Around Town

Good Tuesday 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 19, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

⛈️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect patchy showers and potential thunderstorms after 2pm, transitioning to mostly sunny skies and a high of 85°F with southeast winds around 6 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Wednesday night, watch for showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 2am, followed by a slight chance of showers. The low will be around 70°F with northeast winds at 9 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. 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

Reston Art Gallery and Studios will be overtaken by weeds next month — an intrusion that, in this case, will be enthusiastically welcomed.

The gallery at Lake Anne Plaza (11400 Washington Plaza West) announced today (Tuesday) that it will host a new exhibit titled “Weeds & Seeds: Observed Motifs” from local visual artist Jennifer Duncan from Sept. 6-28.


News

An office parking lot in Fairfax City will soon be replaced by more than 200 residential units.

Land and financing have been secured to develop The Botanist, a seven-story apartment building, at 10350 Eaton Place near the intersection of Fairfax Blvd and Chain Bridge Road.


News

A national TV broadcast company based in Tysons could soon be subsumed into a rival.

Tegna, which became the first tenant to move into Boro Tower in 2019, announced today (Tuesday) that it has entered into a $6.2 billion agreement to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group, a media company whose local holdings include the CW affiliate DC News Now and the online political news outlet The Hill.


News

Local residents have until Aug. 31 to provide feedback on new gateway signage for the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners areas of the county.

Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section has unveiled a number of design options, aimed at providing consistent branding and a sense of excitement in the Route 7 corridors.


News

Graham Center has officially closed after seven decades of hosting small, often immigrant-owned businesses.

The shop windows at the West Falls Church strip mall are now boarded up, and a chain-link fence covered with black windscreens surrounds the property, complete with “No trespassing” signs.


Around Town

An Ohio pizza chain is plotting a comeback years after mostly bowing out of Fairfax County.

Donatos Pizza announced earlier this month that it’s planning an “ambitious” expansion in the D.C. area, starting with restaurants in Reston, Herndon and Ashburn.


Countywide

With friction growing between the public and school leaders over policy decisions, Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of hiring security for its superintendent due to the need for additional protection over safety concerns.

The move has left legislative leaders curious if similar proposals could occur at other school divisions around the region and beyond, as school leaders continue to be challenged by the public and face investigations for their decisions.


Countywide
A school bus heads down Park Street in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Pedestrian Killed in Springfield Crash — Jay Kim, a 76-year-old man from Springfield, has died after he was struck by a Toyota Camry driver near Hunter Village Drive and Rockledge Court in West Springfield on Friday (Aug. 15), police say. “Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the crash. The circumstances surrounding the crash are still being investigated.” [FCPD]

Politicians Split on State of Virginia Economy — “Spending reductions, mass layoffs and other federal changes from President Donald Trump’s administration have already cut into Virginia’s economy — but the true impact on the state’s finances and programs like Medicaid remains unknown.” While Democrats sound alarms, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently touted “a $1.7 billion ‘cash cushion.'” [VPM News]

ICE Arrests Workers in Alexandria — “Federal immigration agents arrested 15 construction workers at an Alexandria apartment complex Monday afternoon, sparking an evening community rally where city officials and residents denounced the enforcement action … The timing coincided with the first day of school in Alexandria, heightening community concerns about children’s safety.” [ALXnow]

Fairfax Connector Changes Coming — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will implement service changes to three Fairfax Connector routes starting Monday, Aug. 25.” With Route 722, which served the CIA headquarters in Langley, getting discontinued on Aug. 26, Route 721 will make schedule and route adjustments. RIBS2 between Reston and the Herndon Metro station will add trips to “meet increased demand.” [FCDOT]

African Cafe Open in Reston — “If you’re looking for a taste of something new at Lake Anne, Café Anne’s vibrant menu of North African dishes and house-made ice cream offers a delicious place to start. This recent addition to Lake Anne Plaza is already turning heads with its bold, flavorful cuisine.” [Reston Letter]

Falls Church HS Renovations Continue — “Falls Church High School is looking forward to using a new gym, dance room and wrestling room later in the school year as they enter school without phones.” As students return to class, an ongoing renovation has entered its a third and final phase of construction, potentially delivering new facilities for student activities around the middle of this school year, principal Ben Nowalk says. [NBC4]

Local Students Honored for Safety Patrolling — “That persistence helped [Saanvi] Vangapalli earn recognition as a Safety Patroller of the Year by the American Automobile Association, becoming one of two Fairfax County Public School students to secure the honor.” The safety patrol captain at Herndon’s McNair Upper Elementary School was recognized alongside Canterbury Woods Elementary School sixth-grade student Kristen King. [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Showers are expected after 1pm, accompanied by cloudy skies and a high temperature near 73°F. A northeast wind will blow at around 9 mph, with a 30% chance of precipitation. Showers may continue into Tuesday night, mainly before 8pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 67°F. The east wind will blow at 5 to 7 mph, and the chance of precipitation remains at 30%. [NWS]