News

No Changes to Va. Vaccine Rules — “After President Donald Trump issued an order seeking more spaced out childhood vaccinations, the Virginia Department of Health joined other medical experts in backing the existing childhood vaccination schedule … VDH said the executive order does not change Virginia’s school immunization requirements, which include two doses each of measles and mumps shots and one rubella dose.” [ALXnow]

Task Force Deployed to Colombia — “Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue team landed in Bogotá, Colombia, on Wednesday to assist after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the area. A 10-person disaster coordination and structural engineering assessment team was deployed in support of the U.S. Department of State’s response to the disaster.” [WUSA9]

Herndon Man Charged With Kidnapping — “A Herndon man accused of abducting an acquaintance at knifepoint and leading police on a pursuit through three jurisdictions has been arrested on federal carjacking and kidnapping charges, court records show.” The man also still faces state-level charges related to robbery, domestic assault, reckless driving and driving without a license. [Patch]

Police Crack Down on Reptile Theft Ring — “Two men are facing charges in connection with an organized theft scheme that led to the theft of more than 60 reptiles from multiple stores in Maryland and Virginia … Fairfax Police first began looking into the thefts after officers were called to a Petco on Richmond Highway in Groveton on May 21. Officers learned two suspects walked into the store and stole four pythons from the reptile habitat.” [WUSA9]

Reston Media Analytics Firm Plans Layoffs — Comscore “is making ‘substantial’ headcount reductions, executive salary cuts and a possible decrease in its footprint” after reporting a net loss of $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2026. The company didn’t comment on how many workers will be affected overall or at its Reston headquarters, but pay cuts will include a 20% reduction to CEO Matt McLaughlin’s $625,000 base salary. [Washington Business Journal]

Regional Downturn in Public School Enrollment — Fairfax County, Prince William and Loudoun public schools all reported drops in student enrollment last year compared to the 2024-2025 and 2022-2023 academic years. “Declining birth rates, immigration and migration patterns and housing costs are all playing a role in fewer students enrolling in public schools, experts said.” [WTOP]

Advocates on Abortion Referendum — “As Virginians vote this fall on whether to put enshrine protections for abortion and other reproductive healthcare at the highest level — the state constitution — advocates on either side are presenting familiar, and newer, arguments on the issue.” [VPM News]

New Vietnamese Restaurant at Eden Center — “Restaurateur couple Thao Tran and Tin Truong want to add a slightly more upscale date-night spot to the mix” at the Falls Church retail hub. “Their new restaurant, Tam Tam Brunch and Dinner, has a trendy bistro vibe, with a menu spanning from a citrusy salmon crudo to abalone soup to a variety of hot pots.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 90 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. During the night, the weather will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]

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Death Investigation in Herndon — “Officers responded [on Tuesday, Aug. 11] to a death investigation in the 1200-block of Bond St. There is no threat to the public and no further information at this time,” though a police spokesperson confirmed no criminal activity is suspected. [Herndon Police/Facebook]

Apple Settles Discrimination Claims — “Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s claims that the manager of a retail store [in Reston] made antisemitic comments and denied ​a Jewish longtime employee’s requests for time off before firing him.” [Reuters]

Sweetgreen Adding Drive-Thru in McLean — “Sweetgreen built its D.C.-born brand around millennials and downtown professionals. Nearly 20 years later, the homegrown chain says its future looks more like McLean. Its newest concept — launching Aug. 20 — is the region’s first ‘Sweetlane,’ a drive-thru pickup.” The McLean location will be the company’s fourth overall to add a drive-thru lane. [Axios DC]

Herndon Engineering Firm to be Acquired — “Bernhard Capital Partners, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, private equity firm, has struck a deal to acquire Bowman [Consulting Group] for $1 billion in cash — or $43 per share — and take it private. The acquisition, announced Monday, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2027 — unless Bowman (NASDAQ: BWMN) receives a better offer” by Sept. 13. [Washington Business Journal]

Community Hub Launches in Culmore — “Free toys for kids, resources for adults, and free food for everyone: that’s the concept of the Unity in the Community event in Culmore. George Mason University’s Place-Based Initiative and the Mason Police District sponsored the event,” which took place on Monday, Aug. 10 to celebrate the launch of PBI’s Culmore Community Health and Wellness Hub at a local church. [Annandale Today]

Rehab Center Opens in Burke — “Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center has opened two new Sentara Therapy Centers in Manassas and Burke, expanding access to rehabilitation and physical therapy services for residents throughout Prince William and the region … The Manassas facility is at 9962 Liberia Ave., while the Burke center is at 9520 Burke Road.” [Inside NoVA]

Tysons Contractor Hired to Build Football Stadium — “McLean-based Clark Construction Group, Minneapolis-based Mortenson Co. and D.C.-based Smoot Construction Co. will lead construction of the 1.8-million-square-foot, 70,000-seat stadium, the Commanders announced Tuesday. Site work began in June, led by the same trio, and construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2027.” [WBJ]

D.C. Chefs to Serve Some Dulles Flights — “Two Washington, D.C., chefs are bringing new dishes to international flights from Dulles through United Airlines’ collaboration with Chef’s Table, the brand behind the acclaimed Netflix culinary series … The dishes are available beginning in August on nearly two dozen long-haul flights from Dulles that serve lunch or dinner.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 87°F. Night will have a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m. Skies will be mostly cloudy before clearing, with temperatures dropping to around 70°F. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.