Fairfax County planners are fine with a Maryland developer jettisoning retail options for two all-residential buildings at Kingstowne Towne Center near Alexandria.
At its March 18 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of Halle Companies’ proposal to convert a parking lot into 646 units at the shopping center.
One Injured in Centreville House Fire — Fairfax County firefighters responded to the 13300 block of Regal Crest Drive at 1:23 p.m. yesterday (Sunday) after receiving “multiple reports of a single-family home on fire … One civilian was transported with non-life- threatening injuries. There were no firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Hundreds Participate in ‘No Kings’ Protests — “The ‘No Kings’ movement made its way to Northern Virginia Saturday, where dozens of protests were held. Hundreds of people took to the streets in Alexandria, Fairfax, Springfield, and other communities across the Commonwealth to rally against the Trump administration’s policies.” Rallies were also held in D.C., where protestors mingled with National Cherry Blossom Festival attendees. [NBC4]
Limited Action by Va. on Tax Bills — “Dozens of bills that could have increased taxes for Virginians were introduced at the start of the 2026 General Assembly session. A handful of statewide measures survived the session cull and are headed to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk,” including taxes related to the legalization of retail marijuana sales and fantasy and skill gaming. [Cardinal News]
Carvana Exploring Springfield Dealership — “Tempe, Arizona-based Carvana is exploring the takeover of a 20,000-square-foot shuttered car dealership [at 6570 Amherst Avenue] in Springfield for a new sales operation, according to paperwork filed with county planning staff.” The company primarily sells vehicles online, but it also has “vending machine towers” in Gaithersburg and Richmond, and operates a storage yard and warehouse on Alban Road in Newington. [Washington Business Journal]
Va. Rejoins Multistate Voter Roll System — “Prominent voting rights advocates are applauding a new executive order returning Virginia to a multistate voter roll program and limiting when voters can be removed from the rolls before elections.” Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s executive order, signed last week, reversed a 2023 decision by her predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). [ARLnow]
Woman Honored for Mount Vernon Slavery Memorial — The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association recently honored Leesburg native Sheila Coates for advocating for George Washington’s Mount Vernon to recognize the lives of the people enslaved on the plantation. “A memorial was designed and installed. And the annual October wreath-laying ceremony started in 1983 was made permanent thanks to Coates’ persistence.” [NBC4]
N. Va. Restauranteurs Share Fave Spots — “We asked NoVA’s top culinary talent where they eat when they’re off the clock. From fine dining to ice cream that’s worthy of a special occasions, this is where chefs eat.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Award for Rec Center Energy Upgrades — “The Fairfax County Park Authority was honored with a Governor’s Environmental Award in recognition of its energy upgrades at the Spring Hill Rec Center on March 24 at the Environment Virginia Symposium in Richmond. The awards program recognizes successful and innovative efforts that improve Virginia’s environment.” [FCPA]
It’s Monday — Expect a 40% chance of showers, with partly sunny skies and a high near 69°F. Winds will come from the southwest at around 14 mph, with gusts reaching up to 24 mph. Monday night will be mostly cloudy, with a 30% chance of showers after 2 a.m. and a low around 59°F. Southwest winds will blow at about 10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. [NWS]
Fairfax County police are investigating a fight at the South Lakes Village Center in Reston that ended with one teen in the hospital.
Officers were dispatched shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday (March 27) to the Sunoco gas station at 11190 South Lakes Drive for an incident initially reported as a stabbing, according to the police scanner.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could soon receive a staff proposal on potentially consolidating “placemaking groups” that promote either the county as a whole or specific communities in it.
County Executive Bryan Hill said he expects to detail his proposals to elected officials later this spring.
Fairfax County officials are seeking public feedback on a proposed walkway along Idylwood Road to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.
The project will replace existing sidewalk and asphalt trail segments to form a continuous walkway along the northwest side of the road, extending about 100 feet of sidewalk east of Idylwood Court and 170 feet of trail west of Hillside Drive.
A coalition of homeowners associations and civic groups is pressing Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to veto legislation allowing a casino in Tysons.
“Residents are deeply concerned about the potential impacts on traffic congestion, public safety, neighborhood character and the well-being of families in surrounding communities. These concerns come from people who would live with the consequences of this decision every day,” said the letter, provided to FFXnow by the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance.
Two years after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a sedan in Hybla Valley, the alleged driver is facing criminal charges.
An unnamed 16-year-old has been charged with manslaughter and hit-and-run — both felonies — for their role in the March 10, 2024, crash that killed 63-year-old James Johnson, the Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Thursday).
Driver Charged in Beltway Hit-and-Run — “A hit-and-run pursuit led to a crash and driver’s subsequent arrest in the Alexandria section of the Capital Beltway this morning (Thursday), Virginia State Police say. The crash shut down all southbound I-495 lanes near Van Dorn Street,” leading to rush-hour backups that reportedly extended as far as 12 miles. [ALXnow]
‘No Kings’ Protests Return Tomorrow — “The third national ‘No Kings’ protest is being held this Saturday starting at 10 AM. Among the more than 3,000 rallies and protests planned in all 50 states, a number will be held locally, including” one to the Washington Monument. Fairfax locations include Reston, Vienna, Fair Lakes, Fairfax City, Annandale, Burke, Franconia, Springfield and Fort Hunt. [Washingtonian]
Equal Pay Bill on Governor’s Desk — “For years, Sen. Jennifer Boysko has returned to the same piece of legislation, Virginia’s proposed Equal Pay Act, pushing it session after session through a divided state government, only to see it stall or fall to a veto.” Passed by the General Assembly last month along party lines, Senate Bill 215 would ban employers from asking for job applicants’ pay history and require them to advertise salary ranges in job postings, among other steps. [Virginia Mercury]
D.C. Region’s Population Growing — Despite slowing international migration, the D.C. region’s population grew by more than 50,000 people last year to an estimated 6.46 million, as of July 1, 2025, new U.S. Census Bureau data shows. The population has increased four years in a row now, with Fairfax County seeing a 0.7% uptick to 1,167,873 and Fairfax City growing by 2.82% to 26,772 people, the biggest gain in the region. [Washington Business Journal]
Nat Geo Museum Coming to D.C. — “D.C.’s most-anticipated new museum finally has an opening date: the National Geographic Museum of Exploration debuts June 26. The $300 million transformation of Nat Geo’s 140-year-old campus near downtown has been years in the making — and it’s not your typical museum.” [Axios DC]
Westfield Leads All-State Basketball Honors — “Westfield senior guard Jemon Price is the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 Boys Player of the Year, and Westfield head coach Kevin Harris is the Class 6 Coach of the Year.” With the Bulldogs since 2023, Harris led the team “to a 30-1 record and the school’s second state championship with a 48-44 win over Landstown in the finals” this winter. [Inside NoVA]
Cherry Blossoms Added to Springfield Lego Display — “From the Tidal Basin to Northern Virginia, cherry trees are showing off their pretty pink blossoms all around the region. And through April 30, you can see them in miniature at the Lego Discovery Center in Springfield.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
New Options Coming to Reston Food Hall — “Pop Salad and El Diez Mexican Bowls [are] coming to Reston’s Wonder location at 11690 Plaza America Drive on April 15.” As suggested by their names, the former serves full-sized salads, while the latter takes a similar fast-casual approach to Mexican rice bowls. [Patch]
It’s Friday — Expect rain throughout the day with temperatures dropping to 49°F by 5 pm and north winds up to 23 mph. An 80% chance of rain will dip to 60% in the evening, mainly before 7 pm, with skies turning partly cloudy overnight and a low of 33°F. [NWS]
Laasya Mohan, a fourth-grader at Floris Elementary School in Herndon, won the 2026 Fairfax County Spelling Bee on Sunday (March 22).
Mohan, who is 9, and first runner-up Aadhya Vijayakumar, 13, an eighth-grader at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly, will both advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in late May.
Fairfax County police are charging a man from Arlington County with burglarizing two different restaurants in the Tysons area more than half a year apart.
Back on Aug. 23, 2025, officers responded around 1:17 p.m. to a reported burglary at Pupatella Pizza (2980 District Avenue) in Merrifield’s Mosaic District, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
