Fairfax County seniors give the county high marks overall but lower scores as a place to retire, based on a new survey whose results were presented Tuesday (Oct. 6) to the Board of Supervisors.
The 87% of survey respondents who ranked Fairfax a good place to live was “down slightly but not significantly” from previous surveys, said John Ruthinoski, a data analyst for the Fairfax County Department of Family Services.
Fairfax County supervisors reacted enthusiastically, but with some caution this week to a staff plan that would provide long-term tax breaks for affordable housing in order to reduce initial financing costs.
Discussion at the Board of Supervisors’ Housing Committee meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 6) focused on piloting the authority newly granted by the Virginia General Assembly on two upcoming projects: Dulles Greene near the Innovation Center Metro station in the Herndon area and East County in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Lilly Pulitzer, the upscale clothing brand best known for its colorful resort-style prints, has opened a second Fairfax County store, this time in the Mosaic District.
The new store opened for a soft launch at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 145, in Merrifield on Sept. 25, becoming the brand’s eighth location in Virginia.
Members of Fairfax County’s General Assembly delegation are asking county supervisors and school board members to lower the rhetoric when it comes to state funding for local K-12 education.
“Be thoughtful about the way you talk,” Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-16) told the Board of Supervisors during an Oct. 6 joint work session between the board and the county’s state legislative representatives.
FCPS Tests Google AI Blocker — Fairfax County Public Schools “is rolling out a new tool that will block students’ access to artificial intelligence-generated answers and summaries when they conduct a Google search on school-issued laptops … The county’s Chrome extension is being rolled out at 11 elementary and middle schools, with a focus on getting feedback from teachers and other school staff..” [WTOP]
Lt. Gov. Opposes Dominion Merger — On Tuesday (Oct. 6), Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi became the first state-level elected official to go on the record opposing Florida-based NextEra Energy’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy. “The lieutenant governor recently completed a five-city tour across the Dominion coverage area to hear firsthand Virginians’ concerns.” [Virginia Mercury]
Potomac River Restored After Sewage Spill — “DC Water says expanded testing of the Potomac River found no evidence of lasting harm from the January 19, 2026 sewer rupture that released an estimated 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River and nearby tributaries over eight days.” [MoCo Show]
DCA to Get Head’s Up for Presidential Helicopter — “Following a safety incident involving communication issues between President Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter and Reagan National Airport in August, a new protocol has been set up to make sure air traffic controllers are notified that the president’s helicopter is about to take off, according to two people familiar with the matter.” [Washington Post]
New Law After Death at Group Home — Virginia will require group homes to conduct regular emergency medical drills, starting in December. Legal advocates and families had long questioned workers’ ability to handle medical emergencies, including in the case of Erol Graeber, a nonverbal man with disabilities who died in 2024 after staff at the Hartwood Foundation in Springfield told 911 they didn’t know how to perform CPR on him. [NBC4]
Reston Contractor Plans Layoffs — ICF International notified Virginia’s Rapid Response Program on Oct. 2 that it anticipates laying off 82 employees after the federal government decided “to consolidate rather than recompete” a previously awarded contract. Though the company is headquartered in Reston, the layoffs are expected to primarily affect workers in Arlington, taking effect on Dec. 7, per the WARN notice. [Patch]
Input Wanted on Home Day Care Changes — Fairfax County staff are reviewing potential zoning changes to make the process to establish a home-based day care center “more accessible while ensuring neighborhood compatibility.” Virtual meetings to provide information and gather feedback on the changes will be held on Oct. 14, 15 and 21. [Fairfax County Government]
Annandale Stormwater Pond Needs Repairs — “The stormwater retention pond on Americana Drive next to the Vista apartments in Annandale is no longer working, so the Stormwater Management Division of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is preparing to develop a project to fix it.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Thursday — Sunny with a high near 77 and northwest winds of 6 to 15 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. Night will be clear, with a low around 53 and light northwest winds of 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored the local Lambda Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated on Sept. 29 for a half-century of service to the community.
“You do so much, and it’s truly appreciated,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said during a proclamation ceremony held as part of the supervisors’ regular meeting.
A Vienna-based developer has secured a key vote of support for its plan to build 13 single-family houses on the current Wolf Trap Nursery site.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of a proposal from Sekas Homes to rezone and redevelop the nearly 6.5-acre property at 9439 Leesburg Pike in Wolf Trap during its meeting on Sept. 30.
A Woodbridge man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing at least three different medical offices across Fairfax County in recent months.
The Fairfax County Police Department first began investigating a reported commercial burglary in the 8200 block of Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield on May 19, according to a press release.
A new vision is taking shape for one of Inova Health System’s former administrative headquarters buildings in Merrifield.
After a previous developer backed off plans to convert the office building at 8110 Gatehouse Road into live/work units, the new property owner — an affiliate of Bethesda-based Buchanan Partners — intends to demolish the existing six-story structure and replace it with up to 300 homes.
Northern Virginia business leaders are souring on the state of the regional economy, but a majority are optimistic about the financial impact of data centers locally.
The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC) and public relations firm Pinkston released results of their third-quarter 2026 Business Leader Survey this week, revealing the sentiments of the region’s CEOs, senior executives and business owners.
