Hazardous air quality levels due to wildfire smoke have been reported in the D.C. region, prompting cancellations of outdoor activities across Fairfax County.
Early this morning (Friday), the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) issued a Code Purple Air Quality Advisory for the region after conditions considered “very unhealthy” for everyone were recorded in D.C., Northern Virginia and parts of suburban Maryland by 9 a.m.
The transformation of Fannie Mae’s former office campus in Reston into a residential community is progressing rapidly.
Construction has been completed on the first townhouse building in Sunset Station, the new neighborhood at 11600 American Dream Way, developer Wheelock Communities announced this week, noting that residents have now moved into those eight units.
The public may soon get a look at the multi-billion-dollar expansion proposal for Dulles International Airport.
Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), said Wednesday (July 15) that the internal plan had passed an important milestone.
More Heat, Smoke and Storms Expected — “Fairfax County residents face a mix of weather hazards over the next several days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is reducing air quality now, and forecasters expect heat and severe thunderstorms to build in by the weekend.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
Nonprofit Youth Programs Shut Down — “Second Story, a nonprofit that serves youths and families in underserved areas, learned with very little notice that four of its programs were at risk of closing on July 1 ‘due to unexpected interruptions to long-standing funding sources,’ said Chief Executive Officer Jade Leedham. Second Story was able to save the Culmore Teen Center, at least temporarily, thanks to donations, but shut down the Safe Youth Projects in Culmore, Annandale, and Springfield.” [Annandale Today]
Dominion Officially Files for Merger — “Dominion Energy on Wednesday submitted their official arguments to the State Corporation Commission to allow the utility to merge with the Florida-based NextEra … The SCC now has six months to review the arguments, hear testimony from both sides and make a decision on if the merger will succeed.” [Virginia Mercury]
New Acting U.S. Attorney Appointed — Former Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo “Stamos has been appointed first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. With the U.S. Attorney position currently vacant, she also will serve as acting U.S. Attorney until the post is filled permanently.” [ARLnow]
Youngkin Joins Tysons Company — “Virginia’s former Gov. Glenn Younkin has made a return to the private sector. Youngkin has joined Tysons-based company Red Cell LLC as a partner, chairman, and board member … Youngkin’s appointment at Red Cell follows months of speculation about his future plans, including whether he would return to politics.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Dominion Faces Data Center Connection Backlog — “For years, the number of data centers asking for connection dates from Dominion Energy had been a secret … Now a State Corporation Commission hearing has parted the curtain. What it revealed surprised and infuriated the one dozen data center companies, citizens, and environmental groups that participated.” [Prince William Times]
Negative Approval Rating for Spanberger — “The Summer 2026 Commonwealth Poll, released Wednesday by Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, found 44% of registered voters approve of the job Spanberger is doing as governor, while 47% disapprove. Nine percent said they were unsure. Voters cited economic concerns as their top issue.” [Virginia Scope]
National Ice Cream Day Deals in Fairfax — Moo Thru’s Herndon and Burke locations will celebrate National Ice Cream Day this Sunday (July 19) with 10% discounts on all sales. Meanwhile, Dolcezza will mark that occasion and its 22nd anniversary by offering free scoops of its limited-edition Chocotorta gelato on Tuesday, July 21 from 5-7 p.m. at all locations, including the Mosaic District.
It’s Friday — This afternoon, expect widespread smoke mainly after 2 p.m., with mostly sunny skies and a high near 92°F. Tonight, there is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m., along with widespread smoke. Conditions will be partly cloudy with a low around 74°F. [NWS]
On Sunday, November 15 at 4:00 PM, the St. Andrew the Apostle Concert Series proudly presents The Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Simeone Tartaglione, for a free afternoon of orchestral masterworks at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Clifton.
Program:
• Paul Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, best known from Disney’s Fantasia!
• Camille Saint-Saëns – Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor
Soloist: Vasily Popov, cello
• Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 in C minor, “Organ Symphony”
Organist: Michael Murphy
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 — Jul 16, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
In the afternoon, expect mostly sunny skies with widespread smoke and temperatures reaching around 91°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to northwest at approximately 5 mph later in the day. On Friday night, there’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m., with continued widespread smoke and increasing cloud cover. The low will be near 73°F, with winds transitioning from east to south at 5 to 7 mph after midnight. 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.
Fairfax County hasn’t yet seen clear evidence of the wildfires raging in Canada and Minnesota, but that could change tomorrow (Friday), as smoke continues wafting toward the East Coast.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) are both forecasting Code Red air quality tomorrow for Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. region, meaning conditions will be unhealthy for everyone.
A case charging Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez with reckless driving likely won’t be handled by the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
The office will request that the Fairfax County General District Court appoint a special prosecutor from another jurisdiction to the case at an adjudicatory hearing on Monday (July 20), according to Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office.
A motorcyclist has been hospitalized following a crash on Richmond Highway (Route 1) near Beacon Center.
Police officers and units with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, including medics, were dispatched to Richmond Highway at Memorial Street in Groveton at around 12:51 p.m. for the crash, according to scanner traffic.
ArtsFairfax is planning a series of exhibitions to showcase local artists around Fairfax County.
The “ArtsFairfax Presents” initiative was developed after a survey commissioned by the local arts agency last year revealed that, for many artists working in Fairfax County, finding affordable and appropriate spaces to showcase their work can be a challenge.
