After months of speculation, IKEA has officially confirmed that it’s coming to Chantilly, taking over a building currently occupied by the Dulles Expo Center.
The Swedish furniture chain announced today (Thursday) that it will open a store — its third in Virginia — at 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center Drive in the Chantilly Shopping Center sometime in spring 2026.
Virginia’s state and local governments would be required to come up with $136 million annually in additional funding for Metro rail and bus service starting in mid-2027, if recommendations from a key regional task force make it through a still-uncertain future.
The DMV Moves task force approved a nonbinding framework yesterday (Wednesday) for increased, dedicated capital spending in support of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). It recommends $460 million in additional funding split between Virginia, Maryland and D.C., starting in fiscal year 2028 and rising after that at a rate of 3% per year.
Update — The new I-495 Express Lanes are on track to open ahead of schedule on Saturday, Nov. 22, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Nov. 10.
In addition to two toll lanes in each direction, the opening will include dedicated ramps from the Dulles Toll Road to the northbound express lanes and between the express lanes and the GW Parkway.
The Centreville High School teacher who alleged that a social worker pressured a student to get an abortion without parental notification — a claim that school officials called “likely untrue” — is now taking her case to court.
Zenaida Perez, backed by the pro-life advocacy organization Americans United for Life (AUL), filed a civil lawsuit yesterday (Wednesday) alleging that Fairfax County Public Schools defamed and retaliated against her after she went public with her claims.
A national security contractor has received Fairfax County’s blessing to open a new campus in Herndon.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve the project for Peraton at its meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 28). No one spoke at a public hearing prior to the vote.
FCPS Condemns Reportedly Antisemitic Student Videos — “Fairfax County Public Schools is condemning a couple of student-made videos that drew outrage online after Jewish organizations called them antisemitic. The clips, created by Muslim student groups at two Northern Virginia high schools, show teenagers acting out mock kidnappings, which school officials say have no place in classrooms or on school social media accounts.” [WUSA9]
How Much Government Shutdown Might Cost — “The U.S. economy will lose between $7 billion and $14 billion because of the federal government shutdown, according to a new report released Wednesday by Congress’s nonpartisan bookkeeper.” The dip in the country’s gross domestic product would stem from “federal workers missing paychecks and the interruption of food benefits for low-income Americans.” [Washington Post]
State House Passes Redistricting Amendment — “After three days of partisan wrangling in a surprise special session, the Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers limited power to redraw the state’s congressional districts mid-decade — a move Democrats say is needed to protect the commonwealth if other states manipulate their maps for partisan gain.” [Virginia Mercury]
Where to Find Emergency Food Sites — “Get emergency access to food items, diapers, baby food/formula, toiletries, and household items via the [Fairfax County] Emergency Food Access Providers Application, which is available online … Fairfax City residents are eligible for these services.” [City of Fairfax]
Reston Online Learning Company Sheds Students — “Stride (NYSE: LRN) executives said on an earnings call Tuesday that two new software tools launched over the summer … experienced glitches that made it difficult for students to log in or consistently access the platform. As a result, between 10,000 and 15,000 students have unenrolled from Stride courses and the company said it is capping enrollment in certain programs while it works to fix the problems.” [Washington Business Journal]
‘Flying’ Boat Company Eyes Potomac River — The Swedish company Candela recently “spent a week showing off quiet, speedy electric boats on the Potomac. The potential customers? Everyone from local retailers to the Pentagon, which sits right across the river from the Columbia Island Marina where Candela staged rides on one of its hydrofoil boats.” [Washington Post]
Wonder Food Hall Opening in Reston — The growing food hall chain Wonder will celebrate the grand opening of its new location at Plaza America with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday) at 4:30 p.m. Planned festivities will start at 5 p.m. and include “exclusive Wonder gifts” for the first 100 customers, live music, tarot card readings and more. [Wonder]
Local Businesses Donate Cosmetics — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division (VSD) joined with Great Clips and Bank of America on Tuesday, October 28, for the second annual Empowerment Bags presentation at Great Clips in Fairfax.” For the campaign, the businesses collected “cosmetics and self-care products … throughout October in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” [Press release]
It’s Thursday — Expect rain and a potential thunderstorm before 1pm, followed by possible showers between 1 and 2pm, with a high of 66 degrees. Winds of 13-15 mph will turn south in the afternoon, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees. [NWS]
Snakeden Branch Trail has reopened in Reston after an extended closure due to an FBI investigation.
Residents reported that a white van was parked near a bridge along the trail for much of today (Wednesday), and FBI agents wearing white jumpsuits were spotted working in the woods.
The historic A. Smith Bowman Distillery building in Reston remains one of the county’s most endangered properties, the Fairfax County History Commission warned leaders in its annual report.
The building, which dates to the 1880s, is among four properties the advisory panel sees as most imperiled, commission chair Gretchen Bulova told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28).
The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to delay consideration of new middle school start times in order to focus on ongoing school boundary adjustments and identify an option that won’t affect the school system’s budget.
Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne, who introduced the motion during the school board’s meeting last Thursday (Oct. 23), reaffirmed his support for later start times but emphasized the importance of waiting until other changes are finalized.
Reston residents no longer have to travel to Chantilly to indulge in a bar or box of River-Sea Chocolates.
The chocolate maker recently began welcoming customers to a retail shop at 11495 Sunset Hills Road, Unit 100, months after expanding there with a new, larger production facility.
