Fast-casual Chinese American restaurant Panda Express has opened its latest location in Herndon with a ribbon cutting Monday (Aug. 10).
The new drive-thru location at 598 Elden Street had a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. Monday. The restaurant also provided a $1,000 check donation to Reston-based nonprofit Cornerstones and free T-shirts for the first 88 customers in line at the grand opening.
A rising Oakton High School senior is the driving force behind a nonprofit foundation that harnesses the enthusiasm of youth to support traditional artisans in India.
To date, the Serving Society Global Foundation has raised more than $15,000 to support over 400 marginalized artisans and bring their handcrafted items to market. It has also engaged more than 300 young volunteers across the local region. Many come from the SEWA DC Youth Group, which has more than 100 active members volunteering regularly.
6340 Old Dominion Drive, Mclean, VA, 22101
A Remarkable Reimagining in the Heart of McLean
A Bailey’s Crossroads man is scheduled to face a 15-day jury trial this spring on charges of aggravated murder and felony child abuse.
During a hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court Friday (Aug. 7), a trial date was set for Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, who is accused of killing his three-month-old daughter. Barring continuances or a plea agreement, the trial will begin April 5, 2027.
An unidentified jail inmate who was on hospice care at a local hospital has died, according to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office.
The inmate, whose name and gender were not identified, passed away around 2:45 a.m. Sunday (Aug. 9). Since the person’s death occurred while they were in custody, it will be investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department.
Event location
Fort Hunt Park
8999 Fort Hunt Rd
Alexandria, Virginia 22308
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.
Fire Injures Resident in Dunn Loring — “Firefighters said crews responded shortly before 6:40 p.m. to reports of smoke coming from a two-story home. There, crews searched the home while battling the flames, with one person being transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.” [DC News Now]
$22B Dulles Revamp Could Come with Price Tag for Passengers, Taxpayers — “The plan removes the much-maligned “people movers”, rebuilds the C and D concourses, and add thousands of new parking spaces. However, Robert Mann, an aviation industry analyst and consultant with R.W. Mann & Company, says the project could also lead to a significant price tag for travelers and airlines … The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which runs Dulles’ operations, plans to finance most of the project through municipal bonds rather than direct federal funding. Airlines are also expected to help cover the cost, recouping some of the expenses through per-passenger charges, which are built into ticket prices.” [WAMU]
N. Va. Congressmen on Unannounced Visit to ICE Facility in Chantilly — “We exercised our right to direct congressional oversight over ICE facilities after hearing reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at a facility designed for temporary processing. At the time of our visit, we did not witness overcrowding. ICE staff asserted that they are complying with a recent court order limiting stays at temporary processing facilities like Chantilly to 12 hours. Our oversight does not end with one visit. We will continue monitoring this facility and holding ICE accountable to ensure everyone in its custody is treated humanely and in accordance with the law.” [Reps. Don Beyer, James Walkinshaw and Suhas Subramanyam news release]
Vienna House Fire Response Injures Firefighter — “Fairfax County Fire and Rescue reports that crews responded to a commercial building fire at 400 Mill St NE in Vienna just after 12:30 p.m. [Friday]. When crews arrived, they found a two-story commercial structure with smoke and fire showing from the roof and building bays. As they battled the fire, a second alarm was requested because of the building’s size.” [Patch]
County Executive Recommends Dissolving Tree Commission — “The Office of the County Executive is calling for a number of boards and commissions to be dissolved, including the Fairfax County Tree Commission and the Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC). Those entities would be replaced by a new Environmental Commission. Some of the Tree Commission’s responsibilities might be shifted to the Urban Forest Management Division in the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.” [Annandale Today]
Student Creates Tool for Nneurodivergent Job Seekers — “Now a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia, Tuteja observed a similar pattern at school. Students who approach problems differently were “looked down upon or didn’t get as much support as they needed, because their disability wasn’t visible, and they were often seen as less capable,” she said. Those experiences prompted Tuteja to create Raaha, a free artificial intelligence tool that assists neurodivergent job seekers in determining whether a potential job will fit the way they work.” [WTOP]
Popes Head Road Closure at Fairfax County Parkway — “Eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road (Route 654) will be closed at Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) from 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, until 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, for water main work as part of the Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.” [VDOT]
Fairfax County Police Drone Team Wins Competition — “🏆 Taking home first place! Our Drone Team, RTCC, and SWAT put their skills to the test at the inaugural Capital Skies: An NVERS Game of Drones competition, hosted by the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System.” [FCPD/X]
New Legal Notice — RFP: rail third-track; pre-bid 9/10/26; bids 10/16/26; completion 6/16/29. [Public Notices]
It’s Monday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., with sunny skies and a high of 94°F. The heat index may reach 100°F, and winds will shift to the southwest at 5 to 9 mph. There is a 30% chance of rain. Monday night will have scattered showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., with partly cloudy skies and a low of 75°F. Winds will be southwest around 5 mph, becoming light and variable. The chance of precipitation is 40%. [NWS]
Good Friday 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 — Aug 7, 2026.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Expect a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm, with showers likely and possible thunderstorms after 5pm. The high will be around 90°F, with increasing clouds and a southwest wind at 5 to 8 mph. There’s a 60% chance of rain, with less than a tenth of an inch expected, except heavier amounts in thunderstorms. Saturday night will likely see showers and thunderstorms mostly before 8pm, becoming partly cloudy with a low near 73°F. Winds will be southwest at 6 mph, becoming calm in the evening, and there’s a 60% chance of rain with similar precipitation amounts. See more from Weather.gov.
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. 👋
An immersive experience for toddler to elementary school age fans of the hit Disney show “Bluey” is one of several new attractions for families opening at Tysons Corner Center starting in September.
The children’s play store CAMP will open its latest themed experience, “Bluey x Camp: Bluey’s House” for kids ages 2 to 10 on Friday, Sept. 4, with a grand opening party to follow the next day. The 50-minute-long experience features a 5,000 square foot recreation of the cartoon dog’s home, where kids can play games from the show, such as “Keepy Uppy” or “Grannies.”
The county supervisor who represents the Lincolnia area where data center development is being planned has shared opposition to the proposed electrical substation associated with the project.
Supervisor Andres Jimenez (D-Mason) called on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject the Edsall Road substation and related transmission infrastructure at Plaza 500. The substation was proposed by Dominion Energy to meet the data center load from planned data centers.
A Lorton teen was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm after firing a gun into the ground near homes in a West Springfield neighborhood, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Officers responded to the 5000 block of Hall Street at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 5) for a report of a shooting.
