Fairfax County is teaming up with the Arbor Day Foundation to give away free trees to residents as part of its efforts to nurture the local tree canopy.
Starting today (Tuesday), all county residents can sign up online to receive up to two one-gallon trees that will be delivered directly to their homes, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services’ (DPWES) Urban and Community Forestry Division.
Assault Weapons Ban Heads to Governor — “Virginia is one step closer to enacting an assault weapons ban. The Senate is sending a bill to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) desk on Monday that would make it illegal to sell, purchase, import, manufacture or transfer assault weapons in Virginia starting on July 1, 2026, with some exceptions.” [WRIC]
Gambling Commission Push Stalls — “A Virginia Senate committee killed a House bill that would create an independent body to regulate various gambling industries Monday, as state lawmakers seek to corral the sprawling industry.” A separate Senate bill currently being negotiated by members of both General Assembly chambers would instead hand most regulatory authority over gaming to the Virginia Lottery. [VPM Media]
Rarely Seen Bird Spotted in Great Falls Park — “Since a birder named Phil Kenny first discovered a female red-flanked bluetail in a tree just off the Capital Beltway on New Year’s Day, crowds of visitors have flocked to Great Falls Park — where the bird has been living for the past three months — to try to catch a glimpse. Locals young and old, plus bird nerds from as far away as Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, Michigan and Florida have all showed up with binoculars in tow.” [Washington Post]
Va. Could Clear Way for Plug-In Solar Panels — “Bills allowing for portable solar generation devices are nearing the finish line to be sent to the governor’s desk.” Led by Fairfax State Sen. Scott Surovell and Del. Paul Krizek, the bills prevent landlords with “more than four rental dwellings from prohibiting the use of balcony solar panels.” [Virginia Mercury]
Annandale Masonic Lodge for Sale — “The Elmer Timberman Masonic Lodge is selling its building at 6911 Columbia Pike in Annandale. The Masons only use it for monthly meetings. They own the building but they’re finding it hard to keep up with maintenance expenses” after a slowdown in event rentals post-Covid. [Annandale Today]
Vietnamese Eatery Launches at Tysons Galleria — “At his upscale restaurant Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien and his team reimagine Vietnamese food with modern dishes like mochi beignets with fresh eel or green-curry sponge cake. But at his new fast-casual spot, Chao Ban, in Tysons Galleria, Tien is focusing on more familiar staples like pho and banh mi — albeit with some of his usual cheffy twists.” [Washingtonian]
Vienna Steakhouse Aims for Spring Opening — “Electric Bull is slated to open this spring at 176 Maple Ave. West. It began as a basic idea: a neighborhood grill and butcher shop centered on great meat and live fire. Somewhere along the way, that vision attracted an elite group of chefs and partners whose combined experience is helping shape it into something much bigger.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fairfax City Schools Take Cautious Approach to Budget — “City of Fairfax school leaders say they are building a cautious Fiscal Year 2027 budget that preserves student programs and staff support while budgeting for a lower tuition bill than the roughly $77 million figure initially projected by Fairfax County Public Schools.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 50% chance of rain with partly sunny skies, and a high near 82 degrees. South winds will range from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Evening brings a 70% chance of rain, along with cloud cover and a low around 51 degrees. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
At Kokua, we believe that every stage of life holds possibilities for creativity, purpose, and growth. Located in the heart of Tysons, Virginia, Kokua offers a fresh, hospitality-driven approach to care developed by Mather, a nationally recognized pioneer in the senior living space with more than eight decades of experience. Newly opened in 2025, Kokua blends care with our research-driven approach to deliver personalized wellness tailored to individual needs.
For a limited time, Kokua is welcoming new residents seeking assisted living or memory support in the DC area with exclusive move-in incentives. Nestled in a lively urban neighborhood, our LEED-Gold certified community incorporates biophilic design that brings the outside in to enhance health and wellbeing.
In our assisted living and memory support neighborhoods, residents enjoy a collection of thoughtfully designed spaces that feel like an upscale hospitality destination.
Multiple restaurants offer chef-prepared cuisine with flexible, open-hours service, complemented by demonstration kitchens, art and music studios, as well as gathering spaces. A spacious outdoor terrace, Marzenia Salon, and beautifully appointed amenity areas create opportunities for wellness, connection, and everyday enjoyment.
Residents enjoy opportunities to choose from enriching programs, meaningful social opportunities with experiences such as sensory walks, meditation, acupuncture, Reiki, songwriting workshops, poetry readings, Sensory Symphony Swim, and more.
Ādar means “respect”, and Kokua delivers. Here, our team encourages residents to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible. Each one-bedroom apartment home (ranging in size up to nearly 900 square feet) offers generous space and thoughtful design, complemented by assistance with daily living tasks and emergency response systems for peace of mind.
Miran means “peaceful”—another pillar in the Kokua way of life. Private suites are designed for those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or similar cognitive conditions. Our person-centered approach embraces individual strengths and needs, with an interdisciplinary team and through social events, wellness programs, creative arts, and more.
Kokua offers the next generation of care in Ādar and Miran, true to our commitment to highly personalized service rooted in respect for each individual.
With a limited number of residences available and exclusive move-in incentives currently offered, now is an ideal time to explore the personalized care and quiet luxury that Kokua at The Mather has to offer.
Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more, download our brochure at www.themathertysons.com/kokua. You can reach us at kokua@themathertysons.com or (571) 282.3650.
Good Tuesday 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 — Mar 10, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect showers and thunderstorms between 4pm and 5pm, partly sunny skies with a high near 81, and south winds at 6-11 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. For Wednesday night, showers are likely after 11pm with increasing clouds and a low around 49. South winds will range from 13-16 mph and may gust up to 26 mph. Precipitation chances increase to 70%, with new amounts less than a tenth of an inch, though higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.
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.
This year’s Very Godly VBS, inspired by The Titan’s Curse, invites children into the world of Camp Half-Blood to explore faith, courage, belonging, and community through storytelling, music, crafts, games, science, and reflection in a fun and welcoming environment for all.
Location: The Falls Church
The Fairfax County Police Department is moving forward with plans to partially seal off its radio communications from the public.
The department has proposed encrypting its “main channels” to both limit the disclosure of sensitive information and prevent “someone’s worst day from being used for entertainment,” officers told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a Safety and Security Committee meeting this afternoon (Tuesday).
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. 🙂
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
The fallout from the January sewer collapse that dumped over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River continues to pile up, bringing a new lawsuit and a report that suggests the river might still be getting contaminated.
A Great Falls resident filed a class action lawsuit against DC Water on Friday (March 6) in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, calling for the utility to compensate himself and other individuals “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by [the] Defendant’s conduct.”
Spring fever is starting to appear at Tysons Corner Center, with the first day of the new season a little more than a week away.
The mall is hosting several seasonal programs, including the Easter Bunny’s return and official National Cherry Blossom Festival events. The cherry blossom-themed events will coincide with D.C.’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs between March 20 and April 12.
Multiple Centreville residents woke up last week to find a naked man inside their home, police say.
The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating four different home burglaries that occurred between March 5 and 8 in the London Towne neighborhood — all of them possibly committed by the same man who was seen nude in two cases.
Fairfax County is likely to receive most, but not all, of the funding it is seeking through a regional transit grant program.
The county’s request for just under $4.4 million in funding to support a new limited-stop Fairfax Connector service between the Tysons and Franconia-Springfield Metro stations has been removed from the list of projects being considered for the fiscal years 2027-2028 I-66 Commuter Choice funding cycle.
A new developer hopes to try its hand at transforming an office park on the south side of the Reston Town Center Metro station into a fully inhabited community.
Bethesda-based Bernstein Management Corporation is seeking to revive and expand on a mixed-use redevelopment of the Reston Crossing offices that still exists only on paper, nearly seven years after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project.
