By KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The pressure to end the second-longest federal government shutdown is gaining new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.
Hundreds of volunteers congregated at sites across Northern Virginia on Saturday (Oct. 25) to collect, sort and distribute donations to local school food pantries.
Timed to coincide with National Make a Difference Day, the sorting events were organized by the nonprofit Food for Neighbors to help the many students in the region who struggle with getting consistent access to food — a challenge expected to worsen as the federal government shutdown approaches a month in length.
Game on! The Tysons Trek & Treat Fall Challenge returns this week, running October 2 through November 1. Participants can walk, bike, or roll through Tysons while checking in at stops, earning points, and redeeming them for prizes.
Hosted by Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the free mobility challenge features five walkable and bike-friendly routes—including a brand-new route this season!—for a range of ages and abilities. Explore The Boro on the Yellow Route, wander past Arbor Row and Tysons Galleria on the Green Route, stroll Scott’s Run Trail and Capital One Center on the Red Route, or take on the Orange and Purple routes by bike or wheels.
There’s no app to download, so just choose a route, grab your phone, and start exploring.
And there’s a good reason to sign up now: pre-register by October 1, and you’ll automatically be entered to win a $150 Experience Tysons e-gift card, redeemable at participating businesses throughout Tysons.
As you make your way through Tysons, be on the lookout for Trek & Treat check-in stickers posted at stops along each route. Scan the QR code on each sticker to check in, earn points, and keep moving toward your next prize.
While racking up points, you can earn prizes including wireless earbuds, a Bluetooth speaker, an OGIO backpack, Metro SmarTrip cards, portable chargers, and more. Participants can also earn Experience Tysons e-gift cards, including $300 for the Tysons Trailblazer grand-prize winner, $250 for second place, and $200 for third place.
Register and complete at least one check-in by October 10, and you’ll also receive an exclusive “I Trekked Tysons” t-shirt.
So whether you’re looking for a fun way to get outside, discover new corners of Tysons, or earn prizes along the way, Trek & Treat offers plenty of reasons to explore this fall. Registration is easy at tysonsva.org/exploretysons/gameon.
Tysons Trek & Treat Fall Challenge runs October 2–November 1
A 27-year-old man appears to have fatally overdosed on Sunday (Oct. 26) in Bailey’s Crossroads, shortly after allegedly injuring another man.
Officers initially responded to the 5900 block of Seminary Road around 2:45 p.m. for a report of a malicious wounding. Upon arriving, they found both the injured man and the 27-year-old man, who was believed to be “the suspect involved in the malicious wounding,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. The festival celebrates the best of Indigenous film, spanning documentaries, features, animations, and short-format films by Indigenous filmmakers from across the Western Hemisphere and Arctic.
County officials are currently seeking feedback on proposed changes to Fairfax Connector bus service early next year.
Through Nov. 12, residents can weigh in on the proposal, which would only affect six different routes.
One of Northern Virginia’s scariest haunted trails opens THIS WEEKEND!
Haunt: Dark Encounters returns to the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton on Saturday, October 3, taking guests deep into the woods for an immersive Halloween experience built around the mysterious disappearance of five friends in 1996.
A mixed-use development that could transform a corner of Tysons West sailed through the Fairfax County Planning Commission last week after more than five years of review.
All of the commissioners present for the Oct. 22 public hearing recommended that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve a conceptual development plan for the Piazza at Tysons, which would replace a gas station and the Tysons 3 shopping center near the Spring Hill Metro station with housing, office, over 2 acres of park space and, potentially, a public arts and culture center.
Fairfax County school leaders see signs of improving mental health, but also some ongoing red flags, in the county’s most recent youth survey.
“This is always a bittersweet report to read,” at-large Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel said after Superintendent Michelle Reid detailed the report’s findings at the board meeting last Thursday (Oct. 23).
General Assembly Begins Special Session — “With just one week before Election Day, Virginia lawmakers returned to the state Capitol Monday for a surprise special session that swiftly turned into a partisan clash over the future of the state’s congressional map — and, potentially, its balance of political power for years to come.” [Virginia Mercury]
Update: County Workers Ratify Contract — Members of SEIU Local 512’s Fairfax County chapter officially ratified their collective bargaining agreement on Friday, Oct. 24 by a 99.9% vote, the union announced. If approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the three-year contract will take effect on July 1, 2026. [FFXnow]
Cat Reunited With Family After 15 Years — “Flora the cat was reunited with her family last week after a 15-year adventure, thanks to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter … According to her family, Flora wandered off when she was just a kitten during a move to a new apartment.” [NBC4]
Capital One Settles Class Action Lawsuit — “Anyone who had a particular account through Capital One could soon be receiving money as part of a multi-million dollar class action settlement. The $425 million settlement involves the bank’s popular 360 Savings accounts, which a lawsuit alleges was ‘deceptively marketed,’ ‘cheating’ millions of customers out of more than $2 billion in interest.” [NBC4]
Fewer Early Childhood Centers in Need of Support — “Virginia’s list of early childhood centers rated as ‘needing support’ has been cut in half from 51 to 25 over back-to-back school years, with instruction identified as the most common aspect requiring improvement.” [Virginia Mercury]
Great Falls Estate for Sale — Alderley Manor, a 22,000-square-foot mansion originally at 576 Innsbruck Avenue in Great Falls for AOL executive Richard Hanlon, is on the market for an initial asking price of $16 million. Currently owned by SilverArrow Capital Group founder Thomas Limberger, the six-bedroom home features gardens and a koi pond, a car barn with a cigar lounge, a sport court, a chef’s kitchen, a theater, a wine cellar, a fitness center, a library and a heated lap pool, among other amenities. [Washington Business Journal]
TJ Students Use AI to Make Computers More Accessible — “Dhanvin Ganeshkumar recalls seeing his grandparents struggle with computer tasks because of hand tremors. He wanted to help — but the 16-year-old says existing technologies were either expensive or outdated. So, he started coding in his bedroom using a smartphone camera and came up with a tool that allows them to use simple hand gestures and voice commands to control a computer.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching near 57 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind at 10 to 14 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of showers primarily after 2am, with mostly cloudy conditions and a low around 45 degrees. [NWS]
Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 27, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 57 accompanied by a northeast wind of 9 to 14 mph and gusts as high as 24 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of showers occurring mainly after 2 am and the low is expected to reach around 44, with a steady northeast wind at 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
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.
Last-minute modifications that weren’t properly communicated contributed to the burns sustained by a firefighter during a training exercise last year, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.
One team of firefighters was not equipped to properly handle two live fires during the Oct. 13, 2024, training at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy, attributable to a lack of communication among training organizers, according to a department report released Friday (Oct. 24).
While our Fall 1 season is in swing, we have some terrific opportunities for making art coming up soon. Our Fall 2 season runs late October through December, with six-week and three-week classes you’ll love. We have some new themes in the mix, including Acrylic Painting Fundamentals (adults) and Sculpting with Nature and Found Objects (4th-6th graders). Explore the wheel together at our parent-child ceramics class. And our perennials always shine: painting, drawing, ceramics, sewing, sculpture, and printmaking. Take a look now!
Fall 2 Session, Oct. 27-Dec. 20
