Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park visitors can now officially enjoy the trail during the same hours at any point in its 45-mile length.
The board of directors for NOVA Parks, the regional authority that owns and operates the park, voted at its May 21 meeting to standardize 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily as the W&OD Trail’s formal operating hours, effective immediately.
Fairfax City is eyeing a potential solution to fix a trail project that was approved and fully funded while minimizing financial penalties as a result of the city council canceling a different planned extension earlier this year.
During a council work session on Tuesday (May 26), staff proposed that the project — previously called the George Snyder Trail Extension — be renamed the Wilcoxon Trail Extension, and add on-street paths along Draper Drive, instead of connecting to existing trails by cutting through parkland.
The bakery that knows your order. The pediatrician your kids grew up with. The contractor your whole street recommends. These are the businesses that give Fairfax County its character. The same neighbors who open FFXnow every day are also the people looking to support local businesses in their area.
FFXnow is where Fairfax County turns for local news, reaching 600,000 readers a month and 9 million pageviews a year, making it one of the most-read local news sites in Virginia. People come to keep up with the county, and along the way, they find the businesses that make it run.
Our readers tell us this works. 67% say they’re more likely to support a business that advertises with FFXnow, and 33% have made a purchase after seeing an ad or sponsored article. Next to news your neighbors already trust, your business reads as part of the conversation, not an interruption.
If you own a business in Fairfax County, we’ve got more than one way to get involved, whether you’re introducing your business, promoting an event, or telling your story. And because FFXnow is independent local journalism, your support helps keep Fairfax County informed, too.
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After 10 days spent detained at Dulles International Airport, Ghanaian asylum seeker Anabella Gyasi and her son will go back to her home country. A judge with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ordered Friday that the pregnant woman cannot stay in the airport any longer.
“For the reasons stated from the bench, the Court finds that the welfare of the petitioners and the interests of justice are best served by allowing petitioners to return home immediately,” Judge Leonie M. Brinkema wrote after an emergency hearing the morning of May 29 in Alexandria.
Dunn Loring School Commemoration Planned — “Join FCPS on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Dunn Loring Center to honor the rich history and lasting legacy of the building. This space has served generations of FCPS students, employees, and families since its establishment in 1939.” The building at 2334 Gallows Road will be demolished soon to make way for the construction of a new elementary school. [FCPS]
‘Swatting’ Call for Supreme Court Justice’s Home — “An apparent ‘swatting’ incident targeted the residence of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Wednesday night, police confirmed to NBC News.” Fairfax County police say they quickly confirmed with Supreme Court Police assigned to Barrett’s home that a report of gunshots sent to the department’s non-emergency line around 9 p.m. on May 27 “was fictitious.” [NBC4]
Data Center Boom Fueling Pollution — “The 10,500 generators attached to data centers in Virginia produce enough pollution to harm public health even if used rarely, according to a new analysis of emissions permits” that reviewed permits and emissions filings for 132 sites operating in Northern Virginia through the end of 2024. Another 19 data centers have been approved in the region since then. [Washington Post]
Waymo Starts Mapping N. Va. — “Driverless car company Waymo has confirmed to FOX 5 D.C. that it is now mapping parts of Northern Virginia.” Though Virginia hasn’t yet authorized fully autonomous ride-hailing services, Waymo policy adviser Rich Harrington says the company’s “vehicles were already operating on roads in Alexandria with safety drivers behind the wheel and would soon begin operating in Arlington as well.” [FOX5]
Beyer Seeks to Block Trump Arch — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is taking legislative aim at President Trump’s proposed 250-foot ‘triumphal arch’ near Arlington National Cemetery.” The congressman will introduce a bill that prohibits the use of federal funds for the arch and bars the federal government from building the arch or any similar structure on National Park Service-owned land in the D.C. region. [ARLnow]
Worker Burned by Live Wire in Tysons — “Around 11:30 a.m. [on May 27], the Fairfax County Police Department helicopter responded to the 1900 block of Cathy Lane after the construction worker, a male, fell [from a ladder] and hit the live wire, causing burn injuries. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” [WJLA]
Law Could Save People With Disabilities — A bill signed into law from Chesterfield Del. Leslie Mehta will require “certain healthcare providers to conduct regular simulations so that employees are extra prepared to identify and respond to emergencies experienced by people with disabilities under their care.” [Virginia Mercury]
Two New Flights Heading to Dulles — “United Airlines will add two nonstop routes from Washington Dulles later this year, including service to Orange County, California, and San José del Cabo, Mexico. The Orange County/Santa Ana route is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 and will operate daily year-round on a Boeing 737,” while the San Jose del Cabo route will launch on Oct. 25 and operate four times a week. [Patch]
New Legal Notice — ABC permit application for restaurant license; objections within 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 78°F. Winds will shift from north to west at 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, the weather will be mostly clear with a low of around 60°F, and southwest winds at 7 mph. [NWS]
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Good Thursday 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 — May 28, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny weather with a high of 77°F, accompanied by a gentle northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. The night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 59°F and a southwest wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. 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.
A man was hospitalized after being shot in the West Oaks Corner neighborhood near Costco Thursday afternoon (May 28).
Police were dispatched to the 12200 block of Sessile Commons in Fair Oaks around 5:29 p.m. after 911 dispatchers received a call for a weapons discharge, according to scanner traffic.
An electric bicycle rider was critically injured in a crash on Cedar Lane in Dunn Loring earlier this afternoon (Thursday).
Fairfax County police and fire units were dispatched to Cedar Lane at Electric Avenue at around 3:35 p.m. for a crash involving a cyclist and a vehicle, according to scanner traffic.
An acclaimed Chinese restaurant with Sichuan-style noodles and dumplings is planning a new location in Tysons.
Mian Sichuan Noodle is preparing to open at 8395 Leesburg Pike in Pike 7 Plaza, replacing a vacancy left by the decades-old China Wok restaurant last summer. Exterior signage for Mian Sichuan Noodle has appeared at the retail bay after the restaurant applied for a permit there earlier this year.
More than 60 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or seriously injured in crashes on Richmond Highway over the past decade — and conditions appear to be worsening instead of improving, a new analysis says.
Skimpy lighting and crossings, along with alcohol intoxication, appear to be driving factors behind the frequent serious crashes that occur in the approximately 14-mile corridor from the Alexandria border down to the Occoquan River south of Lorton, according to Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS).
