A Fairfax County School bus (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)
As Fairfax County Public Schools students prepare for their first day of school next Monday (Aug. 24), the Fairfax County School Board is making its own back-to-school to-do list. Near the top of the agenda: an updated digital literacy curriculum.
A work session on Tuesday (Aug. 18) provided a glimpse of the tasks ahead for the school board this year, and staff’s efforts over the summer to implement high-profile mandates around the curriculum, including updates related to artificial intelligence literacy.
A rendering of the main bar in Ebbitt House's dining room at Reston Station (courtesy Ebbitt House)
When Ebbitt House opens at Reston Station this fall, the food and ambiance might stir up memories for former Clyde’s of Reston regulars.
The new restaurant from Clyde’s Restaurant Group is on track to open in the growing Reston Row neighborhood this October, developer Comstock Companies announced earlier this month in an earnings report.
Patrons entering Capital One Hall in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will form an unexpected alliance at Capital One Hall this fall.
The Fairfax Symphony announced this week that it will be joined in the main theater at the Tysons venue (7750 Capital One Tower Road) by Jean on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
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 Edgeexhibition, 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.
Drivers waiting for the light to change in front of TownePlace Suites on Brandon Avenue at Commerce Street in Springfield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
I-66 Safety Campaign Planned — “The Virginia State Police Fairfax and Culpepper Divisions will be conducting Operation DISS-rupt on all 76 miles of Interstate 66 in Virginia on Aug. 22-24, 2026. The traffic enforcement and educational safety initiative focuses on Distracted driving, Impaired driving, Speed compliance and Seat belt safety.” [Press release]
Rescue Task Force Returns From Earthquake — “Members of Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1) received a heroes’ welcome home Thursday night, after ten days in Colombia … The team flew to Colombia to support the State Department’s response to the August 10 earthquake, where they helped with disaster coordination and structural engineering.” [DC News Now]
Contractor Files Notice of Layoffs — “Reston-based government technology contractor TekSynap expects to eliminate as many as 69 positions after work under two subcontracting programs comes to an end, according to a notice filed with the Virginia Works Rapid Response Program.” The company recently announced it will move its headquarters to a larger office at Reston Town Center. [Patch]
Police Seek Paisano’s Pizza Burglar — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man who burglarized two Paisano’s Pizza locations in less than one week. Both incidents occurred around 4 a.m.,” first in Springfield on July 30 and then at a shop in Annandale on Aug. 4. [FCPD]
Study of Data Center Taxes Begins — “Virginia’s General Assembly convened its dormant Joint Subcommittee on Tax Policy on Wednesday for the first time since 2024, with the aim of implementing a consumption tax on data center operators and studying current exemptions for data centers and their impacts on communities.” [Cardinal News]
Fire Department Hands Out Backpacks — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted its annual Backpack and School Supply Distribution at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters, retirees, and volunteers worked together to distribute 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies to 45 schools and nonprofits throughout the county.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
New Member Joins Park Authority Board — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce that Ray Foote has been appointed by Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer to represent” her district on the Park Authority Board. A county resident for 38 years, Foote “brings decades of nonprofit leadership, philanthropy and conservation experience to his new role.” [FCPA]
Cinema Supper Club in Vienna — “Hosted by Cozy District Cafe and sponsored by DMV Cater, the new immersive dining experience pairs food, film, and atmosphere to create a one-of-a-kind movie night.” Limited tickets are available for Cinema Supper Club’s next screenings of “Ratatouille” today and next Friday, Aug. 28, at Vienna Moose Lodge (9616 Courthouse Road). [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Friday — It will be mostly sunny with a high of 82°F. Night brings increasing clouds and a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 a.m., with a low around 69°F. [NWS]
If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as "Life Plan Communities"), whether for yourself or for a loved one, please join our free workshop on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00-7:00 at the Arlington office of Long & Foster. We are hosting this workshop in conjunction with Lisa Bates of the Williamsburg Landing community, which is a particularly excellent model of the way these communities work, and one you may wish to consider!
– How do Continuing Care Retirement Communities work? – What do they offer? – How much do they cost, and what are the financial models offered? – How do you how to evaluate them, and choose the one that's right for you? – How do you make a plan for a move like this? – How do you handle a lifetime's worth of possessions?
Expect partly sunny skies with a high of around 82°F and light north winds shifting east by afternoon. Overnight, showers and a possible thunderstorm are likely after 2 a.m., with increasing clouds and a low near 68°F. Winds will calm, and there’s a 70% chance of rain, with potential for higher rainfall in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.
Youth For Tomorrow's new Fairfax Counseling Center is located at 12011 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Suite 504. (Courtesy YFT)
A faith-based nonprofit focusing on services for at-risk youths and their families has expanded its services in Fairfax County through a new office.
Youth for Tomorrow (YFT), a Prince William County-based organization that provides services for children, adolescents, and adults experiencing emotional, behavioral, or family challenges, opened a counseling center at 12011 Route 50, Suite 504, on July 1.
The Vienna Market townhomes and currently vacant commercial space on Maple Avenue West in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Four years after construction finished on the Vienna Market townhouses, the commercial space intended to support the new homes and draw visitors to a central stretch of Maple Avenue remains empty.
That could soon change after the owner of a new medical spa bought approximately 5,500 square feet of commercial space — more than half of the development’s available 8,200 square feet — for $2.55 million earlier this month.
Lake Anne Brew House is opening a Vintage Reston furniture and decor pop-up as it awaits permits for a planned expansion (courtesy Lake Anne Brew House)
As preparations continue on a taproom expansion, Lake Anne Brew House will build anticipation for the new space with the launch of a vintage furniture pop-up.
The resale shop Vintage Reston will initially open at 11426 Washington Plaza West, next door to the brewery, at Lake Anne Plaza this Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 23 from 2-6 p.m.
