News
City highway with multiple cars and a long silver commuter train stopped at an elevated platform under a glass canopy
Traffic on I-66 passing a train stopped at the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County School Bus Crashes in Western Loudoun County — “Loudoun County Fire and Rescue units arrived at the scene to find a Fairfax County bus off the road with its two back wheels lifted off the pavement over a ditch. Another bus had reportedly already arrived to collect the students.” [Loudoun Now]

Firefighters Respond to Lorton House Fire — “#FairfaxBravest responded to a townhouse fire in the 9600 block of Eaton Woods Pl in Lorton [Wednesday] morning. Crews arrived with smoke and fire showing from the rear and first-floor balcony. All occupants were out prior to #FCFRD arrival. No injuries. Cause under investigation.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department/X]

Hundreds of Families Attend Skyview High School School Year Preview — “Throughout the evening, families explored topics ranging from transportation and athletics to advisory periods, project-based learning, and student life. Just as importantly, they met administrators, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) leaders, transportation supervisors, and other founding families who will help shape the experience for Skyview’s first classes.” [FCPS]

Jet Takes Off at DCA While President’s Helicopter Approaches — “The incident appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision over the Potomac River. It occurred Tuesday afternoon as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip. A commercial jet took off at the same time.” [ARLnow/AP]

No Surprises, Drama With N. Va.’s Primary Elections — “Most of the region’s Democratic incumbents did not face a challenger from their own party, so the Republican primaries took center stage in Northern Virginia on Tuesday. Every House seat, plus one in the Senate, is on the ballot this year. The primary races across the Commonwealth played out as expected, says Larry Sabato, political prognosticator with the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.” [VPM]

Alexandria Officials Press Fairfax County Planning Commission to Deny Substation — “Alexandria City Council has joined a growing number of local residents asking Fairfax County to deny a substation associated with data center development just outside city limits. In a letter to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, City Council cited ‘the incompatibility of heavy industrial use’ near densely populated Alexandria.” [ALXnow]

SCC Demands Data Centers Pay More Toward New Transmission Lines — “The State Corporation Commission has ordered Dominion Energy to develop a policy to directly assign the cost of transmission infrastructure to data centers and other large-load users that connect to the facilities, ‘with the goal of finding an acceptable and symmetrical approach towards assigning costs in these circumstances.'” [Virginia Mercury]

Feedback Sought on Proposed Accessory Living Unit Updates — “Proposed changes to the county’s zoning regulations for accessory living units have been prepared, and the community is invited to host neighborhood discussions and share feedback through an online toolkit.” [Fairfax County/X]

Over 140 Neighborhoods Participate in National Night Out — “From block parties and cookouts to games, music, and family-friendly activities, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) joined thousands of residents for an evening focused on building connections, promoting public safety, and bringing neighbors together.” [Fairfax County Police Department]

Weekend Road Closure Coming Up in Annandale — “Weather permitting, Ravensworth Road (Route 2864) between Braddock Road (Route 620) and John Marr Drive (Route 757) will be continuously closed to through traffic from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, until 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, for drainage pipe replacement, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.” [VDOT]

Single Tracking on Metro’s Orange Line This Weekend — “THIS WEEKEND: In addition to Red Line summer construction through September 6, trains will single track on the Orange Line between Vienna and West Falls Church. 🟠 To complete your trip inbound toward DC or outbound toward Vienna, you must transfer trains at West Falls Church.” [WMATA/Bluesky]

It’s Thursday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 5 p.m., with mostly sunny skies and a high of 91°F, though it may feel like 100°F. Winds from the south at 8-10 mph may gust up to 18 mph, with a 30% chance of rain. Thursday night, expect a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., with partly cloudy skies and a low of 74°F. Southwest winds will be around 6 mph. [NWS]

Support local journalism. Join the FFXnow Press Club to boost our reporting and to get upgraded newsletters.


Around Town

Good Wednesday 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 5, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop after 2 PM, with increasing cloudiness and a high temperature near 91°F. Winds from the southwest will blow at 7 to 10 mph, with gusts up to 18 mph, and there’s a 50% chance of precipitation. By Thursday night, the showers and thunderstorms may continue until around 11 PM, followed by partly cloudy skies and a low around 73°F. The southwest wind will decrease to 3 to 6 mph, with a 30% chance of rain. 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.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


News

The Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation will be starting a campaign as part of its Faces of ONE project to help businesses along the Richmond Highway corridor gain traction before and during the corridor’s major transportation work and redevelopment.

It’s an extension of a public art campaign where 10 public sculptures were placed along the Richmond Highway corridor, along with some murals and different things to enhance the identity and placemaking of the area.


Around Town

Greenbriar Town Center will soon offer a new option for locals with a sweet tooth.

Dumont Creamery & Cafe — founded in Hyderabad, India, before expanding to the U.S. in 2024 — will open at 13041C Route 50, Suite C, near Chantilly, with a soft launch on Aug. 14, the company confirmed to FFXnow. A grand opening will follow on Aug. 28.


Event

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?


News

A new seven-story senior community with 200 units for residents has opened in Fairfax City.

Brightview Northfax, located at 10575 Northfax Street, held a grand opening and began moving in new residents on July 7.


News

Several health departments, including Fairfax County’s, are investigating Virginia’s first documented case of a locally acquired dengue virus infection, the Virginia Department of Health said yesterday (Aug. 4).

The Fairfax, Loudoun, and Virginia health departments are investigating the case. While the patient did not have any known travel outside of the state prior to onset of the illness, they were “in close proximity to a recent internationally acquired case in a Virginian who was diagnosed a couple weeks prior,” Cameron Webb, the State Health Commissioner, wrote to clinicians in a notice posted online.


Around Town

New Orleans-style beignets are on the menu at a new coffee shop opening Friday (Aug. 7) in Herndon.

Beignets & Brew will open at 348 Elden Street #460. The grand opening starting at 7 a.m. will include a ribbon cutting with Herndon Mayor Keven LeBlanc.


News
A man walking through Strawberry Park at the Mosaic District in Merrifield after rain (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Flood Watch Wednesday in Fairfax County — “🌧️ Flood Watch in effect for Fairfax County 4:00 AM–11:00 AM Wednesday (Aug. 5). Heavy rain may bring 2–4 inches in a short time, causing flash flooding in low-lying areas, urban streets, and along creeks and streams.” [Ready Fairfax/X]

Fairfax Hospitals Rank High on Best Virginia Hospitals List — Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Reston Hospital Center ranked among the top hospitals in Virginia on the 2026-2027 U.S. News and World Report list. This year, the report added regional specialized rankings for cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation. [Patch]

Metro Touts Reduction in Crime — “For the second year in a row, Metro officials are touting reductions in crime on Metrorail, Metrobuses and at Metro parking lots. ‘We are the safest Metro has ever been. We believe we are the safest transit agency in the country,’ said Randy Clarke, general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Crime still occurs in and around the Metro system, but Clarke and Metro’s police chief say it continues to get safer.” [NBC Washington]

Fairfax Connector Store Changes Coming — “Effective Wednesday, Aug. 19, the West*Park Fairfax Connector Store in McLean will permanently close, and a new Fairfax Connector Store will open at the Monument Drive Commuter Parking Garage and Transit Center in Fairfax.” [Fairfax Connector]

Adopt-A-Student Backpack Runs Through Aug. 7 — “Volunteer and Partner Services is excited to once again partner with Roonga, this time for our annual School Supply and Backpack Drive! In order to get started, all you need to do is log onto the live site. July 1 through August 7, 2026, you are invited to Adopt-A-Student and help them start the school year prepared and confident.” [Fairfax County]

Residents Asked to Report Flooding from Sunday Rainstorms — “Some areas of Fairfax County received almost a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours this past Sunday! If you saw any flooding near your home during the recent storms or if you still see standing water, please report it.” [Fairfax County Public Works/X]

It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms, especially before 3pm and again after 4pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high of 87°F. Winds will be light, becoming south at 5 to 7 mph, and there’s a 60% chance of precipitation, with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch possible. Wednesday night will have a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers until 2am, with a low around 74°F and a south wind at 6 mph. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.


Around Town

Good Tuesday 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 4, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect showers and thunderstorms until 1 pm, followed by likely showers and possible thunderstorms until 2 pm, with continued chances afterward. Patchy fog is expected before 11 am. The high will be near 86 degrees with light winds from the south at 5 to 7 mph. There is an 80% chance of rain, with rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, potentially higher during thunderstorms. Wednesday night will have a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, primarily before midnight, with partly cloudy skies and a low of around 73 degrees. South winds will continue at about 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.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.