Construction has begun on new condominium buildings for Oakton's MetroWest neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A new condominium complex is under construction at MetroWest.
Crews have spent the past couple of weeks digging up a vacant lot in the middle of the Oakton development. Fencing and road blocks have been erected around the nearly 7.5-acre site, closing Royal Victoria Drive to traffic from Vaden Drive as well as footpaths used by residents to get to the Vienna Metro station to the north.
The sun glares over Waters Field in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
It’s going to be another hot and humid start to the week in the D.C. area.
An Excessive Heat Warning will take effect across the region, including for Fairfax County, at 11 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. today (Monday). Shortly before 1 p.m., the National Weather Service also upgraded an Excessive Heat Watch for the same time frame tomorrow (Tuesday) to another Excessive Heat Warning.
SAVE THE DATE! December 4-6, 2026 Experience the magic of the holiday season at this beloved event that has offered truly unique, handcrafted treasures for more than four decades. Find pottery, glass, jewelry, fashion accessories, woodwork, artisanal foods, and more from eighty exceptional regional artisans. Come discover the perfect gifts, treat yourself to lunch at the onsite café, and celebrate the spirit of the season with us! A juried show since 1982.
• FREE parking | 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA 22101 • Proceeds support the NVHG Scholarship Program for college art students • Tote bags will be given to the first 200 attendees each day • MCC has accessible entrances and restrooms
Fairfax County police arrested a Centreville man over the weekend who is suspected of soliciting sex from an 11-year-old child.
The arrest became complicated when the man allegedly refused to leave his home, and officers learned that he may be armed, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release on Saturday (July 13).
The I-66 Express Lanes near the Dunn Loring Metro station’s parking garage (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Two Injured in Clifton Crash — “The Fairfax County Police Department responded to a crash at the intersection of Old Yates Ford Road and Henderson Road in Clifton, Virginia, on Saturday.” A driver and a passenger were taken to the hospital, with the latter, an adult man, sustaining life-threatening injuries. [WUSA9]
Sentence Reduced for Fatal Lorton Hit-and-Run — “The family of a Fairfax County, Virginia, man killed by a hit-and-run driver says they’re devastated after a judge dramatically reduced the driver’s sentence on Friday. In April, Guillermo Vasquez pleaded guilty to the hit-and-run crash that killed 28-year-old Joey Lanza outside his home in Lorton in 2020.” [NBC4]
Fire Chief Condemns Violence after Fatal Shooting at Trump Rally — As president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler expressed his “deepest condolences” to the family of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo, Pennsylvania who was killed in the shooting at former president Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday (July 13). [Fire Chief John Butler/Twitter]
Lost Dog Found in Sewer — “Mack is back home resting following an adventure that almost sounds too unreal to be true! After he escaped his backyard and somehow ended up in the sewer system, he traveled two miles before peeking out of a curb inlet near a police station.” [Fairfax County Animal Shelter/Facebook]
Work Group Planning 250th Independence Day — “As a young man growing up in Philadelphia, Scott Stroh was thrilled with the red-white-and-blue extravaganza celebrating the nation’s bicentennial in 1976…Stroh, who now is director of historic Gunston Hall, is leading a Fairfax County group that for three years has been gearing up” to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. [Gazette Leader]
Inside Oldest Building on CIA Campus — “When buying a house on 30 wooded acres in northern Virginia, the last thing you might expect to get is a nosy neighbor. But after Margaret Scattergood and Florence Thorne moved into their new home in 1933, they got more than they bargained for – an entire campus full of spies.” [CBS News]
Potomac River Experiencing ‘Flash Drought’ — “The probability of releases from backup reservoirs to ensure an adequate drinking water supply in the Potomac River is higher than normal this year, according to the group that coordinates the three major water providers in the Washington, D.C. area.” [WTOP]
Annandale Office Building Sold — “Windows Plus has sold its building at 4321 Markham Street in Annandale. The buyer paid $1.72 million for the two-story, 3,600-square-foot commercial building, says Chris Bernard, a real estate broker with CRES Inc…The buyers, who wish to remain anonymous, do not have immediate plans to redevelop the property, Bernard said.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Monday — Showers and thunderstorms may develop after 2pm, accompanied by sunny, hot conditions with a high temperature near 100°F and heat index values reaching up to 109°F. Monday night will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 75°F. [NWS]
In its 14th year of production, Skye Ballet Center presents The Nutcracker. The absolutely gorgeous ballet will take place on Saturday, November 28th at 2 pm and 6 pm. Join us to a wonderful start to the holiday season!!
SBC Nutcracker South Lakes High School 2:00 and 6:00 pm
Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms early in the day, followed by scattered showers between 8am and 2pm, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms continuing after 2pm. The day will be partly sunny with a high temperature near 89 and light, variable winds. The chance of precipitation stands at 30%. Saturday night will bring partly cloudy skies and a low temperature around 73, accompanied by calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.
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. 👋
Amid an extended stretch of dangerous heat, humidity and potential drought, flooding hasn’t been the D.C. area’s top meterological concern this summer, but the possibility might’ve crossed some minds during a passing downpour on Wednesday (July 10) — remnants of Hurricane Beryl, which has devastated other parts of the U.S. and the Caribbean.
With climate change exacerbating storms and other extreme weather, Fairfax County has created a new grant program that will reimburse residents who shore up their home against flooding.
A closeup of an iPhone screen (via Adrien/Unsplash)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent executive order to limit phone use in Virginia schools may align with a new pilot program being considered by Fairfax County Public Schools.
Signed Wednesday (July 10), the executive order directs the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to gather feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators to create guidelines for enforcing “cell-phone-free” classrooms in public schools.
A streetlight on North Street in front of Draper's Steak and Seafood in Fairfax City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
More of the gas-powered lamps around Old Town Fairfax will dim in the coming weeks, as the city advances to a new phase of its push to convert all streetlights to LED bulbs.
To kick off the project’s next stage, workers will remove 33 decommissioned gas lights this month, starting Sunday (July 14) on Chain Bridge Road between Main Street and North Street. Additional work is planned for July 21 on Main Street from Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) to Blenheim Blvd and on a portion of University Drive south of Main Street.