A special election to fill the late Rep. Gerry Connolly’s now-open seat in Congress still hasn’t been officially ordered, but the number of Democrats seeking to stake a claim is now up to six.
Amy Roma, a Vienna resident and lawyer who specializes in energy policy, officially launched a campaign for the 11th Congressional District yesterday (Thursday) — the same day that Leopoldo Martínez, who’s also a lawyer, announced his own bid to become the Democratic nominee.
A Taylor Swift tribute band is coming back to Reston Station this summer as part of an extensive array of free seasonal concerts organized throughout the area by Reston Community Center (RCC).
The community center kicked off its annual summer concert and entertainment series over Memorial Day weekend with a jazzy happy hour at Reston Town Square Park (11900 Market Street) on May 23, courtesy of the Tania & Jeff Grubbs Quartet.
New Charges in Herndon Shooting — “Additional charges have been obtained in the homicide that occurred on Friday, May 23, 2025. In addition to Second Degree Murder, Kianmehr Shirinipaziziba has been charged with four other felonies: Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Discharge of a Firearm in a Public Space, and Shooting from a Vehicle.” [Herndon PD/FB]
Student Just Shy of Spelling Bee Finals — “Fairfax County eighth-grader Nargiza Muzhapaer reached the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday and fell just one word short of reaching Thursday’s finals. Muzhapaer, an eighth-grader at Pinnacle Academy in Chantilly … and was among just 18 spellers left out of 243 who started the competition on Tuesday.” [Inside NoVA]
Fairfax ‘Town’ Richest in State — South Run is the “richest small town” in Virginia, according to a Census data analysis. “GOBankingRates reported that South Run has a median income of $238,456, which is considerably higher than the statewide median income of $87,249 in 2023. According to Redfin, the median price of a home sold in the area in April was $1.12 million.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
New Movie Theater Opening Soon — “Paragon Theaters will have a soft opening on June 15. The upscale theater is located 112 Founders Ave. in Falls Church. Between June 15 and the end of the month, Paragon Theaters will run ‘Sneak Preview Days,’ with $8 tickets for all showings, formats, and seats … Regular pricing will start on July 1 the date of the official grand opening.” [Annandale Today]
A.I. Startup Adds Tysons Office — “Meibel, a startup developing tools to help companies adopt artificial intelligence technology across enterprises, is moving into its first office space in Tysons after raising $7 million from investors … The company will start with about 10 people at a built-out 3,000-square-foot office, which has room to expand if needed, at 7925 Jones Branch Drive.” [DC Inno]
Historic Landmark Undergoes Maintenance — “One of the most recognizable elements of the historic Original Mount Vernon High School is its rooftop cupola — a symbol that’s been incorporated into the logo of the future Commons Mount Vernon. In recent weeks, the cupola has been shrouded in scaffolding and tarp, lending an aura of mystery to the building.” [On the MoVe]
Special Concert for Fairfax Symphony — “The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra marks a milestone May 31 at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts: It’s Maestro Christopher Zimmerman’s 15th anniversary as music director.” The program includes two works that Zimmerman conducted when he made his debut with the orchestra in 2009 and the East Coast premiere of a piece that features his son, Cristian “Kit” Zimmerman, as one of two violin soloists. [Inside NoVa]
Tennis Court Renovations Coming — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will be making improvements to tennis courts #2 and #5 at Jefferson District Park. Contractors will mobilize on site in early June, with work expected to begin on Saturday, June 7. The project will include crack repairs and resurfacing of the courts.” [FCPA]
Soccer Fest Launch Party in Tysons — “Come join us at Shipgarten for an exciting evening filled with fun, food, and football! We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of Copa Tysons with an epic UCL Watch Party where you can catch all the action on big screens surrounded by fellow fans.” The Copa Tysons Soccer Fest will return this summer after its inaugural event last year. [Tysons Community Alliance/IG]
It’s Friday — Expect a slight chance of showers before 2pm, followed by showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm, and potentially a thunderstorm after 5pm. Patchy fog may appear before 9am with a high near 79. Night will bring more rain with lows around 59. Precipitation chances are at 90%, with 1 to 2 inches of rainfall possible. [NWS]
This has been an unusually wet May in the D.C. region, conditions that are expected to linger through the month’s final days.
In her latest forecast for FFXnow, DC News Now meteorologist Jackie Layer advises Fairfax County residents “to stay weather-aware” tomorrow (Friday), as storms could potentially swing through the area in the afternoon and evening.
A nearly 60% reduction in initially proposed units has not swayed many Franklin Farm residents to support efforts to bring affordable housing to a church site in their community.
But the project nonetheless took a procedural step forward at a Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting on May 22.
Reston Town Center is now deriving some of its power from the sun.
A 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system mounted on top of the town center’s green parking garage was substantially completed at the end of 2024 and began commercial operations on Tuesday (May 27).
Dominion Energy appears to be open to addressing the damage done by its extensive tree clearings along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail in Vienna and Dunn Loring.
The utility confirmed its interest in a new agreement to govern vegetation management for parts of the trail that overlap with its power lines less than 24 hours before NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert gave an update on the situation to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Vienna Town Council.
The race to find a replacement for the late Rep. Gerry Connolly has added another contender.
Leopoldo Martínez, a lawyer who once served in Venezuela’s National Assembly, launched a campaign today (Thursday) for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, where he’ll compete for the Democratic nomination in an increasingly crowded field.
DUI Charge for Woman Shot at CIA — “A woman has been charged with driving under the influence after she allegedly sped toward the front gate of the CIA’s headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia, and was shot by security officers last week.” The 27-year-old woman “is facing charges related to driving under the influence and eluding law enforcement’s attempts to stop her vehicle.” [WTOP]
More Details of Herndon Shooting Emerge — The McLean teen charged with second-degree murder for a fatal shooting in Herndon on May 23 “said he shot a man who jumped in front of the Tesla he was driving and began kicking the vehicle, according to court documents. He told police the man appeared to be reaching toward his waist when he shot him.” [NBC4]
Metro Launches Tap-to-Pay System — “Visitors to D.C. for World Pride, the Fourth of July and other summer events won’t have to line up at fare machines to pay for Metro. Starting Wednesday, riders can pay with their credit cards.” WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke demonstrated the new “Tap.Ride.Go.” system at the Silver Line’s Dulles Airport station yesterday. [Washington Post]
Eden Center Food Hall Now Open — “An Asian food hall and forthcoming nightlife venue is now open at the Eden Center, with a sleek futuristic interior and a variety of mom-and-pop eateries. The Pop-Up District features Thai street food at Eatsy, Vietnamese food at Sun-C, on-the-go Korean barbeque at Honey Pig Cup Bop, coffee and matcha at Doppo, and pastries at The Beat.” [Annandale Today]
More Speed Cameras Considered in Falls Church — “Additional enforcement options for automated speed cameras could be on the Falls Church City Council’s wish list for the 2026 General Assembly.” The city only has one spot that qualifies for a speed camera under existing state law: the school zone for St. James Catholic School on W. Broad Street. [ARLnow]
Funeral Set for Former Supervisor — “A visitation for Hudgins will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 6, at Saint Thomas A. Becket Catholic Church in Reston. This will be followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. and a reception from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the church, located at 1421 Wiehle Ave.” [Patch]
Bill on Black History Classes Vetoed — With Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his final year in office, “a Northern Virginia faith leader and parent said she will continue asking state lawmakers to make two African-American history courses count towards the state’s graduation requirements for history.” [Virginia Mercury]
Health Clinics Offer Walk-In Hours — “The Fairfax County Health Department has begun offering walk-in hours for certain clinic services on select days at all five clinic locations … Clinic services offered during walk-in hours are limited and available on a first-come first served basis.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
It’s Thursday — Patchy fog will dissipate by 9am, giving way to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 78. At night, there’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am, followed by mostly cloudy skies, a low of 64, and some patchy fog after 4am. [NWS]
Visitors to Lake Anne in Reston should find it a little easier to get around soon with new wayfinding signage.
After wrapping up a Lake Anne Economic Visioning Study last fall, Fairfax County is working on a project to bring more signage to Lake Anne and direct visitors, shoppers and residents around the area.
