Democrats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday (Tuesday) to send a letter to state leaders, asking for expanded unemployment coverage for federal workers having lost their jobs due to downsizing.
The maximum weekly Virginia unemployment-compensation rate of $378 is “one of the lowest in the country,” according to Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw.
Raymond Lopez passed away on Jan.16,2025, just days shy of his 78th birthday. He was born in Pennsylvania and went to Valley Forge Military Academy. At age 17 he forged his father’s’ signature to get into the Regular Army. His Military Occupation Specialty was Airborne Infantry Unassigned. He became a Sergeant in the Airborne Rangers and a dog handler. Ray did several tours in Vietnam (where he received his draft notice) and special assignments. He called the Army his “Travel Agent” because of the diversity it offered. His passion was teaching and training junior personnel.
In civilian life he was a Pennsylvania State Trooper, a Deputy Federal Marshal, and spent 20 years working as a Police Officer for the US Treasury Mint in Philadelphia. In 2002 he retired from federal service. He moved to Virginia where his wife, Donna, was working as a military subcontractor for the Marine Corps at Quantico. Ray eventually became a policeman in the Town of Quantico, located inside the base. Quantico was his dream job. He enjoyed taking care of the residents and the young Marines. Ray spoke many languages and seamlessly connected with the foreign students attending The Basic School.
Tension, secrets, and lies unspool backwards during a seven-year love affair between a wife and her husband’s best friend.
Betrayal
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Alex Levy
October 8 – 25, 2026
Emma, Robert and Jerry have history. As her marriage to Robert comes to an end, Emma reconnects with Jerry, her former lover—and her husband’s best friend—as the action unspools backwards in time in an inventive retelling by the Nobel Prize-winning playwright. At once utterly domestic and dangerous, uncovering hidden truths and revealing how little we know about those we think we know so much about, it’s an “elegy about time and memory (where) the greatest dramatic weight lies in what’s unspoken”- The New York Times
The 1st Stage production of Betrayal features Katrina Clark, Shawn Sebastian Naar, Jaysen Wright, and Anthony Graf.
Betrayal will run at 1st Stage from October 8-25, 2026 with show times as follows: Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2pm.
General admission tickets are dynamically priced at $30 (limited availability), $40 (limited availability), and $55. Student, educator, and military tickets are $15. Tickets can be purchased online at www.1ststage.org or by calling the 1st Stage box office at 703-854-1856.
Police set up a barricade at the CIA headquarters in McLean this morning (Wednesday) in response to a possibly armed man who appears to have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
Fairfax County police were dispatched shortly before 10 a.m. to assist the CIA police. Responders described a man with a gun to his head on a bench outside the facility’s security gate, according to the police scanner.
One of the world’s most popular brands for cold confections is targeting two Fairfax County neighborhoods.
Cold Stone Creamery, which already offers eight locations across the county, plans to open new stores in Lincolnia and Lorton, according to the county’s permitting portal.
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.
After eight months without one, a new sushi spot has opened its doors in Herndon’s Fox Mill Shopping Center.
Sushi Kabuki began serving diners earlier this month at 2533 John Milton Drive — ironically, the former home of Mari Sushi Bar & Lounge, which closed in July. Signage for the new restaurant first appeared at the storefront back in October.
Having successfully integrated boys volleyball and girls wrestling into its offerings, Fairfax County Public Schools appears to be eyeing girls’ flag football next.
There has been conversation among the division’s directors of student activities about potentially moving forward with the sport for the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board at its March 13 meeting.
Citibank has officially joined the assortment of financial institutions dotting the Town of Vienna.
After starting operations on Jan. 27, the New York-based bank celebrated the grand opening of its newest D.C.-area branch at 201 Maple Avenue East yesterday (Tuesday) morning. The event included a ribbon-cutting, remarks from local elected officials and snacks courtesy of neighbors Call Your Mother and Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee.
Protest Organized Outside Tysons Tesla Dealership — “About 80 people demonstrated outside the Tysons Corner Tesla dealership on Saturday morning to condemn billionaire Elon Musk’s attempts to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda by closing federal agencies and firing thousands of government workers.” [Patch]
Bank Robbed in Lorton — Fairfax County detectives are investigating a robbery that appears to have targeted the Truist bank in Gunston Plaza at 3:15 p.m. on Monday (March 17). “A man entered the bank and displayed a note to the teller demanding money. No weapon was displayed, but one was implied during the robbery. The suspect took cash and fled before officers’ arrival.” [FCPD]
Two Silver Line Stations Hit Ridership Records — “Last Wednesday, two of our Silver Line stations hit new single-day ridership records. Thank you to our customers traveling through Loudoun Gateway in @loudoun.gov and Herndon in Fairfax County!” [WMATA/Bluesky]
How Federal Education Cuts Might Affect Va. Schools — “Public school districts still face potential federal funding cuts following President Donald Trump’s move to slash U.S. Department of Education staffing in half … If entirely eliminated, Virginia schools would need to fill a $2.4 billion funding gap with new sources.” [Virginia Public Media]
Attorney General Candidate Visits Bailey’s Crossroads — “Jay Jones, a Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, promises to fight back against policies from President Trump and ‘co-President Elon Musk’ that hurt Virginians. ‘The chaos in Washington has to be stopped,’ Jones told residents at a meet-and-greet in Bailey’s Crossroads on March 16.” [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Council Still Debating Accessory Unit Rules — “Significant divisions remain as Falls Church City Council members approach final-decision time to enact rules regulating accessory-dwelling units.” Questions that need to be resolved include the “maximum size of accessory units and whether the property owner should be required to live on the site.” [ARLnow]
Origin Story of Reston Restaurant Group — “Not only did the entrepreneur make good on that promise, but today his Reston-based Thompson Hospitality employs more than 6,000 people and owns and operates more than 70 restaurants across Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, and Washington, DC, with familiar names like Matchbox and Big Buns.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Students Restore Old Car for School Musical — Students in Edison Academy’s Auto Collision Services class were recently tasked with spiffing up the front of a 1949 Ford automobile for the upcoming production of “Grease” at Edison High School in Franconia. The vehicle was purchased by the Edison Theater Company’s boosters and delivered from the Midwest. [On the MoVe]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day, reaching a high of around 74, as light southeast winds shift to the south at 8 to 13 mph in the morning, with potential gusts up to 18 mph. The night will turn mostly cloudy, with lows around 48, and southeast winds at about 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
Good Tuesday 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 — Mar 18, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching around 74°F, accompanied by south winds at 5-13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. The night will be predominantly cloudy with lows near 48°F, while southeast winds blow at roughly 11 mph, experiencing gusts up to 24 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.
