Countywide
The moon over West Market Pond on a fall day in Reston (photo by Michael Elliott)

Spanberger Discusses Initial Priorities — Following her election as Virginia’s next governor last Tuesday (Nov. 4), Abigail Spanberger says she intends to sign executive orders on her first day in office that deal “with high costs and overall issues of affordability, particularly in housing and health care and in energy.” She also says a top priority right now is advocating for an end to the federal government shutdown. [WTOP]

Suspect Arrested in Annandale Stabbing — A 42-year-old man from Maryland is expected to be charged with second degree murder after allegedly fatally stabbing a woman in Annandale on Friday night (Nov. 7). Police say the stabbing doesn’t “appear to be a random act as the suspect and victim are believed to be known to each other.” [FCPD]

Furloughed Fed Starts Food Pantry — “Inside the Landsdowne Community Pool House, shelves are stacked with sauce, soups, beans even diapers and period products. The mastermind behind it [is] Katrina Ksander a furloughed federal employee. When the government shutdown left her without a paycheck,  she decided she wasn’t going to wait for help,  she was going to create it.” [WUSA9]

Meetup Group Offers Solace During Shutdown — “Every Friday starting at 7 a.m., you can find Abraham Walker with a group of fathers at the Panera in Kingstowne. Even for a few hours, the weekly meetup group is an opportunity for community. Amid the government shutdown, it has also become a saving grace.” [WUSA9]

New 24-Hour Gym Open in Vienna — After some delays, Pump24 is now open for business in the Vienna Shopping Center (136A Maple Avenue). “Co-owner Nash Cook shared that the decision to open in Vienna was intentional. ‘Vienna residents really support local businesses — and we can’t wait to be part of that,’ he said.” [Town of Vienna Economic Development]

Vegetarian Eatery Coming to Chantilly — “Chay is coming to a large end-cap unit in the Westfields Restaurant & Retail Park off State Road 28 at Westfields Boulevard. The spot used to be a Moe’s Southwest Grill. This will be the second location for Chay” after the Vietnamese restaurant made its debut a couple of years ago in Falls Church. [The Burn]

County Pumpkin Composting Underway — “Used Halloween pumpkins can get a second, Earth-friendly life as compost in Fairfax County’s annual Pumpkin Palooza collection drive, now underway until the end of November. Again this year, the county’s Solid Waste Management Program will turn your post-Halloween pumpkins and other gourds into compost gold.” [DPWES]

Reston Association Seeks Board Candidates — “Reston Association is calling for candidates to run in the 2026 Board of Directors election. The RA Elections Committee is seeking candidates to fill a total of four seats on the RA Board of Directors,” including one at-large director, directors for the Hunters Woods/Dogwood and Lake Anne/Tall Oaks districts, and an apartment owners’ representative. [RA]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of 49 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 11-16 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. Night will be mostly clear with a low of 29 degrees. On Veterans Day, it will be sunny and breezy, with a high near 45 degrees and a west wind at 15-20 mph, gusting as high as 33 mph. [NWS]

FFXnow Takes a Break on Veterans Day — Since it’s a federal holiday, FFXnow will take a day off tomorrow (Tuesday), with the exception of any urgent, breaking news. Our regular publishing schedule will resume on Wednesday (Nov. 12).


Countywide

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting on the first steps to end the 40-day government shutdown Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who wanted to continue the fight.

The group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — said they would vote to reopen if the Senate passed three annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January. Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed the deal Sunday night and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it.


News

A Maryland man is expected to be charged with murder for allegedly stabbing a woman to death in Annandale Friday night (Nov. 7).

Officers responded around 9:52 p.m. to the 3900 block of Terrence Drive for a report of an “unconscious and unresponsive” woman lying in the roadway, Fairfax County Police Department Capt. Jesse Katzman said in an initial update.


Announcement

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.


Around Town

Good Friday 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 — Nov 7, 2025.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  • National security contractor opens sizable expansion of Tysons HQ (30564 views)
  • McLean resident who helped engineer invasion of Iraq dies at 84 (8812 views)
  • Construction underway in Fairfax City on region’s largest supportive housing project (5849 views)
  • Apartment rental rates rising in most of Fairfax, with exception of Tysons (5520 views)
  • Two people found dead in Herndon house fire (4659 views)
  • Chicken salad restaurant chain to open soon in Herndon (4192 views)
  • BREAKING: Democrats projected to win governor seat, all Fairfax delegate races (3517 views)
  • Fairfax delegate leads Democratic campaign for ‘historic’ majority in Virginia House (3397 views)
  • 📅 Upcoming events

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

    Here are the events planned for Sunday:

    ☀️ Saturday’s forecast

    The weather will transition from partly sunny to completely sunny with a high near 67 and a northwest wind at about 7 mph. During Saturday night, there will be a 20% chance of showers after 1am, partly cloudy skies, a low around 49, and a south wind of 3 to 5 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.

    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. 👋


    Event

    The Golf Outing will be at the Chantilly National Country Club. Gather your friends for a fantastic day on the greens, enjoy friendly competition, and help us create a brighter future for our youth. Together, we can swing for a cause that truly matters to support area children receiving mental health counseling. Registration and Practice: 8:00-9:00am Tee Time: 9:00am Shotgun Start Lunch and Awards ceremony: 1:30pm- 2:30pm


    Around Town

    A Northern Virginia restaurant will soon bring its tacos infused with Korean flavors to Groveton.

    Taco Chinoz is targeting an early December opening for its newest location at 6852 Richmond Highway, general manager Pess Oh says.


    News

    VHC Health patients will soon no longer have to trek to Arlington to receive mammograms or pregnancy support.

    The nonprofit community health system recently expanded its Tysons Pavilion at 1760 Old Meadow Road with an imaging center, and it will launch a center focused on women’s health early next year.


    Around Town

    Contrast therapy studio SweatHouz held its grand opening in Reston on Oct. 22, marking another milestone for the franchise as it rapidly expands in Northern Virginia.

    Located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road, Suite R9, the Reston Town Center West location is SweatHouz’s third location in Virginia, joining others in the Mosaic District in Merrifield and the Ballston area of Arlington.


    Opinion

    With cold weather setting in, a quality plumber could come in handy. Fortunately, there are plenty of local experts who can help fix broken, leaky or clogged pipes in Fairfax County.

    Here are the nominees for “Best Plumber that Serves Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite plumber below? If not, write them in!

    Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

    Voting for the Best HVAC Company in Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday (Nov. 14) at 8:30 a.m.

    Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Exterior Painter in Fairfax. The results are now official:

    1. Charles Graves Painting Company
    2. Home Works Painting
    3. CertaPro Painting

    Around Town

    Though fall leaves are still clinging to many trees, wintry events have already started to take over the calendar in Fairfax County.

    In addition to Tysons Corner Center’s previously reported holiday lineup, the coming weeks will bring the return of ice skating to Reston Town Center, an expanded McLean Winterfest Parade, multiple Santa photo opportunities and other festive attractions for both Christmas devotees and agnostics.