One fitness center at Merrifield’s Mosaic District intends to close shortly after the start of the new year.
The LA Fitness gym located at 8190 Strawberry Lane will shutter next month, with its last day scheduled for Jan. 13, according to an email sent to members.
Some Fairfax voters will soon be faced with yet another special election.
Del. David Bulova (D-11), who represents Oakton, Fairfax City and the Fair Oaks area, will step down from his seat in the General Assembly after accepting an appointment from governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to serve as Virginia’s secretary of natural and historic resources.
The Vienna Town Council decided not to move forward this week with tightened restrictions on noise produced by lawn and landscaping equipment.
After receiving largely dissatisfied feedback at a public hearing, the council voted 6-1 on Monday (Dec. 8) to reject noise ordinance amendments that would’ve prohibited multiple pieces of equipment from being used on residential properties before 8 a.m. and expanded a Sunday ban on all contractor noise to also include federal holidays.
DCA Crash Families Object to Waivers — “Family members of those killed in the January midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet are raising alarms about a provision in the defense funding bill that they say would allow the military to potentially restore flying procedures that may have been factors in the crash.” [Washington Post]
Next VDOT Leader Named — “Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday tapped transportation expert Nick Donohue as Virginia’s next transportation secretary, selecting the VCU graduate to help steer her administration’s policies over the next four years … The former deputy transportation secretary was recently heavily involved in developing a funding plan to create a new revenue stream to stabilize Metro service in Northern Virginia,” among other initiatives. [Virginia Mercury]
Legislator Preparing Gaming Commission Bill — “Efforts are underway to establish one regulatory board to oversee gaming in the Commonwealth as conversations about a possible plan to construct a casino in Fairfax County re-enter the spotlight … Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County, emphasized the importance of establishing the commission before expanding gaming, which includes future proposals for a casino in the Tysons area.” [WUSA9]
School Board Approves New Courses — “Fairfax County students will get the opportunity to take classes on artificial intelligence, personal finance and cybersecurity in the 2026-27 school year. The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved the middle and high school course offering changes during a meeting” last Thursday (Dec. 4). [WTOP]
Former Tysons Furniture Store Finds New Home — “Patrick’s Elegant Living, a high-end furniture brand, will move into a new store at Dulles Town Center, Washington Business Journal reported. It will occupy the space of the former Nordstrom, which closed in 2017. Patrick’s Elegant Living vacated its former Tysons Corner Center location in October after a legal dispute with the landlord.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Viral Drunk Raccoon Boosts Animal Shelter — “The Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter in Virginia has raised $170,560 in just 72 hours by selling over 15,000 pieces of ‘Trashed Panda’ merchandise — hoodies, mugs, stickers, and T-shirts, all featuring a raccoon sprawled on its stomach, paws splayed in every direction, next to a toppled bottle of booze.” [Washingtonian]
Researchers Help Track Monarch Butterflies — “This fall, a massive international effort called Project Monarch used new technology to track hundreds of monarchs from Canada to Cuba, providing the most comprehensive look yet at the famous journey. Researchers in Virginia helped make it happen.” [VPM News]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature near 37 degrees and northwest winds blowing at 13 to 15 mph, occasionally gusting up to 29 mph. Cloud cover will increase during Thursday night, bringing the temperature down to around 27 degrees while a gentle west wind blows at 5 to 9 mph. [NWS]
A local favorite for a taste of the Mediterranean is now offering more than just quick bites.
Moby Dick House of Kabob, which boasts 30 locations across the D.C. area, recently celebrated the grand opening of Moby’s Market in McLean — adding a grocery element to the restaurant at 6703 Lowell Avenue.
Residents of Fairfax County’s manufactured home communities pressed county leaders yesterday (Tuesday) to do more to protect the properties from redevelopment and those who live there from displacement.
“We don’t want to be moved out of the county — we’d like to stay in our homes,” said Denia Moya, a resident of the Harmony Place Mobile Home Park (8018 Richmond Highway) in Hybla Valley.
The largest pet event in the D.C. region is leaving Fairfax County.
With the Dulles Expo Center, their home of 25 years, permanently closing in Chantilly this month, Super Pet Expo organizers will bring their showcase for local pet businesses, nonprofits and experts to Manassas Mall next year instead.
After an approximately 100-day engagement, Tanishq officially celebrated its union with Tysons last week.
The Indian jeweler has been selling necklaces, earrings and other accessories to customers at its new store in the Shops at Fairfax Square (8065 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120) since Aug. 8, but the grand opening on Dec. 2 came with an extra level of ceremony.
Driver in Fatal Burke Crash Pleads Guilty — “A driver pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for a crash that killed a 17-year-old girl in Burke, Virginia, in 2023. He was speeding nearly 90 mph in a 40 mph zone at the time, prosecutors said.” Jose Zelaya could face between one and six years in prison under the plea agreement, but Rebekah Zarco’s family says it’s hard for them to see the outcome “as justice.” [NBC4]
More Reston Parkway Ramp Closures Planned — The southbound Reston Parkway ramp to the eastbound Dulles Toll Road will close overnight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily through Dec. 20-21. The closures, which began at the start of December, are needed to allow repairs on the parkway’s northbound bridge over the toll road, a project expected to finish in early 2026. [VDOT]
Dems Criticize Park Police Hiring Spree — “Democratic senators are demanding the U.S. Park Police suspend their D.C. recruitment blitz and accuse the Trump administration of ‘hijacking this federal police force for its own authoritarian purposes,’ according to a letter sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Monday morning.” The federal agency has set a goal of doubling its workforce in the District over the next six months. [Washington Post]
Guilty Plea in Pokemon Card Theft — “A California man pleaded guilty Monday in a case in which he was accused of breaking into his friend’s Fairfax County, Virginia, home and stealing more than $50,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards. Mohammad Asif was caught on home surveillance camera in July breaking into a Fair Oaks home where his friend and friend’s girlfriend live, prosecutors said … Minutes before the burglary, the girlfriend was held up with a rifle outside of her workplace in Tysons, police said.” [NBC4]
School Board Nixes Facilities Advisory Group — “Fairfax County’s school board has approved a plan to end the group of volunteer community members responsible for providing feedback on long-term plans for school facilities. The division’s Facilities Planning Advisory Council is scheduled to be disbanded by April 1, after Thursday’s 8-3 vote in support of the move.” [WTOP]
Solar and Wind Energy Bills Revived — “With Democrats in full control of the General Assembly and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger preparing to take office, lawmakers are reviving familiar proposals they hope will finally earn a governor’s signature. Chief among them are bills aimed at expanding renewable energy use and strengthening Virginia’s clean-energy workforce.” [Virginia Mercury]
Man Charged With Attempted Bank Robbery — A 38-year-old Fairfax resident was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a bank at Fair Lakes Shopping Center on Monday (Dec. 8). “A man entered the bank and displayed a note to the teller demanding money. No weapon was displayed. The man was asked to leave and he left on foot. No one was injured.” [FCPD]
New CEO for VRE — “Virginia Railway Express will see leadership change hands after a new CEO was appointed. Effective January 20, 2026, Katie Choe was named CEO of VRE, effective Jan. 20, 2026.” Appointed by the Northern Virginia and Potomac Rappahannock transportation commissions last Thursday (Dec. 4), she “replaces former CEO Rich Dalton, who retired in early October.” [Patch]
New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks hotel mixed-beverage, on/off-premises ABC license; objections 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Wednesday — Expect rain between 8am and 2pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 45. There will be south winds of 11-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with lows around 32 and west winds of 10-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]
Calling all young hockey players in the D.C. area: the Washington Capitals is launching a new street hockey league and looking for participants.
The inaugural Capitals Street Hockey League (CSHL) season will unfold from March to May 2026 across three host venues, including Lake Fairfax Park in Reston. Games will also be held at Francis C. Hammond Middle School in Alexandria and Ridge Road Recreational Park in Germantown, Maryland.
