News

Local police arrested a man last week for allegedly illegally possessing a firearm — but only after stopping him for another offense.

The man was spotted driving a stolen vehicle in the 6000 block of Richmond Highway in Groveton around 10:38 a.m. on Aug. 14, catching the attention of Auto Crimes Enforcement detectives, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Tuesday).


Around Town

Maggiano’s Little Italy is vacating Tysons Galleria (2001 International Drive) next month ahead of a planned move to Tysons Corner Center.

Staff at the location told FFXnow that the two-story restaurant, which has served Italian cuisine at the Galleria since the mid-1990s, will have its last day of business at its current location on Sept. 23.


Countywide

The Trump administration appears to be following through on its threat to withhold federal funds from public schools in Northern Virginia after they refused to roll back policies that support transgender and gender non-conforming students.

The U.S. Education Department announced yesterday (Tuesday) that it has placed Fairfax County Public Schools and the school systems in Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun on “high-risk status,” a move that it claims lets it attach specific conditions for releasing funding.


Countywide
Capital One Center in Tysons on a misty morning (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hurricane Could Affect Virginia Coast — “Hurricane Erin will pass well offshore the Mid-Atlantic but close enough to generate strong winds and dangerous seas and surf for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware beaches, particularly Wednesday and Thursday. Conditions may remain perilous into the weekend … and many beaches are already closed.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Va. Lawmakers Consider Regulating Chatbots — “As more Virginians turn to artificial intelligence for simple tasks or even companionship, lawmakers are exploring policy ideas to address how AI chatbots are influencing residents’ health and well-being, as well as their privacy and security.” The General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) heard an overview of the technology and potential policy concerns on Monday (Aug. 18). [Virginia Mercury]

11th District Candidates Discuss Priorities — “Congressional candidates James Walkinshaw (D) and Stewart Whitson (R) clashed on Medicaid cuts, immigration, tariffs, crime, and much more in an online forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Aug. 18.” [Annandale Today]

Poll Shows Tightening Governor’s Race — “Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 7-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for Virginia governor, according to a new Roanoke College Poll that shows the contest tightening since the spring … The numbers mark a closer race than in May, when Roanoke’s poll showed Spanberger ahead 43%-26%.” [Virginia Mercury]

Petition Seeking Transgender Girls Ban Accepted — “The Virginia State Board of Health unanimously voted Monday to accept a petition that could lead to regulations banning transgender girls and women from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.” The petition filed by three college swimmers, also called for trans girls and women to be barred from spaces “where females are likely to be in any state of undress.” [WTVR]

New Security Scanners Coming to DCA — “CLEAR and the TSA are piloting biometric ‘eGates’ at three major U.S. airports ahead of a nationwide rollout, the identity verification company told Axios exclusively.” The gates, which will be deployed at Reagan National Airport next week, use “real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler’s face to their ID and boarding pass.” [Axios]

GMU Hires Former Governor — “The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice … McDonnell served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014.” [GMU]

NOVA Senior Olympics Accepting Athletes — “The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics are set for September 13 to 28, marking the 43rd year of the regional games that celebrate health, competition, and community among older adults. Registration is open now through August 29, and organizers expect more than 1,100 participants, a turnout that would make it the largest in the event’s history.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect patchy showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with clouds gradually clearing to mostly sunny skies and a high near 85°F. Precipitation chances stand at 30%. At night, skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 70°F. [NWS]


Event

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Around Town

Good Tuesday 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 19, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

⛈️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect patchy showers and potential thunderstorms after 2pm, transitioning to mostly sunny skies and a high of 85°F with southeast winds around 6 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Wednesday night, watch for showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 2am, followed by a slight chance of showers. The low will be around 70°F with northeast winds at 9 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. 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

Reston Art Gallery and Studios will be overtaken by weeds next month — an intrusion that, in this case, will be enthusiastically welcomed.

The gallery at Lake Anne Plaza (11400 Washington Plaza West) announced today (Tuesday) that it will host a new exhibit titled “Weeds & Seeds: Observed Motifs” from local visual artist Jennifer Duncan from Sept. 6-28.


News

An office parking lot in Fairfax City will soon be replaced by more than 200 residential units.

Land and financing have been secured to develop The Botanist, a seven-story apartment building, at 10350 Eaton Place near the intersection of Fairfax Blvd and Chain Bridge Road.


News

A national TV broadcast company based in Tysons could soon be subsumed into a rival.

Tegna, which became the first tenant to move into Boro Tower in 2019, announced today (Tuesday) that it has entered into a $6.2 billion agreement to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group, a media company whose local holdings include the CW affiliate DC News Now and the online political news outlet The Hill.


News

Local residents have until Aug. 31 to provide feedback on new gateway signage for the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners areas of the county.

Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section has unveiled a number of design options, aimed at providing consistent branding and a sense of excitement in the Route 7 corridors.