FILE - The state and U.S. flags fly over the Virginia State Capitol as the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly gets underway, Jan. 10, 2024, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
For the second time, Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that voters can cast ballots on a Democrat-led congressional redistricting plan that could help the party win four more U.S. House seats, as the justices review legal challenges to the effort.
The court ruled that a statewide referendum can be held on April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, upending a temporary restraining order put in place by a Tazewell County judge last month. It comes after the top court made a similar ruling last month in a related case.
SUVs heading west on Maple Avenue in Vienna (photo by Amy Woolsey)
Court Warns About Scam Mass Text — “On or about the morning of March 3, 2026, a message was sent out via mass text to a significant amount of people. It claims to be a Notice of Hearing – Toll Violation from this Court … This message was NOT sent by Fairfax County General District Court. It is an attempted scam.” [Fairfax General District Court]
House Fire Extinguished in Herndon — Fairfax County firefighters responded to the 900 block of Leona Lane in Herndon at 3:41 p.m. after receiving “reports of smoke in the residence. Crews arrived to smoke showing from the two-story home. Firefighters quickly located and extinguished a fire in a bedroom on the second floor. There are no civilian or firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Survivor of Mantua Stabbings Recovering — “From his hospital bed, Santosh Basnet says he still hears the echoes of his wife’s final cries for help. Covered in stitches and recovering from four surgeries, the sole survivor of a domestic stabbing … is struggling to understand how a family effort to provide a fresh start for his father-in-law ended in a bloody nightmare.” [WUSA9]
Senate Proposes Subsidizing Child Care Costs — “The state Senate’s budget proposal includes $3 million to gradually phase out [Child Care Subsidy Program] eligibility for Virginians like Gresham so they don’t suddenly lose access to subsidized child care as a result of a pay increase.” The proposed Senate and House of Delegates budgets both include funding for “a pilot program that would incentivize employers to contribute to employees’ child care costs.” [VPM Media]
Fairfax Senator Proposes Path for Self-Driving Vehicles — “Sen. Saddam Salim (D-37), the chief patron of legislation in Richmond supporting autonomous trucking and ride-hailing services in Virginia, told ARLnow that his bill would establish a path forward for businesses like Waymo, but it would by no means be the final word.” [ARLnow]
General Assembly Passes Jan. 6 Education Bill — “Virginia lawmakers on Monday passed a proposal that would require schools, if they teach students about the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to relay the facts of what actually happened, without including misinformation” suggesting the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” or minimizing the attack as “just a peaceful protest.” [Virginia Mercury]
Georgetown Dessert Shop Moves to Annandale — “Pasha Castle, a Turkish/Middle Eastern dessert and coffee shop, is now open on Columbia Pike in Annandale. The shop offers booza ice cream, which is popular in the Middle East, and has a stretchy, chewy texture.” The business was located on M Street in Georgetown before moving to its new building at 7228 Columbia Pike. [Annandale Today]
New Soccer Club Launches in Great Falls — “This spring, Riverbend Fútbol Club launches with a clear mission: to keep soccer fun for kids while reconnecting the community with youth athletics … Registration for recreational programs and tryouts for the summer league are now open. Tryouts for the club’s competitive program will begin in March.” [Reston Letter]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks on/off-premise alcohol license; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — There’s a 20% chance of rain before 10am and after 4pm, with patchy fog expected before noon. The cloudy weather will slowly turn mostly sunny, reaching a high of 63°F. There’s a 60% chance of rain at night, mainly after 7pm. It will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 51°F. [NWS]
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Crews chip out plaster from the Lake Newport swimming pool in Reston (via Reston Association/YouTube)
The Lake Newport swimming pool should be available for Reston Association’s upcoming pool season, despite recent winter weather disrupting an ongoing renovation.
The project to “chip out” layers of plaster that have built up over the years and resurface the pool at 11601 Lake Newport Road is still on track to be completed by this summer, RA communications director Cara O’Donnell confirmed to FFXnow.
Del. Rodney Willett asks the House of Delegates to pass Sen. Scott Surovell's Fairfax County casino bill (via Virginia House of Delegates)
Legislation that would pave the way for a casino in Fairfax County will soon head to Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who could sign, amend or veto it.
The Virginia House of Delegates passed SB 756 from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell initially by 64-32 today (Wednesday), advancing a legislative effort that has gained momentum over the past few years alongside increasingly vocal opposition from many local residents and elected officials.
With less than two weeks left in the Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session, three bills authored by a Fairfax state senator that would “end ICE abuses” still have a chance to become law.
Each of the bills introduced by state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D), which would place state-level restrictions on federal immigration enforcement activities, await action by the House of Delegates at large before potentially heading to the governor’s desk.
Overview of BXP and NV Homes' Worldgate Drive redevelopment from the Elden Street and Worldgate Drive intersection (via KTGY/Town of Herndon)
Design work is progressing on an approved redevelopment of two empty office buildings on Worldgate Drive in Herndon.
At a work session tonight (Wednesday), the Town of Herndon’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) will discuss the latest plans for an apartment building, stacked condominiums and townhouses that would replace offices at 13100 and 13150 Worldgate Drive.
The Spectrum at Reston Town Center apartments with a street sign for Reston Parkway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Virginia Economic Slowdown Predicted — “Virginia’s economy faces another slowdown and the loss of more than 10,000 jobs this year, University of Virginia researchers said in a new report, and Northern Virginia could once again play an outsized role in the downturn.” The forecast found that Virginia’s economy often “underperformed” compared to the U.S. overall last year, particularly during the federal government shutdown in October. [WTOP]
Murder Suspect Had Been Previously Convicted — The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman at a bus stop in Hybla Valley last month had previously served two years in prison for attacking another man near a 7-Eleven on Richmond Highway in February 2023. “Jalloh wasn’t out of jail long before he was arrested again two times, and that triggered a probation violation.” Prosecutors, however, didn’t ask for five years of prison time that had been suspended to be imposed. [NBC4]
Dog Belonged to Stabbing Suspect — “The Virginia State Police (VSP) said the dog that was stabbed and killed during a road rage incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County belonged to the suspect. VSP said on Tuesday that it is continuing to investigate the deadly stabbing stemming from a road rage incident that happened southbound of I-495 at exit 52.” [DC News Now]
Menstrual Products Bill Heads to Governor — “House Bill 998 by Del. Holly Seibold, D-Fairfax, would require ingredient labels be listed on all menstrual products sold in Virginia, an effort to better inform consumers about possibly toxic substances in the reproductive health items. Having passed both the House of Delegates and cleared the Virginia Senate Monday, it now heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger for her signature, amendment or veto.” [Virginia Mercury]
By-Right Housing Bills Move Forward — “Despite opposition from Alexandria and other Northern Virginia localities, bills permitting by-right multifamily development in commercial zones are advancing in the Virginia General Assembly.” Del. Dan Helmer’s HB 816 was advanced to the full Senate on Monday (March 2) with an amendment that set an expiration date of July 1, 2031, while the Senate version of the bill was read a second time by the House of Delegates yesterday (Tuesday). [ALXnow]
Vacant Seven Corners Offices Sold — “A small, long-vacant office building at 6320 Castle Place in Seven Corners has been sold for $2.7 million, reports Pauline Thompson, president of Tysons Realty Inc … The building had previously housed MVI Post, a family-owned post-production media company that filed for bankruptcy in 2009.” [Annandale Today]
New Chief Justice Sworn In — “On Monday, the Honorable Cleo E. Powell was formally sworn into her new role as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. She is the first Black woman to serve as the chief justice in Virginia, and is the only member of the state’s Supreme Court to have served as a judge at each level of Virginia’s judicial branch,” according to the state bar. [VPM News]
GMU Basketball Team Wins Playoffs Spot — “The George Mason women’s basketball team has captured a share of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship — the first regular season conference title in program history. The Patriots closed league play with a program-best 16-2 conference record, marking their strongest Atlantic 10 ever.” [GMU]
It’s Wednesday — Expect rain after 4pm, with a cloudy sky and a high near 52. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation with less than a tenth of an inch possible. At night, there’s a 70% chance of rain, with cloudy conditions and a low around 49. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Fairfax County officials celebrate the completion of the Innovation Station North Neighborhood Access project (via Fairfax County/YouTube)
After more than a year of construction and a decade of planning, residents who live north of the Innovation Center Metro station near Herndon can finally walk or bike directly to the transit stop.
Fairfax County officials cut a ribbon last Friday (Feb. 27) to celebrate the completion of the Innovation Station North Neighborhood Access project, which added a shared-use path and two pedestrian bridges to connect the neighborhoods along Farougi Court and Apgar Place to the Metro station’s kiss-and-ride lot.
A Fairfax Police officer pilots a drone (photo via FCPD)
A Fairfax County police pilot program that uses drones to gather initial information in emergencies continues to grow after receiving overwhelmingly positive returns.
Launched in fall 2025, the “Drone as First Responder” program features specially-outfitted drones that are deployed and remotely piloted to the location where an emergency is reported.
Vote dividers at a Fairfax County polling place for the 2023 general election (file photo)
Some voters will cast ballots in a special election for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County School Board today (Tuesday), while early voting for a statewide congressional redistricting amendment will begin later this week.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. throughout the Braddock District. The special election is only open to registered voters in the Braddock District, but district residents can also register and vote a provisional ballot on Election Day at their assigned polling place.