Countywide
Walking between stalls at the Vienna Farmers Market (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Dominion Sues Over Rejected Substation — “Dominion Energy has filed a lawsuit against Prince William County, challenging its decision to oppose a plan to overhaul an existing substation. The utility company is arguing the Vint Hill substation project is needed to maintain regional grid reliability, and that the Board of Supervisors’ decision warrants additional review.” [WTOP]

Push for Kennedy Center Records — “President Donald Trump’s administration is withholding records documenting the scope of his influence over management of the Kennedy Center, according to attorneys for a Democratic lawmaker challenging the Republican president’s plan to close the performing arts center for renovations.” [Associated Press]

Local Airports Rank High for Flight Disruptions — “A recent report by research and advocacy firm ConsumerAffairs ranked Reagan National Airport the worst large airport in the U.S. for ‘flight disruptions.’ Among the 29 large airports ConsumerAffairs ranked, DCA ranked worst, Dulles Airport ranked 9th worst, and BWI Marshall ranked in the middle of the pack at 16th.” [WJLA]

Annandale Jewelry Store Burglarized — “Three men broke into Lambros Goldsmith in Annandale and stole $2 million worth of jewelry, reports store owner and award-winning jeweler Lambros Magiafas. Surveillance video shows the suspects wearing masks and dressed in black using a hammer to break the glass door, smashing the display cases, and shoving jewelry into bags at about 5 a.m. on Sept. 28.” [Annandale Today]

Bill Aims to Help Renters Exposed to Mold — “Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, wants to strengthen tenant protection laws for renters whose living conditions include mold. Price pitched a bill to do so in 2025, and it is due to be deliberated again in the upcoming 2027 legislative session.” [Virginia Mercury]

Area Restaurateur on Inflation — Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, says “costs are up across the board,” including for fuel and meat. “He estimated he’s spending about two and a half times more than he had budgeted for fuel this year.” [WTOP]

School Board Member Donates Car — “South Lakes High School automotive students have another vehicle to learn on after Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel donated his car to the program. McDaniel, an at-large board member, said the donation was intended to highlight career and technical education and the opportunities those courses offer students.” [Patch]

It’s Monday — Sunny with a high near 70 and calm winds becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday night will be clear with a low around 50, with calm winds becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]

No time to read? Now you can listen to your local news. Subscribe to the FFXnow Daily Update on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.


News

Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Here’s a look back at today’s most-read stories and a look ahead to tomorrow.

📈 Today’s most-read stories

  1. Poll: The best Chinese restaurants in Fairfax County
  2. Seven-story apartment building in Fairfax City set to open in 2027, developer says
  3. Reston condo neighborhood cheers addition of electric vehicle charger

🕗 More from today

Everything else we published today, Oct 23, 2026.

📣 Announcements

Workshops You’ll Love at Art House 7
Explore exciting fall workshops at Art House 7! Coming up October 24–25, master artist Teresa… [Announcement]

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Fairfax County, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

⭐ Featured events

🗑️ Shred Day with Lafayette Federal
Oct 24: Shred your documents safely and free [Event]

Party at the Polls- Celebrate Vote Early Day!
Oct 24: Celebrate early voting! [Event]

Child Safety Fun Fair & Car Seat Check
Oct 25: Get your child car seat inspected by a Nationally Certified Technician for FREE! [Event]

Interchangeable String Quartet & Friends
Oct 25: Total Program Length–2 hours. Free, no ticket required. Donations welcome supporting the St. Anne’s Food Pantry. [Event]

Building Your New Mom Village Mixer
Oct 29: First-time pregnant moms, new moms and perinatal providers – let’s connect! Note: this location is near MOSAIC DISTRICT. [Event]

Alloy! Celebration & Cocktail Party
Oct 29: Tephra ICA Celebration and Cocktail Party [Event]

Diwali: A Celebration of Inner Light – Hosted by the Brahma Kumaris
Nov 1: Celebrate the spirit of Diwali with us at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center for a joyful and uplifting afternoon for the whole family. [Event]

Dialogue for Democracy
Nov 3: Dialogue for Democracy invites high school students from across the DMV to George Mason University. [Event]

How Retirement Communities Work – A Free Workshop
Nov 4: Interested in learning about how Continuing Care Retirement Communities work, but don’t know where to start? Join us on 11/4 to learn more! [Event]

Submit events, announcements, or home listings to FFXnow.

🌤️ Weather update

Today: Fairfax County saw a high of 64° at 2:45 p.m. (3° below normal), a low of 41° at 3:52 a.m., no rain and a peak gust of 18 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northeast wind 2 to 6 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 62. East wind 2 to 6 mph.

Thanks for reading!


Around Town

A crowd cheered on the winner of a race last night (Thursday) at Frying Pan Farm Park, as she approached the finish line. But Jubilee could only be coaxed to wear her crown and sash for a reluctant minute: for a Jersey cow, alfalfa and grains from local breweries were the true prize.

Jubilee was one of seven bovine contenders who took to the “track” — a smooth path around a corral — during the seventh annual NASCOW FundRACER to help support the animals at the farm (2709 West Ox Road) in the Frying Pan area south of Herndon.


News

A new seven-story apartment building is on track to meet its anticipated completion date in the third quarter of 2027, bringing hundreds of new apartments to the Northfax area of Fairfax City when it opens, its developers said this week.

The structural frame for The Botanist, a 260-unit building on 2.97 acres at 10350 Eaton Place, is now complete, according to the Vienna-based company Middleburg and Capital City Real Estate (CCRE), which has a D.C. office.


Event

High school students from across the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region are invited to participate in Dialogue for Democracy at George Mason University!

Hosted by the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, this event offers high school students an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about democracy, civic engagement, and the importance of understanding different perspectives.


News

Fairfax County planners are backing another office-to-residential conversion near Dulles International Airport.

At its Oct. 14 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of two rezoning applications to support the Lincoln Park development, which would transform approximately 15 acres of land in the Sully Square area north of Chantilly and south of Herndon into a townhouse neighborhood.


Opinion

Fairfax County features a rich and diverse culinary landscape, with Chinese restaurants serving both comfort food and unique flavors. This week, FFXnow invites readers to share their favorite spots for Chinese cuisine.

Here are the nominees for Best Chinese restaurants in Fairfax County as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite Chinese restaurant? Write it in!

Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Voting for Best burger restaurants in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 11:59 p.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best coffee shops in Fairfax County. The full results are now official:

  1. 🥇 Weird Brothers Coffee — 785 votes
  2. 🥈 Caffe Amouri — 522 votes
  3. 🥉 Simply Social Coffee — 208 votes
  4. De Clieu Coffee & Sandwich — 85 votes
  5. Cafein — 52 votes

Recently expanded to Vienna, Weird Brothers Coffee has become a local favorite since brothers Paul and Kenny Olsen launched a mobile coffee bar over a decade ago. Now boasting four locations, the Herndon-based roastery and coffeehouse is as well-known for its community involvement as the creatively named drinks on its “mischief” menu.

A total of 2,050 votes were cast.

See every FFXnow Readers’ Choice winner, past and present, here.


News

Reston’s electric vehicle infrastructure continues to grow with the recent installation of a charger at Waterford Square (11500 Fairway Drive).

Residents in the Waterford Square Condominium Association celebrated the addition of a dual-port Level 2 EV charger with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week (Oct. 15) that included Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn among its attendees.


News

A portion of the sidewalk along westbound Georgetown Pike in McLean has been closed for construction.

The closure of the path between Balls Hill Road and the ramp from southbound I-495 began earlier this week and is expected to continue through Nov. 13, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.


News

Virginia’s top transportation official hopes to get regional buy-in on the controversial I-495 Southside proposal early next year.

“This is a really, really important project,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue said at a meeting on Wednesday (Oct. 21) of the region’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB).