In addition to celebrating its own legacy, Friday Night Live’s 500th concert turned into a surprise tribute to the good works of Dolly Parton.
The Sept. 4 concert headlined by the rock cover band Shake the Room raised $2,000 for the Herndon chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, organizers of the free summer concert series announced today (Tuesday).
Local cinephiles will be among the first audiences in the U.S. to see a new film chronicling the life and career of classic Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart.
The biopic titled simply “Jimmy” is set to make its East Coast premiere at Look Dine-In Cinemas in Reston Town Center on Oct. 10 as part of the Washington West Film Festival, which will return to Fairfax County for its 15th year next month.
For the second year in a row, Fairfax County’s designated nonprofit arts agency is hosting a month-long celebration of the arts — and this time, there will be twice as many opportunities to join in the festivities.
Organized by ArtsFairfax, the “artoberVA” initiative will offer residents a variety of ways to enjoy the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts. More than 60 discounts and events from over 40 artists and organizations in Fairfax city and county are planned throughout October.
AI Tool Roll Outs at Area Airports — The federal government is testing a new Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories platform to predict air travel congestion and suggest alternative routes at the D.C. region’s three major airports, including Reagan National and Dulles. The tool faced skepticism from some passengers and a call for its suspension from Rep. Don Beyer. [WTOP]
Big Initial Early Voting Turnout — “More than 11,000 ballots have been cast already for the November election,” including over 6,000 ballots returned by mail, over 4,500 in-person early votes and over 900 ballots returned via drop box, as of yesterday (Monday) morning. “It’s the first full week of in-person early voting at three locations.” [Fairfax Office of Elections/Bluesky]
Call to Restart Dominion Merger Review Clock — “Attorney General Jay Jones told state regulators Friday that they should reset the 180-day review time period for the $67 billion Dominion Energy-NextEra Energy merger proposal, after the companies unveiled expanded conditions of the deal last week.” [Virginia Mercury]
Federal Grants for Hispanic-Serving Colleges Cut — “Virginia and Maryland colleges designated Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, are seeking new funding sources after the Trump administration canceled the grant program, claiming it discriminated ‘by conferring government benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas.'” Affected institutions include Northern Virginia Community College, whose student population is approximately one-quarter Hispanic. [WTOP]
Supervisor Fined for Speeding — “The reckless driving charge against Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez has been reduced to ‘improper driving’ … On Sept. 21, Jimenez pled no contest to the reduced charge of improper driving in Fairfax County Traffic Court. He was fined $500 plus $67 in court costs.” An odometer reading found a speed of 94 mph, lower than the 104 mph initially recorded by a Virginia state trooper on May 5. [Annandale Today]
Reston Hospital Gets Funding Boost — “A $25,000 grant announced Monday by Reston Hospital Center will help expand maternal health resources and blood pressure monitoring programs … The funding will help provide kits for new parents containing information” about pregnancy and postpartum health, and allow an automated blood pressure monitoring station to be installed in the community. [Patch]
McLean Mansion Sells for Over $17M — “A McLean mansion less than half a mile west of the CIA headquarters has sold for $17.5 million in a deal so private it appears to have been largely deleted from existence.” The 10,500-square-foot Georgetown Pike home was sold on Sept. 9 to an unnamed LLC, Fairfax County property records show, but listings on Realtor.com and Bright MLS have been wiped. The former “doesn’t even recognize the home as existing.” [Washington Business Journal]
Housing Authority Elects Chair — “The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) elected its chair and vice chair at its annual meeting on September 18, 2026. Lenore Stanton will serve as Chair, and Cynthia Bailey as Vice Chair. Ms. Stanton has served as Chair since 2024.” [FCRHA]
It’s Tuesday — Expect rain and possible thunderstorms with patchy fog and a high of 66°F. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Night will be rainy with patchy fog before 2 a.m., a low of 56°F, and still a 90% chance of rain. [NWS]
Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.
Fairfax County is leading the way in terms of representation in the record-breaking 2026 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
A total of 1,356 residents aged 50 and older from across the local area are competing in 96 events at 34 locations during the 22 days of competition.
A man from Spotsylvania was arrested last week for allegedly threatening to bomb one of Northern Virginia’s biggest mosques.
The threat was posted as a comment on the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center’s Instagram page, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).
Since it began collecting near-miss data for local roads in 2021, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets has accumulated more evidence that such close calls between drivers and other travelers reflect patterns of behavior, rather than random or one-time slip-ups.
More than 70% or 94 of the 129 near-misses reported by community members in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church between January 2025 and June of this year were marked as recurring incidents, according to an analysis released by the volunteer-led safety advocacy organization on Sept. 10.
A Greek restaurant chain from Maryland will continue its recent expansion into Northern Virginia with a new location in Reston.
The Big Greek Cafe is coming to the North Point Village Center, where it will take over a space vacated in spring 2025 by California Tortilla, according to Nikos Kontos, the restaurant’s director of operations.
Woman Killed in Route 50 Crash Identified — Fairfax County police identified the woman who was killed in a crash while using a mobility wheelchair to cross Route 50 on Friday (Sept. 18) as 53-year-old Theresa Flynn of Chantilly. “Preliminarily, speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver.” [FCPD]
Trump Claims Arch Would Be Militarized — “President Donald Trump said Sunday that the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a ‘top grade military complex’ able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition.” [ARLnow]
Arch Gets OK From FAA — “The Federal Aviation Administration approved President Donald Trump’s ‘triumphal arch’ near Arlington National Cemetery, after determining that the structure will not pose a threat to aircraft.” However, the agency said an “eternal flame” and floodlights would be required to light the structure and make it easier for pilots to see. [FOX5]
State Faces Deficit for Highway Maintenance — “Virginia faces a funding gap of at least $1.7 billion for highway maintenance work, with roads falling into disrepair creating an economic and safety liability that could affect future construction projects across the commonwealth, state transportation department staff reported” last week. [Virginia Mercury]
Substation Near Dulles Airport Rejected — “The substation was proposed on 20 acres of an 83-acre industrially zoned property located south of Old Ox Road and just west of Carters School Road … During the Sept. 15 meeting, Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) won support to deny the application, citing concerns with converting flex industrial space to a substation use.” [Loudoun Now]
No Injuries in ‘Wild’ I-66 Crash — Traffic camera video shows a “wild” crash that occurred after a car stopped on I-66 West near Route 28 yesterday (Sunday) morning. “People got out. Then another car stopped, and more people got out. Five people were in or near the roadway when a driver didn’t see what was ahead, hit three vehicles, and scattered the extremely lucky people.” [Dave Statter/X]
Bus Rapid Transit Planned in Falls Church — “A blueprint for an expanded network of bus rapid transit (BRT) in Northern Virginia includes three lines passing through Falls Church.” Those lines would be on Route 7 from Tysons to Alexandria, Route 50 from Dunn Loring to Crystal City, and Route 29 from Dunn Loring to Farragut Square. [ARLnow]
New Middle Eastern Cafe in Bailey’s Crossroads — “Habibi House, a new café in Bailey’s Crossroads, is more than a coffee shop … Located at 3400-B Washington Drive between the Jerusalem Restaurant and the Afandina Hookah Lounge, Habibi House Café specializes in Middle Eastern coffee drinks and pastries.” [Annandale Today]
Funding for Reston Nonprofit — “Cornerstones, a Reston nonprofit that provides food and emergency assistance to Fairfax County families, has been awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant to expand its food access programs … The Cornerstones grant is part of more than $2 million the Maximus Foundation awarded to nonprofit organizations across the country this year.” [Patch]
New Legal Notice — Facility continues CACFP participation since 2003; meals free, nondiscriminatory. [Public Notices]
It’s Monday — Expect isolated showers in the afternoon with mostly cloudy skies and a high around 75°F. With a low around 62°F, there’s a 90% chance of rain overnight, with new precipitation amounts ranging from a quarter to half an inch. [NWS]
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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an executive order creating a new “accountability framework” that aims to increase transparency around proposed data center projects, establishes checkpoints around energy and environmental impacts, and convenes a new “rapid response” AI task force.
Touted as the “most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability framework in the country,” Executive Order 22 bans nondisclosure agreements by state agencies or employees, eliminates “by-right” approvals in favor of requiring public hearing and approval processes for projects that generate over 25 megawatts of power, and requires centers to contribute a “more equitable share” of electric costs.
