News

First responders in swift water boats and a U.S. Park Police helicopter are scouring the Potomac River for a man who went missing while swimming in the Great Falls Park area yesterday (Sunday).

Montgomery County’s police and fire departments received a call around 6:15 p.m. for a swimmer in distress near the Billy Goat Trail in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park in Potomac, Maryland.


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News

Fifty new citizens took an oath of allegiance to the U.S. last week during a naturalization ceremony held at a founding father’s home 250 years to the day that Virginia adopted his seminal prelude to the Declaration of Independence.

As part of two days of “Declaration Day” festivities, citizens from 17 different countries on Friday (June 12) raised their right hands and promised to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States” on the grounds of Gunston Hall, once owned by George Mason, who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights.


Countywide

After a contentious debate, the Fairfax County School Board will give parents the opportunity to opt out of take-home laptops and tablets in the upcoming school year and study stronger screen limits and restrictions.

At its meeting Thursday (June 11), the board discussed restrictions on screen time and school-provided devices for students amid local, regional and national pushback against technology in classrooms, particularly in elementary schools.


Event

Are you interested in learning about how Continuing Care Retirment Communities work, but don’t know where to start? Join our free workshop at 5:00 on Tue., 6/16 to learn more and ask questions!

If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as “Life Plan Communities”), whether for yourself or for a loved one, please join our free workshop on Tuesday, June 16 from 5:00-7:00 at the Arlington office of Long & Foster.


Countywide

A combination of more sales and higher average prices pushed Fairfax County’s real estate sales volume up 17% year-over-year in May, according to new data.

A total of 1,427 residential properties went to closing last month, up 11.7% from 1,278 in May 2025, according to figures that MarketStats by ShowingTime reported June 10 based on data from Bright MLS.


Countywide
Shoppers browse booths at the Clifton Farmers’ Market at 12644 Chapel Road (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Va. House Releases Budget Proposal — “Budget leaders in the Virginia House of Delegates announced a new roughly $74 billion spending plan during a Friday morning press conference in Richmond … Most of the new funding is dedicated to public education while preserving the sales tax exemption for data centers, which the Senate proposed nixing.” [VPM News]

Trump Admin Sues Va. Over ICE Laws — “The Trump administration is suing Virginia over new state laws surrounding immigration enforcement, including one that bans U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing masks … On Thursday, June 11, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging these new laws, calling them unconstitutional.” [WRIC]

Fairfax Residents Moving to Richmond — “Migration data released by the Internal Revenue Service (which tracks where people file their tax returns) shows an uptick in the number of people moving out of Fairfax County and into the Richmond metro. The data also shows a smaller, but still significant trend: The Roanoke Valley now attracts more new residents from Fairfax County than it loses to the state’s most populous county.” [Cardinal News]

Amazon Eyes Distribution Site in Tysons — “Amazon.com Inc. is expected to bring its new 30-minute delivery option to Tysons and Arlington as the competition to provide the speediest distribution heats up among the world’s largest online retailers.” The company is seeking multiple permits to build out “an 8,450-square-foot industrial storefront sandwiched between Tyco Road and the Dulles Access Road,” possibly for its Amazon Now delivery service for groceries and “household essentials.” [Washington Business Journal]

Assistant Police Chief Leaving — “Assistant Chief Brooke Wright will retire from the Fairfax County Police Department after almost three decades of service, leadership, and commitment to public safety. She has been appointed Assistant Chief with the Wilmington Police Department in North Carolina, where she will continue her law enforcement career.” [FCPD]

Spanberger Defends Vetoes — “The pushback has exposed ideological and procedural tensions inside Virginia’s Democratic Party at a moment when lawmakers had hoped to capitalize on full control of Richmond after years of divided government. Spanberger, however, rejects the idea that her vetoes reflect dysfunction or political drift.” [Virginia Mercury]

First Varsity Girls’ Wrestlers Head to College — “Two years later, Fairfax County made girls’ varsity wrestling a new sports option. MacKay was eager to join and did, becoming part of a cohort of first-ever team members across the Northern Virginia suburb. Now, MacKay and two other students who were part of the inaugural teams have been recruited to compete in college.” [WTOP]

Madison Girls Win Lacrosse State Title — “The Madison High School girls lacrosse team can finally put last season’s state runner-up finish behind them. On Saturday, the Warhawks held off Battlefield 11-9 in the Class 6 state final at Briar Woods High School in Ashburn to claim a state title they almost captured a year ago.” [Inside NoVA]

New Legal Notice — On-premises beer and wine license application; objections within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies with a high near 80 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 9 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. Monday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 60 degrees and a northwest wind at 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Friday 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 — Jun 12, 2026.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  • Police identify driver killed in sixth fatal Old Keene Mill Road crash in three years (20016 views)
  • New ice cream shop selling ultra-premium scoops opens in Vienna (8504 views)
  • Dogfish Head Alehouse targets October opening in Reston (6875 views)
  • Fairfax County board OKs pilot program for reduced 20-mph speeds on certain roads (6703 views)
  • IKEA assembles Chantilly store for opening next week (8360 views)
  • Shrinking N. Va. job market flagged as a concern at regional economic forum (6157 views)
  • Three teenagers accused of ‘grab and run’ thefts in Tysons (5085 views)
  • Woman shot by CIA Police pleads guilty after crashing into HQ gate while drunk (4210 views)
  • DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival finds new venues after four years at Dulles Expo Center (4148 views)
  • Planning commission backs more density, community amenities for Lorton (3540 views)
  • Redevelopment of Reston’s Bowman House tract wins support of planning commission (3456 views)
  • Reston space technology company expands to Merrifield (3394 views)
  • Fairfax City Council unanimously updates noise restrictions, adds criminal penalty (3144 views)
  • 📅 Upcoming events

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

    Here are the events planned for Sunday:

    ☀️ Saturday’s forecast

    Expect sunny weather with temperatures reaching a high of around 87°F and a northwest wind at approximately 6 mph. Saturday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to about 67°F and light, variable winds. 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.

    We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋


    Weather

    More than 21,200 Dominion Energy customers in Fairfax County have reported losing power as a result of thunderstorms currently passing through the region.

    As of 8 p.m., the majority of outages are focused in the eastern part of the county, though some in the Fair Oaks area have also been affected, according to Dominion’s outage map. In most cases, the utility hasn’t determined an estimated time of restoration yet.


    News

    Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (June 9) honored students from robotics teams at two schools for participation in recent international competition.

    The Hayfield Secondary School Night Hawks and Marshall High School Gryphon Robotics each competed in the FIRST Robotics World Championship, held in Houston April 29-May 2.