Fairfax County voters will head to the polls Tuesday (Aug. 4) to cast their votes in Democratic and Republican primaries, which will determine nominees for the 2026 midterms.
Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters are not registered by party in Virginia, so they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As of Aug. 1, Fairfax County has over 817,000 registered voters.
Janet Howell, a former Democratic state senator who had represented parts of Fairfax County for decades, has died at age 82.
Howell was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 1991, taking office in 1992 as senator for the 32nd Senate District. The district included Reston, Tysons, Wolf Trap, northern Chantilly and portions of McLean and Arlington County. Before retiring on Jan. 10, 2024, Howell was the longest-serving woman in the state Senate alongside current President pro tempore Louise Lucas (D-18). When Democrats took control of the chamber in 2019, she was the first woman to chair the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
A new face on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to represent the Reston and Vienna area could be in place before the commission’s next meeting.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn will recommend Paul Thomas to be the district’s planning commissioner at the Aug. 25 Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting. With the board’s approval, Thomas would begin serving on Sept. 1.
One Fairfax County community recorded the most luxury-home sales this spring across the Mid-Atlantic region, according to new data.
More than 50% of transactions in McLean’s 22101 ZIP code — 76 of 144 — qualified as luxury sales during the second quarter of 2026, under criteria laid down by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.
‘Vienna Cloud’ Data Center Proposal Submitted to Fairfax County — “A proposal to turn two old buildings and a parking garage near Tysons into a new data center site called “Vienna Cloud” is requesting exceptions to Fairfax County, Virginia’s rules for such facilities. The parking garage and buildings are located at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive, and Serverfarm, the developer, aims to transform the site into a “completely modernized, architecturally refined, state-of-the-art office/data center,” according to Jill Parks, an attorney for the applicant.” [WTOP]
Fairfax City Council Approves Accessory Dwelling Unit Policy — “Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are smaller residences located on the same property as a primary home. Fairfax City has allowed ADUs within or attached to homes, but the newly approved amendments also permit them in separate structures.” [Patch]
Fiery Crash on North Section of GW Parkway — “The crash happened around 1 a.m. in Arlington County, reportedly near the Parkway’s second overlook. Initial reports suggest that one driver was pulled from their burning vehicle by a U.S. Park Police officer, while the other was trapped and extricated by firefighters after a rescue operation.” [ARLnow]
Several Lawmakers Call for Moratorium on New Data Centers — “The calls to stop data center growth in the data center capital of the world are getting louder as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle get behind calls for a statewide moratorium. Some lawmakers said Virginia has to stop approving new data centers altogether until the impacts on water, electricity and other issues are figured out first.” [NBC Washington]
County Releases Demographics Report — “Our population and housing inventory continued to grow during 2024, while median home values climbed over 6% between January 2024 and January 2025, according to the newly released Demographic Reports 2025.” [Fairfax County/X]
Gov. Spanberger Restores Rights to 60,000 Former Felons — “The 66,085 Virginians whose rights have been restored may now vote, serve on juries, run for public office and become notaries public. The announcement comes about seven weeks before early voting begins for the 2026 midterm elections, which include a constitutional referendum that could largely remove Virginia governors from the restoration process.” [Virginia Mercury]
Headliners for Fall for the Book Festival Announced — “Fall for the Book returns for its 28th Annual Festival with worldwide bestsellers taking the headline stage. On Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m., horror icon and author of over 30 novels and collections, Stephen Graham Jones will discuss body of work including his historical vampiric novel, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter … On Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m., Celeste Ng will discuss her bestselling novels, Little Fires Everywhere, Everything I Never Told You, and most recently, Our Missing Hearts.” [Fall for the Book]
It’s Monday — Expect showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with the highest likelihood between 3pm and 4pm. It will be mostly cloudy and around 86°F, with a southwest wind at 7 mph. Precipitation chance is 60%, and rainfall could be heavier in storms. Overnight, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers until 1am. The low will be around 69°F, with calm winds shifting to the north at 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
The political action committee associated with the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce is likely not to consider until next year whether to endorse candidates in Fairfax County’s 2027 Board of Supervisors’ elections.
“Trustees would likely not make that decision until the spring,” Clayton Medford, senior vice president of government relations for the Northern Virginia Chamber, said in response to an FFXnow inquiry.
The Barns at Wolf Trap will open a fully renovated third historic barn, disassembled and moved earlier this year from its longtime home in Loudoun County, this fall.
The 2,500 square foot building — constructed in the early 1900s and now called “The Virginian Barn” — will provide additional space for dining, special events, gatherings, and private rentals starting in November. Restrooms and kitchen space have been added inside.
One of Northern Virginia’s most historic places of worship has submitted plans to Fairfax County officials for the construction of housing on part of its grounds.
The proposal by Pohick Episcopal Church and Christopher Land LLC seeks to rezone about 17.5 acres on western portions of the 43-acre church parcel at 9301 Richmond Highway in Lorton to construct a new subdivision called Cunningham Woods Reserve.
Specifics remain vague on how the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) plans to fund the $22.5 billion proposed Dulles International Airport expansion plan announced July 29 at the White House.
Neither MWAA officials nor those representing dominant Dulles carrier United Airlines offered further details when asked by FFXnow on how the expansion plan could impact the existing operating agreement between the authority and airlines using Dulles.
An Alexandria man is facing multiple charges following a non-fatal shooting in the Groveton area, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Rusbel Alberto Argueta, 19, of Alexandria, is charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm within 1000 feet of an elementary school.
