Countywide
A leaning sign for the Fairfax County Parkway Trail in the Franklin Farm area of Herndon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

No Changes to Va. Vaccine Rules — “After President Donald Trump issued an order seeking more spaced out childhood vaccinations, the Virginia Department of Health joined other medical experts in backing the existing childhood vaccination schedule … VDH said the executive order does not change Virginia’s school immunization requirements, which include two doses each of measles and mumps shots and one rubella dose.” [ALXnow]

Task Force Deployed to Colombia — “Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue team landed in Bogotá, Colombia, on Wednesday to assist after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the area. A 10-person disaster coordination and structural engineering assessment team was deployed in support of the U.S. Department of State’s response to the disaster.” [WUSA9]

Herndon Man Charged With Kidnapping — “A Herndon man accused of abducting an acquaintance at knifepoint and leading police on a pursuit through three jurisdictions has been arrested on federal carjacking and kidnapping charges, court records show.” The man also still faces state-level charges related to robbery, domestic assault, reckless driving and driving without a license. [Patch]

Police Crack Down on Reptile Theft Ring — “Two men are facing charges in connection with an organized theft scheme that led to the theft of more than 60 reptiles from multiple stores in Maryland and Virginia … Fairfax Police first began looking into the thefts after officers were called to a Petco on Richmond Highway in Groveton on May 21. Officers learned two suspects walked into the store and stole four pythons from the reptile habitat.” [WUSA9]

Reston Media Analytics Firm Plans Layoffs — Comscore “is making ‘substantial’ headcount reductions, executive salary cuts and a possible decrease in its footprint” after reporting a net loss of $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2026. The company didn’t comment on how many workers will be affected overall or at its Reston headquarters, but pay cuts will include a 20% reduction to CEO Matt McLaughlin’s $625,000 base salary. [Washington Business Journal]

Regional Downturn in Public School Enrollment — Fairfax County, Prince William and Loudoun public schools all reported drops in student enrollment last year compared to the 2024-2025 and 2022-2023 academic years. “Declining birth rates, immigration and migration patterns and housing costs are all playing a role in fewer students enrolling in public schools, experts said.” [WTOP]

Advocates on Abortion Referendum — “As Virginians vote this fall on whether to put enshrine protections for abortion and other reproductive healthcare at the highest level — the state constitution — advocates on either side are presenting familiar, and newer, arguments on the issue.” [VPM News]

New Vietnamese Restaurant at Eden Center — “Restaurateur couple Thao Tran and Tin Truong want to add a slightly more upscale date-night spot to the mix” at the Falls Church retail hub. “Their new restaurant, Tam Tam Brunch and Dinner, has a trendy bistro vibe, with a menu spanning from a citrusy salmon crudo to abalone soup to a variety of hot pots.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 90 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. During the night, the weather will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]

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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 — Aug 12, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Thursday’s forecast

Mostly sunny with a high near 90°F and a gentle northwest wind at 6 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 72°F and a light northwest 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.


Around Town

Though summer is winding down, Wolf Trap won’t be quiet for long, as The Barns prepares to kick off a new season later this fall.

Actor and singer Matthew Morrison, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the polarizing teen show “Glee,” and tributes to icons like the Beatles and Joni Mitchell will be among the highlights of The Barns at Wolf Trap’s 2026-2027 season, announced yesterday (Tuesday) by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.


News

A new developer has stepped in to complete Reston’s Halley Rise neighborhood, but it says some changes are needed for that to happen.

Revised development plans submitted to Fairfax County by Halley Rise Holdings LLC on July 31 would concentrate office space on the south side of the approximately 36-acre property, moving two future buildings closer to the existing One and Two Halley Rise offices.


Event

Featuring both voice and instrumental performance on vielle, lute, gittern, harp, recorder, douçaine, and bagpipe, the program will include works by, among others, Johannes Ciconia, Trebor, Johannes Senleches, Solage, Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume Dufay, and Gilles Binchois, rousing dance music from medieval Florence and finely wrought instrumental arrangements from the Faenza codex and the Buxheim Organ book.


News

A man accused of attempting to rape a woman at a Groveton hotel last year is facing a new charge of attempting to bribe a witness, according to Fairfax County Circuit Court records.

A grand jury indicted Oscar Junior Barrios of Alexandria on the bribery charge on July 20, adding it to a list of felony charges that already included abduction with intent to defile, attempted rape, grand larceny of a person, and misdemeanor simple assault.


Countywide

Home sales edged up slightly across Fairfax County, while average prices also were modestly higher year over year in July, according to new data.

A total of 1,148 properties went to closing last month, up 0.4% from the 1,144 transactions in July 2025, according to figures reported Aug. 11 by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service, based on figures from MarketStats by ShowingTime.


Around Town

Fans of Weird Brothers Coffee can now enjoy its signature drinks, snacks and merchandise in the Town of Vienna.

The Herndon-based coffee roaster opened the doors of its first franchise location at 106 Lawyers Road in the Windover Square shopping strip on Monday (Aug. 10), inviting a new community to share its “weird and wonderful vibes.”


News

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents confronted a driver and accused her of trying to run them over in a Bailey’s Crossroads parking lot earlier this week — a claim contradicted by video recordings that the woman captured of the encounter.

One of the ICE agents, dressed in a police vest and a balaclava that covers his face except for his eyes, pointed a gun at the woman while yelling at her for recording them and claiming “you almost ran us over,” a cellphone video posted on Instagram on Monday (Aug. 10) shows.


News

A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail in Herndon in 2024 has pleaded guilty to the charge of rape.

Denis Humberto Roman Navarette, 33, pleaded guilty yesterday (Tuesday) in Fairfax County Circuit Court, according to court records. Per a plea agreement, he could serve up to 18 years in prison, which the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney says exceeds the midpoint of Virginia’s Criminal Sentencing Guidelines for the crime.