A No Tysons Casino sign outside Cedar Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A coalition of homeowners associations and civic groups is pressing Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to veto legislation allowing a casino in Tysons.
“Residents are deeply concerned about the potential impacts on traffic congestion, public safety, neighborhood character and the well-being of families in surrounding communities. These concerns come from people who would live with the consequences of this decision every day,” said the letter, provided to FFXnow by the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance.
A Fairfax County Police Department SUV with red and blue lights flashing (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Two years after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a sedan in Hybla Valley, the alleged driver is facing criminal charges.
An unnamed 16-year-old has been charged with manslaughter and hit-and-run — both felonies — for their role in the March 10, 2024, crash that killed 63-year-old James Johnson, the Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Thursday).
The bakery that knows your order. The pediatrician your kids grew up with. The contractor your whole street recommends. These are the businesses that give Fairfax County its character. The same neighbors who open FFXnow every day are also the people looking to support local businesses in their area.
FFXnow is where Fairfax County turns for local news, reaching 600,000 readers a month and 9 million pageviews a year, making it one of the most-read local news sites in Virginia. People come to keep up with the county, and along the way, they find the businesses that make it run.
Our readers tell us this works. 67% say they’re more likely to support a business that advertises with FFXnow, and 33% have made a purchase after seeing an ad or sponsored article. Next to news your neighbors already trust, your business reads as part of the conversation, not an interruption.
If you own a business in Fairfax County, we’ve got more than one way to get involved, whether you’re introducing your business, promoting an event, or telling your story. And because FFXnow is independent local journalism, your support helps keep Fairfax County informed, too.
If reaching your neighbors has been on your mind, we’d love to help you find the right fit.
People walking and jogging on the W&OD Trail in Vienna near a flowering tree (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Driver Charged in Beltway Hit-and-Run — “A hit-and-run pursuit led to a crash and driver’s subsequent arrest in the Alexandria section of the Capital Beltway this morning (Thursday), Virginia State Police say. The crash shut down all southbound I-495 lanes near Van Dorn Street,” leading to rush-hour backups that reportedly extended as far as 12 miles. [ALXnow]
‘No Kings’ Protests Return Tomorrow — “The third national ‘No Kings’ protest is being held this Saturday starting at 10 AM. Among the more than 3,000 rallies and protests planned in all 50 states, a number will be held locally, including” one to the Washington Monument. Fairfax locations include Reston, Vienna, Fair Lakes, Fairfax City, Annandale, Burke, Franconia, Springfield and Fort Hunt. [Washingtonian]
Equal Pay Bill on Governor’s Desk — “For years, Sen. Jennifer Boysko has returned to the same piece of legislation, Virginia’s proposed Equal Pay Act, pushing it session after session through a divided state government, only to see it stall or fall to a veto.” Passed by the General Assembly last month along party lines, Senate Bill 215 would ban employers from asking for job applicants’ pay history and require them to advertise salary ranges in job postings, among other steps. [Virginia Mercury]
D.C. Region’s Population Growing — Despite slowing international migration, the D.C. region’s population grew by more than 50,000 people last year to an estimated 6.46 million, as of July 1, 2025, new U.S. Census Bureau data shows. The population has increased four years in a row now, with Fairfax County seeing a 0.7% uptick to 1,167,873 and Fairfax City growing by 2.82% to 26,772 people, the biggest gain in the region. [Washington Business Journal]
Nat Geo Museum Coming to D.C. — “D.C.’s most-anticipated new museum finally has an opening date: the National Geographic Museum of Exploration debuts June 26. The $300 million transformation of Nat Geo’s 140-year-old campus near downtown has been years in the making — and it’s not your typical museum.” [Axios DC]
Westfield Leads All-State Basketball Honors — “Westfield senior guard Jemon Price is the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 Boys Player of the Year, and Westfield head coach Kevin Harris is the Class 6 Coach of the Year.” With the Bulldogs since 2023, Harris led the team “to a 30-1 record and the school’s second state championship with a 48-44 win over Landstown in the finals” this winter. [Inside NoVA]
Cherry Blossoms Added to Springfield Lego Display — “From the Tidal Basin to Northern Virginia, cherry trees are showing off their pretty pink blossoms all around the region. And through April 30, you can see them in miniature at the Lego Discovery Center in Springfield.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
New Options Coming to Reston Food Hall — “Pop Salad and El Diez Mexican Bowls [are] coming to Reston’s Wonder location at 11690 Plaza America Drive on April 15.” As suggested by their names, the former serves full-sized salads, while the latter takes a similar fast-casual approach to Mexican rice bowls. [Patch]
It’s Friday — Expect rain throughout the day with temperatures dropping to 49°F by 5 pm and north winds up to 23 mph. An 80% chance of rain will dip to 60% in the evening, mainly before 7 pm, with skies turning partly cloudy overnight and a low of 33°F. [NWS]
Reston Children’s Center announces that it is continuing to be a sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Reston Children’s Center has been part of the CACFP program since 1995.
The same meals will be available at no separate charge to all participants at each CACFP facility without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Expect rain with temperatures dropping to 49°F by 5 PM and north winds blowing at 11 to 13 mph, gusting up to 23 mph, with an 80% chance of between a tenth and a quarter-inch of rain. Friday night, rain is likely before 7 PM, becoming partly cloudy later, with lows around 33°F. Northwest winds will be 6 to 11 mph with gusts up to 21 mph, and there is a 60% chance of less than a tenth of an inch of rain. See more from Weather.gov.
Communities are how we actually experience Congress's impact on our lives. Congressional Communities is hosting a free public briefing making the case for putting communities, instead of districts, at the center of how members of Congress, their staff, and we ourselves think about representation. Speakers Warren Glimpse (ProximityOne) and Dan Carracino (Congressional Communities) will use Virginia's 8th District as a real-world example.
Sign for Floris Elementary School in Herndon (via Google Maps)
Laasya Mohan, a fourth-grader at Floris Elementary School in Herndon, won the 2026 Fairfax County Spelling Bee on Sunday (March 22).
Mohan, who is 9, and first runner-up Aadhya Vijayakumar, 13, an eighth-grader at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly, will both advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in late May.
Churasuko on the ground floor of the Lumen Apartments in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County police are charging a man from Arlington County with burglarizing two different restaurants in the Tysons area more than half a year apart.
Back on Aug. 23, 2025, officers responded around 1:17 p.m. to a reported burglary at Pupatella Pizza (2980 District Avenue) in Merrifield’s Mosaic District, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
6640 Loisdale Road in Springfield, Virginia (via Google Maps)
A regional grocery store specializing in organic goods is planning a new supermarket in Springfield.
Mom’s Organic Market is preparing to open a new, 12,000-square-foot grocery store in the Loisdale Center, CEO Scott Nash told FFXnow. The grocer is expected to open at 6640 Loisdale Road in a space left vacant by Party City after the company went out of business in 2024.
The beloved mobile pop-up will pull into Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) this Saturday (March 28), selling exclusive Hello Kitty-themed treats and memorabilia at PenFed Plaza near Shake Shack from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.