News

The list of places where guns can be carried in Fairfax City is getting smaller.

An ordinance to ban the possession of guns at city-permitted events and parks owned and operated by Fairfax City was approved Tuesday (Oct. 28) by the city council, aligning the city’s firearms policy with that of Fairfax County.


Countywide
Spectators gather along Maple Avenue for Vienna’s annual Halloween Parade (photo by Amy Woolsey)

FCPS Condemns Reportedly Antisemitic Student Videos — “Fairfax County Public Schools is condemning a couple of student-made videos that drew outrage online after Jewish organizations called them antisemitic. The clips, created by Muslim student groups at two Northern Virginia high schools, show teenagers acting out mock kidnappings, which school officials say have no place in classrooms or on school social media accounts.” [WUSA9]

How Much Government Shutdown Might Cost — “The U.S. economy will lose between $7 billion and $14 billion because of the federal government shutdown, according to a new report released Wednesday by Congress’s nonpartisan bookkeeper.” The dip in the country’s gross domestic product would stem from “federal workers missing paychecks and the interruption of food benefits for low-income Americans.” [Washington Post]

State House Passes Redistricting Amendment — “After three days of partisan wrangling in a surprise special session, the Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers limited power to redraw the state’s congressional districts mid-decade — a move Democrats say is needed to protect the commonwealth if other states manipulate their maps for partisan gain.” [Virginia Mercury]

Where to Find Emergency Food Sites — “Get emergency access to food items, diapers, baby food/formula, toiletries, and household items via the [Fairfax County] Emergency Food Access Providers Application, which is available online … Fairfax City residents are eligible for these services.” [City of Fairfax]

Reston Online Learning Company Sheds Students — “Stride (NYSE: LRN) executives said on an earnings call Tuesday that two new software tools launched over the summer … experienced glitches that made it difficult for students to log in or consistently access the platform. As a result, between 10,000 and 15,000 students have unenrolled from Stride courses and the company said it is capping enrollment in certain programs while it works to fix the problems.” [Washington Business Journal]

‘Flying’ Boat Company Eyes Potomac River — The Swedish company Candela recently “spent a week showing off quiet, speedy electric boats on the Potomac. The potential customers? Everyone from local retailers to the Pentagon, which sits right across the river from the Columbia Island Marina where Candela staged rides on one of its hydrofoil boats.” [Washington Post]

Wonder Food Hall Opening in Reston — The growing food hall chain Wonder will celebrate the grand opening of its new location at Plaza America with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m. Planned festivities will start at 5 p.m. and include “exclusive Wonder gifts” for the first 100 customers, live music, tarot card readings and more. [Wonder]

Local Businesses Donate Cosmetics — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) joined with Great Clips and Bank of America on Tuesday, October 28, for the second annual Empowerment Bags presentation at Great Clips in Fairfax.” For the campaign, the businesses collected “cosmetics and self-care products … throughout October in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” [Press release]

It’s Thursday — Expect rain and a potential thunderstorm before 1pm, followed by possible showers between 1 and 2pm, with a high of 66 degrees. Winds of 13-15 mph will turn south in the afternoon, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Wednesday 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 — Oct 29, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

⛈️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect rain and a possible thunderstorm before 1pm, followed by a chance of showers between 1pm and 2pm. The temperature will reach a high near 66, with southeast winds shifting to south at 14 mph, and gusts up to 25 mph. There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, and new precipitation amounts could range between a half and three quarters of an inch. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 47, west wind at 9 to 11 mph, and gusts as high as 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.


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

Snakeden Branch Trail has reopened in Reston after an extended closure due to an FBI investigation.

Residents reported that a white van was parked near a bridge along the trail for much of today (Wednesday), and FBI agents wearing white jumpsuits were spotted working in the woods.


Event

In a world that moves faster than ever, inner peace is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity.

Join us for the Inner Peace Summit, a transformative gathering where leaders, professionals, educators, public servants, families, students, faith communities, wellness advocates, and spiritual seekers come together to discover practical tools for living with greater clarity, resilience, compassion, and purpose.


News

The historic A. Smith Bowman Distillery building in Reston remains one of the county’s most endangered properties, the Fairfax County History Commission warned leaders in its annual report.

The building, which dates to the 1880s, is among four properties the advisory panel sees as most imperiled, commission chair Gretchen Bulova told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28).


News

The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to delay consideration of new middle school start times in order to focus on ongoing school boundary adjustments and identify an option that won’t affect the school system’s budget.

Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne, who introduced the motion during the school board’s meeting last Thursday (Oct. 23), reaffirmed his support for later start times but emphasized the importance of waiting until other changes are finalized.


News

Vienna leaders are taking a stand against the latest proposal to come out of Fairfax County Public Schools’ systemwide boundary review.

The Vienna Town Council unanimously approved a resolution on Monday (Oct. 27) opposing a boundary adjustment that would assign an estimated 91 students within the town’s limits to Marshall High School in Idylwood instead of the local James Madison High School.


News

The final phase of a three-part office-to-housing redevelopment in Oakton is one step closer to the end of its journey.

At its meeting last week (Oct. 22), the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a rezoning of the Three Flint Hill office building at 3201 Jermantown Road for Flint Hill Propco LLC.


Around Town

Reston residents no longer have to travel to Chantilly to indulge in a bar or box of River-Sea Chocolates.

The chocolate maker recently began welcoming customers to a retail shop at 11495 Sunset Hills Road, Unit 100, months after expanding there with a new, larger production facility.