Around Town

A new restaurant aiming to blend popular American dishes with classic Afghan flavors has begun serving diners.

Noosh Grill kicked off its soft opening at 9573 Braddock Road in Twinbrooke Centre in the Kings Park West neighborhood today (Wednesday), bringing a family-inspired Halal eatery to the area.


News

Another proposal to replace office space with housing has been presented to Fairfax County.

Time Equities, a New York City-based developer, is seeking to replace the High Ridge office building near the I-66 and Route 50 interchange just outside Fairfax City with a residential building featuring up to 400 units and 5,500 square feet of commercial retail space.


News

Fairfax County transportation planners are considering enabling more secondary schools to participate in a program giving students free Metrobus rides in Northern Virginia.

Five schools have been identified as potential expansion sites to the program, which already is in place at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church and George C. Marshall high schools and the Davis Center.


Around Town

A private preschool franchise will soon replace a longtime laser tag spot in Fairfax County’s Franconia neighborhood.

Franchisees of The Goddard School officially purchased the nearly 1.8-acre property at 5508 Franconia Road last week, they confirmed to FFXnow, paving the way to make the school a reality.


Event

The Malls of JRKO show is a first of its kind opportunity for all members of the TCG community. Whether you’re a veteran vendor, a brand new tcg vendor, a seasoned collector, or a parent who just wants to take their kids to their first card show, this show is made for you!

We strive to build an incredible family friendly environment with tons of giveaways, children’s activities, incredible collector opportunities and digital guides for all levels of experience. You can find all our community resources on our linktree including a road map of all the progress and effort going into the event.


Countywide
Construction cranes in Oakton’s MetroWest neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

GMU Law School Removes Diversity-Related Webpages — “George Mason University’s law school has removed webpages related to diversity, equity and inclusion, sparking student criticism and casting doubt on the future of related programs.” Some Scalia Law students recently wrote a letter to the administration questioning the changes and calling for the school to reaffirm its commitment to diversity. [ARLnow]

Compromise Keeps Traffic Camera Reforms Alive — “Virginia lawmakers delivered a last-minute compromise on a contentious safety bill — ushering in high-tech school zone cameras and speed camera guardrails — just as the General Assembly wrapped up its session. However, the measure’s future now rests with Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s pending approval.” [Virginia Mercury]

FCPS Reports Improvements in Teacher Retention — “After taking several steps to address these concerns, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is seeing major results — for the first time in four years, they are seeing more than 90% of teachers staying on … The district also now has between 4,500 and 5,000 substitute teachers.” [WJLA]

GMU Basketball Team Vying for March Madness Spot — “VCU and George Mason could both squeeze into the NCAA tourney if they stumble in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Rams beat the Patriots last week for their sixth straight win, one that ended George Mason’s 11-game winning streak.” [Associated Press]

BBQ Restaurant Opening at Mosaic District — “Big announcement! 🚨 Hi/FI’s new location in the Mosaic District is officially opening this Saturday, March 1st, at 11:00 AM! 🎉 Come celebrate with us at 8298 Glass Alley, Fairfax, VA 22031.” An initial soft opening is planned today (Wednesday). [HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ/Instagram]

Fort Belvoir Reopens Long-Closed Gate — “U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir recently announced some additional gate changes, effective Feb. 24. Perhaps the biggest change is the reopening of the installation’s Walker Gate along Mount Vernon Memorial Highway on weekday mornings. The gate … had been closed since late November 2022 due to staffing shortages.” [On the MoVe]

Reston Association Recreation Passes Available — “Reston Association is excited to announce that recreation passes for the 2025 season are now available. Recreation passes provide access to RA pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and once again are available to all RA members at no additional charge as part of RA’s annual assessment.” [Reston Association]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather and a high near 63 degrees, accompanied by a 6 to 8 mph west wind that will shift to the south in the afternoon. At night, skies will see increasing clouds, and the temperature will drop to around 49 degrees. The south wind will maintain a speed of 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]


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 — Feb 25, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high around 61 degrees and a northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph, shifting to the south in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring isolated showers after 1am and increasing clouds, with temperatures dropping to around 49 degrees. Winds will come from the south at 7 to 9 mph, and there’s a 20% 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.


News

Fairfax County says it’s making steady progress toward its long-term goal of saving Lake Accotink from disappearing completely, but some residents worry the drawn-out timeline will make it harder — and more expensive — to preserve what’s left.

Years of sediment buildup from Accotink Creek have steadily shrunk the lake from 110 acres to about 49 acres. While the county has dredged the lake in the past — most recently in 1985 and 2008 — sediment continues to accumulate at a rate of 23,000 cubic yards per year.


Around Town

Another longtime tenant of Vienna’s Cedar Park Shopping Center is on its way out.

After more than three decades at 264 Cedar Lane SE, CVS Pharmacy will close the location for good on April 1, a spokesperson confirmed. Signs announcing the closure date have now been posted in the store’s front door and windows.


Countywide

As Fairfax County officials work to fill an estimated $292.7 million budget shortfall in the next fiscal year, public safety services will bear a substantial brunt of potential cuts.

Of the $59.8 million in reductions proposed in the advertised budget, which was unveiled by County Executive Bryan Hill earlier this month, approximately $26.2 million will come from the police department, fire and rescue department, and sheriff’s office.