West Falls Church siblings Noelle and Lucca Thompson have more in common than just their last name and love for music.
Both children – 4-year-old Noelle and 1-year-old Lucca – inherited an extremely rare, immune-related condition called Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, or CHS, a disorder that puts them at high risk for infections.
Reston’s annual cardboard boat race is set to make a splash this weekend.
The Cardboard Boat Regatta will return to the waters of Lake Anne on Saturday (Aug. 9) for a friendly competition to raise money for the Reston Museum, the nonprofit that organizes the event.
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano took a swing at the federal government yesterday (Wednesday), claiming that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is making it harder for prosecutors to effectively do their jobs.
“The first thing that I hear in our community over and over again is, not only does the federal government focus on fearmongering around crime, but they’re taking it a step further now by actually creating a culture of fear around law enforcement,” Descano said.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is expanding its weapons screening system to every middle and high school this fall.
A new pilot for weapons detectors kicked off this spring but was thrust into the spotlight after a student was stabbed at West Potomac High School the same week it started.
After a mere three-day absence, Whole Foods Market is back open in Reston.
The grocery store welcomed customers to its new, larger location at the Spectrum at Reston Town Center yesterday (Wednesday), offering complimentary coffee and snacks from Manassas-based Café Kreyol and Maryland’s Whisked by Jenna.
George Mason University’s Fall for the Book festival is returning for its 27th year this October to the Fairfax campus with some notable authors scheduled for the event.
The festival, scheduled across a couple days in early October, will feature Celeste Ng — author of Little Fires Everywhere — and Erik Larson — author of The Devil in the White City.
Canada Wildfire Smoke in D.C. Area — “A thin veil of smoke from wildfires burning in Canada is worsening air quality and putting a lid on temperatures in the D.C. area. The smoke, which has resulted in some of the world’s worst air quality in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, is wafting through the Mid-Atlantic only in limited quantities, but it’s enough to have a small impact.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Algae Spotted at Lake Accotink — “The blue-green algae bloom has been identified at Lake Accotink Park. While these blooms are seasonally normal and typically clear on their own with the rains, higher concentrations can certain blue-green algae produce toxins that pose serious health risks to people and animals.” The park authority is working with the Virginia Department of Health to monitor the bloom, but for now, it advises avoiding contact with the water. [FCPA/Instagram]
FCPS Seeks Superintendent Bodyguard — “Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to hire a bodyguard for Superintendent Michelle Reid, a move the Virginia school district said is necessary to bolster security in response to recent ‘highly publicized tragic events around the country.'” An unnamed source told WTOP that “Reid has received credible threats,” though the job posting has drawn criticism after FCPS had to reduce promised staff pay raises. [WTOP]
Local Restaurant Owners Share Concerns — “A growing number of restaurant and hospitality business owners across Northern Virginia say a combination of rising costs, worker shortages and economic uncertainty is threatening their ability to stay afloat.” They voiced their concerns to Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine during a roundtable on Tuesday (Aug. 5) at Glory Days Grill in Burke. [FOX5]
Dems Suggest Redistricting Change Needed — “Virginia Democrats in leadership are open to the idea of redoing the Commonwealth’s redistricting process. The idea comes after pushes from President Donald Trump and Democratic legislative groups across the country for pre-midterm redraws to benefit their respective parties in 2026.” [WVTF]
How N. Va. Hospitals Are Using AI — “In U.S. hospital systems, AI is particularly revolutionary, with some enlisting the technology to help lighten administrative burdens and improve diagnostic accuracy. Here’s what some Northern Virginia health care professionals have to say about the ways they’re using AI now — and where they might use it in the future.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Arts Organizations Secure Grant Funding — ArtsFairfax has awarded 56 operating support grants totaling nearly $600,000 to dozens of arts organizations based in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church for fiscal year 2026. “Despite funding uncertainty at the federal level, the County sustained its allocation of approximately $1.5M for the arts … allowing ArtsFairfax to continue support of the local arts sector as planned.” [ArtsFairfax]
Lobster Truck Coming to Chantilly — Virginia’s Cousins Maine Lobster truck will bring its lobster rolls and other seafood specialties to the Preserve at Westfields community (4950 Westcroft Blvd) in Chantilly today (Thursday). The truck will operate from 4-8 p.m. Future local stops will include the Lowe’s home improvement store at Beacon Center in Groveton from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday (Aug. 12). [Cousins Maine Lobster/Facebook]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies, reaching a high of around 82 degrees, accompanied by an east wind blowing at approximately 10 mph. The wind may pick up, gusting as high as 22 mph. As the night sets in, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to about 65 degrees. The east wind will slow down to around 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]
A rapidly expanding restaurant chain has identified Reston for one of its newest locations.
Signage has appeared above a storefront near Home Depot for Nash & Smashed, a D.C.-area chain offering Nashville-style chicken, smashburgers and much more.
The Trump administration has released a new list of localities and states it considers “sanctuary jurisdictions,” and Fairfax County is no longer on it.
The Justice Department identified some three dozen states, cities and counties as so-called sanctuary jurisdictions on Tuesday (Aug. 5), two months after the federal government quietly removed a much longer list that included many localities that support the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
Reston Association is kicking off a project to make the Hook Road Recreation Area more safe and accessible for local Little League players.
The park, first created in 1965, is a group of baseball fields, tennis courts and other athletic fields ringed by Hook Road and Fairway Drive in Reston.
