center site.
The vote came after most commissioners said they were satisfied concerns raised by nearby residents could be fully evaluated before an actual development plan is brought forward.
