Median apartment rents across Fairfax County showed a mix of increases and declines in 2025.
Median rental rates were higher at the end of the year than at the beginning in Annandale, Herndon and Reston, but they declined in Centreville, Fair Oaks, Fairfax and Tysons, according to data reported Dec. 31 by Apartment List.
D.C. Region Sees Drop in Traffic Deaths — “Traffic deaths in the D.C. region fell roughly 18 percent in 2025, continuing a trend from the previous year that is reflected across the country: A spike in fatalities during the pandemic is now on the decline.” The biggest drops were in D.C. and Prince George’s County, while “in Northern Virginia, fatalities peaked in 2022 at 125. In 2025, police recorded 88.” [Washington Post]
Transportation Needs Complicate FCPS Redistricting — “When the Fairfax County School Board meets on Jan. 10 for a public hearing on school boundary changes, a key issue will be whether transportation will be provided to students who remain at their current school.” The school board split on a vote in December to provide transportation only to students who transfer to their newly assigned school. [Annandale Today]
Possible Plea Agreement in CEO Killing — “Loved ones of a CEO killed while asleep in his Fairfax City home are speaking out against a potential plea agreement that would allow the suspect to serve time in a mental institution instead of prison.” Ahead of a Jan. 23 status hearing, Gret Glyer’s sister and parents say they were told that prosecutors might let the suspect plea not guilty due to insanity. [WUSA9]
Bill Limiting FOIA Costs Returns — State Sen. Danica Roem, who represents the Manassas area, “has reintroduced Senate Bill 56 for the 2026 General Assembly session, which is set to begin next week, reviving an effort to tighten limits on how much state and local governments can charge for public records and to clarify how agencies seek court relief when responding to large or complex requests.” [Virginia Mercury]
Tysons Hotel Acquired — “Growing Virginia investment company SAK Developer has bought its third local extended-stay hotel in the last 20 months, bringing its hotel portfolio to seven. The company paid $37.5 million for the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tysons Corner at 8517 Leesburg Pike in December, according to public records.” Built in 1984, the hotel was renovated in 2018 by its previous owner, Nobel Investment Group. SAK also owns Staybridge Suites Tysons-McLean. [Washington Business Journal]
New Challenger to Rep. Beyer — “Daniel Gray, an Arlington resident and energy and sustainability program manager, announced yesterday (Sunday) that he is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for Virginia’s 8th Congressional district.” He is the fourth candidate looking to unseat incumbent Rep. Don Beyer in a June 16 primary. [ARLnow]
Reston Sculpture Offers Taste of Italy — “No need to travel, we have Italy at home! If you can’t make it to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, you can find a piece of it in a sculpture in Reston.” A downsized replica of Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn’s work “Building Bridges” was installed last fall outside the JW Marriott hotel and residences. [NBC4]
Former Patch Editor Joins FFXnow’s Team — “Northern Virginia local news veteran Emily Leayman is joining ARLnow and its sister sites in the role of Senior Reporter. Leayman was previously an editor at Patch, where she covered numerous major local news events, as well as stories of more hyperlocal interest in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County and elsewhere.” [ARLnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog to clear by 10am, giving way to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 51°F, accompanied by a calm southeasterly wind at 6 mph in the afternoon. Night will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 44°F and a westerly wind at 7 mph. [NWS]
With the new year underway, Dominion Energy is gearing up for another round of tree maintenance along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail, shifting its focus to the Reston area.
The power company has flagged 19 “hazard” trees near its electrical lines for removal in a 2.7-mile stretch of the trail between its Hunter Mill Road substation in Wolf Trap and the Reston substation on Sunset Hills Road, Dominion Electric Transmission Forestry Manager Amanda Keyes told NOVA Parks Executive Director Justin Wilson in a Dec. 16 letter.
A 26-year-old man was arrested last month on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Vienna for brandishing a firearm after he became “aggressive” during a dog-related dispute.
Members of the Vienna Police Department responded to the trail on Dec. 21 after the 26-year-old — who had been told to stop whistling at the dog — began following the dog and its owner before pulling out a gun.
Vienna’s Patrick Henry Library is officially being torn down to make way for a more up-to-date and arguably more attractive replacement.
Construction crews began demolishing the one-story library building — which opened at 101 Maple Street East 54 years ago — late last month, slightly ahead of the most recent project timeline shared by Fairfax County Public Library.
The new year is expected to bring ongoing, but slower, increases in home prices across Fairfax County.
“The prices are going to continue to rise, but slightly, not nearly the rate of increase we’ve seen in other years,” said Terry Clower of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. “It’s not going to be as dramatic.”
New NASA Head on Proposed Space Shuttle Move — “There’s a new NASA administrator in the Trump administration. And just a few weeks into his role, Jared Isaacman has already shared his thoughts on the controversial plan to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Texas,” telling CNBC that NASA could send another spacecraft to the Johnson Space Center if it can’t relocate the Discovery. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Lake Barcroft Businesses Assess Damage After Fire — “Several business owners at Barcroft Plaza are assessing what comes next after a fire tore through the shopping center Thursday morning … Among the businesses damaged were a martial arts studio, a swimming school, and a Benjamin Moore paint store.” [WUSA9]
FCPD Reports Drop in Some Crimes — “Crime fell across several categories in Fairfax County last year, Police Chief Kevin Davis told WTOP, touting the agency’s use of emerging technology, recruitment, retention efforts and focus on road safety. In an interview with WTOP on Friday, Davis said homicides fell 15% in 2025, compared with 2024.” [WTOP]
Progress Stalls on Virginia’s Clean Energy Law — “But five years after [the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s] passage, its clean-up has stalled. The data-center and AI explosion is forcing utilities to take desperate measures to generate more energy, even using dirty fuels. And, it turns out, the law provided exemptions allowing them to do so.” [New Energy Crisis]
Va. Woman’s Napkin Collection Preserved — “That early fascination seeded what over decades would become a paper napkin collection worth preserving. LaRoy kept sliding new finds into a blanket box under her bed — until, some years ago, she finally walked into the Library of Virginia. LaRoy handed them over, more than 1,100 in all, surprising and delighting curators.” [Washington Post]
McLean and Great Falls Legislators Hold Town Halls — “Want to hear about what is in store this General Assembly session and make your voice heard on state level issues? Join me and Senator Jennifer B. Boysko as we host a series of pre-General Assembly session town halls” at Great Falls Library at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Monday) and the McLean Community Center at the same time tomorrow (Tuesday). [Rip Sullivan/Facebook]
Firefighters Offer Free Public Safety Training — “Learn life-saving skills at free public safety training from February through May at Fire Station 3 … Classes cover hands-only CPR/AED, stop the bleed, stroke awareness, fire extinguisher use, smoke alarm basics, and more.” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 45 and a light wind shifting to the south between 5 and 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. By night, skies will be mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 35. The south wind will become calmer in the evening. [NWS]
Mark Crutchfield said his son Brandon was a typical teenager with a quick wit, a love for sports and acting and a knack for making others laugh — until he lost his life to a fentanyl overdose Nov. 4, 2022 at 20 years old.
Crutchfield, a Fairfax County resident and licensed counselor working in addiction treatment, said his son was raised on a strong anti-drug message, and he believed his son understood the risks of drug use. But, as the grieving father says, drugs do not discriminate.
With the calendar turning to 2026, local celebrations of America’s 250th birthday will kick into a new gear, leading up to the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4.
For residents looking to stay closer to home instead of venturing into D.C. for this week’s light show at the Washington Monument, the Town of Vienna will launch its own semiquincentennial festivities this Sunday (Jan. 4) with a “patriotic celebration” near the Town Green.
A key Tysons leader is working to ensure state leaders provide dedicated new funding for transit that she says will help the region thrive.
“Transit in Northern Virginia is cool again,” said Katie Cristol, CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance.
