Town of Vienna staff received a green light earlier this month to revisit the possibility of installing a traffic signal on Maple Avenue outside James Madison High School.
The Vienna Town Council voted unanimously at its Oct. 5 meeting to award a purchase order to the consultant Rinker Design Associates for a signal justification report that will determine whether to replace the existing High Intensity Activated Crosswalk or HAWK signal at the James Madison Drive intersection.
In a sample of just four weeks this year, Fairfax County police officers pulled over tens of thousands of drivers for speeding, driving while using their cell phones and other traffic violations.
The Fairfax County Police Department issued 60,818 citations and warnings as part of its 2026 “Road Shark” campaign, which began in April and wrapped up with a fourth and final wave of increased traffic safety enforcement earlier this month.
Dominion Sues Over Rejected Substation — “Dominion Energy has filed a lawsuit against Prince William County, challenging its decision to oppose a plan to overhaul an existing substation. The utility company is arguing the Vint Hill substation project is needed to maintain regional grid reliability, and that the Board of Supervisors’ decision warrants additional review.” [WTOP]
Push for Kennedy Center Records — “President Donald Trump’s administration is withholding records documenting the scope of his influence over management of the Kennedy Center, according to attorneys for a Democratic lawmaker challenging the Republican president’s plan to close the performing arts center for renovations.” [Associated Press]
Local Airports Rank High for Flight Disruptions — “A recent report by research and advocacy firm ConsumerAffairs ranked Reagan National Airport the worst large airport in the U.S. for ‘flight disruptions.’ Among the 29 large airports ConsumerAffairs ranked, DCA ranked worst, Dulles Airport ranked 9th worst, and BWI Marshall ranked in the middle of the pack at 16th.” [WJLA]
Annandale Jewelry Store Burglarized — “Three men broke into Lambros Goldsmith in Annandale and stole $2 million worth of jewelry, reports store owner and award-winning jeweler Lambros Magiafas. Surveillance video shows the suspects wearing masks and dressed in black using a hammer to break the glass door, smashing the display cases, and shoving jewelry into bags at about 5 a.m. on Sept. 28.” [Annandale Today]
Bill Aims to Help Renters Exposed to Mold — “Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, wants to strengthen tenant protection laws for renters whose living conditions include mold. Price pitched a bill to do so in 2025, and it is due to be deliberated again in the upcoming 2027 legislative session.” [Virginia Mercury]
Area Restaurateur on Inflation — Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, says “costs are up across the board,” including for fuel and meat. “He estimated he’s spending about two and a half times more than he had budgeted for fuel this year.” [WTOP]
School Board Member Donates Car — “South Lakes High School automotive students have another vehicle to learn on after Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel donated his car to the program. McDaniel, an at-large board member, said the donation was intended to highlight career and technical education and the opportunities those courses offer students.” [Patch]
It’s Monday — Sunny with a high near 70 and calm winds becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday night will be clear with a low around 50, with calm winds becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
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A crowd cheered on the winner of a race last night (Thursday) at Frying Pan Farm Park, as she approached the finish line. But Jubilee could only be coaxed to wear her crown and sash for a reluctant minute: for a Jersey cow, alfalfa and grains from local breweries were the true prize.
Jubilee was one of seven bovine contenders who took to the “track” — a smooth path around a corral — during the seventh annual NASCOW FundRACER to help support the animals at the farm (2709 West Ox Road) in the Frying Pan area south of Herndon.
Fairfax County features a rich and diverse culinary landscape, with Chinese restaurants serving both comfort food and unique flavors. This week, FFXnow invites readers to share their favorite spots for Chinese cuisine.
Here are the nominees for Best Chinese restaurants in Fairfax County as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite Chinese restaurant? Write it in!
Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Voting for Best burger restaurants in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 11:59 p.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best coffee shops in Fairfax County. The full results are now official:
Recently expanded to Vienna, Weird Brothers Coffee has become a local favorite since brothers Paul and Kenny Olsen launched a mobile coffee bar over a decade ago. Now boasting four locations, the Herndon-based roastery and coffeehouse is as well-known for its community involvement as the creatively named drinks on its “mischief” menu.
A total of 2,050 votes were cast.
See every FFXnow Readers’ Choice winner, past and present, here.
A portion of the sidewalk along westbound Georgetown Pike in McLean has been closed for construction.
The closure of the path between Balls Hill Road and the ramp from southbound I-495 began earlier this week and is expected to continue through Nov. 13, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Virginia’s top transportation official hopes to get regional buy-in on the controversial I-495 Southside proposal early next year.
“This is a really, really important project,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue said at a meeting on Wednesday (Oct. 21) of the region’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB).
Bid to Stop Trump Arch Construction — “Plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to stop the Trump administration from building a triumphal arch along the Potomac River asked a federal judge on Thursday to halt all construction plans, one day after the National Park Service signaled it would begin work Nov. 5.” [Associated Press]
Armed Robbery in Lorton — Fairfax County police officers responded yesterday morning (Thursday) to a reported armed robbery at the intersection of Laurel Crest Drive and Douglas Fir Drive. “Preliminarily, the suspect displayed a knife, stole property and fled the scene. The adult female victim was not injured.” [FCPD/X]
Bear Spotted in Centreville — “A bear has been spotted wandering through two communities in Centreville, prompting a reminder for residents to secure their trash and avoid leaving food sources accessible. The bear has been seen at Sequoia Farms and Belle Pond Farm, where it has reportedly gotten into trash cans and visited porches.” [WUSA9]
Va. Elections Chief Prepared for Midterms — “Virginia’s top elections official says voters can have confidence in both the integrity of the Nov. 3 midterms and the results, even if President Donald Trump or his allies challenge Republican losses or attempt to interfere with the election process.” [Virginia Mercury]
New Va. Program to Reduce Health Care Costs — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger, other state officials and community leaders rallied at Gethsemane Community Church in Norfolk to tout efforts to decrease health insurance costs ahead of the start of the state exchange’s open enrollment period.” The Virginia General Assembly has created a $150 million fund to subsidize health care coverage for those who left the market after federal subsidies expired earlier this year. [WHRO]
McElveen Honored for Supporting Student Journalists — Fairfax County School Board at-large member Ryan McElveen says he “was deeply honored to stand with our student journalists as I received the 2026 Virginia Administrator of the Year Award from the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisors this week.” [Ryan McElveen/Facebook]
Free Cultural Festival Coming to Lake Anne — “More than 70 vendors offering international foods, clothing, jewelry and other goods will transform Lake Anne Plaza into a bustling marketplace for a free cultural festival on Sunday. Arabian Nights 2026, presented by Arabian Mosaic LLC, will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza, located at 1609 Washington Plaza N. in Reston.” [Patch]
Halloween Events this Weekend — Halloween celebrations will be in full force in Fairfax County starting today (Friday), with events planned through the weekend at The Boro in Tysons, Frying Pan Farm Park, Reston Town Center and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly. Other seasonal happenings include fall festivals at Tysons Corner Center and Reston Station. [Out & About Fairfax]
It’s Friday — Sunny with a high near 63 and northeast winds around 6 to 8 mph. Night will be clear, with a low around 40 and a light northeast wind. [NWS]
No time to read? Now you can listen to your local news. Subscribe to the FFXnow Daily Update on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) called for restraint as the state’s political establishment reels from accusations of marijuana trafficking and money laundering against Senate President pro tempore L. Louise Lucas.
One of the state’s most powerful Democrats and Portsmouth’s representative in the state Senate since 1991, Lucas (D-18) was charged today (Thursday) by the U.S. Department of Justice with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Regional leaders agree more collaboration could be beneficial, but see little reason to pursue a consolidation of four Northern Virginia bus systems into one.
“I did come here … with an open mind, open to any compelling reason [to support consolidation],” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at an Oct. 21 roundtable convened by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). “I’m still looking for it — I don’t see it.”
