News

Fairfax County staff are prepared to allow housing on an aging office property near the Wiehle Metro station in Reston with the expectation that the future developer will also deliver some transportation improvements.

The county’s planning commission will hold a public hearing tonight (Wednesday) on a proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would pave the way for Lofts at Reston Station builder Pulte Group to redevelop three low-lying office buildings at 1810, 1825 and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive with stacked townhouses and condominiums.


News

Fairfax County leadership is sticking with plans for a sidewalk project near Justice High School that critics say is duplicative and would be destructive to the environment.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) expects to begin work in June on 825 linear feet of 5-foot-wide sidewalk between Mansfield Road near Justice Park and the cul-de-sac at Peace Valley Lane in the Lake Barcroft area south of Seven Corners.


Countywide
A sign at the Main Street and Chapel Road intersection in Clifton points to shops and parking (staff photo by James Cullum)

Chantilly-Based Company Providing Tech to ICE — “Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using spyware tools that can intercept encrypted messages as part of the agency’s efforts to disrupt fentanyl traffickers, according to a letter sent last week by the agency’s acting director, Todd Lyons.” Last year, the Trump administration revived a $2 million contract with Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company with a U.S. branch in Chantilly, to use Graphite. [NPR/VPM News]

Opposition to Vienna Pool Surfaces — “Local officials said the community has been asking for a pool for decades, and the demand intensified when one wasn’t added during renovations to the Vienna Community Center … But critics of the project are frustrated about the cost, and have questioned whether a pool is needed. In some pockets of Vienna, lawn signs that say ‘small pool, BIG cost’ have gone up.” [WTOP]

Elections Could Make Case for Ranked Choice Voting — “Backers of ranked-choice voting (RCV) believe this fall’s congressional races may bolster their case for changing the format of statewide elections. If Virginia voters approve the congressional redistricting constitutional amendment on April 21, crowded ballots in many parts of the state” could expose flaws in the current winner-take-all approach, RCV supporters say. [ARLnow]

Va. HIV Health Clinics Strained — “People living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus — and safety net clinics that serve them — have spent the past year on edge, squeezed by federal funding cuts and a state health department billing error that has made critical medication harder to access.” [Virginia Mercury]

ICE Arrests Up in Virginia — “Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made nearly 20,000 arrests in D.C., Maryland and Virginia from the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration last year through March 10, according to a Washington Post analysis of recent federal data. By comparison, in the last full year of President Joe Biden’s administration, ICE recorded nearly 3,800 arrests in the region.” [Washington Post]

Wexton Endorses Former Va. First Lady — “Former U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton has thrown her support behind former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe in the latter’s bid for Congress in the proposed 7th Congressional District under Democrats’ redistricting plan.” [Inside NoVA]

Annandale Chicken Restaurant Rebrands — “Restaurateur Eddie Ryu wants the public to know his restaurant has a new name, but the food has not changed. K Chicken, located at 6653-H Little River Turnpike in the Willow Run retail center in Annandale, was formerly known as Chi Mc.” [Annandale Today]

Sisters Thai to Pair Dining and Dancing — “Sisters Tysons will host a weekly Songkran dining event on Fridays in April, pairing a family-style Thai menu with live traditional dance performances at its Capital One Center restaurant … The event is tied to Songkran, the Thai New Year.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 54°F and a northeast wind around 6 mph. Tonight, skies will be mostly clear with a low around 35°F and areas of frost developing after 3 a.m. The southeast wind will range from 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

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


Around Town

Good Tuesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 7, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies with a high of about 55 degrees and a light northeast wind at 6 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with a low of around 35 degrees and areas of frost developing after 3 a.m. Winds will be from the southeast at 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Event

Join us on September 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time) at 12000 Government Center Pkwy for Pender’s First Annual Angel Fund 5K!

This fun community event supports the Angel Fund at Pender Veterinary Centre, which helps pet owners in Northern Virginia cover unexpected veterinary costs when finances are tight. For over 50 years, Pender Veterinary Centre has been proud to care for pets and their families, and this 5K is all about bringing everyone together to celebrate that bond.


Around Town

An annual event promoting the preservation of a wooded area in Tysons return this weekend.

Led by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, the third annual Tysons Forest Cleanup will be held on Sunday (April 12) to “maintain the health” of the 65-acre “hidden green oasis,” county officials announced.


Around Town

A Reston-based nonprofit will host a unique block party — billed as the first of its kind in Northern Virginia — at Lake Anne Plaza this weekend to promote inclusion between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The “All Abilities Block Party” will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11. It will feature a bubble artist, caricaturist, DJ, roaming juggler, glitter tattoos, tent with art on display, a visit from Ms. Wheelchair Virginia, and free food with an RSVP in advance.


News

A pair of adjacent hotels along Richmond Highway in Huntington are being eyed for redevelopment.

Separate developers have proposed replacing Moon Inn Hotel (6140 Richmond Highway) and Days Inn by Wyndham (6100 Richmond Highway) with multifamily residential buildings that could deliver more than 500 homes combined, according to rezoning applications submitted last month to Fairfax County.


Countywide

After a warmer-than-usual start to spring, the D.C. region is expected to be hit overnight with a throwback blast of winter.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for much of the area, including Fairfax County, starting at midnight and continuing until 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).


Around Town

Festivities are in order to celebrate a new spot for acai and smoothie bowls at the Greenbriar Town Center in Chantilly this weekend.

Playa Bowls is hosting a grand opening at 11 a.m. this Saturday (April 11) for its shop at 13059-A Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, replacing a vacancy left by Subway. The New Jersey-based franchise serves up a variety of acai bowls, smoothies and oatmeal, in addition to juice and cold brew coffee.