Around Town

Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 27, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

🌦️ Tuesday’s forecast

Showers are possible from 11am to 5pm with a high near 64°F. It will be mostly cloudy, with a south wind at 6 to 10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. The chance of rain is 40%. Tuesday night, expect mostly cloudy skies with a low around 52°F and a southeast wind around 8 mph. There is a 20% chance of showers, mainly before 7pm and again after 8pm. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


News

A motel along Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon has been playing host to a drug distribution ring, Fairfax County police say.

Officers arrested four people at the Red Carpet Inn (8257 Richmond Highway) on April 17 after a three-month investigation found that they were distributing narcotics out of multiple hotel rooms, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Monday).


News

Just a few years after approving a new comprehensive plan for Reston, Fairfax County officials are taking a closer look at the future of development in a swath of Reston East currently dominated by older office buildings.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff on April 14 to expand a planning study that initially looked at individual office properties south of the Dulles Toll Road to instead include an entire subdistrict from Upper Lake Drive to Hunter Mill Road.


Around Town

Guests at Tysons Corner Center can now partake in candy-themed activities and pose for custom chocolate bar wrappers at the new Hershey’s experience, which held a grand opening last week.

Hershey’s Super Sweet Adventure opened Friday (April 24) on the mall’s first level near Macy’s, following a delay earlier this year. The storefront carries Hershey’s treats and a variety of branded collectibles and merchandise, while the backroom makes way for the ticketed experience: an interactive workshop with activities inspired by Hershey’s various confections.


Event

Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at the BlackRock Center for the Arts as Cruise Planners Beth & Rod present a special travel-inspired matinee featuring the beloved film Under the Tuscan Sun.

Date & Time: Sunday, May 31 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


Countywide

By GARY D. ROBERTSON and DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Supreme Court judges on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the U.S. House.


News

The City of Fairfax is seeking public input on possible improvements to a wonky intersection along Main Street.

The city is studying the intersection of Main Street at its terminus with Lyndhurst Drive and Trapp Road. The intersection is just west of Carter G. Woodson High School.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Police Department’s use of drones has caught the attention of the Trump administration.

Federal officials, including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, visited the FCPD’s Real Time Crime Center on Friday (April 24) to hype up the potential of drones to transform public safety and the U.S. economy.


News

A U.S. Army major employed as a nurse on a military base near Washington, D.C., has been charged with conspiring to provide financial and tactical support to separatist fighters in his native Cameroon, according to court records unsealed last week.

Maj. Kenneth Chungag, a nurse who lives and works on Fort Belvoir in Virginia, is accused of using his military training and experience to assist the Ambazonia Defense Forces in Cameroon.


Countywide
Pavilion near baseball field in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Police Officer’s Gun Fired in Tysons Corner Center — “On the afternoon of April 2, a D.C. police captain was at Level99 … when he lost his personal weapon while playing a game, Fairfax County police said. A teen found the weapon, thought it was a prop and pulled the trigger, investigators said. No one was shot.” [NBC4]

GOP Suggests Returning Part of N. Va. to D.C. — Republican Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia) introduced legislation last week that would “Make D.C. Square Again” by ceding Arlington and Alexandria back to the District “in the wake of Virginia voters approving a redistricting referendum to benefit Democrats’ representation in Congress.” [ARLnow]

Metro Board Approves Automation Plan — “The WMATA board of directors voted [on April 23] to endorse a plan to fully automate the Red Line and add platform screen doors as part of its capital improvement plan. The other lines would come next. The changes wouldn’t be finished on the Red Line until 2032 at the earliest, and are contingent on federal funding.” [Washingtonian]

Bill Makes Contraceptives Free — “Contraceptive services will soon be free for all privately-insured Virginians under a new law starting in 2027. The Contraceptive Equity Act, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Fairfax), will require insurers to cover a broader range of birth control methods without patients having to pay out-of-pocket.” [WHRO]

Mobile Home Fire in Chantilly — Fairfax County firefighters responded just after 1 a.m. on Friday (April 24) to a fire that engulfed a mobile home in the 14500 block of Trans World Avenue in Chantilly. No injuries were reported, but an investigation into the cause of the fire remains underway. [FCFRD/Facebook]

FCPS Principal Defends Early Release Days — “Fairfax County elementary school teachers are using the extra time they receive on monthly early release days to plan, finish trainings, meet with parents and support chronically absent students,” according to Mosaic Elementary School principal Mahri Aste. She says she understands parents’ concerns about the school calendar, but the loss of the scheduled planning time will “impact kids.” [WTOP]

D.C. Considers Self-Driving Taxis — “Robotaxis could be allowed on D.C. streets under a new bill that lays out the rules of the road for autonomous vehicles, providing an alternative to Ubers and Lyfts or traditional taxis.” D.C. Council member Charles “Allen said he sought to address a number of concerns about autonomous vehicles, ranging from safety to congestion to the displacement of human workers.” [Washington Post]

McLean Houses Sell for Combined $25M — “The deals, which create a 6-acre compound across some of the most expensive and exclusive land in Greater Washington, closed 10 days apart. First, on April 14, Arthur and Linda Rodbell sold 1137 and 1169 Crest Lane to Splinter VA LLC for $12.825 million. Then, on Friday, 1173 and 1175 Crest, known as Easter Hill, sold for $12.45 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Monday — Expect patchy fog before 7 a.m., followed by sunny skies with a high around 69°F. Light winds will shift to an eastward direction at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Monday night will be mostly clear, with a low near 47°F and southeast winds of 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]