Around Town

Good Thursday 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 — Apr 2, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Friday’s forecast

Expect foggy conditions before 10 AM, followed by mostly sunny skies with a high of around 82°F. Winds from the southwest will blow at 8 to 14 mph, with gusts up to 23 mph. On Friday night, there is a 20% chance of showers. The weather will be partly cloudy with a low of around 65°F, and a southwest wind at about 9 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.


Around Town

Cherry blossoms are so last week. In Fairfax County, April is the delicate bluebell’s time to shine.

The wildflower will take center stage at the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Bluebells at the Bend celebration, which is set to return to Riverbend Park (8700 Potomac Hills Street) in Great Falls on Saturday, April 11.


News

Hilton is still among the best companies to work for in the U.S., but it’s no longer number one, according to Fortune.

After holding the top spot in 2024 and 2025, the hospitality giant, which has been headquartered in Tysons since 2009, slipped to no. 2 behind Synchrony — a financial services company located in Stamford, Connecticut — in Fortune’s annual ranking of the country’s 100 Best Companies to Work for.


Countywide

A local lawmaker believes legislation providing a tool to regulate excessive vehicle noise will become law this year after falling short in 2025.

The measure currently sits on the desk of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), having passed both houses of the General Assembly earlier this year.


Event

On Sunday, November 15 at 4:00 PM, the St. Andrew the Apostle Concert Series proudly presents The Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Simeone Tartaglione, for a free afternoon of orchestral masterworks at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Clifton.

Program:
• Paul Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, best known from Disney’s Fantasia!
• Camille Saint-Saëns – Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor
Soloist: Vasily Popov, cello
• Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 in C minor, “Organ Symphony”
Organist: Michael Murphy


News

Nearly two months after their community library branch closed, Kingstowne residents will soon have a brand-new spot to check out books.

The neighborhood’s new regional library, under construction since 2023, will celebrate its official grand opening on Saturday, April 11 as part of the ribbon cutting for the new Franconia Governmental Center (7130 Silver Lake Blvd).


News

The Town of Herndon is planning to maintain its current tax rates in the new fiscal year, but residents should still brace for increases in their property tax, water and trash bills.

Town Manager Dan Hoffman officially submitted a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Herndon Town Council yesterday (Wednesday) that holds local real estate, lodging and meals taxes at their existing rates of 27 cents per $100 of assessed value, 6% and 4.5%, respectively.


Around Town

A grocery chain appears to be working on a new store in Tysons, but unfortunately for residents of the Park Crest neighborhood, it won’t be filling the void left by Harris Teeter last year.

For the past couple of months, Fairfax County staffers have been reviewing renovation plans that would transform a portion of the former Bed Bath and Beyond building at 2051 Chain Bridge Road into an Aldi.


Countywide

A new Fairfax County government pilot program aims to make life easier for small business owners seeking to make minor alterations before they open their stores.

The Tenant Support Services (TSS) initiative is designed to move applicants through the permit approval process more efficiently by providing “early guidance, clear expectations and coordinated review support,” county officials said in announcing the effort.


Countywide
Blooming trees at Fort Hunt Park (staff photo by James Cullum)

Gov. Signs Affordability Legislation — “After more than 1,200 bills passed in the Virginia General Assembly, Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed the first set of bills tackling several areas of affordability … The signed bills address housing, health care and energy.” [ALXnow]

Vienna Power Outage Caused by Fire — More than 1,000 homes and business in the Town of Vienna lost power yesterday (Wednesday) morning due to a fire at an electrical substation near Town Hall. Dominion Energy restored power to most customers before 11 a.m., addressing the remaining locations by mid-afternoon. [Town of Vienna/Facebook]

Virginia Delays SNAP Restriction — “Initially, recipients were expected to lose the ability to purchase ‘sweetened beverages’ with SNAP funds starting in April 2026, per a Dec. 10, 2025 announcement. The change had been scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, April 1.” The Virginia Department of Social Services, however, says the ban has now been delayed until October. [WAVY]

Video of Alleged Nude Burglar Released — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division have released new surveillance video of the suspect connected to the London Towne burglary investigation following an attempted burglary early [yesterday] morning.” Filmed by security cameras, the man appears to have tried to break into a home in the 14800 block of Palmerston Square in Centreville shortly after 5 a.m. [FCPD]

Police Officer Charged With Public Drinking — “An off-duty Fairfax County Police Department officer was arrested on a charge of Drunk in Public in Fair Oaks. On March 31 at approximately 6:23 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 11000 block of Route 50 in Fair Oaks for the report of an intoxicated man refusing to leave the area and acting disorderly.” The 31-year-old officer is now on administrative leave. [FCPD]

Gas Prices Strain Food Nonprofits — “Gas prices have jumped about a dollar per gallon in the past month across the D.C. region, and it’s unclear how much more prices could still climb. That makes it harder to plan, harder to attract volunteers and get donations and, ultimately, harder to get food to the people who need it most.” [NBC4]

Data Centers Risk Potomac Water Supply — “The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, abbreviated ICPRB, describes some of the ways in which data center growth, which is primarily located in Virginia’s Loudoun and Prince William counties, can affect whether there is enough drinking water to serve Fairfax Water, WSSC Water and the Washington Aqueduct.” [WTOP]

Historic Villa Added to Underground Railroad Network — Historic Huntley in Groveton is now part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, which was created by Congress in 1998 to recognize the network of sites, individuals and organizations that helped enslaved people escape. “Sully Historic Site and Riverbend Park preceded Historic Huntley as Fairfax County Park Authority sites to attain the designation.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Thursday — There’s a 30% a chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily after 3 PM, with patchy fog clearing before 11 AM. The day will be partly sunny, reaching a high of about 76°F. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 54°F. [NWS]

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