Countywide
A goldfinch perches on a branch, silhouetted against a blue sky with clouds in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

N. Va. Residents Missing After Nepal Floods — PKP Tender Hearts Foundation, a service organization that assists the D.C. region’s Nepali community, is raising funds to support rescue missions in Nepal, where nearly 2,500 people remain missing after flash floods and mudslides last week. Those unaccounted for include “at least 10 Northern Virginia hikers who were visiting Nepal as a part of a group trip.” [NBC4]

Power Outages a Recurring Issue for FCPS — “The strain on Northern Virginia’s electrical grid is now being seen – and felt – inside some of the region’s schools. Ten different public schools in Fairfax County lost power [on Aug. 23], hours before the first day of school, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said.” Dominion Energy said in a statement that it had no record of those outages. [NBC4]

Park Service Backs Trump Arch — “A new National Park Service report backs President Donald Trump’s proposed arch, despite what it says are adverse effects to the sightline between a host of iconic landmarks in Washington, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]

How ICE Has Affected Region’s Schools — Students, school administrators, workers and nonprofit leaders share how the impacts of the Trump administration’s “historic deportation push” have “also rippled across aspects of education — from a drop in multilingual students to a rise in absenteeism; from shifting school funding to a loss of immigrant school bus drivers.” [NBC4]

Anti-Abortion Advocates Poised to Challenge Referendum — “A legal challenge to amend the ballot language for Virginia’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment has been in limbo since June. Even if no movement on the case happens before Election Day, counsel for the plaintiffs said this week, they will seek to invalidate the vote.” [Virginia Mercury]

Reston Eye Doctor in Fashion Contest — Fairfax resident Dawn Devaney, a “55-year-old optometrist and former owner of The Eyewear Gallery at Reston Town Center[,] is competing in Next Runway Star, a national contest whose winner will receive $20,000 and an opportunity to walk in a show during New York Fashion Week.” [Patch]

A Look at Metro’s Customer Service Team — “Commuters complain about everything … But for the customer service team at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, it doesn’t matter what passengers are bemoaning. It’s their job to respond; they try to address every complaint.” [Washington Post]

Reston Community Center Head Shares Journey — “When BeBe Nguyen arrived in the United States in the early 1980s as part of the exodus following the Vietnam War, her family initially settled in Silver Spring, Maryland … More than four decades later, Nguyen is leading Reston Community Center, an organization she joined in 2007.” [Patch]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC beer/wine on and off premises license. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 92°F and a light wind from the northwest. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 75°F. Winds from the southeast at 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [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 — Aug 28, 2026.

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

  • Fairfax County to prioritize consideration of new ‘suburban village center’ concept (12370 views)
  • Traffic Alert: ‘Significant’ delays expected due to oversized vehicle load on I-66 and I-495 (9477 views)
  • Hershey to close pop-up store and experience in Tysons next month (6378 views)
  • Utility pole falls near first responders on scene of Baron Cameron Avenue crash (6175 views)
  • Reston contractor leases expanded HQ ahead of merger with Tysons startup (5926 views)
  • Construction ‘coming together’ on Virginia’s first hybrid emergency and urgent care center (5405 views)
  • Fairfax County’s discontinuation of high school crossing guards draws criticism (5063 views)
  • D.C. Restaurant Week returns with almost 30 Fairfax County eateries participating (4514 views)
  • Fairfax County revives free tree giveaways for residents (4422 views)
  • FCPS starts new school year with full cellphone ban, fewer crossing guards and other changes (4276 views)
  • Taco Bell seeks to open drive-thru near busy Centreville arterial roads (3790 views)
  • Fairfax County conviction of youth who allegedly shot person in the face reversed (3616 views)
  • Man charged with multiple burglaries in Reston, including theft of a gun (2902 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

    It will be sunny with a high of about 85°F and a northeast wind around 6 mph. Saturday night will have increasing clouds, with temperatures dropping to around 68°F and a southeast wind between 3 to 6 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. 👋


    Announcement

    Reserve your spot for an after-hour event with multi-disciplinary artist Sky Hopinka, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6–9 PM. Experience monumental nature-inspired artworks in the Water’s Edge exhibition, make your own artwork to take home at the National Museum of the American Indian.

    Sky Hopinka’s photo and video art—including This is a mnemonic for Truman Lowe in the museum’s collection—shares Truman Lowe’s interest in Indigenous homelands, cultural knowledge, and traditional practices. Hopinka contributed to the exhibition catalog for Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe, writing on Lowe’s lasting impact on his work. Hopinka joins the museum for this special after hours event featuring a screening of three of his short video works followed by a discussion with Rebecca Head Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and exhibition curator, along with art-making activities, and time to enjoy Lowe’s work currently on view.   Sky Hopinka has been widely recognized for his experimental short films and photo-based works. A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and Forge Project Fellow, his work has been shown in major film festivals, museums, and international exhibitions and is in numerous prominent museum collections. Hopinka is currently an assistant professor in the department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University. 


    Countywide

    The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 25) saluted the work of Daryl Washington, who earlier this year stepped down as executive director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) to accept a state government position.

    Washington spent 30 years at the CSB, rising through the ranks to become executive director in 2018.


    Event

    On Sunday, November 15 at 4:00 PM, the St. Andrew the Apostle Concert Series proudly presents The Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Simeone Tartaglione, for a free afternoon of orchestral masterworks at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Clifton.

    Program:
    • Paul Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, best known from Disney’s Fantasia!
    • Camille Saint-Saëns – Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor
    Soloist: Vasily Popov, cello
    • Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 in C minor, “Organ Symphony”
    Organist: Michael Murphy


    News

    The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 25) paid formal tribute to John Carter, who recently retired as Hunter Mill District’s representative on the Planning Commission, and named his successor on the panel.

    Carter, who served on the body for nine years, departed the post on Aug. 31.


    News

    Fairfax County officials are on board with the idea of redeveloping Lake Fairfax Business Park in Reston into a large residential neighborhood.

    After a public hearing on Tuesday (Aug. 25), the Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to its comprehensive plan to allow up to 1,250 residential units with supporting retail on the commercial property at 1780 Business Center Drive.


    Opinion

    With school back in session and summer winding down, it’s time to reflect on the programs that kept Fairfax County kids active and engaged in their community over their extended break.

    Here are the nominees for “Best Summer Camp in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. Did we miss your favorite program below? Write them in!

    Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11.

    Voting for the Best Gym or Fitness Center in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday, Sept. 4 at 8:30 a.m.

    Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Spa and Wellness Center in Fairfax County. The results are now official:

    1. King Spa Virginia
    2. Serendipity Wellness Studio
    3. Worldgate Spa

    News

    Pedestrians in Tysons still have to contend with heavy traffic on routes 123 and 7, but a few changes recently implemented by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) will hopefully make parts of the urban center easier to navigate.

    Last week, the community improvement organization announced that it has completed a redesign of the Westwood Center Drive and Cornerside Blvd intersection near the Tysons West shopping center, adding a crosswalk, sidewalk, painted road median and other improvements.


    Countywide

    Politicians are scrambling nationally to address growing public concern over data centers, and in Northern Virginia, where many local elected leaders will be on the ballot in 2027, the issue is proving a delicate balancing act.

    Fairfax County residents expect “fair rules of engagement” when it comes to addressing the impacts of data centers, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said at the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit, held on Wednesday (Aug. 26) in Arlington.