Person spilling pills into their hand (photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash)
Having seen a major drop in opioid overdoses among teens, some Fairfax County supervisors want to focus prevention efforts on young adults.
The 18-to-24 and 25-to-34 age groups appear to be where services need to be intensified, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said during a Nov. 25 briefing on the county’s opioid services.
A basketball hoop at the Hook Road Recreation Area in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
FCPS Serves Thanksgiving Meals — “On Monday, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) and Educate Fairfax hosted the first FCPS Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Herndon High School. FNS staff served more than 150 Thanksgiving-inspired meals in one hour, welcoming all students and their families from the community to participate. Close to 100 meals were also served at Justice High School.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
GMU Professor Reportedly Fired for Drinking — “News4 has learned an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University (GMU) has been fired after multiple sources say they openly drank alcohol with their undergraduate students in class last week. The University confirms it has launched an internal investigation along with a police investigation into the allegations.” [NBC4]
Youngkin Reviews Tax Forecasts — “Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin said a group of corporate executives that advise him on how much tax revenue Virginia’s economy can expect are ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the coming budget cycle.” The report stood in contrast to warnings to the House and Senate appropriations committees that the state might “need to dip into a one-time surplus to cover projected expenses.” [VPM News]
Dems Propose Energy Efficiency Bills — “In recent days, House Democrats released some of their priority bills – two of which zoom in on energy efficiency in homes.” One would establish a task force to review the accessibility of weatherization and efficiency programs offered by power utilities to low-income customers, while the other would require utilities to implement upgrades, potentially reducing heating costs. [Virginia Mercury]
Local Woman Doubts Russia Will Agree to Peace Deal — “Reports of a potential peace deal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine are generating guarded hope among those with loved ones caught in the conflict, including a Fairfax County woman who says she wants to believe progress is finally being made but fears it may not hold.” [WUSA9]
Tysons Korean BBQ Spot Expands — “Now, one of the region’s very best tabletop grill restaurants, Ingle Korean Steakhouse, has expanded from Tysons to 14th Street. Since opening in 2022, Ingle Korean Steak has become a standout on the Korean barbecue scene for its higher-end vibe.” [Washingtonian]
FCPD Increases Patrols for Holidays — “With the holiday season in full swing, Fairfax County Police are stepping up patrols and encouraging residents to take steps to safeguard their homes.” During a patrol on Monday (Nov. 24), “officers from the McLean District worked alongside members of the Tysons Urban Team, passing out fliers and deploying both on bikes and on foot through neighborhoods.” [WUSA9]
Vienna Restaurant Hosts Thanksgiving Dinner — “The Virginian, in conjunction with Vienna Business Association and One Neighborhood Foundation, is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for people in our community who are food insecure, homeless, furloughed, or alone for the holidays.” Meals will be available tomorrow (Thursday) from 1-5 p.m., or while supplies last. Donations can be dropped off at the restaurant or sent to One Neighborhood’s Venmo account. [Vienna Business Association]
It’s Wednesday — Patchy fog will gradually give way to sunny skies, with a high near 70. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Night will be partly cloudy and breezy, with a low of 38 and winds gusting up to 39 mph. Thanksgiving Day will be partly sunny with a high of 44. [NWS]
Sign for Fairfax County Public Schools outside the Gatehouse Administration Center (file photo)
Fairfax County Public Schools is one of just three districts nationwide facing a federal investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce, which alleges Jewish students are being harassed and subjected to open antisemitism.
The scrutiny follows the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages, and Israel’s subsequent war campaign in Gaza that has left over 60,000 Palestinians dead. Tensions over the conflict have spilled into U.S. schools.
Dulles Airport mobile lounges (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
People movers will continue darting across Dulles International Airport for years to come, despite recent incidents that have revived safety questions for passengers who use them.
At the Nov. 19 meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board of directors, MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter acknowledged the “long-term limitations of relying on mobile lounges,” which are colloquially known as people movers.
Path to the McLean Metro station's north entrance (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Workers and visitors at Capital One Center can now take a more direct route to and from the McLean Metro station.
After years of planning and construction, a new entrance with bicycle parking has opened on the station’s north side facing Capital One Drive, providing easier access to the development on Capital One’s Tysons campus, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced last week (Nov. 17).
A sign for the Winter Lantern Festival, currently operating at Lerner Town Square at Tysons II (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Virginia U.S. Attorney Appointee Disqualified — “A federal judge has thrown out the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that President Donald Trump’s handpicked prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed to the role when she single-handedly secured the indictments.” [Politico]
State Budget Challenges Expected — Virginia General Assembly legislators gathered at Radford University last week to hear forecasts for the 2026 budget. “Democrats, who are now in control of all three branches of Virginia’s government thanks to a record win by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, are bracing for stark cuts and a slowed economy.” [WVTF]
Va. GOP Grapples With Post-Election Future — “After Democrats swept all three statewide offices in November 2025 and picked up more than a dozen seats to solidify a 64-seat House of Delegates majority, Buchanan’s concerns have become the center of a widening debate inside a party struggling to process the magnitude of its losses — and to figure out what comes next.” [Virginia Mercury]
Metro Awarded Hybrid Bus Funding — The Federal Transit Administration announced last week that Metro will receive a $50.3 million grant to help it “procure 50 new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses, replacing aging vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. The new buses will be deployed throughout the region and will enhance Metro’s ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable service for riders.” [WMATA]
Friends Open Pottery Studio — “Reston neighbors and friends Jennie Persson and Paola Lluberas first tried making pottery on a beginner wheel in Lluberas’ back yard. The two wanted a creative outlet, but they found that pottery classes and studios in the area often had long waitlists or strict requirements. Their solution? The two opened their very own studio, Potters Union, in Herndon in October.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Falls Church Considers Affordable Housing Plans — “The city, through its Economic Development Authority, already owns nine small apartment properties in the Virginia Village community near Annandale Road. At a Nov. 19 meeting between elected officials and staff, discussion turned to moving forward on a consolidated plan for housing the neighborhood.” [ARLnow]
Parade to Honor McLean Youth Sports Supporter — “The McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC) is pleased to announce that longstanding McLean youth sports leader Wayne Loving will be honored as the Grand Marshal of the McLean Winterfest Parade, to be held on Sunday, December 7 in Downtown McLean.” [Press release]
Winter Reading Program Starts Soon — Fairfax County Public Library is inviting community members to participate in its Winter Reading Adventure, which will kick off on Dec. 1 and continue through Jan. 31, 2026. Readers interested in taking on the challenge can pre-register through Beanstack now or pick up paper logs at their local branch once the program starts. [FCPL]
It’s Tuesday — Expect rain to begin after 3pm with a high temperature near 57. The precipitation probability is 80%, with less than a tenth of an inch expected. Rain will continue at night, with a low temperature around 52 and south wind at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]
Sweetgreen employees at work (courtesy Sweetgreen)
Sweetgreen has settled on a new opening date for its restaurant in McLean, one that will hopefully stick.
After canceling a previously scheduled Nov. 11 launch, the fast-casual salad chain now anticipates opening its doors at 6220 Old Dominion Drive in Chesterbrook Shopping Center on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Virginia Department of Transportation workers inspecting a truck that will serve as a snow plow (via VDOT)
This winter is expected to be a little warmer than usual in Northern Virginia. But when inclement weather does hit, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will have thousands of trucks — with access to 120,000 tons of salt, 250,000 gallons of brine, and 25,000 tons of sand — ready to go.
During VDOT’s annual winter weather briefing for local government officials and the media on Nov. 17, staffers with the transportation agency and the National Weather Service (NWS) explained how they’re preparing — and what Northern Virginia residents can expect to see on the roads — over the coming months.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission meets on Nov. 19, 2025 (via Fairfax County Channel 16)
Fairfax County is one step closer to updating its regulations for manufactured homes for the first time in nearly half a century.
At its meeting last Wednesday (Nov. 19), the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors amend the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance guidelines for manufactured homes, which are sometimes called mobile homes or trailers.