The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is hoping to improve fire response by enlisting the help of the community.
The department re-launched its “Adopt a Hydrant” program earlier this month, allowing residents to assist firefighters by ensuring fire hydrants remain accessible during an emergency.
Amazon Web Outage Stems From N. Va. Data Center — “A massive outage at Amazon Web Services disrupted major websites and apps on Monday, in a show of how one company’s online infrastructure has become essential for many modern businesses to function … Amazon reported ‘increased error rates and latencies’ starting around 3 a.m. ET that involved its facility in Northern Virginia.” [NPR]
Woman Hit by Falling Tree Dies — “A woman crushed by a falling tree on Pimmit Run Trail last month was later pronounced dead at the hospital, ARLnow has learned. The incident happened around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, near the Arlington-Fairfax County border.” [ARLnow]
Warmer Winter Forecast — “La Niña can benefit winter lovers in the D.C. area by tilting odds toward slightly cooler winters, mainly when the event is weak. But that tendency is running headlong into a steadily warming climate, which is one reason forecasters at the Weather Service still lean toward above-normal temperatures this winter.” [Washington Post]
Va. Leaders Dispute Recession Prediction — “The Youngkin administration and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond are pushing back on a recent analysis saying Virginia is one of 22 states and districts in, or at risk of, a recession … Virginia isn’t immune to a downturn, but local economists and state leaders tell Axios they’re not seeing one yet.” [Axios Richmond]
Founder of Prominent Developer Dies — “Robert “Bob” Youngentob, a founding partner at Bethesda developer EYA LLC, died Saturday after a battle with cancer, according to an online obituary. He was 64.” Started by Youngentob and Terry Eakin in 1992, EYA has been involved in a number of Fairfax County developments, from the Mosaic District in Merrifield to Reston Station. [Washington Business Journal]
Franconia Food Drive Underway — “My office is collecting donations of non-perishable food and household goods to benefit three organizations doing impactful work in the Franconia District: ECHO, The Koinonia Foundation, Inc., and United Community. Donations will be distributed by need … The donation box will be in the lobby of the Franconia Governmental Center through November 30.” [Supervisor Rodney Lusk/Facebook]
Campaign to Reduce Water Bottle Use Awarded — “The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is presenting an Environmental Excellence Award to the Friends of Holmes Run and Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect (HACAN) for promoting the use of tap water in Culmore. The groups encouraged residents to use refillable water bottles for tap water instead of buying disposable water bottles that often end up in streams.” [Annandale Today]
Program Brings Ballet to Kids with Down Syndrome — “Program Director Madison Harden brought The Purple Tutu to Alexandria with the goal of teaching ballet to dancers in the special needs community. Every Sunday, young dancers meet up at the Just Dance Studio and receive a free 30-minute ballet class, taught by members of the West Potomac High School Dance team.” [WTOP]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 71 degrees, accompanied by a south wind ranging from 5 to 11 mph and gusts reaching 22 mph. Tonight, there is a 40% chance of showers before 2 am; however, the mostly cloudy skies will gradually clear with a low of around 49 degrees. The west wind will be around 7 mph. [NWS]
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
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 20, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high around 71°F, while a south wind blows at 5-13 mph and gusts up to 23 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 40% chance of showers before 2am, later transitioning from mostly cloudy to mostly clear skies. The temperature will drop to around 48°F, accompanied by a west wind at around 7 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.
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
Regional transportation planners continue to take the pulse of riders and other local residents as they prepare for a major revamp of the Route 7 bus corridor.
“It’s a good thing” to be out in the community, said Kate Mattice, executive director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), which is overseeing a study that could bring bus rapid transit (BRT) service to the corridor from Tysons to Alexandria.
Fall is in its full glory every first Saturday in October with our Manassas Fall Jubilee and 2026 marks the 43rd one! This community-spirited festival spans all of Center Street and side streets, and includes an assortment of fun for kids and adults with over 100 craft and community booths, live music and entertainment, food, and more. Live music ranges from pop to rock to heavy metal, and dance performances include ballet, clogging, and belly dancing. And, the kids will enjoy a meet & greet with Cinderella, pumpkin painting, games, and more!
The Fairfax City Council approved a handful of special exceptions for the forthcoming Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center last week, but not every official was on board.
Three of the councilmembers — Stacy Hall, Rachel McQuillen and Thomas Peterson — symbolically voted against each of the zoning requests at the council meeting last Tuesday (Oct. 14), though all items ultimately passed by a slim majority vote.
Workdays at 1895 Preston White Drive are getting lonely for the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, the owner and sole occupant of the Reston office building.
After trying without success to attract other tenants, the information technology research nonprofit has given its support to a developer seeking to transform the 4.6-acre office property just south of the Dulles Toll Road into a new residential community.
Fairfax City police have determined that a bomb threat targeting Fairfax High School was unfounded.
A “large” number of police officers descended on the school at 3501 Lion Run this morning (Monday) in response to a bomb threat, the City of Fairfax Police Department said on social media shortly after 9 a.m.
Fairfax County Public Schools officials want to make sure students are using artificial intelligence as a tool rather than a crutch.
FCPS doesn’t have a comprehensive policy governing the use of AI, but officials are working on one. Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board at a work session this month (Oct. 7) that it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page because AI is such a broad topic.
Update — 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.
The museum’s annual Native Art Market features award-winning and innovative Indigenous artists from across the Western Hemisphere. This event invites lovers of art and craftsmanship to meet Indigenous artists and learn about the traditional arts and contemporary Indigenous creativity. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase traditional and contemporary handcrafted artworks, including beadwork, jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, and sculpture.
