Bench knocked over by storm at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (photo by Amy Woolsey)
Thousands of people in Fairfax County are still without electricity after a quick but powerful storm swept through the D.C. area yesterday (Thursday).
While some major outages were addressed last night, Dominion Energy still has 163 projects affecting 10,356 customers in Fairfax County to address, as of 10:40 a.m., according to its outage map.
Election Day voters check in at Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Candidates seeking to fill out the remainder of Rep. Gerry Connolly‘s term in Congress will speak directly to voters next week.
With a special election set for Sept. 9, both Democrats and Republicans have scheduled candidate forums to give voters insight into their potential nominees, who will be determined on Saturday, June 28.
A tree branch torn down by a storm on June 19, 2025 blocks a parking space at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Major Tree Damage From Storm — “The line of severe storms that crossed the D.C. area late Thursday afternoon produced tree damage all around. Some trees fell on wires, houses and cars — and blocked roads.” Winds of up to 66 mph were reported at Dulles International Airport, and downed trees blocked the entrances to Great Falls Park in both Virginia and Maryland, trapping visitors. [Capital Weather Gang]
Man Shot Near Costco — “Police are investigating after a man was found shot near a Costco store in Fairfax County late Wednesday night. The man was taken to a hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening.” Officers responded to a gas station in the 7900 block of Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley for the shooting, though “police say the man was not shot at the gas station, but walked there to get help.” [WUSA9]
LGBTQ Pride Sign Vandalized — “Michelle Nickens, pastor of Washington Plaza Baptist Church in Reston, has a message for the person who damaged the church’s sign with a message celebrating LGBTQ Pride.” A member of the church’s congregation first noticed on Sunday (June 15) that the sign’s plastic covering was broken and the word “pride” removed. [Patch]
McLean Man Sentenced for Fatal Crash — “Timothy Pack, 22, of McLean, Virginia, was sentenced [on Friday, June 13] to 20 years and 60 days in prison after a crash that killed victim Jasmin Ashely Gimon, 25, said the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office (MCSAO).” Prosecutors said Pack was driving over 100 mph when he crashed into Gimon’s vehicle near Federal Plaza Shopping Center on April 27, 2024. [WJLA]
Beauty Store Opens in Mount Vernon — “The new Ulta Beauty store at Mount Vernon Plaza will be soft opening June 20, with plans for a grand opening and ribbon cutting on June 27. According to the company’s website, customers can get 20% off qualifying in-store purchases during grand opening weekend, June 27-29.” [On the MoVe]
Tysons Furniture Store to Vacate Building — Patrick’s Elegant Living has agreed to “move out of its stand-alone store at 1800 International Drive by Oct. 15,” as a legal dispute between the business and property owner Macerich is expected to continue in Fairfax County Circuit Court. FFXnow has removed a previous report saying Patrick’s was evicted, because it was a misinterpretation of General District Court Judge Susan Earman’s June 4 ruling. [Washington Business Journal]
DCA Gets Its Own Lego Model — “A nine-month labor of love by Lego enthusiast Richard Paules, the 120-pound centerpiece — featuring an accurate floor design with domes, arrival/departure levels and even a baggage claim — is set to appear to the public next Monday … He previously constructed a model of Dulles International Airport that has been on display there since early 2024.” [ARLnow]
Vaccinations Encouraged for Kids — “As the 2024-25 school year ends and summer begins, it’s a great time for children to get up to date on their immunizations. Parents and caregivers are urged to make an appointment for their child now with their healthcare provider to avoid the last-minute rush before the 2025-26 school year starts.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of approximately 86°F, accompanied by a west wind of around 8 mph. As night falls, the sky will turn partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 68°F and a light southwest wind. [NWS]
Power outages in northern Fairfax County (via Dominion)
More than 70,000 Fairfax County homes and businesses are in the dark after a line of destructive storms ripped through the area.
Many of the outages are concentrated in the northern part of the county, from Great Falls to Vienna to McLean, though additional outages are reported around Springfield and Newington.
Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones (photos via campaign websites)
Though only one party had races on the ballot, Fairfax County saw a year-over-year increase in voter turnout for yesterday’s primary election.
Approximately 9% of the county’s registered voters cast a ballot on Tuesday, June 17, according to unofficial results — a jump from the 7.98% overall turnout last June, when both parties had U.S. House races on the ballot.
The office building at 1851 Alexander Bell Drive in Reston (via Google Maps)
Another office complex in the Dulles Toll Road corridor is being targeted as a candidate for redevelopment as housing.
The owner of the office buildings at 1835 and 1851 Alexander Bell Drive in Reston filed a rezoning application with Fairfax County late last month that proposes turning the 7.45-acre site into a townhome community.
A map of free public parking areas in Old Town Fairfax (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A consultant’s report on parking in Fairfax City identified several possible improvements, but it was ambivalent on whether or not the city needs another parking garage.
Shared during a Fairfax City Council work session on June 3, the new report was commissioned by the city as part of its attempts to “address its future economic development and growth,” as higher-density developments start reducing the existing parking supply.
A pick-up truck carries an inflatable rat for 32BJ SEIU's protest of Navy Federal Credit Union (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A giant, inflatable rat towered over Electric Avenue near Navy Federal Credit Union’s Vienna headquarters on Monday (June 16), staring down commuters during the afternoon rush-hour.
Accompanied by whistle blasts and chants of “union busting” and “Navy Federal, shame on you,” the larger-than-life rodent provided an eye-catching centerpiece for a protest organized by the labor union 32BJ SEIU, which alleges that the world’s largest credit union is undermining its janitorial staff by switching to a non-union contractor.
Looking up at the Exo Apartments in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Attorney General Primary Has a Winner — “Former Del. Jay Jones will look to be the face of legal resistance to President Donald Trump in Virginia after winning Tuesday’s closely watched Democratic state primary for attorney general … State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi led Former Richmond City Mayor Levar Stoney in the tightly locked race Tuesday night.” [Associated Press]
Oakton Man Arrested for Alleged Threats — “A former Coast Guard lieutenant has been arrested for allegedly making threats to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to court documents obtained by Fox News.” An affidavit says the man posted threats on social media that “involved graphic references to guns, poisoning, and knives.” [FOX5]
Software Company to Open Tysons HQ — “Medallia Inc., a customer and employee relationship software provider, said Tuesday it will invest $2 million to open an East Coast headquarters in Tysons. The Pleasanton, California-based company will add 100 new jobs in Tysons over the next two years with the expansion.” Medallia anticipates moving into the 31,360-square-foot office at Tysons Tower near the end of 2025. [Washington Business Journal]
Anti-Trump Statue on National Mall — “A statue that shows a giant ‘thumb’s up’ gesture crushing the Statue of Liberty’s head, mangling her crown, and cracking her face down the middle, has appeared on the National Mall. The site is close to the space a tongue-in-cheek salute to January 6 rioters materialized last October.” [Washingtonian]
Local Food Bank Fears SNAPCuts — “At Food for Others, shelves that were once fully stocked with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supplies are expected to dwindle. With another round of SNAP cuts under debate in Congress, food banks across the region are preparing for a spike in need.” [WUSA9]
Affordable Housing Advocate Remembered — “Conrad Egan, who served as Providence District Commissioner on the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) from 1997-2001, and then as its Chairman until 2008, passed away on June 9, 2025. Mr. Egan’s accomplishments as an affordable housing advocate are many.” [FCRHA]
Dunkin’ Raises Funds for Local Nonprofits — “For every ice coffee or cold brew sold at participating locations on Wednesday, Dunkin’ will contribute $1 to The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, which provides the simple joys of childhood to battling hunger or illness … Guests can participate in Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Day at the Dunkin’ located at 2280 Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston.” [Patch]
FFXnow Launches Press Club — FFXnow Press Club is now live! Following in the footsteps of our sister site, ARLnow, we launched a new feature yesterday (Tuesday) that allows subscribing readers to directly support our local reporting. For $10/month or $100/year, members get an upgraded newsletter free of banner ads and sneak peeks at what’s to come each day. [FFXnow]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a high around 90°F with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m. Rainfall amounts range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Night could bring lows around 74°F. Tomorrow (Thursday), showers and thunderstorms are likely after 2pm, with highs around 93°F. Chance of precipitation is 70%. [NWS]