Ribbon-cutting at first Boliviana flight at Washington Dulles International Airport (via MWAA)
Ongoing growth in international travel helped propel Dulles International Airport to a record-setting year in 2025.
Officials with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) will not have confirmed final passenger counts until late February or March, but the authority’s president and CEO, Jack Potter, said the expectation is for a 6% increase from the record year in 2024.
Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee hears testimony on State Sen. Jennifer Boysko's firearms storage bill (via Virginia Senate/YouTube)
Democratic lawmakers on Monday advanced a sweeping slate of gun safety proposals — many of them previously vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin — as they test whether Virginia’s new Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, will take a more favorable view of firearm restrictions.
Over nearly four hours, the Democratic-led Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved more than half a dozen bills tightening rules on assault-style firearms, gun storage, concealed carry reciprocity, ghost guns and weapons in public spaces, while rejecting the lone Republican proposal that would have increased mandatory minimum sentences for repeat firearm offenses.
Introducing Kokua at The Mather—Now Welcoming Residents
At Kokua, we believe that every stage of life holds possibilities for creativity, purpose, and growth. Located in the heart of Tysons, Virginia, Kokua offers a fresh, hospitality-driven approach to care developed by Mather, a nationally recognized pioneer in the senior living space with more than eight decades of experience. Newly opened in 2025, Kokua blends care with our research-driven approach to deliver personalized wellness tailored to individual needs.
For a limited time, Kokua is welcoming new residents seeking assisted living or memory support in the DC area with exclusive move-in incentives. Nestled in a lively urban neighborhood, our LEED-Gold certified community incorporates biophilic design that brings the outside in to enhance health and wellbeing.
THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED SPACES
In our assisted living and memory support neighborhoods, residents enjoy a collection of thoughtfully designed spaces that feel like an upscale hospitality destination.
Multiple restaurants offer chef-prepared cuisine with flexible, open-hours service, complemented by demonstration kitchens, art and music studios, as well as gathering spaces. A spacious outdoor terrace, Marzenia Salon, and beautifully appointed amenity areas create opportunities for wellness, connection, and everyday enjoyment.
FOCUS ON PERSONALIZED WELLBEING
Residents enjoy opportunities to choose from enriching programs, meaningful social opportunities with experiences such as sensory walks, meditation, acupuncture, Reiki, songwriting workshops, poetry readings, Sensory Symphony Swim, and more.
Assisted Living in Ādar
Ādar means “respect”, and Kokua delivers. Here, our team encourages residents to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible. Each one-bedroom apartment home (ranging in size up to nearly 900 square feet) offers generous space and thoughtful design, complemented by assistance with daily living tasks and emergency response systems for peace of mind.
Memory Support in Miran
Miran means “peaceful”—another pillar in the Kokua way of life. Private suites are designed for those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or similar cognitive conditions. Our person-centered approach embraces individual strengths and needs, with an interdisciplinary team and through social events, wellness programs, creative arts, and more.
Kokua offers the next generation of care in Ādar and Miran, true to our commitment to highly personalized service rooted in respect for each individual.
With a limited number of residences available and exclusive move-in incentives currently offered, now is an ideal time to explore the personalized care and quiet luxury that Kokua at The Mather has to offer.
Outdoor furniture offered at Fortunoff Backyard Store (photo courtesy of Fortunoff)
One of America’s largest backyard furniture retailers has announced plans to open a store in Springfield.
Fortunoff Backyard Store has secured an 11,000-square-foot space in Springfield Commons (6721-B Frontier Drive), which is expected to open later this spring, the company announced.
This year’s Very Godly VBS, inspired by The Titan’s Curse, invites children into the world of Camp Half-Blood to explore faith, courage, belonging, and community through storytelling, music, crafts, games, science, and reflection in a fun and welcoming environment for all.
An ice sculpture near Reston Town Center's ice skating rink at Ice-travaganza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Despite cold temperatures and a looming storm, plenty of families stopped by the Reston Town Center pavilion on Saturday (Jan. 24) to enjoy a variety of winter activities.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the town center’s second annual “Ice-travaganza” brought live music, free hot chocolate, ice skating and ice sculptures that were soon buried under as many as eight inches of snow by Winter Storm Fern, which passed through the area a day later.
Get ready to fire up your taste buds, Fairfax! On Sunday, June 7, 2026 from 1-5 PM, Unity of Fairfax is hosting its very first Summer Cookout Cook Off, and YOU are the judge.
A bulldozer helps clear snow near the Reston Town Center pavilion after Winter Storm Fern (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
County Extends Trash Collection Pause — “Due to inclement weather, trash, recycling, and special pickup services have now been suspended for Monday, January 26, and Tuesday, January 27.” Fairfax County customers typically scheduled for collections on Monday and Tuesday must now wait until next week (Feb. 2-3) for service. [DPWES]
Jack-Knifing Truck Crashes on I-495 — A tractor-trailer crash on I-495 in the Huntington area caused backups during the afternoon rush hour yesterday (Monday). “The crash occurred when the driver of a tractor-trailer in the right lane ‘lost control, jack-knifed, and struck an SUV’ on westbound I-495 around 4:08 p.m., according to Virginia State Police.” [ALXnow]
Dulles Passengers Adapt to Snow Delays — “Passengers at the D.C. region’s three major airports [were] optimistic their flights will take off Monday, after the weekend’s snow, sleet and ongoing brutal cold temperatures … One business traveler heading to Los Angeles had to travel back and forth to Dulles several times since Saturday.” [WTOP]
Investigators to Detail Causes of Potomac Plane Crash — “So many things went wrong last Jan. 29 to contribute to the deadliest plane crash on American soil since 2001 that the National Transportation Safety Board isn’t likely to identify a single cause of the collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River at its hearing Tuesday.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]
FCPS Introducing New Emergency Management System — “FCPS is implementing a new emergency management system, created by Raptor, in all school buildings. The new system is designed to support faster, more coordinated responses during emergencies by improving communication among schools, security staff, local first responders, and law enforcement.” [Annandale Today]
Driver Sentenced for Fatal GW Parkway Crash — “A drunk driver who struck and killed a woman in a head-on collision on GW Parkway has been sentenced to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.” The driver reportedly had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the Jan. 1, 2025 crash, and he was driving in the wrong direction near Roosevelt Island at 80 mph. [ARLnow]
Spanberger Faces Test on ICE — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger, sworn in earlier this month as Virginia’s 75th governor, has moved quickly to draw a line between state law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, while acknowledging that much of the authority still rests outside her control.” After taking office on Jan. 17, she rescinded an executive order directing local and state agencies to assist ICE, but the move didn’t affect existing agreements. [Virginia Mercury]
Va. Democrats Push for Housing Reform — “Virginia Democrats campaigned on affordability last fall. Now that they’re in control of both houses of the General Assembly and the governor’s mansion, they face a tougher challenge: passing policies that will actually make housing more affordable.” [WAMU]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of 26 degrees, though wind chill values can dip to -6. The west wind at 5 to 8 mph will shift to the south in the afternoon. Night will be partly cloudy and cool with a low of 8 degrees; wind chill values may reach -1 as the northwest wind moves at 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high near 26 degrees, though wind chill values may dip down to -7. West winds at 5 to 7 mph will shift to the south in the afternoon. At night, the sky will become partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 8 degrees, with wind chill values possibly reaching -2. Northwest winds of 5 to 7 mph will persist through the night. See more from Weather.gov.
Firefighters rescue child trapped in McLean culvert (via FCFRD/Facebook)
A child in McLean is safe and sound after getting caught in a culvert while playing in the snow this afternoon (Monday), the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) says.
Firefighters responded to the 1900 block of MacArthur Drive around 4:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a trapped child.
Preliminary snowfall totals for D.C. region from Winter Storm Fern on Jan. 25, 2026 (via National Weather Service)
Though it ground most activity in the D.C. region to a halt yesterday (Sunday), Winter Storm Fern ultimately came up short of last year’s biggest winter event in terms of total snowfall.
The storm dumped between 5.5 inches and 8.5 inches of snow and sleet on different parts of Fairfax County, according to unofficial measurements taken by National Weather Service staff and trained spotters.
A warning sign at the site of a massive pipe rupture, as sewage flows into the Potomac River, right, in Glen Echo, Md., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
A sewage spill in the Potomac River northwest of D.C. last week has not affected drinking water in Fairfax County, the local water utility says.
The spill occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which hugs the northern edge of the Potomac River near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. The spill was caused by a DC Water sewer pipe that collapsed late Monday, Jan. 19, shooting sewage out of the ground and into the river.