Recipients of 2025 A. Heath Onthank Awards (courtesy Fairfax County)
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored three individuals on June 24 with the 2025 A. Heath Onthank Award, the highest honor for county government and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) employees.
Saluted for their outstanding service to county residents were:
Rendering of Pathway Homes' planned Mobile Outreach Unit (courtesy Pathway Homes)
A supportive housing nonprofit based in Fairfax City plans to hit the road with a new mobile unit that will enable it to bring services directly to the people who need them.
Pathway Homes is aiming to launch the Mobile Outreach Unit (MOU) in the fourth quarter of 2025 after securing nearly $300,000 in grant funding for the program, CEO Sylisa Lambert-Woodard announced in a June press release.
Temporary Vienna library coming soon to Cedar Park Shopping Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Vienna residents will have to wait a little longer than expected to check out library books without leaving town.
Previously expected to launch in June, a planned temporary library has encountered permitting delays and now likely won’t open at the Cedar Park Shopping Center until late July, according to Fairfax County Public Library.
Space Shuttle Discovery on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has no intention right now of shipping off a centerpiece of its Chantilly facility to Texas.
The federal budget bill that squeaked through the Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday (July 1) includes a provision directing NASA to transfer the Discovery space shuttle from its longtime home at the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, allocating $85 million toward transportation and construction costs.
American flag painted on brick at Reston Town Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Capital Bikeshare to Raise Prices — “Capital Bikeshare announced Monday (June 30) that it will increase prices across all membership tiers starting August 1, marking the first price adjustment since 2021 as the bike-sharing system grapples with unprecedented ridership growth and rising operational expenses.” [ALXnow]
Arrests in Online Predator Operation — “An undercover operation by the Fairfax County Police Department’s Child Exploitation Unit ended with 16 men in handcuffs — all accused of sexually soliciting a minor … The men caught, ages 20-65, face more than 80 felony charges combined,” police announced yesterday (Wednesday). [WUSA9]
Man Released From ICE Detention — “A Salvadoran father who was arrested by Alexandria police and handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spoke out after spending nearly two months in a detention center.” The man’s lawyer says a judge issued an arrest warrant for the man after he failed to appear for a Fairfax County court hearing for a domestic case that has since closed. [NBC4]
Family Claims Antisemitism at Herndon School — “A new complaint filed with the Virginia Attorney General’s office alleges three students were kicked out of [Nysmith School for the Gifted] in Herndon. Their parents allege it happened after their children–all under the age of 11– were subjected to antisemitic bullying.” [WJLA]
Reality TV Star Realtor Makes Move on McLean — “Luxury residential real estate brokerage Serhant, whose listings from New York to Florida top out as high as $80 million, has entered the D.C. market, snagging a team of top McLean agents.” The New York-based firm comes from Ryan Serhant, who is starring in “Owning Manhattan” on Netflix and previously led Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York” for nine seasons. [Washington Business Journal]
N. Va. Newspapers Adapt to Digital Age — “Some Northern Virginia newspaper publishers are taking creative chances to retain a viable print presence in an industry where online news is increasingly dominant.” Rappahannock Media, whose publications include Inside NoVA, seeks to balance paper and online offerings, while Loudoun Now recently turned into a nonprofit. [ARLnow]
Turtle Gets Help Crossing Reston Road — “The crew from FS25, Reston, A-shift were a bit shell-shocked to see a turtle trying to cross Sunset Hills Rd near Reston Parkway. Acting quickly, the crew stopped and helped the turtle safely cross the road. FF Ben Welty posed with the grateful reptile before each continued on their way.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Loudoun Considers ‘Tiny’ Housing — “Loudoun County — perpetually dubbed the wealthiest county in the U.S. based on median household income — is exploring how a tiny home community might provide affordable housing. In a Monday Board of Supervisors business meeting, Board Chair Phyllis Randall expressed excitement at the possibility of helping low and moderate income people afford homes.” [WTOP]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions with a high around 89. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low near 68. For Independence Day, the weather will remain sunny, reaching a high near 87 accompanied by a north wind at around 6 mph. [NWS]
Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at a rally in Vienna (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
After a contentious primary, Republican nominees for Virginia’s next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general took the stage last night (Tuesday) in Vienna to try and present a unified image.
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, and others criticized the Democratic slate of candidates but also repeatedly took aim at Zohran Mamdani, attempting to associate Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger with the mayoral candidate in New York City.
Fireworks at Yeonas Park from Vienna's 2024 Independence Day Celebration (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Though Fairfax County set off some Fourth of July fireworks prematurely, with displays in Lorton, McLean and at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston last weekend, residents who are sticking around for the holiday will still have plenty of options for celebrating.
Coming up first, the Town of Vienna will host its annual celebration with fireworks at Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Drive SW) from 6-10 p.m. tonight (Wednesday).
ArtsFairfax released its regional artist survey results at a community engagement event on June 25, 2025 at Reston Community Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County is home to plenty of artists, but many of them struggle to find space for practicing and displaying their craft, a survey recently released by ArtsFairfax found.
According to the Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, limited opportunities for networking and a scarcity of appropriate, affordable venues are the biggest obstacles to artists presenting their work in Fairfax County, pushing many of them to other localities.
Quickway Hibachi in Idylwood Plaza (staff photo by Jared Serre)
A regional chain of fast-casual hibachi restaurants has opened its newest location in Fairfax County.
Quickway Japanese Hibachi celebrated its grand opening at 7511-L Leesburg Pike over the weekend (June 28-29), bringing another dining option to Idylwood Plaza.