It hasn’t taken long for Fairfax County food banks to feel the effects of the federal government shutdown.
More empty shelves than expected greeted Rep. James Walkinshaw during a visit to Food for Others in Merrifield yesterday (Monday). He had stopped by the Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ food pantry in Chantilly earlier that day.
One portion of a stream restoration project running through southeastern Fairfax County is now underway, affecting operations at the Greendale Golf Course (6700 Telegraph Road) in Rose Hill until spring 2027.
Launched yesterday (Monday), the Dogue Creek Stream Restoration Project has been years in the making and will temporarily close hole 5 until March 2026, hole 6 until March 2027 and transition hole 7 from a par 5 to a par 3 until March 2026. Players are also asked not to retrieve golf balls that land in construction zones.
Longtime McLean resident and former vice president Dick Cheney has died, leaving behind a legacy largely defined by his advocacy for the U.S.’s invasion of Iraq and expansion of the surveillance state that followed 9/11.
Cheney died Monday due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday in a statement.
A mix of pride and gratitude filled the voices of the government and nonprofit officials who spoke at a ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday (Monday) for Fairfax City’s latest housing project.
Speaker after speaker emphasized the array of contributors whose shared belief that housing should be a basic right, not a privilege, paved the road to construction for Beacon Landing, a 54-unit apartment building for people who are at risk of or experiencing chronic homelessness.
Voters across Virginia are now casting their Election Day ballots, but many in Fairfax County have no need for a last-minute trip to their polling place.
Just shy of 190,000 voters in Fairfax County cast a ballot during the early voting period, which ran from Sept. 19 through 5 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 1). That’s a jump of 7.4% compared to 2021, which is the last time the three statewide races were on the ballot.
At least 70 people were evacuated from a Fair Oaks movie theater on Sunday (Nov. 2) after a mass shooting threat was reported to law enforcement.
The threat, which was later determined to be non-credible, was received by staff at the Regal Cinemas in Fairfax Towne Center (4110 West Ox Road, Suite 12110) around 8 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Options for Disposing of Pumpkins — “Don’t trash your pumpkins — compost or recycle them instead … Washingtonians have plenty of eco-friendly ways to chuck pumpkins through November,” including “Pumpkin Madness” catapulting events coming this weekend at Centreville’s Cox Farms. [Axios DC]
No Pumpkin Recycling at Frying Pan — Frying Pan Farm Park, however, isn’t accepting pumpkins for recycling this year. “Instead of bringing them here, turn your leftover Halloween pumpkins and gourds into something useful! Now through mid-November, you can drop them off at the I-66 Transfer Station,” where they will be processed for composting or to feed livestock. [Friends of Frying Pan/Instagram]
How N. Va. Could Influence Election — “Democrats currently have a slim majority in Virginia’s House of Delegates, and two competitive Northern Virginia races could help determine which party controls that chamber of the state’s General Assembly,” according to University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, who also says “turnout in Northern Virginia is one of the key things to monitor.” [WTOP]
FCPD Launches Gift Card Drive — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) is proud to announce the launch of its 12th Annual Holiday Gift Card Drive, an initiative dedicated to supporting child victims and witnesses of domestic violence, sexual violence, and families grieving the loss of a loved one to homicide.” Gift card donations can be dropped off or mailed to the division until Dec. 19. [FCPD]
Renovated Hybla Valley Park Opens — “More fun, more play! The Hybla Valley Park is officially OPEN! The newly renovated park is packed with awesome features for everyone,” such as dedicated futsal and basketball courts, a new playground “suitable for all ages and abilities” and updated site furnishings. [Fairfax County Park Authority/Facebook]
Troubled Trail Project Costs Rise — “Following a lengthy discussion during Tuesday night’s work session, the Fairfax City Council delayed making a decision on how to address the additional $4.6 million in construction costs required to build the controversial George Snyder Trail.” The council had voted in June to continue with the project as is after debating potentially canceling or downsizing it. [Patch]
Dulles Could Add Direct Service to Taiwan — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority recently secured a five-year agreement with Taoyuan International Airport Corp. “that commits both sides to conduct market research, airline outreach and marketing campaigns to build the case for a nonstop Dulles-Taipei connection.” The agreement could pave the way for other long-haul, nonstop flights to Asia that were halted during the pandemic. [Washington Business Journal]
The Wiggles Tour to Stop in Tysons — “The group’s new Tree of Wisdom Spectacular Tour is heading to North America. And The Wiggles will be stopping in Tysons on August 18, 2026. The performance at Capital One Hall is just one of 17 planned for across the continent.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature of around 62, accompanied by west winds blowing at 8-11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. As night falls on Tuesday, there will be mostly clear skies with lows close to 41, with west winds gradually calming at around 5 mph. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Government Center will be open tomorrow (Tuesday) for election voting and little else.
Most government facilities will be closed for Election Day, which is a designated holiday for the county. Operations affected by the closures include all Fairfax County Public Library branches and Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) programs.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
SASKATOON, Canada (AP) — U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin broke the world record for the free skate in winning Skate Canada with ease on Sunday, keeping his two-year unbeaten streak intact and underscoring his status as favorite to win Olympic gold at the Milano-Cortina Games.
As early voting in Virginia’s November elections came to a close on Saturday (Nov. 1), Fairfax Del. Dan Helmer (D-10) was on the road in a final push to secure a victory not just for himself, but for Democratic candidates across the state.
As the campaigns chair for the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, a role he landed based on his defeat of Fairfax County’s last Republican delegate, Tim Hugo, in 2019, Helmer has been tasked with overseeing races in all 100 House districts — every single one of which will have a Democrat on the ballot.
