School news roundup – October 2026
Quantum computing – The Fairfax County School Board approved a motion on Sept. 24 to spend up to $751,000 on the world’s first K-12 quantum computer. The project, a partnership of FCPS, Connected DMV, and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, will install an operational quantum computer, the size of a small refrigerator, at Skyview … Continued
Supervisors approve office-to-residential conversion in Annandale
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 29 unanimously approved a rezoning application from Nicholas Development to permit the conversion of an office building in Annandale to multifamily housing. The board action rezones a six-story building at 7620 Little River Turnpike from C-6 (office) to PDC (planned residential mixed use). The Wells Fargo Bank … Continued
Annandale food hall vendors revealed
The building covered with colorful murals that is being renovated in Annandale will be a food hall with several counters. Located at 7219 Columbia Pike, it is expected to open within the next few weeks. Some of the vendors inside include: Taiyaki is a crunchy fish-shaped cake with a creamy filling. There are Rice Culture … Continued
Bailey’s Rotary Club ends its Mustang raffle after 38 years
The Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads has been raffling off a classic Ford Mustang for the past 38 years to raise money for the club’s community service activities. This year, the Mustangs have gotten too expensive, so the Rotary Club is hosting a sweepstakes for vacations instead. “Pre-Covid, we could get a classic Mustang for … Continued
Breeze Bakery to close temporarily for renovations
Breeze Bakery will be closed Oct. 5-9 for renovations. The shop at 4125 Hummer Road, Annandale, is scheduled to close early on Oct. 4, at 9 p.m., and reopen on Oct. 10. The bakery offers coffee drinks, breakfast breads, savory treats, desserts, special occasion cakes, gelato, and smoothies. It opened in 2010 by the owner … Continued
Annandale’s Oak Hill: Lots of history, no ghosts
Members of the public got a chance to tour Annandale’s oldest house and explore the property’s 275-year-old boxwood grove on Oak Hill Day on Sept. 25. The owners of Oak Hill, currently Joe and Laura Braceland, are required to open the home to the public once a year as required by a county easement. … Continued
U.S. government buys large property on Route 50
The federal government has acquired a 43.6-acre complex on Route 50 in Falls Church from GBA Associates for $285 million, the Washington Business Journal reported on Sept. 25. The property, at 7700 Arlington Blvd., is the headquarters of the Defense Health Agency, which provides healthcare to members of the military and their families and operates … Continued
Seafood buffet opens in Alexandria
Umi Buffet, a new restaurant in Alexandria just east of Bailey’s Crossroads, specializes in hot pot, sushi, snow crab legs, oysters, and shrimp, and offers a large selection of other seafood, ramen, and meat dishes. Umi opened on Sept. 12 in the old TGI Fridays spot on the corner of King Street and Beauregard Street. … Continued
Inova acquires two medical buildings
Inova’s footprint continues to expand throughout the region. The healthcare company purchased two medical office buildings at 8260 and 8280 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield for $97.5 million from Stockdale Capital Partners, the Newmark Group announced on Sept. 23. The two buildings are located close to Inova Fairfax Hospital and the Gallows Road exit … Continued
Annandale man pleads guilty to impersonating an FBI agent at a polling place
An Annandale man pled guilty to impersonating an FBI officer and possessing imitation federal law enforcement credentials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia reported on Sept. 24. On Election Day in November 2024, Alex Chieu Nguyen, 44, arrived at a polling site at Timber Lane Elementary School in Falls Church in … Continued
New artwork in Fairfax honors Covid victims and first responders
Fairfax County officials gathered in front of the Herrity Building at the Government Center Complex in Fairfax on Sept. 23 to dedicate a new public artwork called “Circles of Memory.” The artwork had originally been planned in 2022 as a memorial to honor those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic while also providing a place … Continued
New boundary options proposed for Bren Mar Park ES
Fairfax County Public Schools staff presented four boundary options for Bren Mar Park Elementary School earlier this week. FCPS has dropped a previous proposal opposed by many Bren Mar Park parents that called for students to move to Key Middle School and Lewis High School. Under the latest options under consideration, BMP students would continue … Continued
Three suspects indicted for homicides
A grand jury on Sept. 21 has indicted suspects in three homicides that occurred during the past year following preliminary hearings in the Fairfax County General District Court, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced on Sept. 25. Musa Kargbo, 43, of Prince George’s County, was charged with second-degree murder for stabbing Isha Koroma, 26, outside of … Continued
Descano faces a Primary challenger
Brittany Dunn-Pirio, a career prosecutor, has launched a campaign against Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, who is up for re-election in 2027. They will face off in a Democratic Primary, expected to be scheduled for next spring. “If this office were doing its job, I wouldn’t be running against it. I’d be applying to … Continued
Arts scene emerges in Mason District
By James Albright, chair of the Mason District Arts Council A healthy arts scene is emerging here in Annandale, as the Mason District Arts Council is attracting and supporting new collaborations and events. One of the goals of the Arts Council is to encourage more art and cultural activities in the community by committing to … Continued