Around Town

Good Monday 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 — Mar 16, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect clouds to increase throughout the day, accompanied by a high temperature nearing 39 and a west wind blowing between 11 and 13 mph, gusting up to 24 mph. During Tuesday night, the sky will turn partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 26. A northwest wind will persist from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 20 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.


News

Fairfax County’s lone Republican lawmaker will campaign for reelection next year.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity announced plans at last month’s Fairfax GOP convention to seek a sixth term on the county’s Board of Supervisors, potentially extending a tenure that began nearly two decades ago.


News

After an extended hiatus, the Fairfax County Circuit Court will bring back its satellite services next month. This time, however, the pop-up will focus on the southern side of the county instead of the north.

The satellite site will provide select court services at the Gerry Hyland Government Center (8350 Richmond Highway) in Woodlawn from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Tuesday of every month, starting April 14.


News

Recent proposals to use part or all of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Regional Park for future transit options are non-starters, the body controlling the right-of-way says.

“Similar proposals have been discussed previously and have been determined to not be viable,” NOVA Parks officials said in a March 11 posting on the regional body’s website.


Event

Fall is in its full glory every first Saturday in October with our Manassas Fall Jubilee and 2026 marks the 43rd one! This community-spirited festival spans all of Center Street and side streets, and includes an assortment of fun for kids and adults with over 100 craft and community booths, live music and entertainment, food, and more. Live music ranges from pop to rock to heavy metal, and dance performances include ballet, clogging, and belly dancing. And, the kids will enjoy a meet & greet with Cinderella, pumpkin painting, games, and more!


Countywide

A Tornado Watch and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued earlier today (Monday) for Fairfax County have been canceled or expired, but an Areal Flood Warning is now in effect until 6:30 p.m.

“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the 3:33 p.m. alert said. “Streams continue to rise due to excess runoff from earlier rainfall. Low-water crossings are inundated with water and may not be passable.”


News

As part of a transportation study spurred by a planned redevelopment of the former AT&T campus in Oakton, potential roadway changes were presented at a community meeting on Tuesday (March 10).

The Oakton Congestion and Safety Study was initiated by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as a follow-up to its unanimous approval of a comprehensive plan amendment to allow mixed-use development on the company’s now-vacant, 33-acre Oakton office campus in 2025.


News

Four people in Fairfax County were killed Saturday (March 14) between two crashes in Reston and Mount Vernon, according to police.

Among the deceased are three adults — including a 79-year-old man — and one juvenile, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Sunday).


Countywide

Despite weeks of debate and revisions, the Senate Bill 756 that the Virginia General Assembly sent to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk before adjourning on Saturday (March 14) wound up being exactly the same as the one introduced when the legislative session began in January.

After requesting a second conference to some groans from his colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) reverted to his original language for a new substitute bill to allow casino gaming in Fairfax County, limiting potential sites to a 1.5-million-square-foot mixed-use development in Tysons but otherwise treating Fairfax the same as the five cities in Virginia already eligible to host a casino.


Countywide
A bicyclist stopped at the intersection of Route 50 and Stringfellow Road in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reminder: Schools to Close Early — Fairfax County Public Schools will close three hours early today (Monday) due to potentially severe storms, including the possibility of tornadoes, in the afternoon forecast. All afterschool and evening activities on school grounds have been canceled, and morning preschool and special education classes will be dismissed around 10 a.m. [FFXnow]

Lawsuit Coming Over Chantilly Gas Explosion — “The attorney for an 83-year-old man whose home exploded in Centreville, Va., plans to file a lawsuit against Washington Gas. The explosion forced about 50 residents to evacuate from the neighborhood on Quail Pond Court. The man was injured and displaced after the blast destroyed his home.” [DC News Now]

Emergency Repairs for Potomac Sewer Complete — “D.C. Water has completed the final steps necessary to return flow to the Potomac Interceptor. D.C. Water spokesperson Sherri Lewis said the water flow was restored after a series of tests were carried out by officials early Saturday … The environmental rehabilitation work is still needed, which has begun on the C&O Canal.” [WTOP]

General Assembly Session Highlights — “Virginia lawmakers wrapped up the 2026 General Assembly session in dramatic fashion Saturday evening, adjourning their regular session without a budget deal after an unexpected dispute over data center tax breaks … overshadowed what had otherwise been a consequential session for Democrats,” who control both chambers of the legislature and all three statewide offices. [Virginia Mercury]

Retail Cannabis Bill Heads to Governor — “Virginia lawmakers passed legislation to let people 21 and over buy cannabis recreationally starting Jan. 1, 2027, moving the state closer to ending its yearslong stay in marijuana purgatory.” Gov. Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign the bill, which comes five years after Virginia decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. [VPM News]

Southwest Airlines Leaving Dulles — “Southwest Airlines Co. said Friday it will soon stop operating service to, from or through Dulles International Airport.” The company, which currently provides flights from Dulles to Phoenix and Denver, said it will end service at Dulles and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport starting June 4 as “part of the airline’s ongoing effort ‘refine services.'” [Washington Business Journal]

Falls Church Approves E-Scooter Program — “Falls Church has formally opened its doors to e-scooters. Now it just needs to find some takers. City Council members voted 7-0 on Monday night for a one-year pilot program, hoping to entice companies to deploy up to 100 e-scooters and e-bicycles within the community’s 2.2 square miles.” [ARLnow]

Private-Sector Job Losses a Concern — “Private sector job losses linked to federal reductions and economic uncertainty are a top concern for City of Alexandria and its regional counterparts, according to a presentation” given to the City Council on March 10. “While [Brookings Institute fellow Tracy] Hadden Loh said the region is still adding private jobs in certain subsectors, others have taken a hit.” [ALXnow]

New Legal Notice — Administrative plan available; hearing May 1, 2026; comments invited. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Temperatures could reach a high near 72 before dropping to a low around 30 at night. Chance of precipitation is 80%. [NWS]