From a new beer garden to newborn lambs, George Washington’s Mount Vernon is rolling out events for spring and the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The 500-acre estate, which served as Washington’s home before and after his presidency, is gearing up for warmer weather for the first time since reopening the centerpiece mansion in December after a two-year renovation project.
Innovation Station Development Breaks Ground — “After several years of planning, the mixed-use Rivana project at the Innovation Center Metro station has broken ground. Developers and Loudoun County officials gathered Monday to kick off the construction of the project,” which will deliver 3.5 million square feet of office space, 3,700 residential units and 500 hotel rooms on a 103-acre site on the Loudoun/Fairfax border. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Va. Set to Offer Paid Leave Programs — “After years of trying, Democrats in Virginia’s legislature passed bills that will create two new state benefit programs: paid family leave and paid sick leave. Both work similar to the Commonwealth’s unemployment program, guaranteeing paid time off when an emergency strikes. But the programs aren’t free.” [WVTF]
Fairfax Station Gas Station Burglarized — “On April 6, at approximately 6:03 a.m., officers responded to an Exxon gas station at 8965 Village Shops Drive in Fairfax Station for a reported burglary. An employee arrived to open the business and discovered the front door had been smashed.” Security footage showed that a man had broken the door “with a rock” around 12:40 a.m. and stole cigarettes and alcohol, police say. [FCPD]
New Bank Branch Open in Tysons — “Freedom Financial Holdings, Inc. has relocated its corporate offices and The Freedom Bank of Virginia has opened a new branch co-located in the heart of Tysons Corner at 1750 Tysons Blvd., McLean. The milestone continues the bank’s growth and long-term investment in Northern Virginia during its 25th anniversary, Freedom Financial said in a news release.” [Inside NoVA]
Fairfax City Residents Weigh In on Budget — “Fairfax City officials used an April 16 public engagement meeting to gather feedback on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, with participants ranking schools, infrastructure and public safety among the highest priorities and showing little support for reducing existing services.” [Patch]
Awareness of Gun Seizure Law Growing — “Since the ‘Red Flag’ law went into effect on July 1, 2020, Fairfax County said it has processed 481 Emergency Substantial Risk cases and temporarily taken away 947 guns … The Northern Virginia suburb has seen a significant increase in cases in the last few years, which Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano suspects is the result of more people becoming aware of the law.” [WTOP]
Annandale Residents Clean Up for Earth Day — “The Hillbrook-Tall Oaks community is a lot nicer, since the Annandale neighborhood held an Earth Day cleanup on April 18. Thirty-one dedicated volunteers … collected 24 bags of trash and recyclables from neighborhood streets and the grounds of Poe Middle School.” [Annandale Today]
Deadline for Lake Anne Signage Comments — The presentation and video from last week’s meeting on a proposed concept for a new logo and signs identifying Lake Anne Plaza in Reston are now online. Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section is accepting public comments on the potential design until the end of the day next Monday (April 27). [Fairfax Community Revitalization]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 50% chance of precipitation, with possible scattered showers until 2 pm and isolated thunderstorms after 2 pm. It’s partly sunny with a high near 74°F. Night will be mostly clear with a low of about 55°F and a 30% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
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Virginia voters appear to have approved a constitutional amendment to allow a one-time, mid-decade redistricting effort in today’s tightly contested special election.
While opponents initially led based on early voting, ballots reported later in the evening by Fairfax County and other heavily Democratic jurisdictions in Northern Virginia tipped the scales in favor of supporters, according to preliminary results reported by the Virginia Department of Elections.
Registration is now open for the sixth annual Tour de Hunter Mill community bicycle ride set for Sunday, May 3. Participants can choose between riding two scenic routes — 11 or 19 miles — designed to accommodate both beginners and experienced cyclists.
This year’s event will highlight Vienna, according to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who started the event in 2021.
A Fairfax High School student will serve more than four months in jail for reportedly groping multiple girls in the school’s halls.
Israel Christopher Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old who’s currently a junior at Fairfax High, was sentenced today (Tuesday) to 180 days in jail for each of the nine fellow students he was found guilty of assaulting earlier this year.
Three people were forced out of their homes last week by an apartment fire in the Herndon area that investigators say resulted from improperly discarded smoking materials.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department was dispatched at 12:42 p.m. last Wednesday (April 15) for reports of an outdoor fire that was spreading to the Kendrick Court Senior Apartments building (13430 Coppermine Road) in McNair.
A vegan dessert shop known for its giant, fresh-baked cookies hopes to return to Reston this spring.
MidnighTreats is planning to open around late May to early June at Reston Town Center, owner Jemal Mahdi told FFXnow. It’s a relocation for the plant-based bakery, whose original storefront in Plaza America closed after about two years in business.
Bomb Threat Cleared on Dulles-Bound Plane — “A United Airlines flight coming from Denver landed safely at Dulles International Airport Monday morning after a reported bomb threat, according to officials. Before departing from Denver International Airport, ‘United flight 2408 deplaned safely via airstairs due to a security concern,’ according to a Dulles statement.” [NBC4]
Lawsuits Filed Over Potomac Sewage Spill — “The Justice Department and the Maryland Department of the Environment have filed separate lawsuits against D.C. Water over the pollution of the Potomac River due to a massive sewage spill from a ruptured pipe back in January.” [WTOP]
Sen. Warner’s Daughter Has Died — “Sen. Mark Warner (D) and his wife, Lisa Collis, shared today (Monday) that their daughter Madison Warner has died. The 36-year-old died after decades of battling juvenile diabetes and other health issues, according to their statement.” [ALXnow]
Immigration Advocates Mixed on Spanberger — “In the wake of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, Democrats in Virginia’s legislature passed a handful of bills to help combat what they see as injustices by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Governor Abigail Spanberger signed some of those bills … but immigration advocates hope legislators will reject some she amended.” [WVTF]
Historic Civil War Center Set to Reopen — The interpretive center at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax City will reopen to visitors tomorrow (Wednesday) after closing over the winter for maintenance. The facility will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a free guided tour of the Historic Blenheim house on Saturdays at 1 p.m. [City of Fairfax]
Steakhouse Chain Files for Bankruptcy — “801 Restaurant Group, the parent company of the 801 Chophouse chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 10, a move the company says is intended to restructure debt and keep its restaurants operating rather than shutter them outright.” The first 801 Chophouse on the East Coast opened in Tysons in 2024. [Des Moines Register]
Watch Out for Tick Bites — “As spring arrives and the weather warms up, tick activity increases around Virginia. Increased tick activity means that Virginians need to be aware of the risks that ticks can pose to people … There are several illnesses that ticks can spread in Virginia, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Alpha-gal Syndrome.” [Virginia Department of Health]
Lake Anne Award Winners Announced — “Lake Anne Plaza in Reston presented its first Good Neighbor Awards on Saturday, recognizing a child and an adult for contributions to the community.” Five-year-old Elianna Malesic won in the kids’ category for helping clean up litter, while local artist Pat McIntyre was the adult honoree for hosting a free weekly crafts table every Saturday. [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Expect widespread frost before 10 am, followed by sunny weather with a high near 62°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to the south at about 6 mph in the afternoon. At night, there is a 30% chance of showers after 2 am, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 50°F. [NWS]
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Friday Night Live! is coming back to Herndon, capping off last week’s heat wave with the release of its upcoming schedule.
The popular summer concert series produced by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce will return to the Town Green on May 22, kicking off with cover band Lost in Paris.
The number of jobless residents in Fairfax County jumped by more than a third — 33.8%, to be precise — year over year to start 2026, according to new state data.
A total of 23,749 county residents were reported seeking work in January, up from 17,744 a year before, based on figures released April 16 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
