News

The number of Fairfax County residents counted as unemployed and looking for work in February spiked 17% from the same month in 2024 in new data.

The city and county-level unemployment figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission last Thursday (April 10) kickstarted what could be a series of punishing monthly jobless reports in coming months, as the D.C. region begins to adjust to the ripple effects of the Trump administration gutting the federal government and tariff-related uncertainty.


News

A Merrifield man who evaded arrest for eight years will spend the next decade in federal prison in connection to drug charges.

Otis Chevalier, 46, was sentenced last Thursday (April 10) to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty last year to both the distribution of and the conspiracy to distribute the drug phencyclidine — otherwise known as PCP, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


News

Three proposals for future development in Reston were mostly greeted with varying degrees of skepticism by community members who crowded into the cafeteria at Langston Hughes Middle School (11401 Ridge Heights Road) last Monday (April 7).

Drawing an estimated 350 to 400 attendees, the meeting was one of three held by Fairfax County planning staff over the past two weeks to gather feedback on 11 different pitches for changes to land use guidance in the Reston Comprehensive Plan.


Countywide

Keep an eye on your grass: Fairfax County’s Department of Code Compliance (DCC) will start investigating grass complaints starting today (Monday).

In a newsletter last week, Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw noted that today marks the start of “grass season,” the period when the county accepts complaints about too-tall grass. The season typically lasts from April through October.


Event

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.


News

A trooper and three others, including a 4-year-old child, were injured in a crash following a pursuit Saturday [April 12] on Interstate 66 eastbound in Fairfax County.

Just before 9 p.m., Virginia State Police were called about an occupied vehicle on the left shoulder of the I-66 Express Lanes at the 58-mile marker [near Oakton].


Countywide
A flowering tree near the Shops at Avenir Place courtyard (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Search and Rescue Task Force Returns From Floods — On Friday night (April 11), Virginia Task Force 1’s “45 team members and 2 canines returned home to waiting family members after assisting Frankfurt, Kentucky with swift water rescue resources and damage reconnaissance. We are honored to be able to serve whenever and wherever the need arises.” [Virginia Task Force 1/Facebook]

Chantilly Pickleball Facility to Open This Week — “The Dill Dinkers team has announced that their 12 p-ball courts will be ready for players on Thursday, April 17. The 30,000 s.f. sporting venue is located in the Sully Place Shopping Center off of 50, east of State Road 28. The space used to be a Babies R Us store.” [The Burn]

Pilot Falsely Linked to DCA Crash Sues for Defamation — “A transgender pilot is suing a popular right-wing influencer after he falsely connected her to the midair collision that killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, in January. Jo Ellis, a helicopter pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard, filed the defamation lawsuit against social media personality Matt Wallace in a Colorado federal court.” [WTOP]

Single-Family Residents Object to Apartment Expansion — “Residents of the single-family neighborhood that backs up to The Jefferson Apartments in Seven Corners expressed significant concerns about a proposal to add more housing to the site. The property owner has submitted an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to add 101 additional multifamily units on the surface parking lot at … 6166 Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]

First Look at Forthcoming Reston Restaurant — “Award-winning Vienna restaurant Clarity is eager to complete its new outpost near Reston Town Center, with a goal to be open for business in the spring of 2026 … Expect vibrant lunch offerings and a robust happy hour.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

VDOT to Pause Lane Closures for Easter Weekend — “Whether you are on spring break or driving to see family and friends, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wants to help make your travels egg-cellent. VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Friday, April 18, until noon on Tuesday, April 22.” [VDOT]

Deadline to Get a Real ID Approaches — “You have under a month to obtain a Real ID before it’s required for domestic flights and access to some federal facilities like courthouses and military bases — but if you’re a D.C. or Maryland resident, chances are you’re on it.” In comparison, only 59% of Virginia residents have obtained the new ID. [Axios DC]

Local Food Critics Check Out Tysons Supermarket — “Move over H Mart, Great Wall and 99 Ranch. Tysons has a new Asian market and it’s a stunner. Opened in January, the 18,000-square foot Marufuji Japanese Market is a Japanophile’s dream, chockablock with (mostly Japanese) food products, plus some home goods thrown in.” The Washington Post’s Tom Siestema also recently assessed the new specialty grocer. [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching near 69, and a calm wind turning south at 5-7 mph in the morning. Night will likely bring showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low temperature around 58. There is a 60% chance of precipitation. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Friday 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 — Apr 11, 2025.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  • Reston’s Lake Anne Plaza to welcome beer and bratwurst restaurant (10271 views)
  • Reston man dies in motorcycle crash off Loudoun County road (6458 views)
  • Capital One Hall announces latest season of ‘Broadway in Tysons’ (5689 views)
  • Police officer who shot, killed Reston woman will not face criminal charges (5459 views)
  • Fairfax County apartment rents still rising, with Tysons leading region in cost (5418 views)
  • In stormy meeting, Fairfax leaders rip VDOT again on January snow cleanup (4601 views)
  • Fairfax economic forecasts show impact of federal job losses could be worse than Covid (4042 views)
  • D.C.-area leaders pledge ongoing support as WorldPride festival hits hurdles (3814 views)
  • Families move into new Fair Ridge homeless shelter after closure of temporary Reston site (3205 views)
  • Planned ‘commuter path’ from Newington Road to Springfield Metro met with ongoing concern (3039 views)
  • Reston resident sentenced to prison for downloading child porn (2971 views)
  • 📅 Upcoming events

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

    Here are the events planned for Sunday:

    🌧️ Saturday’s forecast

    Expect showers mostly before 8am, cloudy skies, and a high near 53°F accompanied by a north wind at 10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation, with under a tenth of an inch possible. Saturday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers before 2am, with a mostly cloudy low around 42°F and a 7 mph north 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.

    We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋


    Countywide

    A new audit report suggests ways Fairfax County leaders can improve collection rates and recoup more of the costs of providing ambulance services.

    Even as that discussion starts, the county is working to collect payments for ambulance services provided last year after encountering problems with a contractor that left many bills in limbo.


    News

    Vienna residents officially have less than a month to check out books and other materials from Patrick Henry Library before it closes for a long-anticipated renovation.

    The branch’s last day of service at 101 Maple Avenue East will be Friday, May 9, though any materials on hold will need to be picked up by May 6. Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) finalized the date after providing an update to its Board of Trustees on Wednesday (April 9).