Countywide
An outdoor seating area for The PARC at Tysons is decorated for fall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

More Scrutiny for FCPS Over Abortion Allegations — “The U.S. Department of Education ordered Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to investigate claims that a school social worker helped a high school student get an abortion during the 2021-2022 school year … FCPS already launched its own internal investigation and hired an outside law firm to investigate. On Aug. 13, 2025, Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Virginia State Police to investigate as well.” [NBC4]

What Happens if Federal Government Shuts Down — “Much of the federal government is on the verge of shutting down if Congress does not reach a deal to approve new funding by Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 … There have been 14 shutdowns since 1980, with the most recent coming in 2018. That shutdown lasted 34 days.” [CBS News]

Reston Native Marries Selena Gomez — “On Sunday, actress and singer Selena Gomez married record producer and Reston native Benny Blanco at a private ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, announcing the news in an Instagram post showing the couple kissing and embracing on a lawn.” [Patch]

McLean Old Firehouse Finishes Renovations — “Community leaders, teenage residents, parents, and F.H. Paschen representatives gathered on Sept. 20 to mark the completion of critical ADA-related renovations at the Old Firehouse Center (OFC), a facility operated by the McLean Community Center (MCC).” [Press release]

Replacement of Falls Church Motel Progresses — “Plans to open a new restaurant and beer garden at the site of a closed Falls Church motel are nearing completion. After months of demolition and construction, Stratford Garden is beginning to materialize at 300 W. Broad Street, where the Stratford Motor Lounge closed in 2021.” [ARLnow]

Local Greek Restauranteurs Eye Expansion — Eleni and Angelo Linardakis, who run Spartans in Burke and Olympians in Newington, are planning to open a new, fast-casual concept called Go GRK at Crosspointe Shopping Center in Fairfax Station. Aiming to launch the restaurant around November or December, the couple say it will have a “consolidated” menu focused on their Greek specialties. “So, no pizza, but plenty of chicken souvlaki, Greek salads, pita sandwiches and gyro fries.” [Washington Business Journal]

Mason District Restaurant Week Planned — “Fourteen restaurants in the Annandale/Mason area will participate in Mason District Restaurant Week Oct. 20-26. This year’s theme is ‘Eat Around the World.’ Some of the restaurants have already announced specials for Restaurant Week; the others will be doing so soon.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a cloudy day with highs near 77°F and a northeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy as well, with lows around 59°F and a north wind at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Monday 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 — Sep 29, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect cloudy skies with a high around 77 and a north breeze of 5 to 8 mph. The evening will remain mostly cloudy as temperatures drop to a low of about 58, accompanied by a slightly stronger north wind at 6 to 9 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.


News

Three different people are facing criminal charges in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred earlier this month in Woodlawn.

According to police, Jaylin Hartless, a 21-year-old Alexandria resident, was found with gunshot wounds to his upper body on Sept. 19 after officers responded to the 3400 block of Buckman Road around 4:45 a.m. for a report of someone breaking into a vehicle.


Announcement

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a time for commemorating our ancestors. Rather than a period of mourning, it is an occasion for celebrating with family—both living and dead—and honoring the cycle of life. Learn about La Catrina and her joyful view of life and mortality. Enjoy family-friendly activities throughout the day, including dance performances, coloring activities, and paper marigold and mask making. Visitors are invited to leave photos and mementos of their loved ones on the ofrenda (altar) or commemorate them by writing their names on a butterfly to attach to the memorial arch.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:


News

The federal government could shut down this week, barring a last-minute compromise between Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders on a new budget.

While Democrats have singled out extending health care benefits as their top priority in the ongoing negotiations, Virginia’s senators are also looking to secure the Space Shuttle Discovery’s future at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.


Event

Join Comunidad for its Annual 5Dollar5K—a fun, family-friendly race that brings neighbors together in support of local children, teens, and families in Falls Church and Arlington. Run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, and bring the little ones for a special Kids’ Dash! Registration is just $5, and children ages 12 and under participate for free. Comunidad is a community development organization based in the Seven Corners area of Falls Church. We hope you'll join us and together help us build comunidad!


News

A call to address an apparent race on the Capital Beltway (I-495) turned into a lifesaving operation for the Virginia State Police last night (Sunday).

According to the VSP, its troopers were dispatched around 10:52 p.m. for a report of “multiple vehicles driving recklessly” near southbound I-495 and Braddock Road in the Springfield area.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools has managed to significantly reduce its bus driver vacancies, which in turn is bumping up on-time rates.

As part of her “Opening of Schools” report, Superintendent Michelle Reid reported last Thursday (Sept. 25) that 96% of bus routes were completed on time to start the current school year — a figure that astounded some School Board members.


News

A resident of the Vienna Park Apartments was arrested last week after allegedly pursuing his roommate while holding a machete.

Officers were called to the 100 block of Patrick Street SE at 8:16 p.m. on last Monday (Sept. 22) for a “report of a man chasing his roommate with a machete,” the Town of Vienna Police Department said in its most recent weekly crime round-up.


News

A much-needed makeover is in the works for the playground behind Reston’s Home Depot.

Construction is scheduled to start in October on a renovation of the Reston North Park playground, requiring a temporary closure of the site at 11760 Stevenage Road, the Fairfax County Park Authority announced last Thursday (Sept. 25).


News

One man was hospitalized after being shot by a Fairfax County police officer in Burke last night (Sunday).

Officers responded to the 9700 block of Church Way around 10:15 p.m. after receiving a report of a man armed with a weapon — later identified as a chainsaw, according to scanner traffic.


Announcement

Alexandria, Virginia – October 1, 2026 – Body Imperium, an Old Town Alexandria strength-training studio, has announced that it is rebranding as Imperium Strength and Longevity, known simply as Imperium.

The new name reflects the studio’s evolution from its Pilates origins into Alexandria’s only strength-training facility powered by ARX® (Adaptive Resistance Exercise) technology. The evolution of the business closely follows founder Victoria Azor’s personal experience building strength and longevity.