Fairfax County Public Schools Bus Driver Supervisor Lei Shi demonstrates how students will check in with their ID card (via FCPS/YouTube)
Fairfax County Public Schools’ integration of technology into its operations will extend to its transportation system in the coming academic year.
New identification cards that can be used to track when students get on and off a school bus will be rolled out across the division when the 2026-2027 school year starts on Aug. 24, FCPS announced on Tuesday (July 21).
The Robert Wiehle House in Reston was damaged by a storm on July 5, 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
One of the oldest buildings in Reston is at risk of falling into disrepair after a tree on a neighboring property toppled on its roof during a storm that swept through the area on July 5.
Built in the 1890s, the two-story Robert Wiehle House has endured more than a century of fluctuating weather and suburban development, still standing at 1830 Old Reston Avenue even as condominiums and apartments sprouted up around it.
A Virginia State Police cruiser stopped on a highway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A Virginia State Police trooper and a teen driver were taken to a hospital yesterday (Wednesday) following a high-speed chase on I-95 across the Fairfax and Prince William county border.
After receiving an alert for a reportedly stolen vehicle heading south on I-395 in Fairfax County at around 1:21 a.m., “several” troopers located the driver on southbound I-95 just south of the Springfield Mixing Bowl and unsuccessfully attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop, according to the VSP.
A bicyclist near the historic Washington & Old Dominion Railroad train depot in Vienna (photo by Amy Woolsey)
Dulles Airport Roads to Close Overnight — “Construction alert: Arrivals & departures roadways will be closed at the Main Terminal from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday this week for construction. Drivers should follow the detour to rideshare lanes for passenger pick up and drop off. Allow extra time.” [Dulles Airport/X]
Former CIA Director Dies — “R. James Woolsey Jr., a Rhodes Scholar and lawyer who led the CIA and the rest of America’s intelligence community for two troubled years during the Clinton administration, as the nation’s spy services struggled to adapt to the post-Cold War era, died Tuesday at his home in Washington. He was 84.” [Washington Post]
Assault Gun Sales Resume — “Gun shops across Virginia resumed sales of assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines [on Tuesday, July 21] after a statewide injunction blocking enforcement of the new ban officially took effect.” Multiple lawsuits challenging the state’s restrictions, including one filed by the Trump administration, are still working their way through the court system. [WSET]
Va. Drivers See Gas Prices Soar — “Virginia households have paid $573 more for gas since the U.S.–Iran war began in late February, a recent congressional report found, placing them among the citizens who have experienced the highest fuel costs jump in the nation … According to the report, Virginians have paid $1.8 billion more for gas since February.” [Virginia Mercury]
Algae Bloom Spotted in Lake Anne — “RA’s watershed team has discovered a small amount of blue-green algae in areas around Lake Anne … At this time, there are currently no restrictions on boating or fishing, but [stand-up paddleboard] rentals have been temporarily suspended on Lake Anne. Members are advised to avoid contact with lake water.” [Reston Association]
Culmore Clinic Relocating Again — “Five months after the Culmore Clinic moved to a temporary location in Bailey’s Crossroads while a new permanent space is being constructed, it’s being forced to move again … The Culmore Clinic’s new space will be located in a 13-story high-rise office building at 6400 Arlington Blvd., Suite 940B, at the Seven Corners interchange.” [Annandale Today]
More Housing Considered Near Fairfax Border — “The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday voted to initiate — albeit not yet approve — two sprawling comprehensive plan amendments” for 256-acre Manassas Preserve and 293-acre Catharpin Valley Estates developments that, combined, could “bring nearly 4,000 new homes to western Prince William.” [Inside NoVA]
Metro Reviews Possible Train Platform Doors — “Metro released renderings of train platform doors that could soon be coming to D.C. Train platform doors are a part of WMATA’s rail modernization plan. They’re used for extra safety, preventing anyone from falling, being pushed or jumping into the train tracks.” [WUSA9]
It’s Thursday — The weather will be partly sunny in the morning, becoming fully sunny later in the day, with a high of around 80°F. Expect a gentle north wind at 5 to 7 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to about 63°F and calm winds. [NWS]
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Eliseo Perez (courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)
A special education teacher at Cooper Middle School has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a student.
Administrators at the school in McLean (977 Balls Hill Road) were alerted on June 4 to “concerns regarding inappropriate behavior” involving a teacher, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
A squad of battle droids (Courtesy Theresa Jacobs Foundation)
A Lake Braddock Secondary School art teacher spent 30 years sharing her passion for painting, photography, and pottery with students — a legacy that her family has carried on for nearly a decade through whimsical, often high-tech educational creations.
When Theresa Jacobs passed away from a fast-growing cancer in 2017, her son Eric Jacobs, a Fairfax County native, wanted to honor her love for learning and ignite that same spark in others.
VIP traveler at airport (via Ellen Jenni/Unsplash)
Travelers seeking the VIP treatment at Dulles International Airport — and willing to pay for it — will have another option in coming years.
The board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) approved a 20-year contract on July 15 with DAA International Ltd to develop and operate a remote VIP passenger facility at the airport.
A rendering of the proposed Signature Park for The Mile in Tysons (via VIKA Virginia/Fairfax County)
In the future, residents of The Mile in Tysons might be able to grab a bite to eat, take their kids to a playground and watch a concert all within their own 5-acre neighborhood park.
A cafe with food trucks, a signature playground and a plaza with a stage are among the amenities being proposed by property owner and developer Link Logistics for The Mile’s “Signature Park,” according to a final development plan (FDP) recently submitted to Fairfax County.
The proposed Aurora Station at Dulles development near the Innovation Center Metro station (via VIKA Virginia/Fairfax County)
A major mixed-use development proposed near the Innovation Center Metro station still needs some work more than three years after the developer first asked Fairfax County for permission to revise its plans.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred a vote last week (July 16) on whether to recommend approval of the proposed Aurora Station at Dulles development until its Sept. 16 meeting.