By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press
Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.
Reston
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.
Need a fresh look? No matter what style or ambience you’re seeking, Fairfax County has barbers who can deliver the right cut.
Here are the nominees for “Best Barbershop in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite shop below? If not, write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27.
Voting for the Best Nail Salon in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday, Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Hair Salon in Fairfax. The results are now official:
- Ersin Secilmis
- Jon David Salon
- Great Clips (Reston)
Fairfax County’s police training academy could someday be co-located with a data center.
A developer identified as SCG Global Holdings LLC has offered to purchase county-owned land in Chantilly that currently hosts several Fairfax County Police Department facilities in order to build a data center.
Fairfax County Public Schools resumed regular classes on Monday (Feb. 9) for the first time since a double whammy of snow and ice hit the D.C. region in late January, but many students still encounter blocked sidewalks and intersections on the way to their school or bus stop.
That was the case earlier this week in the Franklin Farm neighborhood near Herndon, where sidewalks around a school bus stop at Old Dairy Road and Tyburn Tree Court remained stubbornly covered in ice.
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Scammers Impersonate Sheriff’s Office — “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is warning residents about a scam in which criminals are impersonating the Sheriff’s Office and attempting to gain victims’ trust through deceptive voicemail messages.” Residents have reported receiving voicemails from a “Lt. Michael McCrae from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office. These messages often sound urgent and may reference missed jury duty, legal matters, or requests to return the call. This is a scam message. Residents should not return the call.” [FCSO]
Crash Victims’ Families Call for Aviation Reforms — “Key senators and the families of the 67 dead in an airliner collision with an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital are convinced that advanced aircraft locator systems recommended by experts for nearly two decades would have prevented last year’s tragedy.” [Associated Press/ARLnow]
Rolling Road Down to One Lane Today — “Rolling Road (Route 638) between Viola Street (Route 6010) and Birmingham Lane (Route 4153) will have one lane of alternating traffic via flagging Friday, Feb. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for pavement work as part of the Rolling Road widening project … Drivers should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.” [VDOT]
Saks Fifth Avenue in Tysons Safe for Now — “Saks Global announced Tuesday that it plans to close eight Saks Fifth Avenue stores, including one in Virginia, as the retail empire moves through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings … The Virginia Saks Fifth Avenue store slated for closure this spring is located at Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond. As of Wednesday, the store at Tysons Galleria in McLean was not expected to close.” [Patch]
Human Services Building Still Closed — “Progress continues on repairs to the Pennino building, which was damaged last week by flooding, but the building will continue to be closed until further notice. There are several alternate ways to get assistance with services that are offered in Pennino.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
ER Could Replace Chantilly Deli — “CA Healthcare’s StoneSprings Hospital Center wants to establish a new freestanding emergency room in Chantilly. And they are targeting the current site of Santini’s New York Style Deli in Chantilly, The Washington Business Journal reported.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Lincolnia Bank Branch Gone — “The TD Bank on Little River Turnpike and Braddock Road next to Pinecrest Plaza has closed. The bank opened in 2017 in a space previously occupied by an Exxon gas station … TD Bank closed 38 branches in 2025 and planned to close 51 more in early 2026.” [Annandale Today]
Burger Chain Seeking N. Va. Locations — “According to a post on social media from Renaud Consulting, a commercial real estate company – Halal Burger Paradise is looking for new retail opportunities. Its ideal space is between 1,000 s.f.–2,000 s.f. and it’s targeting not just Sterling, Chantilly, and Fairfax, but also Springfield, and Manassas.” [The Burn]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high of 39°F accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. For Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 28°F, with a gentle southwest breeze. [NWS]
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With Virginia expected to adopt a new Congressional map later this year, many potential candidates are shifting around their future plans.
The so-called “10-1” map proposed last week by Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly would shift the boundaries of the state’s Congressional districts in hopes of expanding the party’s presence in Congress — a move that opponents have decried as unconstitutional gerrymandering even as Republican-led states make similar moves.
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For its next CEO, Cornerstones has chosen a local leader with plenty of experience guiding human services nonprofits through major transformations.
The Reston-based organization announced today (Thursday) that Shannon Steene, the executive director of Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, will take over as its top executive on April 13, replacing longtime CEO Kerrie Wilson.
Fairfax County bucked a regional trend downward by recording higher year-over-year home sales in January.
A total of 568 properties went to closing for the month, according to figures reported Feb. 10 by MarketStats by Showing Time. That’s up slightly — 1.4% — from the 560 transactions in January 2025.
Fairfax County officials are pledging more outreach in their efforts connecting panhandlers with services to stabilize their lives and get them off the streets.
“We want to drive people who have need to organizations that can help,” Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said at a Feb. 10 meeting of the Board’s Health and Human Services Committee.