Airlines at a growing Dulles International Airport will see higher operating costs in 2026 under a new budget adopted Nov. 19 by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).
The $889.5 million package, adopted unanimously by the authority’s board of directors, estimates that the “cost per enplanement” at Dulles will rise from the $11.17 budgeted in 2025 to $12.77 in 2026 — an increase of about 14%.
As the federal government slashes public safety funding, including grants supporting programs for crime victims, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano joined other top prosecutors in Alexandria this week to hear stories from survivors.
For more than an hour on Wednesday (Nov. 19), Descano, Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Deghani-Tafti and Norfolk CA Ramin Fatehi listened to crime survivors at the National Organization of Victim Advocacy (510 King Street) headquarters, next door to the Alexandria Courthouse.
Vending machines that encourage charitable giving are returning to Tysons Corner Center just in time for the holidays.
The Light the World Giving Machines, which are sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, will be unveiled outside the AMC Theatres (7850 Tysons Corner Center) at noon tomorrow (Saturday) and continue operations through Jan. 4.
Harris Teeter Plans Layoffs — “North Carolina-based supermarket chain Harris Teeter will permanently close a fulfillment center in Fairfax County on Feb. 1, 2026, resulting in layoffs of 91 employees. Harris Teeter notified the state of the closure and layoffs on Tuesday,” indicating that delivery operations from the site at 6306 Gravel Avenue in Franconia “may begin to wind down in early to mid-January 2026.” [Virginia Business]
Deep Dive Into Virginia Election Data — While the results of Virginia’s Nov. 4 elections won’t be officially certified until Dec. 1 “enough dust has settled since the polls closed on Election Day that we can look at some of the commonwealth’s interesting voting trends in 2025.” The data confirms that voters heavily favored Democrats, with all 133 jurisdictions in the state moving further left compared to the 2021 gubernatorial race. [VPM Media]
Driver Hospitalized After Bailey’s Crossroads Crash — “An adult male is in the hospital in a life-threatening condition following a crash in the 3400 block of Carlin Springs Road in Bailey’s Crossroads shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 19.” Police say the man was driving a BMW “at a high rate of speed toward Leesburg Pike when he struck a bollard and lost control of the vehicle.” [Annandale Today]
Fairfax Man Charged with Child Porn — “A 19-year-old Fairfax City man is facing 29 charges of possession of child pornography, according to authorities.” The man was arrested on Wednesday (Nov. 19) following a search of his home “in connection to an unnamed incident that occurred on Sept. 28, according to court documents.” [Patch]
Driver Crashes into Tysons Store — ” A woman has been cited for reckless driving after crashing into the American Girl doll store at Tysons Corner and injuring a wheelchair user Wednesday afternoon, according to police.” [WUSA9]
New Tool Helps With Food Donations — “Fairfax County has developed a new tool to help residents support food distributions in their communities. The Emergency Food Access Providers Application has added a ‘donate’ geolocation tool to allow users to see which food distribution sites need donations and the types of donations they are accepting.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Bagel Deli Legal Fight Brewing — The owners of Call Your Mother, the D.C. deli that now boasts three Fairfax County locations, filed a lawsuit this week “against Bubbi Bagels — also known as Call Your Bubbi — a bagel shop that opened on the Jersey Shore last year.” Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira argue that the New Jersey shop’s continued use of the name Call Your Bubbi and a similar bagel-focused logo infringes on their trademark. [Washingtonian]
Winter Lantern Festival Returns — “Hundreds of lanterns light the night sky in Tysons for the holiday season,” as the Winter Lantern Festival returns to Lerner Town Square (8025 Galleria Drive) for a fourth year. Featuring light displays, food and entertainment, the festival will open tomorrow (Saturday) and stay through Jan. 20, per its online calendar. Tickets start at $18. [Out and About Fairfax]
It’s Friday — Rain is expected mostly after 1pm, accompanied by mostly cloudy conditions and a high temperature near 56°F. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. Friday night will see temperatures drop to 49°F with a 90% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is looking for resident feedback on potential improvements along the Route 29 corridor in West Falls Church.
FCDOT has launched a study of the Route 29 corridor, between I-495 in the county to Tripps Run at the Falls Church City border, east of South Maple Avenue.
A new massage ordinance adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Nov. 18) aims to be a compromise, ensuring the safety of clients and staff while addressing concerns about illicit activity, including human trafficking.
County supervisors voted unanimously in support of the amendment to the Fairfax County Code, replacing an ordinance that had been in effect since 2000.
Fairfax County Public Schools is not shying away from embracing artificial intelligence.
The school district is one of the first nationwide to partner with OpenAI to help guide the rollout of “ChatGPT for Teachers,” a new tool intended to provide planning assistance for educators.
Fairfax County has identified new operators for three of its homeless shelters after cutting ties with New Hope Housing in September.
The Fairfax City-based nonprofit Shelter House has taken over the Eleanor Kennedy Shelter (9155 Richmond Highway) in Fort Belvoir as well as Mondloch House and Place, an emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing site (3510 Lockheed Blvd) in Groveton.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a conceptual development plan on Tuesday (Nov. 18) that calls for a mix of housing, office, retail, hotel and park space on a key 4.8-acre parcel near the Spring Hill Metro station in the Tysons West area.
The unanimous vote in support of Piazza at Tysons is the latest step in a redevelopment effort that has been under review for five years.
Va. Democrats Unveil Initial Agenda — Minimum wage increases, the creation of a recreational cannabis market, constitutional amendments on abortion rights and marriage equality and other proposals stalled under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be priorities for Virginia Democrats when they take control of the state government in 2026. Cost of living is a major focus of the first pre-filed bills. [Washingtonian]
Tysons Metro Station Manager Threatened — “Metro Transit Police Department said its officers, along with the Fairfax County Police Department, responded to the Tysons Corner Metro station [yesterday] after a woman allegedly threatened a station manager. She was placed under arrest for assault, disorderly conduct, and fare evasion.” [DC News Now]
$300K Income Needed for N. Va. Home — “The National Association of Realtors says the average first-time home buyer is now 40, an all-time high. The path to homeownership could be even tougher if you live in Northern Virginia.” Homebuyers need to earn roughly $300,000 to afford a single-family house in Northern Virginia, with median prices nearing or surpassing $1 million, Bright MLS economist Lisa Sturtevant says. [NBC4]
Metrobus Introduces Contactless Payments — “On Tuesday, WMATA launched Tap. Ride. Go. to make paying for bus fare easier on the Metrobus … Riders can now get a transfer discount between Metrorail and Metrobus by using the same card when transferring.” The system, which lets riders pay by tapping a credit card, debit card, or Google or Apple Pay, has been in place for trains since May. [WUSA9]
New Opening Date for Aldi — After previously displaying a Nov. 20 opening date on its website, Aldi announced yesterday that its new store at the West Springfield Shopping Mall (6230 Rolling Road) will in fact celebrate its grand opening on Dec. 4. The launch will include assorted giveaways and promotions, along with a “sneak peek” the preceding day. [FFXnow]
Merrifield Italian Store Braces for Tariff — “A proposed tariff on Italian pasta that could take effect in January may cause you to lose your appetite. Vally Graham, the general manager of Olio2go, a specialty Italian store in Fairfax County, Virginia, says if the tariff takes effect, it will jack up prices significantly.” [WTOP]
Astronaut Visits Former Elementary School — “Blue Origin astronaut George C. Nield visited his elementary school alma mater, North Springfield Elementary School, [on Nov. 18] to talk with students about his experience traveling to space.” The visit was part of a week-long Space in the Community program that also included a community night held yesterday (Wednesday) at Dogwood Elementary School in Reston, among other activities. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
When to Travel for Thanksgiving — “There’ll be a record-breaking 81.8 million Americans leaving town for Thanksgiving this year, AAA predicts … The DMV’s worst Turkey Day traffic will be the Tuesday before Thanksgiving around 4:30pm on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway heading out of the D.C., per INRIX.” [Axios DC]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature near 52 degrees accompanied by a light and variable wind. Thursday night will also be mostly cloudy, while the temperature drops to around 43 degrees and a calm wind prevails. [NWS]
