Fairfax County elected officials and staff are trying a new approach as the 2027 General Assembly session nears.
Among their goals: Get information and local positions to legislators sooner, don’t overburden them with too much information, and build strategic relationships with downstate lawmakers.
Dozens more townhomes could soon boost Reston’s housing supply after two different projects received final approvals from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in recent weeks.
At its meeting on Aug. 25, the board unanimously approved an amendment to the development plan for Isaac Newton Square that will allow 24 townhomes on a 1.5-acre site in the northeast corner of the office park in place of a previously anticipated 180-unit multifamily residential building.
Fairfax families now have a vibrant new destination for creative exploration — a dedicated children’s art studio has officially opened its doors, bringing with it one of the largest selections of children’s art programs in the area.
The journey behind this new studio is a simple but meaningful one: a belief that every child in the Fairfax community deserves access to quality art education. That conviction became the driving force behind building a space where young people can discover, create, and grow — not just as artists, but as individuals.
“We wanted to provide the opportunity of art education to the Fairfax community,” the studio shared.
What makes this studio particularly remarkable is its breadth. Children have access to more than 40 varieties of art, offering a rare opportunity to explore disciplines far beyond the typical drawing and painting classes. Whether a child is drawn to sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, or illustration, there’s a path here waiting to be discovered.
The philosophy is intentional: instead of narrowing a child’s focus too soon, the programs are designed to let curiosity lead the way. Children are encouraged to try, experiment, and explore until something clicks — because finding a true passion is just as important as developing a skill.
The studio has been thoughtfully designed to meet families where they are, with age-appropriate programs that build skills progressively and purposefully. Here’s a closer look at what’s available:
Art is a skill developed over time, and it all starts here. In Tiny Hands classes, children begin to express themselves through art in guided, small group activities that encourage community, collaboration, and relationships. This two-year program introduces young learners to drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, collage, design, and more — laying the foundation for a lifelong creative journey.
This two-year program introduces children to beginning art skills, tools, and basic vocabulary. Students are encouraged to explore different mediums and express their growing interests, working with clay, printmaking, charcoal drawing, painting, design, montage, watercolors, sculpture, stained glass, and more. Along the way, they’ll learn about color theory — including primary, secondary, cool, and warm colors — while gaining self-confidence and earning recognition for their creations.
Building on the foundation of Intro to Art, Beginning Art is designed for children ready to deepen their skills and grow more comfortable with art tools. Students expand their art vocabulary, apply their knowledge of color theory, and explore design principles through hands-on creating. This two-year program offers opportunities to work with charcoal, mono printing, clay, ink, color design, collage, self-portrait, watercolors, balsa wood carving, sculpture, and much more.
Art 1 is the foundation of the studio’s four-year curriculum — a class designed to maximize and maintain each child’s art interest as they develop a higher level of skills and knowledge. Students also begin building their personal portfolio. Projects include ebony pencil from photomontage, charcoal still life, India ink design, and scratchboard art, with a strong focus on line, value, and texture. Later in the program, students dive into an in-depth study of color theory and apply it to a series of color design projects. Art 1 also includes hand building with clay.
George Mason Regional Library (7001 Little River Turnpike) will be out of commission starting next month while it undergoes a long-planned renovation.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) announced yesterday (Sept. 1) that the library’s last day of operations will be Oct. 23, leaving the Annandale area with limited access to library services for the next few months.
Crossing guard services at 10 Fairfax County public high schools will be temporarily reinstated as the county supervisors assess solutions for pedestrian safety issues, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
“In the interim, Fairfax County Police officers and crossing guards will provide traffic and crossing support at 11 high school crossing locations previously staffed,” a spokesperson for the FCPD wrote to FFXnow this morning (Wednesday) in an email.
Featuring both voice and instrumental performance on vielle, lute, gittern, harp, recorder, douçaine, and bagpipe, the program will include works by, among others, Johannes Ciconia, Trebor, Johannes Senleches, Solage, Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume Dufay, and Gilles Binchois, rousing dance music from medieval Florence and finely wrought instrumental arrangements from the Faenza codex and the Buxheim Organ book.
New Details on Great Falls Stabbing — “The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman last month in Great Falls, Virginia, told a witness he was going to kill the woman, according to a Fairfax County criminal complaint … The witness told police that Cedillos-Campos was working that Sunday but left early after Puch sent screenshots of their affair to his girlfriend, the complaint states.” [WTOP]
School Bus Attendant Charged With Assault — “A Fairfax County Public Schools bus attendant is facing four assault and battery charges after City of Fairfax Police said an investigation found he struck the same student multiple times in July … Detectives obtained and reviewed video from a school bus that was transporting students to a summer program, according to police.” [Patch]
Enforcement of ICE Agreement Ban Blocked — “A federal judge has temporarily blocked Virginia from enforcing key provisions of a new law restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, allowing existing partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement to continue while the legal challenge plays out.” [Virginia Mercury]
N. Va. Airport Cleared for Commercial Service — “The rebranded Washington Manassas Airport on Monday formally received its airport operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, a landmark designation paving the way for the imminent arrival of commercial flights in Prince William County.” [Inside NoVA]
Video Shows SUV Bursting into Flames on Beltway — “Wow! This SUV driving on the Capital Beltway south of Braddock Road pulled over just in time early Sunday evening. @ffxfirerescue handled the fire.” [Dave Statter/X]
Man Rescued After Falling in Potomac River — “An Alexandria resident is hoping to find the people who assisted him in a water rescue emergency at Jones Point Park in Old Town over the weekend … Because the resident lost his eyeglasses in the river, he had trouble seeing the faces of his rescuers.” [ALXnow]
Potomac School Name Causes Confusion — “The Potomac School and McLean School are located, not surprisingly, in the DC suburbs of Potomac and McLean. Except the Potomac School sits not in Potomac … but rather in McLean. McLean School? You’ll find it — where else? — in Potomac. This counterintuitive situation has led to some confusion.” [Washingtonian]
Libertarian Challenging Beyer — “Shelly Arnoldi understands the uphill battle for anyone taking on [Rep. Don] Beyer in a district that, in recent years, has been a Democratic political fortress. However, she says her effort to unseat him will bring important issues into the local political discussion.” [ARLnow]
New Legal Notice — Public notice: intent to conduct business under assumed name. [Public Notices]
It’s Wednesday — It’ll be mostly sunny with a high near 91°F and light, variable winds becoming easterly at about 6 mph in the afternoon. Night will bring a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 75°F. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Good Tuesday 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 — Sep 1, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect mostly sunny weather with temperatures reaching a high of around 93 degrees, and calm winds shifting to the northeast at 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms from 10 PM to 2 AM, followed by a slight chance of showers. The low will be around 74 degrees, with southeast winds at 5 to 8 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
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.
Median apartment rents across Fairfax County in August were down 1% from a year before, but remained well above pre-Covid levels.
Median rents for the month stood at $2,073 for one-bedroom units, $2,401 for two bedrooms and $2,419 overall, according to figures reported Aug. 28 by Apartment List.
One of the Washington region’s most famous fine-dining establishments is under new ownership — and it’s a name many Northern Virginians know well.
L’Auberge Chez François, an award-winning French eatery in Great Falls, is now part of Reston-based Thompson Restaurants, led by Warren Thompson, a longtime regular at the prestigious French eatery.
Later this month, Fairfax County officials will consider a proposal to bring more housing to the Kingstowne Towne Center near Alexandria.
At its meeting on Aug. 25, the Board of Supervisors deferred a public hearing on developer BXP’s application to convert an existing office building into a 280-unit housing complex until Sept. 15.
