Another pedestrian has been killed in a crash on Fairfax County roads.
Officers were dispatched for a crash involving a pedestrian at Route 29 and Braxton Wood Court, just north of the Providence Place (formerly Pan Am) shopping center, in Merrifield at 6:48 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 29), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
As Arthur Read famously sang, having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card — especially one designed by the local community.
Earlier this month, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) unveiled the winning designs from a month-long contest that invited members of the public to come up with fresh artwork for its checkout cards.
Starting tomorrow (Tuesday), Vienna residents will have to travel a bit further to satisfy their Wendy’s cravings.
The fast food chain’s store in the neighborhood, located at 411 Maple Ave East, is closing after wrapping up service at midnight today (Monday), an employee confirmed to FFXnow.
Workers at two more Starbucks in Fairfax County could unionize, as a labor strike continues in response to stalled contract negotiations.
Petitions for union elections were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last Tuesday (Dec. 23) by 14 employees at the Plaza America cafe in Reston (11610-A Plaza America Drive) and 17 at the location at 1438 Chain Bridge Road in McLean.
FBI Building Reportedly Closing — “After 50 years as the FBI’s main headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building in D.C. is closing permanently, Director Kash Patel announced Friday … He didn’t state the exact date the building will close and when FBI employees will move into its new offices.” The closure would mark the end of a building that has been called one of the world’s ugliest. [WTOP]
Slime Museum Circles Tysons Location — Building alteration plans recently filed with Fairfax County “call for the buildout of a two-level space near the Nordstrom [at Tysons Corner Center] for the Sloomoo Institute, an ‘experiential slime children’s museum’ with locations in major metros across the United States.” A spokesperson says Sloomoo hasn’t yet signed a lease but “hopes to open in the area ‘soon.'” [Washington Business Journal]
Bills Planned to Support Emergency Managers — State lawmakers are planning to bring back bills to fund emergency management programs and personnel across Virginia after the legislation died in committee during the General Assembly’s 2025 session. “That lack of staffing has led emergency management to become more reactive rather than proactive, according to emergency management personnel, in areas across the state that lack full-time, dedicated emergency managers.” [Cardinal News]
Senator Warner Reflects on 2025 Work — “Reflecting on 2025, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he and his office helped tens of thousands of people across the state with individual requests, while criticizing cuts at federal agencies and the law enforcement surge in D.C.” [WTOP]
Post-Holiday Recycling Tips — “It’s always a wonderful time to recycle, especially during the holidays when there are usually more items to consider … The guide below will help you navigate all of the opportunities to recycle this holiday season.” Live trees will be picked up by collectors starting in early January, though they can also be disposed of at the I-66 Transfer Station or I-95 Landfill to be turned into free mulch. [Fairfax County Government]
Vienna Hosts LOVE Sign — “The Town of Vienna will be host to Virginia’s LOVE sign from December 29, 2025 to Jan 5, 2026. It will be located at the Memorial Fountain area at the Town Green on Maple Avenue. Stop by any time to take photographs of the LOVE sign! Please share your photos on social media using the hashtag #LoveVA and #Vienna250.” [Historic Vienna]
First Hike Photo Contest to Return — “New Year’s Day in Fairfax County means it’s time for the Park Authority’s annual First Hike Photo Contest. To participate, visit any FCPA trail on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, take a photo, and submit it online before Friday, Jan. 2. The photo link will be posted here by 7 a.m. on Jan. 1.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Monday — Showers are likely before 10am, followed by cloudy conditions that will gradually clear up. Temperatures will peak at 58°F around 11am, but will then drop to around 41°F. Expect windy conditions. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. Tonight, partly cloudy skies and a low of 27°F can be anticipated. [NWS]
A teenager and a 75-year-old woman have died after a crash that occurred on the Capital Beltway (I-495) on Christmas.
Virginia State Police troopers and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched around 10:39 p.m. yesterday (Thursday) for a crash at the 49-mile marker near the I-66 interchange in Idylwood.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The developers of a Virginia offshore wind project are asking a federal judge to block a Trump administration order that halted construction of their project, along with four others, over national security concerns.
Dominion Energy Virginia said in its lawsuit filed late Tuesday (Dec. 23) that the government’s order is “arbitrary and capricious” and unconstitutional. The Richmond-based company is developing Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, a project it says is essential to meet dramatically growing energy needs driven by dozens of new data centers.
Annandale Church Houses Santa Bone Fragment — “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he’s in Annandale. Well, at least a bone fragment. Deacon Elmer explains that the small piece of one of the saint’s finger bones came to the church in the 1980s, donated by a parishioner who obtained it in Rome. It’s believed there are fewer than 20 relics of St. Nick currently in the United States.” [WAMU]
FCPD Officer Arrested for DUI — “On December 23, officers from the DWI Squad arrested Austin Wilkerson, 26, of Springfield, a 4-year veteran of the department, who was off-duty at the time of the incident.” Assigned to the Mount Vernon District station, Wilkerson has been charged with driving under the influence and “placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs Bureau Investigation.” [FCPD]
Sentencing in Fatal Teen Overdose Case — “Last week, a federal judge sentenced 24-year-old Liam Conaway to 20 years in a federal prison. Prosecutors said he admitted obtaining the fentanyl-laced pills and selling them to [Fairfax County teen Cayden] Foster. Conaway was a student at James Madison University, and prosecutors said Cayden and Conaway had consumed pills together during Conaway’s school break from JMU.” [WTOP]
Former TJ Student Makes Olympic Team — “Congratulations to TJ alum Brandon Kim ’20! Brandon has been named to the Team USA Short Track team by US Speedskating and will represent the United States on the world stage at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics this February! We’ll be cheering Brandon on all winter long, Go Team USA!” [FCPS/Facebook]
Federal Cuts Hit D.C.-Area Nonprofits — “Laura Tomasko, senior policy program manager at the Urban Institute, said her organization’s new analysis looks at how D.C.-area nonprofits fared and what could happen next … Their analysis shows 43% of nonprofits in the D.C. area reported experiencing a disruption to their government funding, compared with 33% of nonprofits nationwide.” [WTOP]
Lawmakers Could Loosen Liquor Rules — “Changes to a law restricting liquor sales at Virginia restaurants are still on the mind of at least one state legislator representing Arlington.” Del. Patrick Hope (D-1) says “he is ‘open to revisiting’ a law that mandates that no more than 55% of a restaurant’s sales can come from liquor or mixed drinks.” [ARLnow]
Korean Seafood Restaurant Opens in Annandale — “A new Korean restaurant in Annandale specializes in raw blue crab marinated in soy sauce. GJ2_4U is located at 7031 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, between Kabob Corner and Iron Age, in the space formerly occupied by Thai Food.” [Annandale Today]
Capital Bikeshare Sets New Ridership Record — “Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) broke its all-time annual ridership record in November, reaching 6,369,376 trips in 2025. This surpasses the previous annual record of 6,114,324 trips, set in 2024 … However, while annual totals have reached new heights, recent monthly ridership has cooled significantly.” [Greater Greater Washington]
It’s Friday — There’s a 40% chance of precipitation, with rain likely between noon and 4pm, followed by a chance of sleet after 4pm. The day will be mostly cloudy with a high near 35. At night, the chance of precipitation increases to 80% with a low around 35. Expect rain mixed with sleet before 10pm, turning to rain until 1am. [NWS]
Fairfax County saw no year-over-year change, but across the D.C. region overall, deaths connected to impaired driving were down 26% from 2023 to 2024, according to new data.
The recently released annual “How Safe Are Our Roads? Report” by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recorded 74 fatalities connected to alcohol- and/or drug-related vehicle incidents last year — 100 fewer deaths than in the previous year and below the five-year average of 90.
Christmas is in the air, which means many local government services are about to wind down so their workers can take off for the holiday.
Like on Thanksgiving, municipal offices for Fairfax County and the towns of Vienna and Herndon will all be closed tomorrow and Thursday (Dec. 25) for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Fairfax City will close its government offices starting at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.
