Residents, reporters and other interested members of the public now have one less option for keeping track of police activity in Fairfax County and Fairfax City.

The City of Fairfax Police Department announced Friday (July 10) that it is encrypting its primary police dispatch radio channel, so the feed will no longer available through public scanners or online radio streaming services, such as Open MHz.


The Spectrum at Reston Town Center parking lot at sunset (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Man Sentenced for Halloween Shooting — “A 31-year-old man who opened fire at a 2020 Dale City Halloween party, killing two guests and wounding two others, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Karriem Jackson was sentenced July 10 by Circuit Judge Robert Coleman, receiving a total of 198 years with 55 years suspended, resulting in 143 years of active prison time.” [Inside NoVA]

Va. Joins Rooftop Solar Initiative — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced that Virginia is partnering with the nonprofit Switch Together to help bring down the cost of solar array purchases for homeowners who want to install them on their homes … The organization acquires the solar arrays through a reverse auction where the seller tries to outbid other companies, which allows homeowners to then buy the solar panels for a reduced rate.” [Virginia Mercury]

Townhouse Fire Under Investigation — Fairfax County firefighters responded just after 10 a.m. yesterday (Monday) to a fire in a three-story townhouse garage in the 5800 block of Iron Willow Court in the Kingstowne area. “Units were able to contain the majority of the fire to the garage and to the fire unit occupancy … No firefighter or civilian injuries. Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Walk for Peace Enters Fairfax — “A man with three goats has been seen walking through Fairfax in recent days with a heavily loaded wagon. According to news reports, his name is Jacob Holiday, and he’s walking across the country to Washington, D.C., with the goal of singing the John Lennon song ‘Imagine’ at the Capitol steps to promote peace.” [Annandale Today]

Union Protests Waymo’s D.C. Plans — “Waymo and competitors including Uber and Lyft sat down before the D.C. Council on Monday for a hearing on the future of autonomous vehicles in the District. Outside the Wilson Building, union members said many human drivers will lose their jobs if D.C. gives self-driving taxis the green light.” [NBC4]

LEGO Display Coming to Tysons — “A new interactive LEGO display highlighting Fairfax County’s history, landmarks and communities will open later this month at Tysons Corner Center as part of the county’s 250th anniversary celebration.” The exhibit will be formally unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22. [Patch]

Meeting on Chantilly Library Relocated — “Fairfax County is in the very early concept stage of exploring the possibility of redeveloping the Chantilly Regional Library site to include a new regional library, affordable housing, and a new technical operations facility … Due to high demand for the first community meeting, the county has moved the location to the Chantilly High School cafeteria.” [Sull-E Newsletter]

Seven Corners Teens Learn to Code — “Twenty-six middle and high school students from the Willston area of Seven Corners completed a free one-week Coding Bootcamp on July 10 hosted by Communidad. The program, held at the Willston Multicultural Center, introduces students to programming fundamentals, machine learning concepts, and real-world problem-solving through project-based activities.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Tuesday — The weather will be sunny, with temperatures reaching a high of 91°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to the southwest at about 5 mph in the afternoon. At night, skies will remain clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72°F and southwest winds at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]

Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.


The U.S. Department of Justice will be keeping a close eye on Fairfax County’s upcoming Aug. 4 Congressional primaries.

The county is one of two jurisdictions in Virginia, along with Prince William County, where the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division plans to send election monitors, VPM News and the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported today (Monday).


Fairfax County home sales increased year-over-year during the first six months of 2026, with average, median and per-square-foot sales prices also up.

A total of 6,289 residential properties changed hands between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to figures reported Friday (July 10) by MarketStats by ShowingTime.


Fairfax County will see significant growth in its 65-and-older population over the coming 20 years, according to newly released government estimates.

The county’s senior population is expected to grow from about 190,000 today to about 320,000 by 2045, significantly outpacing total county population growth.


The Fairfax County Police Department has charged a Fair Oaks man in connection with his wife’s death after she died from gunshot wounds last night (July 12).

Leland Jameson, 64, has been charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.


A Woodbridge man could spend as many as 15 years in prison after pleading guilty last week to possessing a gun despite having a felony conviction on his record, the U.S. Justice Department says.

Khari Wheeler, 27, was arrested on Feb. 18 of this year after a loaded gun “fell from his person” while he was allegedly attempting to flee Fairfax County police officers at an apartment community in Herndon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


Stepping stones lead to a statue of a bear at Franconia District Park (photo by Amy Woolsey)

Update: Man Shot by Police Identified — Fairfax City police have publicly released the identity of a man who was shot by an officer outside the local Wawa early Saturday morning (July 11). The man, who was allegedly holding a knife at the time of the shooting, remains in the hospital in critical condition, as of noon yesterday (Sunday). [FFXnow]

Family Displaced by Lorton Fire — “A family is displaced after a fire broke out at a Lorton home Friday afternoon. Just after 1 p.m., firefighters with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to a reported house fire in the 9200 block of Blu Steel Way.” The family of six had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported. [DC News Now]

Child Seen Dangling From Six-Story Window — “A toddler was rescued after firefighters said he was found dangling from a sixth-floor window in Seven Corners. According to Fairfax County Fire, crews were called to the 3100 block of South Manchester Street around 3:15 p.m. The firefighters used a drone to find the apartment, before they broke down the door and pulled the child to safety.” [WUSA9]

Confusion Over Cannabis Retail Sales — “Virginia’s decision to revive legal cannabis sales through the state budget instead of standalone legislation has triggered several days of confusion over the commonwealth’s marijuana laws, with lawmakers, local prosecutors, Virginia State Police and legislative officials offering differing interpretations of when key provisions take effect.” [Virginia Mercury]

Va. Allows Crossing and Stop Sign Cameras — “As Virginia communities gain the authority to use automated cameras to enforce stop-sign and pedestrian-crossing violations, privacy advocates and law enforcement officials are offering sharply different views on what the technology means for public safety and civil liberties.” Fairfax County police says they have no plans to deploy Flock Safety-affiliated cameras at crossings or stop signs, noting that the existing speed camera and license plate reader programs are separate. [Fairfax County Times]

What El Nino Could Mean for Fairfax — “A major shift is taking shape in the Pacific Ocean, and it could shape the weather Fairfax County sees through the rest of 2026 and into next winter … El Niño does not affect every region the same way, and its effect on Virginia weather is real but not as strong as in other parts of the country. Still, there are some patterns worth watching.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

AI Company Signs Reston Station Lease — “Virtualitics, headquartered in Pasadena since its founding in 2016, has signed a 3,000-square-foot office lease at Reston Station … according to a joint press release from the company and the development’s owner, Comstock Holding Companies. The new office places Virtualitics among the defense contractors and federal agencies concentrated in Northern Virginia — a region central to the company’s growing government business.” [Pasadena Now]

More Route 29 Lane Closures — Weather permitting, daytime and nighttime lane closures are planned on stretches of Route 29 between Union Mill Road and Fairfax County Parkway through Friday, July 24 to allow work on the years-long project to widen the road from Union Mill to Buckley’s Gate Drive. “Both daytime and nighttime drivers should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.” [VDOT]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of around 84°F. During the night, the weather will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to about 65°F and a light southeast wind. [NWS]


A Fairfax City police officer shot a man who was allegedly armed with a knife at Wawa shortly after midnight today (Saturday).

City of Fairfax Police officers were dispatched to the convenience store at 9700 Fairfax Blvd at around 12:07 a.m. after 911 received a call about a man wielding a knife inside the business.


Virginia is creating a new office focused on studying the impacts of climate change, and it will be housed at George Mason University.

Mason was authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office by a provision in the state budget that took effect on July 1 after last-minute negotiations between Gov. Abigail Spanberger and the General Assembly. The governor ultimately signed the two-year spending plan into law on June 29 — just before the end of the fiscal year.


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