Due to budget cuts, the Fairfax County Police Department is no longer offering free child car seat installations and inspections.
The department officially terminated its child safety seat program this past Tuesday (July 1), which marked the first day of fiscal year 2026.
Vienna residents will have to wait a little longer than expected to check out library books without leaving town.
Previously expected to launch in June, a planned temporary library has encountered permitting delays and now likely won’t open at the Cedar Park Shopping Center until late July, according to Fairfax County Public Library.
Fairfax families now have a vibrant new destination for creative exploration — a dedicated children’s art studio has officially opened its doors, bringing with it one of the largest selections of children’s art programs in the area.
A Vision Rooted in Community
The journey behind this new studio is a simple but meaningful one: a belief that every child in the Fairfax community deserves access to quality art education. That conviction became the driving force behind building a space where young people can discover, create, and grow — not just as artists, but as individuals.
“We wanted to provide the opportunity of art education to the Fairfax community,” the studio shared.
More Than 40 Art Forms Under One Roof
What makes this studio particularly remarkable is its breadth. Children have access to more than 40 varieties of art, offering a rare opportunity to explore disciplines far beyond the typical drawing and painting classes. Whether a child is drawn to sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, or illustration, there’s a path here waiting to be discovered.
The philosophy is intentional: instead of narrowing a child’s focus too soon, the programs are designed to let curiosity lead the way. Children are encouraged to try, experiment, and explore until something clicks — because finding a true passion is just as important as developing a skill.
Programs Built for Every Child and Every Schedule
The studio has been thoughtfully designed to meet families where they are, with age-appropriate programs that build skills progressively and purposefully. Here’s a closer look at what’s available:
Tiny Hands (Ages 3–4)
Art is a skill developed over time, and it all starts here. In Tiny Hands classes, children begin to express themselves through art in guided, small group activities that encourage community, collaboration, and relationships. This two-year program introduces young learners to drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, collage, design, and more — laying the foundation for a lifelong creative journey.
Intro to Art (Ages 5–6)
This two-year program introduces children to beginning art skills, tools, and basic vocabulary. Students are encouraged to explore different mediums and express their growing interests, working with clay, printmaking, charcoal drawing, painting, design, montage, watercolors, sculpture, stained glass, and more. Along the way, they’ll learn about color theory — including primary, secondary, cool, and warm colors — while gaining self-confidence and earning recognition for their creations.
Beginning Art (Ages 7–8)
Building on the foundation of Intro to Art, Beginning Art is designed for children ready to deepen their skills and grow more comfortable with art tools. Students expand their art vocabulary, apply their knowledge of color theory, and explore design principles through hands-on creating. This two-year program offers opportunities to work with charcoal, mono printing, clay, ink, color design, collage, self-portrait, watercolors, balsa wood carving, sculpture, and much more.
Art 1 (Ages 9+)
Art 1 is the foundation of the studio’s four-year curriculum — a class designed to maximize and maintain each child’s art interest as they develop a higher level of skills and knowledge. Students also begin building their personal portfolio. Projects include ebony pencil from photomontage, charcoal still life, India ink design, and scratchboard art, with a strong focus on line, value, and texture. Later in the program, students dive into an in-depth study of color theory and apply it to a series of color design projects. Art 1 also includes hand building with clay.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has no intention right now of shipping off a centerpiece of its Chantilly facility to Texas.
The federal budget bill that squeaked through the Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday (July 1) includes a provision directing NASA to transfer the Discovery space shuttle from its longtime home at the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, allocating $85 million toward transportation and construction costs.
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.
Capital Bikeshare to Raise Prices — “Capital Bikeshare announced Monday (June 30) that it will increase prices across all membership tiers starting August 1, marking the first price adjustment since 2021 as the bike-sharing system grapples with unprecedented ridership growth and rising operational expenses.” [ALXnow]
Arrests in Online Predator Operation — “An undercover operation by the Fairfax County Police Department’s Child Exploitation Unit ended with 16 men in handcuffs — all accused of sexually soliciting a minor … The men caught, ages 20-65, face more than 80 felony charges combined,” police announced yesterday (Wednesday). [WUSA9]
Man Released From ICE Detention — “A Salvadoran father who was arrested by Alexandria police and handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spoke out after spending nearly two months in a detention center.” The man’s lawyer says a judge issued an arrest warrant for the man after he failed to appear for a Fairfax County court hearing for a domestic case that has since closed. [NBC4]
Family Claims Antisemitism at Herndon School — “A new complaint filed with the Virginia Attorney General’s office alleges three students were kicked out of [Nysmith School for the Gifted] in Herndon. Their parents allege it happened after their children–all under the age of 11– were subjected to antisemitic bullying.” [WJLA]
Reality TV Star Realtor Makes Move on McLean — “Luxury residential real estate brokerage Serhant, whose listings from New York to Florida top out as high as $80 million, has entered the D.C. market, snagging a team of top McLean agents.” The New York-based firm comes from Ryan Serhant, who is starring in “Owning Manhattan” on Netflix and previously led Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York” for nine seasons. [Washington Business Journal]
N. Va. Newspapers Adapt to Digital Age — “Some Northern Virginia newspaper publishers are taking creative chances to retain a viable print presence in an industry where online news is increasingly dominant.” Rappahannock Media, whose publications include Inside NoVA, seeks to balance paper and online offerings, while Loudoun Now recently turned into a nonprofit. [ARLnow]
Turtle Gets Help Crossing Reston Road — “The crew from FS25, Reston, A-shift were a bit shell-shocked to see a turtle trying to cross Sunset Hills Rd near Reston Parkway. Acting quickly, the crew stopped and helped the turtle safely cross the road. FF Ben Welty posed with the grateful reptile before each continued on their way.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Loudoun Considers ‘Tiny’ Housing — “Loudoun County — perpetually dubbed the wealthiest county in the U.S. based on median household income — is exploring how a tiny home community might provide affordable housing. In a Monday Board of Supervisors business meeting, Board Chair Phyllis Randall expressed excitement at the possibility of helping low and moderate income people afford homes.” [WTOP]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions with a high around 89. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low near 68. For Independence Day, the weather will remain sunny, reaching a high near 87 accompanied by a north wind at around 6 mph. [NWS]
The Reston Museum is excited to announce that the much-anticipated Reston Home Tour will take place from 10:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday, October 17th. The tour will feature six fabulous residences throughout Reston. Visit the homes at your own leisurely pace and enjoy the special touches, unique styles and specially crafted designs of each home. Tickets can be purchased at the Reston Museum located on Lake Anne Plaza or online at restonmuseum.org.
Good Wednesday 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 — Jul 2, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies with a high of 89 degrees and northwest winds around 5 to 7 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with lows near 68 and west winds at about 3 to 5 mph. Independence Day will continue to be sunny with a high of 86 degrees, accompanied by a north wind between 5 and 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.
Data center provider CoreSite is powering up the next phase of its planned expansion in Reston.
Fairfax County staff are currently reviewing a site plan for a three-story data center facility that would replace a one-story, vacant office building on the company’s 21.7-acre campus at 12369 Sunrise Valley Drive, just east of Fairfax County Parkway.
After a contentious primary, Republican nominees for Virginia’s next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general took the stage last night (Tuesday) in Vienna to try and present a unified image.
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, and others criticized the Democratic slate of candidates but also repeatedly took aim at Zohran Mamdani, attempting to associate Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger with the mayoral candidate in New York City.
Though Fairfax County set off some Fourth of July fireworks prematurely, with displays in Lorton, McLean and at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston last weekend, residents who are sticking around for the holiday will still have plenty of options for celebrating.
Coming up first, the Town of Vienna will host its annual celebration with fireworks at Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Drive SW) from 6-10 p.m. tonight (Wednesday).
Fairfax County is home to plenty of artists, but many of them struggle to find space for practicing and displaying their craft, a survey recently released by ArtsFairfax found.
According to the Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, limited opportunities for networking and a scarcity of appropriate, affordable venues are the biggest obstacles to artists presenting their work in Fairfax County, pushing many of them to other localities.
The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. The festival celebrates the best of Indigenous film, spanning documentaries, features, animations, and short-format films by Indigenous filmmakers from across the Western Hemisphere and Arctic.
