Location of a two-vehicle crash that killed motorcyclist on I-495 near Telegraph Road (via Google Maps)
A motorcyclist died yesterday (Wednesday) after colliding with a pickup truck on the Capital Beltway (I-495).
Around 3:54 p.m., Virginia State Police troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on the highway just west of Exit 176 to Telegraph Road in the Rose Hill area, according to a press release.
Green space outside Pupatella at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
New Heat Records for April 15 — “Record highs were set across the region with many spots topping 90 [yesterday] afternoon. The new records include D.C. at 90, Dulles Airport with 91 and Baltimore at 91. It’s the fourth record high this year for Washington.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Man Arrested After Brandishing Machete — “City of Fairfax police arrested a 54-year-old man at Hilltop Shopping Center on Friday after officers responded to a reported weapons violation at the Main Street plaza.” Reportedly seen “waving a machete,” the man was charged with being drunk in public, disorderly conduct and obstructing justice. [Patch]
Fire Outside Herndon Apartment Under Investigation — Fairfax County firefighters responded around 12:42 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) to the 13400 block of Coppermine Road for an outside fire that was spreading to a ground-floor apartment. “One patient was evaluated on scene. No firefighter injuries. Fire investigators are on scene working to determine the cause.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Some Dems Frustrated by Amendments — “Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee meeting hammered Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles, a member of Spanberger’s cabinet, Tuesday morning over the governor’s veto of a bill that would have legalized skill games and an amendment to the cannabis retail framework bill that would push the start of recreational sale to July 2027.” [Cardinal News]
Va. Backs Shift to Popular Vote — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill Monday that adds the state to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement among states to award their presidential electoral votes to the nationwide popular vote winner.” The bill pushes supporters’ closer to the 270 electoral votes needed to elect a president. [NPR]
No More Tax Breaks for Confederate Groups — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has signed into law a bill to end tax exemptions for a slate of Confederacy-related organizations in the state … The new law’s most significant target is the United Daughters of the Confederacy, founded in 1894 for descendants of Confederates.” [New York Times]
Dessert Cafe Makes U.S. Debut — “Dessert 39, a new café in Annandale, has been busy since it had a soft opening earlier this month. Manager Sean Oh says the shop has drawn crowds of people curious to try the first Dessert 39 shop outside Korea. Dessert 39 is located at 7326A Little River Turnpike in the space formerly occupied by the Manoa bakery and café.” [Annandale Today]
Housing Authority Offers Loans to First-Time Buyers — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) announced [on Tuesday, April 14] that it is offering down payment loans to qualified individuals for first-time home purchases. These loans are made possible by a grant from Virginia Housing.” Eligibility requirements include a household income at or below 80% of the area median. [FCRHA]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 92°F and a light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Night will be partly cloudy with a low around 69°F. There’s a 30% chance of showers, mainly after 2 a.m. [NWS]
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Expect mostly sunny weather with a high around 92 degrees and a light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with a low near 69 degrees, and there is a 30% chance of showers after 2 a.m. The wind will shift from southwest to west at 7 to 9 mph, with possible gusts up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Conceptual design for renovations at Daniels Run Elementary School (via City of Fairfax)
The Fairfax City school board appears skeptical of the idea of adding tens of millions in new costs to the upcoming renovation projects for Daniels Run and Providence elementary schools.
But during a special meeting on Monday (April 13), many members also made it clear that they don’t think the existing plans for Daniels Run go far enough.
The Race to Rebuild is a virtual self-paced Run, Walk, Cycle, Roll, to raise awareness of the Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) and recognize the recovery journey taken by trauma survivors. You can race on your own during the month of May or join Reston Hospital’s in-person team walk/run/roll at 10:30am on May 20th for National Trauma Survivor’s Day!
Please register by May 1st using the link below to ensure that you receive your T-shirt and other swag in time for our May 20th event! All proceeds are received by and benefit the TSN. Be sure to join Reston Hospital’s team when you do!
“The lines of citizens waiting outside to get in gave us protesters the opportunity to open discussions about the Bikeway,” said Philip Latasa, who helped organize the public information rally at the new government facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd.
Fairfax County Federation of Teachers president Emily VanDerhoff speaks at rally (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
A union representing some Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) employees rallied yesterday (Tuesday) for restoration of pay, benefits and staffing levels negotiated last year but not funded by county leaders.
“We’re here to make sure the Board of Supervisors knows … they cannot leave the schools behind,” Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) President Emily VanDerhoff said at the late-afternoon event, held in front of the Fairfax County Governmental Center.
Heat forecast for the D.C. region on April 15, 2026 (via National Weather Service)
Fairfax County will get an early taste of summer over the next couple of days, with temperatures expected to climb into the low to mid-90s.
While the D.C. region is no stranger to those temperatures, it would set records for this time of the year, the county government said on its emergency blog, urging residents to “take heat safety seriously” today and tomorrow (Thursday).
Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn with anti-casino forces in 2025 (courtesy Hunter Mill District Office)
Fairfax County supervisors opposed to a bill that would’ve allowed a casino in Tysons said this week they hope Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s veto of the legislation puts an end to the matter once and for all.
“This has been a distraction — our residents have been traumatized,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
The LEGO Star Wars SMART Play installation (photo courtesy of J Strategies)
A life-size Lego Star Wars experience will bring an immersive world to a Seven Corners business this weekend.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday (April 19), the neighborhood’s Target store, located at 6100 Arlington Blvd, will host the installation to commemorate the brand’s new SMART Play initiative.