Sports

If an undefeated record over the course of a dozen games qualifies as a strong start — and it does — the Oakton Cougars are off and running in the girls high-school basketball season.

Two lopsided victories in recent days and a 3-0 mark in its own holiday tournament give the Cougars a 12-0 record, the team’s best start since beginning 13-0 in the 2021-22 campaign.


News

A teacher at Falls Church High School was arrested this week after she allegedly sold vape cartridges to numerous students.

Kaitlyn Cresent was taken into custody on Monday (Dec. 30) after investigators determined she had sold the vape cartridges — which contained nicotine and THC — to four different students, the Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Friday).


Sports

Local youth soccer players Y-Lan Nguyen from Fairfax and Otu Bisong of Herndon recently were named National Youth Girls and Youth Boys Players of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.

The players earned the honors as a result of their strong play and production in youth soccer with their Virginia Development Academy (VDA) club teams. Bisong plays for a Herndon team and Nguyen for a squad in Woodbridge.


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 — Jan 3, 2025.

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

  1. Here are the new Virginia laws taking effect on Jan. 1, 2025 (36012 views)
  2. De Clieu Coffee to open new cafe in Reston this year (7172 views)
  3. Small businesses scramble to make way for planned VHC Health facility in West Falls Church (5999 views)
  4. Most and least expensive homes sold in Fairfax County (December 2024) (5398 views)
  5. Oakton’s SouvlakiBar to reopen after merging with another Greek restaurant chain (5222 views)
  6. Fast food rival seeks to replace shuttered Burger King in Reston (6430 views)
  7. Reston Row developer proposes pedestrian bridge between new office buildings (4321 views)
  8. Conversion of former Inova office into workforce housing could start in 2025 (3981 views)
  9. Fairfax County struggling to find site for youth crisis receiving center (2303 views)
  10. Better data, more hunters needed to manage Fairfax County’s deer population, report says (2187 views)
  11. Maryland man charged with hit-and-run that injured pedestrian at Tysons Corner Center (2082 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 sunshine and a high temperature of about 31 degrees during the day, accompanied by a blustery west wind at 17 to 20 mph and gusts reaching 33 mph. The night will be clear with a low temperature around 21 degrees, along with a west wind at 9 to 11 mph and gusts up to 20 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

Flowers, Fine Art & Fashion is an immersive cultural experience presented by People of The Garden LLC, where nature, creativity, and modest couture converge in a breathtaking indoor garden setting.

Guests will journey through a living landscape featuring dramatic floral installations, botanical art, and a one-of-a-kind rectangular runway designed around lush greenery and sculptural plantings. Throughout the evening, attendees will experience a curated runway presentation showcasing modest fashion designers, alongside original fine art, artisan vendors, and interactive floral experiences.


Sports

An individual state champion and members of a state-title team are among those chosen to Virginia High School League Class 6 all-state girls and boys teams for the 2024 fall season.

Chantilly Chargers’ senior Tristan Thurneysen, who won the Class 6 state championship, heads the all-state boys team. He also won district and region titles preceding the state meet.


Sports

After a rough start, the Chantilly Chargers finished second at the George Long Holiday tournament at Wakefield High School.

The boys basketball team finished fifth with a 2-1 record at the eight-team, three-day event held Dec. 26-28 in Arlington.


Countywide

Today’s promised warning shot of snow has begun to fall in Fairfax County.

The National Weather Service has issued at “Snow Squall Warning” for parts of the county after one was spotted at 3:27 p.m. in the Annandale and Lincolnia area, moving east at 45 mph.


Around Town

The McLean Community Center (MCC) is now old enough to qualify for its own “Seniors in Action” program.

The community center will start celebrating 50 years of providing events, cultural enrichment, classes and other services with a special event tomorrow (Saturday) at 7 p.m. in the Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Avenue), kicking off a full year of festivities.


Around Town

A longtime fast food rival is close to taking over the former Burger King in Reston’s Hunters Woods Village Center.

Fairfax County is currently reviewing a permit that would allow McDonald’s to renovate the drive-thru building at 2270 Hunters Woods Plaza, which has sat vacant since Burger King shuttered in April 2023.