Around Town

Nearly two years after plans for a Herndon location fell through, Ornery Beer Company is officially setting up shop in the neighborhood.

The brewery is already hiring for its second full-service restaurant in hopes that it will open later this month in Woodland Park Crossing, founder and CEO Randy Barnette confirmed to FFXnow.


Countywide

Half a decade after Fairfax County launched a solar panel initiative touted as the largest in Virginia to date, the first major installation at a public school is nearing completion.

Rooftop solar panels have been under construction at Olde Creek Elementary School (9524 Old Creek Drive) since Aug. 1 and are on track to become fully operational by Oct. 13, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.


Countywide
An SUV approaches as a bicyclist leaves the Cedar Lane bridge over I-66 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

McKay on Federal Government Shutdown Impacts — “Fairfax County, Virginia, is home to one of the largest numbers of federal workers in the country, with about 80,000 federal civil servants residing there, according to the county … Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay joined WTOP’s Anne Kramer and Shawn Anderson on Thursday to talk about the local impact of the shutdown and what the county is doing to mitigate it.” [WTOP]

ICE Sued for Detaining Youth — “The ACLU of Virginia has filed a class action lawsuit accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of unlawfully detaining young people in the commonwealth who already have, or are in the process of obtaining, legal protections that Congress created to shield them from deportation.” [Virginia Mercury]

Homeless Shelter Residents Report Poor Conditions — “The failure of New Hope Housing to adequately manage homeless shelters, including the one in Bailey’s Crossroads, has had a negative impact on clients, as well as staff … A client at the Bailey’s Shelter, who asked to be identified as S.L.T., told Annandale Today he’s had three different case managers in the past two years, and none of them have helped him find a job or housing.” [Annandale Today]

I-495 Project Misses Key Endorsement — “Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins cast the lone dissenting vote that blocked the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from endorsing a proposed extension of express lanes along the southern stretch of I-495, she told the City Council on Tuesday night.” Four NVTA board members voted for a letter supporting the VDOT project, while others abstained, the mayor reported. [ALXnow]

Athletic Court Projects Delayed by Rain — “Due to unexpected heavy rain over the last few weeks, the timeline for court renovations has been delayed. The work to return the Chalet Woods pickleball courts to tennis courts will begin on Monday, Oct. 6. The Greenbriar [Pickleball] Courts will be completed on Friday, Oct. 31.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

How Metro Silver Line Has Changed N. Va. — “Not all areas around Silver Line stations have seen equal changes. In this piece, I’ll examine how transit has spread development into the more car-dependent suburbs of Tysons and Reston, and how it’s changing the way people live, work, and play around the region.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Annual Reston Home Tour Coming Up — “If you love touring homes and supporting the local community, add the 2025 Reston Home Tour to your calendar. This year’s event, set for Saturday, October 25, marks the 23rd for the tour. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Reston Museum.” Today (Friday) is the last opportunity to buy a typically $40 ticket at an early-bird price of $35. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Reston Art Gallery Unveils New Exhibit — “Julia Malakoff’s solo exhibition, The Poetry of Everyday Things, will be on view at Reston Art Gallery and Studios at Lake Anne Plaza from October 4 through 31, 2025. Julia’s art is inspired by the ordinary things surrounding her daily life.” The new exhibit will be welcomed with an artist reception on Sunday (Oct. 5) at 2-4 p.m. [Press release]

It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 72°F, as calm winds shift southward at around 5 mph in the afternoon. The night will remain mostly clear, with a low temperature around 52°F and light south winds. [NWS]


Announcement

We love fall at Art House 7 and can’t wait for you to explore all our offerings. Painting, drawing, ceramics, and sewing/crocheting are our perennials, along with less traditional mediums. Kawaii Style Drawing and Digital Art are among our new classes for kids. We offer an excellent 6-week program for high schoolers preparing their college portfolios. Want something shorter? We have 3-week classes, including linocut notecards. Love ceramics? We have a dedicated studio that comfortably accommodates wheel and hand-building classes. 

Fall 1 Session begins Tue. Sep. 8.


Around Town

Good Thursday 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 2, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 72 degrees as calm wind shifts to the south at about 5 mph in the afternoon. For Friday night, the sky remains mostly clear with a low temperature of approximately 51 degrees accompanied by a light south wind. 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.


News

The White House is reportedly seeking to move forward with a planned relocation of the Discovery space shuttle from its longtime home in Chantilly to Texas.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has requested that the Smithsonian Institution work with NASA on preparing to transfer the orbiter from the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center to the Space Center Houston Museum in Texas, according to a letter sent to members of Congress earlier this week.


Around Town

Herndon residents will have another option for grocery shopping later this fall.

Budget supermarket chain Lidl is planning to open its latest Fairfax County location at 2110 Centreville Road on Oct. 29, a spokesperson confirmed.


Countywide

The median rental cost for apartments in Tysons was down year-over-year last month but in most other areas of Fairfax County, it continued to rise, according to new data.

Tysons still maintained its ranking in September as the county’s most expensive corridor tracked by Apartment List, with a median rent of $2,389 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,865 for two bedrooms. But rental rates declined 0.7% year-over-year.


Around Town

A new Indian restaurant will open its doors in Reston Town Center next week.

Masti, the newest venture from the owners of Indochen, is scheduled to open next Wednesday, Oct. 8, the restaurant announced.


Countywide

Poe Middle School is getting closer to having an Advanced Academic Program (AAP) center of its own, and other middle schools could soon follow suit.

The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously last Thursday (Sept. 25) to begin engaging with the community on a plan to open a new AAP center at Poe (7000 Cindy Lane), which would be the first middle school in the Annandale High School pyramid to offer full-time advanced academic services.