Around Town

Fairfax Corner will kick off a long year of retail openings with three new arrivals this spring.

Both salad restaurant Sweetgreen and ear piercing studio Rowan expect to open their doors tomorrow (Tuesday), spearheading a list of half-a-dozen new storefronts scheduled to open in 2025.


News

Two women are facing a range of criminal charges in connection to a series of thefts at Fairfax County businesses more than seven months after the crimes occurred.

In the most recent case, on July 19, 2024, officers were dispatched to the 2900 block of District Avenue in Merrifield’s Mosaic District at 5:51 p.m. for a grand larceny report.


Countywide
Traffic on I-66 East nearing the I-495 interchange in Dunn Loring (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Ash Seen Falling in Fairfax — “Ash [was] falling on parts of Arlington and Fairfax County due to a ‘very large controlled burn’ nearby … Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said on social media around 5:30 p.m. [Sunday, March 30] that it’s due to an intentional brush fire to the south” at Quantico Marine Corps Base. [ARLnow]

Police Chief Comments on Immigration Enforcement — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced he wanted to tie state funding to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. He said that would, in particular, impact Fairfax County. [Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin] Davis admitted he wasn’t aware of the governor’s comments, but that his department had its hands full enforcing state and local laws, and was content to let federal agencies handle federal laws.” [WTOP]

Fairfax City Music Venue to Close — “Fairfax City’s Earp’s Ordinary announced on social media [last Wednesday, March 26 that] it was closing its doors after 15 months. The 10,000-square-foot restaurant/bar/music venue will pack up its guitars and amplifiers for the last time on Sunday, April 13.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Two-Alarm House Fire in Springfield — “Earlier [Sunday], around 3:30pm, #FairfaxsBravest responded to reports of a house fire in the 7900 block of Hill Stream Court in Springfield. Units arrived to heavy fire and smoke coming from the home and fire rapidly spreading … All occupants safely evacuated. No firefighter or civilian injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

FCPS to Pilot Later Middle School Start Times — “The Fairfax County School Board directed the superintendent to develop a pilot program for later start times at Mason District middle schools … The motion says the plan should minimize start time changes for the high school pyramids that serve those middle schools. It calls for Superintendent Michelle Reid to report back to the school board by April 10.” [Annandale Today]

Upgrades in the Works for Rec Centers — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is undertaking significant revitalization projects at Oakmont and Franconia Rec Centers to enhance pool air quality for swimmers and spectators.” Work at Oakmont is underway and expected to finish in April, while the Franconia renovations are set to begin in mid-April and continue into early May. [FCPA]

GMU Men’s Basketball Coach’s Contract Extended — George Mason University announced has extended its contract for Tony Skinn, the head coach of its men’s basketball team, through the 2029-2030 season. Skinn was named the 2024-25 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year after leading the Patriots to their best-ever season in the Atlantic 10 conference and a school record-tying 27 overall wins. [GMU]

Local Little League Kicks Off 60th Anniversary Season — “Little League Opening Day today at Fort Hunt and [Woodlawn]. Woodlawn LL celebrating its 60th anniversary! Lots of happy kids ready to get outside and experience some teamwork and community activity!” [Scott Surovell/Bluesky]

It’s Monday — Expect isolated showers to develop into afternoon thunderstorms with a high near 79. Rainfall amounts may reach up to a quarter of an inch. Thunderstorms continue before 8pm, followed by potential showers until 2am; low near 45. Chance of precipitation remains high, with up to three-quarters of an inch of rain possible. [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 — Mar 28, 2025.

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

  • Elon Musk and Gov. Youngkin target Fairfax County over education on gender identity (25878 views)
  • Old trail controversy stumps new Fairfax City Council (9502 views)
  • Fairfax County hosts community meetings on new development proposals (9307 views)
  • NEW: Construction begins to redevelop Kohl’s building in Herndon (7502 views)
  • Fairfax leaders ‘disappointed’ by Youngkin’s veto of vehicle noise monitoring bill (5121 views)
  • Future of air-conditioning system for Reston’s Lake Anne once again in doubt (4601 views)
  • FCPD issues hundreds of tickets in first ‘wave’ of traffic safety campaign (3634 views)
  • Sentencing pushed back for au pair charged in Herndon double murder (3522 views)
  • Founder’s Day returns to Reston with new name, same celebratory spirit (3469 views)
  • Fairfax County to reconfigure homeless shelters with Fair Ridge facility opening next month (3247 views)
  • Regional transit funding task force mostly pessimistic on possibility of future Metrorail expansion (3057 views)
  • NOW: Vehicle fire closes I-66 West near Vienna, sends one to hospital (2927 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

    The weather will be predominantly cloudy, reaching a high of 83 degrees accompanied by a southwest wind blowing at 9 to 11 mph and gusts potentially reaching 22 mph. Saturday night also brings a mostly cloudy sky, with temperatures dipping to a low of around 63 degrees, while the southwest wind maintains a speed of about 9 mph. 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. 👋


    Event

    Join the Do It for Dan Foundation for our annual fall fundraiser supporting lung cancer research at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. Enjoy live music, trivia, raffles, foundation updates, and a special presentation from thoracic oncologist Dr. Janakiraman Subramanian. Help us raise $10,000 to advance research and better treatment options for people facing lung cancer.


    News

    A rally organized by local LGBTQ advocacy groups outside Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield last night (Thursday) served as both a celebration of the upcoming Transgender Day of Visibility and a call for solidarity.

    During the half-hour rally, that solidarity manifested in dozens of passing vehicles honking in apparent support of the crowd, which had gathered ahead of a Fairfax County School Board meeting to support the trans community.


    News

    Police have arrested three people believed to have stolen more than $50,000 in merchandise alone from Fairfax County beauty stores as part of a four-month crime spree.

    Two D.C. men — a 21-year-old and a 28-year-old — and an unnamed 17-year-old boy are accused of burglarizing Ulta Beauty stores across the D.C. area, swiping at least $180,000 in merchandise, police said at a press conference this morning (Friday).


    Countywide

    Metro is following through on plans to prohibit people alleged to have committed serious infractions on its property from returning.

    The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors voted 8-0 yesterday (Thursday) to approve a new policy allowing the transit agency to issue citations banning individuals arrested for assault or sex-related crimes from its system.


    Around Town

    Spring is in the air, which means another Friday Night Live! season is on the horizon.

    The free outdoor concert series will return to the Town of Herndon for its 31st year on May 2. Highlights of the upcoming season include the first-ever introduction of a non-alcoholic beer option and a “special reunion show” by the D.C. area party band Gonzo’s Nose, according to Friday Night Live! Chairman Laura Poindexter.


    Countywide

    When it comes to preserving economic development gains in challenging times, localities need to have strategies to play offense and defense, and Fairfax County has room for improvement in both cases, a consultant told the Board of Supervisors earlier this week.

    Economic success is “not something to take for granted,” Camoin Associates CEO Rachel Selsky said at an economic initiatives committee meeting on Tuesday (March 25).