Advocates with FCPS Pride and Students for Life convene for competing rallies outside Luther Jackson Middle School on Aug. 28, 2025 (staff photo by Jared Serre)
Competing rallies outside at Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield yesterday (Thursday) quickly commanded attention away from Fairfax County’s first school board meeting of the new academic year.
Dozens of activists from pro-LGBTQ+ group FCPS Pride showed up to applaud the school board for supporting transgender students, while the anti-abortion organization Students for Life of America gathered to condemn Fairfax County Public Schools officials over recent allegations of employees helping students obtain abortions.
A community member waves an LGBTQ pride flag at the rally protesting Virginia's model policies on transgender students (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Fairfax County School Board is suing the Trump administration for withholding federal funds in retaliation for its refusal to scrap policies supporting transgender students.
At its meeting last night (Thursday), its first of the new academic year, the school board authorized a lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department alleging that its denial of funds to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) violates federal laws and the Constitution, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced today.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Washington Field Office in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Chantilly field office, typically used for administrative proceedings, is being turned into a “makeshift” detention facility, dozens of immigrant rights advocacy groups say.
With arrests surging during the ongoing federal takeover of D.C., ICE has begun detaining individuals for “several days at a time” in a holding room intended to keep people just for a few hours during processing, according to organizations in the Free Them All VA Coalition.
Fairfax County is home to plenty of restaurants serving up delicious, comforting bowls of ramen, with rich broths and an array of well-balanced toppings.
Here are the nominees for “Best Ramen Restaurant in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite place below? If not, write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
Voting for the Best Bowling Alley in Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Fairfax County is set to host its inaugural expungement clinic on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hybla Valley Community Center (7950 Audubon Avenue).
The event offers an opportunity for those with non-conviction criminal charges from Fairfax County or Fairfax city to determine eligibility and petition for removal of the charges from their records, Fairfax County Circuit Court spokesperson Rafael Arancibia, Jr. said in a news release.
Linda Walsh of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition (screenshot via Fairfax County)
Opponents of a potential casino in Tysons have begun lobbying local officials to oppose the proposal in 2026.
Using the monthly public-comment period of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Linda Walsh of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition asked the local elected leaders to stand firm against the proposal.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaking at the Capital One headquarters in Tysons on Feb. 24, 2025 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
While Virginia’s unemployment rate has been ticking up for months, the state’s Republican leadership contends the jobless rate is just one piece of a larger, more complex economic puzzle.
“Virginia has jobs,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in an Aug. 19 statement accompanying the latest batch of state employment figures. “This month’s reports reflect modest payroll growth, continued positive revisions in recent months, and strong labor force demand, reinforcing the resilience of Virginia’s job market.”
Native plants in the rain garden at Oakton Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Record Labor Day Weekend Travel Expected — “Labor Day weekend travel is expected to surpass last year’s record levels, with the Transportation Security Administration preparing to screen hundreds of thousands more passengers than during the 2024 holiday.” Today (Friday) is expected to be the busiest day with airports preparing for 2.91 million passengers. [Axios]
Early Voting Expands — An additional nine sites will be open for early voting in the 11th Congressional District special election, starting today through Saturday, Sept. 6. All locations will be available Monday through Friday from 1-7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular polling places will open on the day of the Sept. 9 election, which will be a school-free day for Fairfax County students. [Fairfax County Government]
Cookie Shop Opens in Tysons Mall — “Chip City Cookies will be celebrating the grand opening of its new Tysons Corner Center location on Friday by giving a free cookie to the first 100 customers with any purchase. The doors will open at 11 a.m.” This is the oversized cookie company’s third Northern Virginia location and first in Fairfax County following openings in Arlington. [Patch]
Firefighters Train in West Falls Church Homes — “Before Fairfax County tears down nine houses on Barrett Road in the Falls Church area, the Fire Department is using the vacant houses for training exercises … On Aug. 26, a crew from the Edsall Road (#26) fire station was at Barrett Road to practice rescuing a firefighter trapped in a burning building – although they didn’t set the house on fire.” [Annandale Today]
Contract Dispute Heads to Trial — A legal battle involving two Reston-based federal contractors is likely heading for a jury trial following recent procedural rulings by a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge. CACI International sued Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in July 2024, alleging that the other company breached a joint U.S. Air Force contract by not paying CACI its full share and poaching employees. [Washington Business Journal]
Students Seek to Encourage Civil Discussions — After observing how often conversations about hot-button issues escalate into yelling, Peter Kisselev, “Sam Stankiewicz and Abhi Tiwari, students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia, launched ‘Normal Debate.’ The website, the three said, provides users with the opportunity to create posts about politics and other topics.” [WTOP]
Preview of Tysons Fall Market — The Tysons Mixed Market, now in its third year, will return this fall with a season-opening event next Thursday, Sept. 4. Hosted by The Boro and the Tysons Community Alliance, the market “brings together nearly 30 local vendors and artisans, small businesses, and more community-focused features all tucked in the middle of Fairfax County’s economic powerhouse that is Tysons.” [Out and About Fairfax]
Falls Church Festival Returning — “The annual Falls Church Festival is approaching, bringing back a day of live music, activities and tastings from local restaurants. Over 90 vendors and civic organizations will join the fun as the festival returns for its 49th year from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.” [ARLnow]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny conditions and a high temperature near 80 degrees during the day, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 9 mph. By Friday night, the skies will turn partly cloudy, while the temperature dips to a low around 57 degrees. A 6 mph north wind is anticipated throughout the night. [NWS]
New western high school slide presentation (image via Fairfax County Public Schools)
Many Fairfax County School Board members initially celebrated the purchase of the now-defunct King Abdullah Academy building in the Herndon area, but that excitement is now being tempered by a simmering conflict over what form the proposed new high school should take.
A boat docked at Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo)
On paper, Reston’s lakes are open for all members of the public to visit, but in reality, usage of the lakes is uneven due to gaps in programming and amenities, a new report found.
After more than a year and a half of study, Reston Association’s Lakes Equity Working Group will present its assessment of the accessibility and inclusiveness of the four manmade lakes managed by RA at the board of directors’ meeting tonight (Thursday).
