News

Fairfax County’s new western high school won’t be named Western High School after all.

The school board voted unanimously last Thursday (Feb. 12) to instead adopt “Skyview High School” as the new name of the former King Abdullah Academy campus at 2949 Education Drive, near Dulles International Airport and the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in the Floris area south of Herndon.


News

A Herndon family’s au pair who engaged in an affair with her employer before aiding a plot to murder his wife and another man has received the maximum sentence for her role in the killings.

Juliana Peres Magalhaes was sentenced to 10 years in prison today (Friday) — the maximum sentence allowed for the charge of manslaughter under state law. The 25-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in exchange for her testimony against co-conspirator Brendan Banfield.


News

Local lawmakers have approved a plan to bring red light cameras to Herndon.

The unanimous vote by the Herndon Town Council at last week’s meeting (Feb. 3) officially triggered the process to install the cameras — which are meant to catch and ticket drivers who run red lights — at intersections across the community.


Around Town

Abricott, a new business with a heady gamut of nuts and sweets served 100 different ways and counting, has opened in the heart of Reston Town Center.

Located at 11900 Market Street, where it has a direct view of the Mercury Fountain, the small storefront has a prime location, robust smells and bold interior color palette that easily capture the attention of passersby.


News

Though it hasn’t served a drink since Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, the historic Dranesville Tavern appears to have retained its appeal as a lodging destination.

Where other sites in its Resident Curator Program might attract a single offer, the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) received three proposals from community members looking to restore the 19th-century property in Herndon in exchange for a rent-free stay.


News

Fairfax County supervisors gave their blessing on Tuesday (Feb. 3) to a new Flagship Carwash express location near the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Dranesville Road north of Herndon.

“I’m very happy to see this coming through,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said after the 9-0 vote.


News

In addition to enduring a winter storm, anyone who shopped at Target in Reston around noon on Jan. 25 may have been exposed to measles.

The department store at 12197 Sunset Hills Road is one of five different locations in western Fairfax County visited late last month by an adult who is now confirmed to have measles, according to the Virginia Department of Health.


News

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is moving forward with plans to transform two mostly vacant sites into affordable housing after identifying potential partners for both projects.

The authority approved an interim agreement at its Jan. 22 meeting with True Ground Housing Partners allowing it to commence “pre-development activities” for a 9.6-acre property at 13500 Dulles Greene Drive near the Innovation Center Metro station in Herndon. The process will include a physical site review, community engagement and a financial feasibility assessment.


News

A Herndon man faces life in prison after being convicted today (Monday) of murdering his wife and another man while having an affair with the family’s au pair.

After a trial that spanned more than two weeks, it took just one-and-a-half days for the 12-person jury to return a verdict against Brendan Banfield, finding the 40-year-old former IRS officer guilty for the February 2023 murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan.


Countywide

Legislation allowing local governments to regulate or ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers is facing an uphill climb in the Virginia General Assembly.

A measure by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) was deferred until the 2027 session by a vote on Friday (Jan. 30) in the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns.


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