FFXnow - Fairfax County, Va. local news

Expect showers and thunderstorms in the morning, with rain likely continuing into the early afternoon, then a chance of more showers and thunderstorms later. Highs will reach around 79°F, with east winds at 3 to 7 mph. There’s an 80% chance of rain, with rainfall amounts between half to three-quarters of an inch possible. Saturday night brings a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy skies, and a low near 67°F with light and variable winds. 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. 👋

News

In time for school year, food bank’s new bus starts serving hot meals to Fairfax children

By Beth Lawton

Published August 21, 2026 at 3:45PM

Capital Area Food Bank's new Mobile Meals bus (photo by Beth Lawton)

To help kids in Fairfax County fight hunger after school, a colorfully painted school bus is visiting their neighborhoods in the evenings.

The nonprofit Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) hosted an event yesterday evening in Hybla Valley to debut a brand-new, converted school bus that delivers free after-school meals to local kids.

Your child’s good grades may be hiding a math gap

By Level Up

Published September 16, 2026 at 10:45AM

Ten children: 2 on track, 2 one grade behind, 6 two or more grades behind.

Nearly four in five parents say their child brings home mostly B’s or better. We built a K-8 math program, and when we assess children, about 8 in 10 turn out to be at least a full grade behind in some area of math.

Most children are behind somewhere

In our first study, about 6 in 10 of the children we assessed were two or more grades behind somewhere, usually in one or two areas.

Is our test simply hard? No. Our results are close to those of the federal NAEP test, which finds only about 1 in 4 US eighth graders proficient in math.

How good grades hide gaps

A child who has learned this week’s steps can get the worksheet right without knowing why they work. That is often enough for an A or a B, until a test asks for more.

Homework looks fine too, since it practices the topic just taught. Neither shows the missing earlier skill, so extra practice goes to this week’s topic, not the gap underneath.

Even Virginia’s state test can reassure too easily: a 2026 federal study put its 2022 fourth-grade “proficient” bar in math among the nation’s lowest.

Why gaps get bigger

Math builds on itself, so a missing skill does not stay small. Kindergartners we assess are almost never behind, but from third grade on, more than 9 in 10 have a gap somewhere. Research agrees: children who start behind tend to fall further behind, and fifth graders’ grasp of fractions predicts their high-school algebra results.

What trips children up

Our second study looked at more than 10,000 answers from more than 250 children who recently signed up for Level Up, including questions from earlier grades.

The misses were not math in general: basic multiplication and division facts mostly held up. What tripped them up was a few topics from a grade or two earlier, the ones this year’s math is built on: second-grade subtraction at the end of fourth grade, fourth-grade fraction word problems at the end of fifth, and fifth-grade decimal ordering at the end of sixth.

What trips kids up, grade by grade: at the end of fourth grade, 53 percent of the children asked missed second-grade three-digit subtraction; at the end of fifth grade, 73 percent missed fourth-grade fraction word problems; at the end of sixth grade, 77 percent missed fifth-grade decimal ordering.

Fractions kept coming back: among children finishing seventh grade, about 8 in 10 of those asked missed fifth-grade fraction word problems.

What closes a gap

One child in our study, just out of fifth grade, missed a fourth-grade fraction question and its fifth-grade version. Practice started with the fourth-grade topic. Within two weeks, the child had mastered all nine of its skills, then four from the fifth-grade version.

That is the approach: find the real gaps, start at the deepest one, and practice each skill from three sides:

Identify: recognize the idea, like picking which picture shows three quarters.
Construct: build the answer yourself, like marking three quarters on a number line.

(more…)

Find and close gaps

News

Airports Authority extends lease on Washington Dulles Marriott to late 2029

By Scott McCaffrey

Published August 21, 2026 at 2:45PM

The Washington Dulles Airport Marriott hotel (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

The iconic Washington Dulles Airport Marriott has at least a few more years of life before being imperiled by potential redevelopment.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board members voted Wednesday (Aug. 19) to extend the lease on the 21-acre hotel site at 45020 Aviation Drive for two years, until Sept. 30, 2029.

News

Man convicted of second-degree murder for Woodlawn shooting

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 21, 2026 at 1:45PM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A Fairfax County jury found an Alexandria man guilty yesterday (Thursday) of fatally shooting a man during an attempted vehicle break-in in Woodlawn last year.

Tavon Tykee Ferguson was convicted of second-degree murder and use of a firearm while committing a felony after an eight-day jury trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

Event

Saint Ann Fall Festival

September 26, 2026 10:00 am -4:00 pm

Event location

Saint Ann Catholic School

980 N. Frederick Street

Arlington, Virginia 22205

Add to Calendar

Join us for the Saint Ann Fall Festival on Saturday, September 26! Start the day with our Fun Run at 9:30 AM, followed by the Fall Festival beginning at 10:00 AM.
This family friendly celebration is open to the entire Arlington community and offers something for everyone! Enjoy rides and inflatables, live entertainment, family friendly Bingo, raffles, a Beer Garden, delicious food, and plenty of opportunities to gather with the community.
The festival is also a celebration of Saint Ann’s diverse Catholic community, featuring food and entertainment representing our Filipino, Latino, and Peruvian communities, along with some local favorites.
This year’s entertainment includes a live band in the Beer Garden, and exciting Bolivian and Peruvian dance performances. Admission is free, and tickets for food, rides, and activities can be purchased at the festival.
Come celebrate with us and experience the warm, welcoming spirit of Saint Ann! We look forward to welcoming the greater Arlington community for a fun-filled day together.
The Fall Festival will take place rain or shine! Come join the fun!

Opinion

Poll: Best gym or fitness center in Fairfax County

By FFXnow.com

Published August 21, 2026 at 11:45AM

Whether you’re aiming to build muscle, increase flexibility or just get in some post-work exercise, you’re bound to find a match for your fitness needs among the variety of gyms in Fairfax County.

Here are the nominees for “Best Gym or Fitness Center in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. Did we miss your favorite gym below? Write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4.

Voting for the Best Spa and Wellness Center in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday, Aug. 28 at 8:30 a.m.

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

Pender Veterinary Centre
Chantilly Animal Hospital
Town & Country Animal Hospital

Countywide

FCPS updates digital literacy lessons, but state law complicates kindergarten device limits

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 21, 2026 at 10:00AM

A Fairfax County School bus (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

As Fairfax County Public Schools students prepare for their first day of school next Monday (Aug. 24), the Fairfax County School Board is making its own back-to-school to-do list. Near the top of the agenda: an updated digital literacy curriculum.

A work session on Tuesday (Aug. 18) provided a glimpse of the tasks ahead for the school board this year, and staff’s efforts over the summer to implement high-profile mandates around the curriculum, including updates related to artificial intelligence literacy.

News

Clyde’s new Reston restaurant, Ebbitt House, on track for October opening

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 21, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated August 24, 2026 at 3:52PM

A rendering of the main bar in Ebbitt House's dining room at Reston Station (courtesy Ebbitt House)

When Ebbitt House opens at Reston Station this fall, the food and ambiance might stir up memories for former Clyde’s of Reston regulars.

The new restaurant from Clyde’s Restaurant Group is on track to open in the growing Reston Row neighborhood this October, developer Comstock Companies announced earlier this month in an earnings report.

Around Town

Wyclef Jean coming to Tysons this fall for Fairfax Symphony concert

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 21, 2026 at 8:30AM

Patrons entering Capital One Hall in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will form an unexpected alliance at Capital One Hall this fall.

The Fairfax Symphony announced this week that it will be joined in the main theater at the Tysons venue (7750 Capital One Tower Road) by Jean on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.

Countywide

Morning Notes for August 21, 2026

By FFXnow.com

Published August 21, 2026 at 7:30AM

Drivers waiting for the light to change in front of TownePlace Suites on Brandon Avenue at Commerce Street in Springfield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

I-66 Safety Campaign Planned — “The Virginia State Police Fairfax and Culpepper Divisions will be conducting Operation DISS-rupt on all 76 miles of Interstate 66 in Virginia on Aug. 22-24, 2026. The traffic enforcement and educational safety initiative focuses on Distracted driving, Impaired driving, Speed compliance and Seat belt safety.” [Press release]

Rescue Task Force Returns From Earthquake — “Members of Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1) received a heroes’ welcome home Thursday night, after ten days in Colombia … The team flew to Colombia to support the State Department’s response to the August 10 earthquake, where they helped with disaster coordination and structural engineering.” [DC News Now]

Contractor Files Notice of Layoffs — “Reston-based government technology contractor TekSynap expects to eliminate as many as 69 positions after work under two subcontracting programs comes to an end, according to a notice filed with the Virginia Works Rapid Response Program.” The company recently announced it will move its headquarters to a larger office at Reston Town Center. [Patch]

Police Seek Paisano’s Pizza Burglar — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man who burglarized two Paisano’s Pizza locations in less than one week. Both incidents occurred around 4 a.m.,” first in Springfield on July 30 and then at a shop in Annandale on Aug. 4. [FCPD]

Study of Data Center Taxes Begins — “Virginia’s General Assembly convened its dormant Joint Subcommittee on Tax Policy on Wednesday for the first time since 2024, with the aim of implementing a consumption tax on data center operators and studying current exemptions for data centers and their impacts on communities.” [Cardinal News]

Fire Department Hands Out Backpacks — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted its annual Backpack and School Supply Distribution at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters, retirees, and volunteers worked together to distribute 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies to 45 schools and nonprofits throughout the county.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

New Member Joins Park Authority Board — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce that Ray Foote has been appointed by Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer to represent” her district on the Park Authority Board. A county resident for 38 years, Foote “brings decades of nonprofit leadership, philanthropy and conservation experience to his new role.” [FCPA]

Cinema Supper Club in Vienna — “Hosted by Cozy District Cafe and sponsored by DMV Cater, the new immersive dining experience pairs food, film, and atmosphere to create a one-of-a-kind movie night.” Limited tickets are available for Cinema Supper Club’s next screenings of “Ratatouille” today and next Friday, Aug. 28, at Vienna Moose Lodge (9616 Courthouse Road). [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Friday — It will be mostly sunny with a high of 82°F. Night brings increasing clouds and a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 a.m., with a low around 69°F. [NWS]