Vienna’s Patrick Henry Library is officially being torn down to make way for a more up-to-date and arguably more attractive replacement.
Construction crews began demolishing the one-story library building — which opened at 101 Maple Street East 54 years ago — late last month, slightly ahead of the most recent project timeline shared by Fairfax County Public Library.
The new year is expected to bring ongoing, but slower, increases in home prices across Fairfax County.
“The prices are going to continue to rise, but slightly, not nearly the rate of increase we’ve seen in other years,” said Terry Clower of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. “It’s not going to be as dramatic.”
Summer starts here, and it’s packed with something for everyone. Join us at Reston Station for a season of free, family-friendly events designed to keep your calendar full and your nights unforgettable. From fitness and live music to movies under the stars, this is where summer comes to life.
BELOVED YOGA
Monday & Wednesday Nights
May 27 – September 2
TRAMPOLINE FITNESS
HOSTED BY VIDA FITNESS
Every Tuesday Night
June 2 – September 1
LIVE MUSIC
Friday Nights
May 29 – September 25
ALL-AMERICAN MOVIE MAGIC & MORE
Saturday Nights
June 6 – August 29
Visit our website for the full schedule and details.
Reston Parkway will be one lane narrower over the next couple of weeks, as repairs continue on the bridge over the Dulles Toll Road.
Starting at 9 a.m. today (Monday), the parkway’s right northbound lane will be closed along the bridge, shifting the other northbound lanes to the left, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Friday (Jan. 2).
Mental health shapes how we lead, love, work, parent, communicate, and show up in the world—yet too often, these conversations stay hidden.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, join local nonprofit Rock Recovery for Strength Not Stigma—an unforgettable evening of honest conversation, community, and impact.
New NASA Head on Proposed Space Shuttle Move — “There’s a new NASA administrator in the Trump administration. And just a few weeks into his role, Jared Isaacman has already shared his thoughts on the controversial plan to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Texas,” telling CNBC that NASA could send another spacecraft to the Johnson Space Center if it can’t relocate the Discovery. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Lake Barcroft Businesses Assess Damage After Fire — “Several business owners at Barcroft Plaza are assessing what comes next after a fire tore through the shopping center Thursday morning … Among the businesses damaged were a martial arts studio, a swimming school, and a Benjamin Moore paint store.” [WUSA9]
FCPD Reports Drop in Some Crimes — “Crime fell across several categories in Fairfax County last year, Police Chief Kevin Davis told WTOP, touting the agency’s use of emerging technology, recruitment, retention efforts and focus on road safety. In an interview with WTOP on Friday, Davis said homicides fell 15% in 2025, compared with 2024.” [WTOP]
Progress Stalls on Virginia’s Clean Energy Law — “But five years after [the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s] passage, its clean-up has stalled. The data-center and AI explosion is forcing utilities to take desperate measures to generate more energy, even using dirty fuels. And, it turns out, the law provided exemptions allowing them to do so.” [New Energy Crisis]
Va. Woman’s Napkin Collection Preserved — “That early fascination seeded what over decades would become a paper napkin collection worth preserving. LaRoy kept sliding new finds into a blanket box under her bed — until, some years ago, she finally walked into the Library of Virginia. LaRoy handed them over, more than 1,100 in all, surprising and delighting curators.” [Washington Post]
McLean and Great Falls Legislators Hold Town Halls — “Want to hear about what is in store this General Assembly session and make your voice heard on state level issues? Join me and Senator Jennifer B. Boysko as we host a series of pre-General Assembly session town halls” at Great Falls Library at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Monday) and the McLean Community Center at the same time tomorrow (Tuesday). [Rip Sullivan/Facebook]
Firefighters Offer Free Public Safety Training — “Learn life-saving skills at free public safety training from February through May at Fire Station 3 … Classes cover hands-only CPR/AED, stop the bleed, stroke awareness, fire extinguisher use, smoke alarm basics, and more.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 45 and a light wind shifting to the south between 5 and 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. By night, skies will be mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 35. The south wind will become calmer in the evening. [NWS]
The Reston Museum’s next program, held on June 3rd at 7:00PM, will feature the talented students of the South Lakes High School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Team/National Art Honor Society, who will discuss the creative and technical process behind their upcoming public art installation at the Lake Thoreau spillway. This fascinating program will provide attendees with a behind-the-scenes-look at how students developed the concept for the installation and worked through the planning, engineering, environmental and artistic considerations involved in creating public art for a community space. Program takes place at South Lakes High School and admission is free. For more information visit: restonmuseum.org.
Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 2, 2026.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
The weather will be mostly cloudy with a high around 36 degrees and a light north wind. On Saturday night, there’s a 20% chance of snow before 1am, followed by gradually clearing skies and a low temperature of around 26 degrees. Winds will remain calm throughout the night. See more from Weather.gov.
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Mark Crutchfield said his son Brandon was a typical teenager with a quick wit, a love for sports and acting and a knack for making others laugh — until he lost his life to a fentanyl overdose Nov. 4, 2022 at 20 years old.
Crutchfield, a Fairfax County resident and licensed counselor working in addiction treatment, said his son was raised on a strong anti-drug message, and he believed his son understood the risks of drug use. But, as the grieving father says, drugs do not discriminate.
Fairfax County police are investigating a single-vehicle crash on New Year’s Eve that turned fatal.
Officers and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded around 8:25 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 31) for a crash on Post Forest Drive at Government Center Parkway in the Fair Oaks area.
With the calendar turning to 2026, local celebrations of America’s 250th birthday will kick into a new gear, leading up to the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4.
For residents looking to stay closer to home instead of venturing into D.C. for this week’s light show at the Washington Monument, the Town of Vienna will launch its own semiquincentennial festivities this Sunday (Jan. 4) with a “patriotic celebration” near the Town Green.
A key Tysons leader is working to ensure state leaders provide dedicated new funding for transit that she says will help the region thrive.
“Transit in Northern Virginia is cool again,” said Katie Cristol, CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance.
