A new center for teens struggling with addiction and their mental health has opened in Chantilly.
Government officials and community members gathered yesterday at the Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 16-bedroom facility — located 4211 Walney Road, near a county-run detox center that serves adults — will offer residential, medically managed detox services to youth patients from throughout the region beginning next Tuesday (March 24).
The Federal Communications Commission announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has approved local television giant Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion takeover of Tysons-based rival Tegna.
Earlier that same day, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and his counterparts in seven other states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California, arguing that the merger will illegally reduce competition in journalism and the broadcasting industry while resulting in increased prices and worker layoffs.
One Injured in Bailey’s Crossroads Shooting — “Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) officers responded [on Thursday, March 19] to a shooting in the 5500 block of Seminary Road and found one man who had been shot in the lower body area. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. FCPD said another victim was found, but they were not harmed.” [DC News Now]
Video Shows Mantua Police Shooting — “The Fairfax County Police Department has released the body-worn camera footage from the police-involved shooting at an apartment in Fairfax on Feb. 23.” By the time police arrived, “Chhatra Thapa, 54, had already stabbed his wife, Binda, and daughter, Mamta, and was in the process of stabbing Mamta’s husband, Santosh Basnet.” [Annandale Today]
Partisan Split on Redistricting Referendum — “Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, a Democrat representing part of Fairfax County, said he thinks the referendum will pass, but told WTOP’s Nick Iannelli, ‘It’s going to be close.’ … Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, however, has been a staunch opponent of the referendum and overall push for redistricting.” [WTOP]
Higher Gas Prices Could Drive More to Metro — “Rising gas prices – as well as a drop in crime – have Metro preparing for more people to potentially choose to ride Metro or take the bus instead of driving … Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said the system welcomes additional riders.” [NBC Washington]
McLean Startup Seeks Site for Innovation Center — Claros Inc. is developing a power management system and supply chips for data centers that could help cut down on their energy costs. Aiming to test the products with the company’s first customer by early 2027, CEO Daniel Kultran is “in talks with George Mason University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia” for a new space since its current office in McLean “can’t support the required power draw.” [Washington Business Journal]
Local Author’s Books Set for TV Adaptation — “Fans of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan books can soon see the story brought to life on TV. Tina Fey and Lang Fisher will adapt the books for a Peacock series. The popular adult mystery series is set in Northern Virginia.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Trout Derby Returns to Herndon — “The Town of Herndon will host its annual Kids Trout Fishing Derby on March 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. This family-friendly tradition allows kids ages 2 to 15 to try their hand at trout fishing. The event is held along the Sugarland Run stream, behind the Herndon Police Station.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Metro to Celebrate 50 Years — “We’re celebrating 50 YEARS serving the DMV with a special ride you don’t want to miss! Tell us what Metro means to you (via comment or DM) for a chance to join us on an exclusive trip Fri, March 27. We’ll have special giveaways, music, & more! Enter by March 24 at 12 pm.” [WMATA/Bluesky]
It’s Friday — Expect scattered showers after 2 pm with increasing clouds and a high near 68°F. Showers are likely Friday night, mainly between 8 pm and 2 am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 49°F. Chance of precipitation goes up from 30% during the day to 60% at night. [NWS]
A former chair of the Fairfax County School Board’s budget committee will return to the panel after a judge tossed out a complaint accusing him of embezzling $175,000 from a company he was a part owner of.
Kyle McDaniel, who served as the budget committee chair for 10 months before stepping down last April, is expected to be appointed vice chair of the committee when the school board meets tonight (Thursday), according to the meeting agenda.
War in the Mideast is having an impact on passenger activity at Dulles International Airport.
About two-thirds of flights from Dulles to the broader Middle East region have been cancelled since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) President and CEO Jack Potter told the authority’s board of directors on March 18.
Fairfax County Public Schools officials are open to a more robust artificial intelligence policy, but a final version is still a few months from being ready for primetime.
Staff have been working since October on a comprehensive policy governing the use of AI, an umbrella term for technology that uses computer systems to handle complex tasks. Artificial intelligence has become colloquially associated with generative tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which are trained on existing text, video and images to produce “new” content.
Rebuffing concerns raised by residents on both environmental and transparency grounds, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved the sale of 41.7 acres of county-owned land in Chantilly for development as a data center.
Without making any comments, the supervisors voted 9-0 on Tuesday (March 17) to sell part of the police department’s training facility at 3721 Stonecroft Blvd to Starwood Capital Group under the name SCG Capital Holdings LLC.
Fairfax County ended 2025 with nearly 20% more residents unable to find work than it started the year.
New figures reported yesterday (Wednesday) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advance pegged the county’s unemployment rate at 3.3% in December. Though down from 3.8% in November, it was up from 2.7% at the start of the year.
Roof Collapses During House Fire — Yesterday morning (Wednesday), firefighters “responded to reports of a house fire in the 3100 block of Holmes Run Road in West Falls Church. Units arrived with fire engulfing the roof of a two-story single-family home … During operations, there was a partial roof collapse.” One person “was evaluated for non-life-threatening injuries.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Virginia Joins Tariffs Refund Push — “Attorney General Jay Jones is pressing Congress to force refunds on billions of dollars in tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, arguing the federal government must quickly repay businesses and consumers after the nation’s highest court struck down the policy.” [Virginia Mercury]
Grad Students Left Out of College Labor Bill — “Service workers like janitors and security guards who work for colleges and universities will be allowed to engage in collective bargaining under a bill lawmakers are sending to the governor. But college professors and graduate students are excluded from the bill.” [WVTF]
Quirky Bills Considered by General Assembly — “Hidden among the more than 3,000 bills filed are a few gems, like ones aimed at taxing porn, studying fungi and more.” Legislation sent by lawmakers to Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger include a ban on livestreaming while driving and a bill that would require movie theaters to show a certain number of films with subtitles or open captioning. [Axios Richmond]
N. Va. Getting First Women’s Sports Bar — “Women’s sports fans could soon have a bar of their own in Arlington. Sarah White, a longtime local restaurateur and partner at Westover Taco, is in the process of buying out of the taqueria at 5849 Washington Blvd.” She plans to turn the establishment into what she says will be Northern Virginia’s first sports bar to center on women’s teams. [ARLnow]
Watch for Roadwork in Fort Belvoir — “The Fort Belvoir community should plan to avoid the intersection of Stonewall Jackson and Gorgas Road from March 23-24 due to construction. Crews will be using heavy equipment to repave the lane divider. The area will be an active construction site with road closures and is off-limits for safety reasons.” [Fort Belvoir/X]
Walkway Proposed on Idylwood Road — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Transportation (FCDOT) will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 7 p.m., to gather public input” on a project to add an asphalt walkway along Idylwood Road from Idylwood Court to Hillside Drive. “Additional feedback will be accepted via an online survey available after the meeting through April 2.” [FCDOT]
When GMU Men’s Basketball Made Final Four — “Twenty years ago, George Mason University’s men’s basketball team defied odds, toppled giants, and created a legacy that continues to reverberate in the college sports world.” After entering the NCAA tournament in 2006 in the at-large No. 11 seed, the Patriots “emerged as the longest-shot ever to reach the vaunted Final Four.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 55 degrees and a gentle south wind at 5 to 7 mph. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 40 degrees and a light south wind. [NWS]
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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (March 17) lauded 50 years of service by the county’s Master Gardeners program.
During a presentation, Board Chairman Jeff McKay praised the “dedication, expertise and spirit of service” of volunteers who have supported the effort over the past half-century.
