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 — Mar 11, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 64, as the north wind of about 7 mph shifts southeast in the afternoon. However, Wednesday night will bring increasing clouds and a low temperature of around 42, accompanied by an east wind between 5 to 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.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Countywide

The D.C. region’s upcoming cherry-blossom season is expected to give Metro another boost as it continues a post-Covid rebound.

“If all goes to plan, we’re hoping for our first combined one-million-trip day since the onset of the pandemic,” Paul Smedberg, first vice president of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), said on Thursday (March 6).


Sports

An already standout season for the Chantilly Chargers became the best ever when the boys swimming and diving team won its first state championship last week.

The Chargers won the Virginia High School League Class 6 title in Stafford with 284 points, 50 ahead of the runner-up and defending champion Langley Saxons.


Countywide

After-school and summer programs that serve thousands of middle school students are at risk of ending under Fairfax County’s proposed budget.

To close a projected $292.7 million funding gap, County Executive Bryan Hill pitched a fiscal year 2026 budget last month that cuts nearly $60 million in spending and 208 staff positions across multiple agencies, affecting everything from public safety to housing assistance programs and park maintenance.


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.


Around Town

An office complex near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons could soon be reinvigorated by the power of dance.

A dance studio has expressed interest in opening a new location at the Westwood Center, Atlantic Realty Company — which owns and manages the adjacent buildings at 8603 and 8605 Westwood Center Drive — said in a zoning application submitted to Fairfax County in late February.


News

The Town of Herndon is joining Fairfax County, Fairfax City and other Northern Virginia localities in contemplating real estate and meals tax rate increases to address growing expenses and prepare for potentially tough economic times ahead.

The proposed fiscal year 2026 budget released yesterday (Monday) by interim town manager Christopher Martino bumps up the property tax rate by 1 cent — from 26 cents to 27 cents per $100 of assessed value — and the tax rate on prepared food and beverages from 3.75% to 4%.


Countywide

More than a decade after it started exploring a program, Fairfax County is finally ready to introduce school bus cameras designed to catch illegally passing drivers.

The county government and Fairfax County Public Schools will install stop-arm camera systems on 50 buses for the program’s initial launch, which will begin with a 30-day warning period on April 9.


News

A Falls Church man will spend the next 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two violent incidents at Fairfax County massage parlors.

Mohamed Adem Tahir, 35, was sentenced last Friday (March 7) after admitting to robbing and assaulting employees at two different massage parlors.


Countywide
The sky is reflected in Walney Pond at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Workers Fired at D.C. Area National Parks — “More than 750 national park workers have been fired amid the Trump administration’s purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally … Nearly 40 employees were fired from the National Capital Region, which encompasses 15 designated parklands, including Great Falls.” [Axios DC]

Man Charged with Indecent Exposure in Centreville — Police have arrested a 20-year-old man from Maryland who allegedly exposed himself in front of a woman. “On February 26, the victim reported that she was walking near Route 28 and Machen Drive in Centreville when she was approached by a man in a car who exposed himself.” [FCPD]

WaPo Columnist Resigns Over Op-Ed Changes — “A top political columnist for The Washington Post resigned today, accusing Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis of killing her column that criticized owner Jeff Bezos’s drive to overhaul the opinion pages to focus on his libertarian priorities.” [NPR]

Parent Concerned by Potential FCPS Start Time Changes — “As Fairfax County Public Schools weighs options for how to start middle schools later in the morning, some parents in the Northern Virginia school district are concerned about the impact such a change would have on their kids’ routines.” [WTOP]

Middle Eastern Eatery Opens in Seven Corners — “Hamza & Madina Halal Food is now open in the Seven Corners Center. The eatery offers $10.99 platters featuring chicken, lamb, fish, kofta, or falafel over rice or salad.” [Annandale Today]

Bills Would Bolster Tree Canopy Preservation — Two General Assembly bills currently awaiting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature would give all localities statewide the option to increase their tree canopy preservation requirements and create funds for planting and maintaining trees. Right now, only a select few localities in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, have those authorities. [Virginia Mercury]

General Assembly Passes Invasive Plants Bill — “Del. Holly Seibold, D-Fairfax, introduced House Bill 1941 and Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 1166. The bills, which passed with bipartisan support, require stores to post signage to educate shoppers on invasive species and encourage native plants as an alternative.” Previous versions of the bills that included fines were vetoed last year by Youngkin. [VCU Capital News Service/Virginia Mercury]

New Art Studio in Vienna Welcomes Beginners — “You can’t miss the entrance to iCreate. The eccentric new art studio in Vienna caters to nonartists, with an array of beginner-friendly creative classes — including an option to aim BB guns and throw water balloons filled with nontoxic paint at your canvas.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 72 degrees, with calm winds shifting to the south at around 6 mph in the afternoon. As for Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of approximately 44 degrees. South winds at 5 to 7 mph will transition to northwest after midnight. [NWS]