Countywide

The Fairfax County government and others across the region are working to reduce bureaucratic regulations in an effort to help businesses thrive, local leaders said at an Aug. 26 forum.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay used the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit to say area governments must acknowledge concerns of the business community.


News

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed last Tuesday (Aug. 25) to fast-track consideration of a new water tower serving the Seven Corners area.

Fairfax Water has proposed replacing the existing 72-year-old Willston tank with a significantly larger one on the grounds of Seven Corners Apartments at Patrick Henry Drive near the Fairfax-Arlington border.


News

Reston Association’s Board of Directors is tentatively wading into the growing furor over Fairfax County’s elimination of crossing guards at public high schools.

Citing media reports, videos on social media and personal observations of harrowing traffic around South Lakes High School, RA Board President Travis Johnson suggested drafting a letter to Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay sharing parents’ safety concerns and supporting a restoration of funding for high school crossing guards.


Countywide

Some Fairfax Connector riders may now be able to ride free, thanks to help from new state funding, the county bus system announced last Thursday (Aug. 27).

The Connector will offer a new Transit Ridership Incentive Program, called TRIP100, offering 100% off fares to eligible riders, up from the 50% discount previously provided.


Event

Join the Do It for Dan Foundation for our annual fall fundraiser supporting lung cancer research at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. Enjoy live music, trivia, raffles, foundation updates, and a special presentation from thoracic oncologist Dr. Janakiraman Subramanian. Help us raise $10,000 to advance research and better treatment options for people facing lung cancer.


News

An Alexandria woman has been charged with assault after allegedly hitting two children at the Tysons daycare center where she was teaching.

Detectives went to the FAZ Creative Education Learning Center at 1776 Old Meadow Road last Thursday (Aug. 27) after receiving a report of an assault, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


Countywide
A goldfinch perches on a branch, silhouetted against a blue sky with clouds in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

N. Va. Residents Missing After Nepal Floods — PKP Tender Hearts Foundation, a service organization that assists the D.C. region’s Nepali community, is raising funds to support rescue missions in Nepal, where nearly 2,500 people remain missing after flash floods and mudslides last week. Those unaccounted for include “at least 10 Northern Virginia hikers who were visiting Nepal as a part of a group trip.” [NBC4]

Power Outages a Recurring Issue for FCPS — “The strain on Northern Virginia’s electrical grid is now being seen – and felt – inside some of the region’s schools. Ten different public schools in Fairfax County lost power [on Aug. 23], hours before the first day of school, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said.” Dominion Energy said in a statement that it had no record of those outages. [NBC4]

Park Service Backs Trump Arch — “A new National Park Service report backs President Donald Trump’s proposed arch, despite what it says are adverse effects to the sightline between a host of iconic landmarks in Washington, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]

How ICE Has Affected Region’s Schools — Students, school administrators, workers and nonprofit leaders share how the impacts of the Trump administration’s “historic deportation push” have “also rippled across aspects of education — from a drop in multilingual students to a rise in absenteeism; from shifting school funding to a loss of immigrant school bus drivers.” [NBC4]

Anti-Abortion Advocates Poised to Challenge Referendum — “A legal challenge to amend the ballot language for Virginia’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment has been in limbo since June. Even if no movement on the case happens before Election Day, counsel for the plaintiffs said this week, they will seek to invalidate the vote.” [Virginia Mercury]

Reston Eye Doctor in Fashion Contest — Fairfax resident Dawn Devaney, a “55-year-old optometrist and former owner of The Eyewear Gallery at Reston Town Center[,] is competing in Next Runway Star, a national contest whose winner will receive $20,000 and an opportunity to walk in a show during New York Fashion Week.” [Patch]

A Look at Metro’s Customer Service Team — “Commuters complain about everything … But for the customer service team at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, it doesn’t matter what passengers are bemoaning. It’s their job to respond; they try to address every complaint.” [Washington Post]

Reston Community Center Head Shares Journey — “When BeBe Nguyen arrived in the United States in the early 1980s as part of the exodus following the Vietnam War, her family initially settled in Silver Spring, Maryland … More than four decades later, Nguyen is leading Reston Community Center, an organization she joined in 2007.” [Patch]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC beer/wine on and off premises license. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 92°F and a light wind from the northwest. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 75°F. Winds from the southeast at 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]


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 — Aug 28, 2026.

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

  • Fairfax County to prioritize consideration of new ‘suburban village center’ concept (12370 views)
  • Traffic Alert: ‘Significant’ delays expected due to oversized vehicle load on I-66 and I-495 (9477 views)
  • Hershey to close pop-up store and experience in Tysons next month (6378 views)
  • Utility pole falls near first responders on scene of Baron Cameron Avenue crash (6175 views)
  • Reston contractor leases expanded HQ ahead of merger with Tysons startup (5926 views)
  • Construction ‘coming together’ on Virginia’s first hybrid emergency and urgent care center (5405 views)
  • Fairfax County’s discontinuation of high school crossing guards draws criticism (5063 views)
  • D.C. Restaurant Week returns with almost 30 Fairfax County eateries participating (4514 views)
  • Fairfax County revives free tree giveaways for residents (4422 views)
  • FCPS starts new school year with full cellphone ban, fewer crossing guards and other changes (4276 views)
  • Taco Bell seeks to open drive-thru near busy Centreville arterial roads (3790 views)
  • Fairfax County conviction of youth who allegedly shot person in the face reversed (3616 views)
  • Man charged with multiple burglaries in Reston, including theft of a gun (2902 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

    It will be sunny with a high of about 85°F and a northeast wind around 6 mph. Saturday night will have increasing clouds, with temperatures dropping to around 68°F and a southeast wind between 3 to 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.

    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. 👋


    Countywide

    The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 25) saluted the work of Daryl Washington, who earlier this year stepped down as executive director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) to accept a state government position.

    Washington spent 30 years at the CSB, rising through the ranks to become executive director in 2018.