Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools needs $1.1 billion over the next five years to fund planned renovation, maintenance and construction projects.

The school system released its latest draft Capital Improvement Program (CIP) ahead of a presentation to the school board this afternoon (Tuesday).


News

A group of protestors blocked traffic at Capital One’s headquarters in Tysons this morning (Tuesday).

Organizers called for the finance giant to drop a $90 million loan to the Arlington-based weapons company Elbit Systems, which they say supplies the Israeli military and federal immigration enforcement agencies.


News

Fairfax County police are investigating whether speed may have contributed to a crash that killed a driver on Fairfax County Parkway this weekend.

Jane Clayton, a 48-year-old Alexandria resident, died after she appears to have “lost control” of her 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier while driving on the parkway near Huntsman Blvd in Burke around 7:45 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 10), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


Announcement

There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.

This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.


News

Fairfax County election officials say they are holding their own as a series of special elections keeps local voters on their toes.

“We’ve got a fantastic team,” said Eric Spicer, the county’s registrar and elections director, at the Jan. 7 Electoral Board meeting.


Event

Join us on September 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time) at 12000 Government Center Pkwy for Pender’s First Annual Angel Fund 5K!

This fun community event supports the Angel Fund at Pender Veterinary Centre, which helps pet owners in Northern Virginia cover unexpected veterinary costs when finances are tight. For over 50 years, Pender Veterinary Centre has been proud to care for pets and their families, and this 5K is all about bringing everyone together to celebrate that bond.


Countywide
An open gate to the Dulles Discovery office complex in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Investigation Into FCPS Abortion Claims Finished — “Allegations that a Fairfax County school social worker facilitated student abortions are untrue, Superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to Centreville High School families on Friday.” A finished investigation reaffirmed initial findings that determined “the allegations to be … based on statements that were ‘misinterpreted, mistranslated, taken out of context, or in some cases knowingly fabricated.'” [WTOP]

Forum Held for Democratic Primary Candidates — Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for today’s 39th Senate District firehouse primary “fielded several questions during a packed public forum [last night], with topics ranging from the primary’s scheduling to affordability, right-to-work and more.” [ALXnow]

Feedback Wanted on Trash Districts — “The Board of Supervisors in August deferred action on a proposal for Unified Sanitation Districts (USDs) to evaluate alternative options. The USD concept has now resurfaced, and the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has scheduled two meetings to solicit feedback.” [Annandale Today]

Community Members Share Boundary Change Concerns — “Dozens of parents and students in Fairfax County were up early Saturday morning at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia, to express their concerns over proposed school boundary changes … FCPS leaders say the boundary changes would address overcrowding and reduce the amount of split feeder schools.” [NBC4]

Traffic Stop Leads to Gun and Drug Charges — “Three men from Alexandria are facing charges after a traffic stop led to the seizure of firearms and the discovery of narcotics distribution evidence, police said.” Patrol officers initially pulled over a car near Russell Road and Norwood Drive on Jan. 6 “for having a loud, modified exhaust.” [DC News Now]

Local ‘Quad God’ Secures Olympics Spot — “Vienna-based figure skater ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin will head to next month’s Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, U.S. Figure Skating announced Sunday. The news comes after Malinin spun more gold on Saturday night at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Grocery Schedules Opening — “Grocery Outlet, the replacement for a shuttered small-format Target store at 500 S. Washington Street, plans to open on Feb. 12, the company announced in a press release today (Monday). This will be Grocery Outlet’s first store in Virginia, but it’s expected to ‘kick off a series of openings across the state,’ the press release says.” [ARLnow]

Retired Capitals Star Sells McLean Home — “Nicklas Backstrom ditched the DC area for his native Sweden last year, capping a 17-season career as a center for the Washington Capitals. In April, he listed his ritzy McLean mansion for sale at $14.99 million … The property sold on Wednesday for $11 million.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 50, along with a calm wind turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. At night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by a low around 40. A southwest wind will blow at 8 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]


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 — Jan 12, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect sunshine today, with temperatures reaching around 50 degrees. In the morning, the calm wind will shift to the south, blowing at 5 to 9 mph. Tonight, the skies will turn mostly cloudy, with lows around 39 degrees. Southwest winds of 8 to 13 mph will pick up, gusting up to 21 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.


Countywide

Fairfax County elected officials seem in alignment on their top priority for the 2026 Virginia General Assembly session.

“Number one is always K-12 education funding,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at the annual legislative public hearing, held Saturday (Jan. 10) at the Fairfax County Government Center.


News

The blitz of special elections facing Fairfax County voters to start 2026 is ramping up this week, with the ballot for the Braddock District School Board seat now solidified and voting opening or in progress in three state-level contests.

Democratic voters in the Braddock District have chosen Tom Dannan, a local business owner and Terra Centre resident, as their preferred candidate to succeed Rachna Sizemore Heizer, who vacated the district’s Fairfax County School Board seat in December to serve as its new supervisor.


News

A Tysons man will spend nearly two years in prison for fraudulently claiming that he didn’t receive more than $1 million in luxury watches he had ordered, when he was actually attempting to resell them for profit.

Jaivin Raj Karnani, 45, was sentenced Thursday (Jan. 8) to one year and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud, announced federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


Announcement

Reston Children’s Center announces that it is continuing to be a sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Reston Children’s Center has been part of the CACFP program since 1995.

The same meals will be available at no separate charge to all participants at each CACFP facility without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.