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.
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.
Person Killed in I-95 Crash — “One person is dead after being struck by an SUV while involved in an argument on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County overnight.” Occupants of two vehicles in an initial crash before 2 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday) had gotten out of their vehicles and were having an “altercation” when one person “stepped into another travel lane, where a Mercedes-Benz SUV that was traveling south struck them, state police said.” [DC News Now]
Man Arrested for Stealing From Reston Beauty Store — “Investigators with Fairfax County Police Department arrested a 22-year-old Herndon man they say was responsible for a series of thefts” that targeted Sephora at Reston Town Center in December and January. The man has been “charged with eight counts of petit larceny and possession of Schedule I/II narcotics and held on a $5,000 bond.” [Patch]
More Sewage Plaguing Potomac River — “After the sewage spill in the Potomac River a few weeks ago, DC Water began pumping the contaminated water and diverting it to the C&O Canal, but on Sunday, another spill released 600,000 more gallons of sewage into the river.” The spill on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 8) “was caused by a massive clog of non‑disposable wipes flushed down the toilet.” [NBC4]
Demand Soars at Reston Skating Rink — Local figure skater Ilia Malinin’s success leading up to and during the Milan Cortina Olympics has fueled a surge in interest at SkateQuest, the Reston facility where he trains. Executive Director Nate Smith and Skating Director Katie Lange say enrollment in their learn-to-skate program has jumped this year, with the next class expected to reach 800 students — up from 550 students for the same period in 2025. [Washington Business Journal]
Ban on Robert E. Lee License Plates Advances — “Virginia Democrats celebrated the advancement of a bill Tuesday that stops the issuance of license plates honoring Robert E. Lee as part of a broader effort to cut ties with the state’s Confederate past. The bill, introduced by Delegate Dan Helmer, is one of a slew of measures targeting the removal of tax dollars from policies that support a Lost Cause narrative.” [Courthouse News Service]
Metro Construction to Affect DCA Trips — “Travelers heading south to Reagan National Airport should budget extra time this weekend because the Crystal City Metro station will be closed. The station will be closed from Saturday, Feb. 14, through Monday, Feb. 16, in the first of 10 weekend closures between now and June.” [ARLnow]
New Arts Education Leader at RCC — “Coming from a huge family of teachers, Rebecca Campana grew up loving the arts and loves working with people in the arts … On Jan. 14, Campana stepped into her new role as the Reston Community Center’s arts education director, following the retirement of Cheri Danaher, who dedicated 35 years of service to RCC.” [Patch]
Actor Reflects on Growing Up in D.C. Area — “DC native Teddy Sears appears in the NBC medical drama Brilliant Minds and Netflix’s The Night Agent.” He says he didn’t try acting until he moved to New York City in his 20s, instead spending his childhood “swimming in McLean” and visiting the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 38 degrees. The northwest wind will be blowing at a speed of 11 to 15 mph, alongside gusts reaching up to 26 mph. Night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 24 degrees. [NWS]
Fairfax County needs to take a more hands-on approach to helping owners repurpose aging commercial properties, one local government leader says.
“We know where they are. We have this information. Let’s identify the top 10, 15 opportunities and let’s go to them,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 10).
In between classes, George Mason University students gathered at the Johnson Center in Fairfax to cheer one of their own going for the gold in the winter Olympics.
Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old figure skater competing in the Milan Cortina Olympics, is also studying for a not-yet-declared major at GMU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The university held a watch party yesterday (Tuesday) as Malinin competed in the qualifying round of the individual men’s short program.
For a second year in a row, the Virginia Senate will consider legislation that could pave the way for a casino in Fairfax County.
Senate Bill 756, championed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34), was advanced on a 10-5 vote yesterday (Tuesday) by the chamber’s Finance and Appropriations Committee with a key revision — criteria that limited potential casino sites to Tysons have now been dropped.
Northern Virginia ended 2025 with nearly 44% more people unemployed than it had started the year.
A total of 57,728 residents were counted as jobless for December, up from 40,203 a year before, according to figures reported Feb. 6 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Democrat Wins State Senate Election — “Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) is getting a promotion in Richmond. Voters in [Tuesday’s] special election gave the Democrat a sweeping victory against Republican Julie Robben Lineberry … setting her up to succeed Sen. Adam Ebbin as he joins Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.” [ALXnow]
Prosecutor Fired After Removal From Case — After being cited for public drinking and getting removed from the high-profile murder case against Brendan Banfield, senior deputy prosecutor Eric Clingan was fired by the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office on Jan. 12 — days before the trial began. “Clingan said he was ‘wrongfully and unfairly terminated and pursuing litigation.'” [WTOP]
Groveton Fatal Shooting Still Unsolved — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are seeking the community’s assistance in solving a murder that occurred in Groveton more than four years ago.” Ronald Worthy Jr., a 19-year-old Virginia State University student, was found dead with “apparent gunshot wounds” in the Beacon Hill apartment where he was living for the summer with his grandmother on July 27, 2021. [FCPD]
Post-Winter Storm Thaw Finally Begins — “That ‘snowcrete‘ — named for its rock-hard consistency — is finally poised to begin a long, slow fade. Temperatures are expected to climb above freezing each day in the D.C. area for the foreseeable future, with some days next week reaching the 50s or higher.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Bill Could Shift Energy Costs to Data Centers — The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee passed a bill on Monday (Feb. 9) that “would effectively require, with approval from state regulators, new data centers and other high energy use facilities (HEUFs) to cover more of the costs required to serve them.” State Sen. Louise Lucas proposed the amendment to her own bill, which originally focused on energy assistance programs and a push for Dominion Energy to underground its power lines. [VPM News]
Culmore Library Programs Move to Church — “Now that the Culmore Community Library is closed for an HVAC replacement project – and isn’t expected to reopen until January 2027 – library programs will be held at the Culmore Church in Bailey’s Crossroads. According to updated plans for the pop-up library, it won’t have books, said FCPL Marketing and Communications Director Sara Prohaska.” [Annandale Today]
Reston School Helps Student Artists Flourish — “For decades, as part of [Hunters Woods Elementary School’s] artist in residence program, sixth graders have worked with a local artist to produce artwork that gets displayed in the library, hallways or outside the school building. The school’s PTA covers the program costs and the artwork remains there permanently, offering students an opportunity to establish their legacy before leaving for middle school.” [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 44 degrees and winds potentially gusting up to 32 mph. The nighttime will be partly cloudy with a low temperature around 29 degrees. [NWS]
