Around Town

Plaza America in Reston is in a period of transition: one retailer has left, another is preparing to relocate, and the future of a third is unclear.

The question mark centers on Noodles & Company, the fast-casual noodle eatery that has occupied a prominent spot at the shopping center since 2012.


News

A 15-year-old Chantilly youth is flying high in the art world, while doing her part to promote inclusivity in the world of aviation and aerospace.

Lalitha Kuchipudi recently earned first place in the Senior category (ages 14-17) of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s (FAI) Young Artists Contest.


Countywide
Sunlight on Wolftrap Creek in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Federal Cuts Constrain Food Banks — “The region’s three main food banks — Blue Ridge, the Capital Area Food Bank and the Maryland Food Bank — together lost more than 1.4 million meals with the March USDA cuts … The Trump administration additionally ended or defunded at least two other programs relied upon by food banks, including funding to purchase food directly from local farmers and to provide food for hungry seniors.” [Washington Post]

Capitals Player Allegedly Involved in Fight — “A Washington Capitals player was pepper sprayed and arrested in Clarendon early Saturday, ARLnow has learned.” Arlington County police responded to the neighborhood’s bar district around 3:26 a.m. on Saturday (May 17) after a witness “reported an active fight outside of a business.” [ARLnow]

Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Arrested — “Authorities in Henrico County, Virginia, arrested and charged Zachary Alam, accusing him of ‘breaking into a home in Henrico County and stealing personal items,’ WUSA9 reports. Alam, who is from Centreville, was previously sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.” [Washingtonian]

Criminal Records Sealing Deadline Extended — “Virginia’s General Assembly passed the record-sealing law in 2021, and now, an amended version is set to take effect July 1, 2026 … Surovell said a $20 million rebuild of Virginia’s criminal record-keeping computer infrastructure is preventing the law from taking effect immediately.” [WTOP]

State Senator Treated for Cancer — “State Sen. Barbara Favola, who represents the majority of Arlington County, is undergoing treatment for uterine cancer. In a social media post today (Monday), the 69-year-old said she successfully underwent a hysterectomy on Friday at Virginia Hospital Center.” [ARLnow]

County Supervisors Back Colleague for Congress — “Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s (D-Braddock) campaign to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th) in Congress received the endorsement of all eight other Democrats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Monday.” [Patch]

Taco Restaurant Still Coming to Annandale — “Over a year ago, the owner of a property in Annandale told us they were planning to open a Shawarma Taco restaurant and accounting firm by the end of 2024 in a building undergoing renovations at 4201 Annandale Road. The renovations are still underway,” but the CEO says he doesn’t know when they’ll finish. [Annandale Today]

Braddock Bark Festival Declared a Success — “Our 4th Annual Braddock Bark festival was a huge success, with over 500 attendees. 7 rescue pups were officially adopted and many more applications to adopt were submitted!” [James Walkinshaw/Bluesky]

It’s Tuesday — Expect clouds to increase throughout the day, accompanied by a high temperature of around 72 and a gentle north wind at 6 mph. At night, anticipate showers mainly after 2 am, with the low temperature dropping to approximately 56. The chance of precipitation stands at 90%. [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 — May 19, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Tuesday’s forecast

Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high of around 71°F with a north wind at 6 mph. Showers are expected Tuesday night, mainly after 2am, with a low temperature of around 56°F. The calm wind will shift to the southeast, reaching 5-7 mph after midnight. There is a 90% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts potentially ranging between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. 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.


Event

Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria.
Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV.
Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.


News

A 2.5-mile segment of the George Washington Memorial Parkway remains inaccessible to traffic three days after a storm brought down over a dozen trees and left others severely damaged.

The closure from Belle View Blvd in Belle Haven to Alexandria Avenue in Fort Hunt is expected to continue at least through the morning rush hour tomorrow (Tuesday), as crews work to remove fallen and hazardous trees, the National Park Service announced this afternoon.


Around Town

A local outpost for organic cotton home textiles will open its doors in Merrifield later this week.

The latest location of Boll & Branch, a “leading designer and retailer of luxury home textiles,” will open in the Mosaic District on Thursday (May 22), according to a company spokesperson.


News

Another attempt to develop the Reston National Golf Course for housing appears to have fallen short, for now.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission informally voted last Thursday (May 15) to recommend the project be left off a list of Comprehensive Plan amendment proposals to be recommended to the Board of Supervisors in June.


News

The arts center planned for downtown McLean has a new name and a potential timeline for starting construction.

The facility will officially be known as the MPA Berlage Arts & Education Center in honor of McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) board member and longtime supporter Bruce L. Berlage, who made a “significant” contribution to help fund the project, MPA announced last week.


Around Town

After an eventful first few months in office, Herndon Mayor Keven LeBlanc is looking to get a pulse check on where the town is now and where it hopes to go in the future.

The mayor has invited residents to gather in the Herndon Town Council chambers at 765 Lynn Street tomorrow (Tuesday) for a town hall-style meeting titled “Our Herndon, Our Future: A Community Conversation.”