He came across several TV ads, some of which urged voters to support the amendment and others that encouraged voters to reject it. A lot of constitutional amendments, Jiggetts said, can be written in ways that are confusing for voters who don’t take time to research what they really mean. So, he set aside time to learn what voting “yes” or “no” meant and had conversations with friends and colleagues about it.

As Tuesday’s special election approaches, some voters said they find redistricting and the ballot question confusing, largely because of conflicting mail fliers and TV commercials. Some include politicians, such as former President Barack Obama, and others have targeted voters with references to the Jim Crow era. While most ballots will only feature the “yes” or “no” question, it’s a departure from a traditional ballot, which typically separate candidates based on political party.

“Usually with these elections, it’s typically just a ‘D’ and an ‘R’,” said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “Now, it’s kind of more, you really have to do your research. I’ve seen TV ads from the ‘no’ side where, ‘Obama and Spanberger are against gerrymandering, let’s vote against this.’ The voters really have to do their research here.”

Shortly after early voting started in March, some flyers had Jim Crow era images circulated, discouraging voters from supporting redistricting. Some mailers pictured the Ku Klux Klan. The NAACP Virginia State Conference described the effort as a “coordinated misinformation campaign targeting Black Virginians with deceptive, racially charged flyers, mailers and billboards.”

But there are other variations as well.

“I’ve been targeted a lot,” said Laura Fries, who voted in Alexandria on Friday afternoon. “There have been a lot of commercials. I’m getting lots of flyers, lots of disinformation, which has made me very unhappy. I feel like they’ve twisted some words from people from previous administrations that’s not really looking at what this particular issue is going to do.”

Kerry Leibig, meanwhile, follows current events, so she wasn’t confused upon seeing a pamphlet that had Obama’s picture and urged voters to vote “no.” But she said, “I did wonder if people who maybe weren’t as well-invested in politics might get confused.”

Yves Fischer, for one, had questions about the mixed messaging.

“It’s a bit confusing,” Fischer said. “But luckily, I have a beautiful Democratic wife that explained to me what I’m supposed to be voting.”

A Fairfax County election official told ������Ƶapp that they’ve been fielding calls from voters who, after casting a ballot, believe they voted incorrectly based on a new ad or flier they came across later.

Lucas Barton said he had already figured out how he wanted to vote before seeing the ads because he did research on the ballot item. And Margo Cunniffe said she was expecting people to “put twists on issues,” but was surprised by the quantity of mail she received about redistricting.

“I got at least five or six pieces, and then I got things via email as well,” Cunniffe said.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said it’s generally easier for voters to focus on a particular candidate than a ballot issue, making the issue confusing for some voters.

“Do you like this candidate? Do you dislike this candidate? Rather than constitutional issues,” Farnsworth said.

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Sheri Malry recently called the Fairfax County Government Center and asked if the facility was offering curbside voting.

She has bad knees and a bad hip, and can’t comfortably walk long distances. But the stakes were too high for her to not vote on the redistricting referendum in person.

She was grateful when the staffer who answered the phone indicated the site had curbside voting available. Malry took advantage on Tuesday afternoon.

The curbside voting option is part of Fairfax County’s accessible voting initiative for community members who are 65 and older or who have disabilities. While the options are and have been available, county officials are hoping to make residents aware that they exist.

“What it all comes down to is that at the end of the day, there are options in place,” said Sean Stewart, communications division chief for Fairfax County’s Office of Elections. “We want to make sure folks can cast that ballot. We want to do everything we can to make it an easy, efficient, straightforward process, and part of that is just letting folks know.”

Virginia voters can request a mailed ballot to vote absentee, they can vote early or vote on Election Day. All polling locations are accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which Stewart said is a federal requirement.

Voting locations also have a magnifying device for voters with low vision and community members can ask for other accommodations based on individual circumstances. Ballot marking devices are available for use before a ballot goes into a scanner and they have a keypad with braille buttons and a screen reader with an audio headset, according to county documents.

Language assistance officers at polling sites help to address “specific community needs across the county,” Stewart said.

Curbside voting has been an option for years, Stewart said, and it has expanded.

When a driver parks in a designated curbside voting spot, they call a number that’s displayed. Two election officers in yellow vests check the voter in, “let you cast that ballot in private, walk it back inside in the privacy folder and cast it on your behalf. Never have to leave the car.”

Generally, about 2-3% of voters each day use the curbside option, Stewart said.

“It’s an extension of the process,” Stewart said. “It’s not something unique, it’s not something separate, it’s not something different, right? It’s just us making sure that the same requirements are in place and the same security procedures are in place, whether you’re in your car because you need to be or whether you’ve joined us inside the polling location.”

Over 2,000 election officers will be posted across the county Tuesday, Stewart said. They’re appointed by the Fairfax County elections office and approved by local parties. All officers are aware of accessible voting options, and there’s always a team of at least a couple in place to help with curbside voting.

Malry, meanwhile, called the overall process quick and convenient.

“Five minutes, they’re out, I’m voting, I’m on my way,” she said.

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Gonzalez, a senior at Oxon Hill High School, told herself she needed to do her best to edge out the other finalists. Her nerves started to take over.

But then, as she and the other finalists entered the room at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in Northwest D.C., the emotions changed. A group immediately yelled “Surprise!” while holding large signs.

Nearly an hour later, Gonzalez remained in shock. The competition had ended, and each of the finalists had actually become recipients.

Gonzalez was one of three students awarded the Chris Crane Memorial Scholarship from Pepco and the Exelon Foundation on Tuesday afternoon.

The recognition, which features full tuition, room and board for up to four years, is given to students planning to study business, finance, engineering or IT. Gonzalez is hoping to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate in aerospace engineering.

“As a first-generation student coming from an immigrant family, this scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to actually have access to higher education and pursue a degree that I would have for the first time in my family,” Gonzalez told ������Ƶapp.

Tyler Anthony, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings, said hundreds of applications were submitted for the scholarship. Throughout the summer, the company runs STEM academies and evaluates students’ performances.

The scholarship winners, Anthony said, are based on interviews and performance at the STEM academy. It’s the fifth year the company has provided the scholarships.

“As a CEO, you think about community, and you see the moms and dads tearing up and what this means to changing lives,” he said. “It’s just a really good, feel good moment.”

Junior Ventura, a student at Capital City Public Charter School in D.C., described the initial suspense as intense. He was relieved when he realized what was actually going on.

“My family, we’ve always been people who worked hard,” Ventura said. “In my neighborhood, you never really hear about doctors too much, or lawyers. Very often, you’ll hear dishwashers, restaurant servers.”

Ventura’s an aspiring mechanical engineer, and he’s hoping to participate in as many college clubs as his schedule will allow.

“My dad is a restaurant server,” Ventura said. “So for me, being able to just become an engineer now, and be somebody in the family who has access to be able to pursue a professional degree, it’ll be life changing for my family.”

Jacob Kaminski, from Clayton, Delaware, said the financial help “takes off the financial burden, not just myself and my family as well, because having two younger siblings at home, it allows my parents to focus on them.”

He plans to major in civil engineering and said he hopes to one day “make lasting impact in (my) community.”

“I’m very excited to go back home, tell my friends and show my siblings and the kids I teach that college is always an opportunity through hard work,” he said.

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The high schooler vividly remembers the conditions inside the shelter and the feeling he had immediately afterward. Instead of feeling helpless, Vo said he became inspired to take action.

In December, about a year after his brother’s death, Vo launched the . The group of students from across Fairfax County, Virginia, is bonded over a mission to support community members most in need.

“I just feel like everyone should receive the same dignity and support that every other person should have, despite their background or wherever they’re coming from,” Vo told ������Ƶapp. “At the end of the day, we’re all human.”

The group features about 100 students from several Fairfax County schools.

Vo, a junior at Carter G. Woodson High School, said the nonprofit’s first project was a winter warmth drive. Students donated beanies, blankets and hand-warmers “for our unhoused neighbors to stay warm” during frigid conditions.

Separately, they assembled more than 70 dental hygiene kits, using items donated by area dentists. Each kit also included what Vo described as a kindness card, featuring a positive message and artwork created by a student.

The kits, Vo said, were distributed through the Northern Virginia group , which helps young people and mothers experiencing homelessness.

“Small things like making a kindness card or participating in activities like this goes a long way,” Vo said. “Even if you think that you’re not making that much of a difference just by making a kindness card, for example again, it really goes a long way, and it really does continue to help lead to positive impacts in our community and help those in need.”

Recipients of the kits or the group’s other projects, Vo said, are able to “see that they’re valued and seen and that they aren’t alone in their struggling situations.”

Vo said he works to balance the nonprofit work with his schoolwork and extracurricular activities because he wants to “make a positive impact and try to gather students and make meaningful change.”

He hopes to expand the nonprofit’s reach, by adding more schools and recruiting additional volunteers.

“I feel like if we have more outreach and community efforts, we could definitely make more positive impact and just continue to keep making meaningful change in support of our unhoused neighbors,” Vo said.

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Signs that say, “Don’t Fairfax Me” and “Vote No” started appearing in rural parts of Virginia, reported. And on social media, Del. Wren Williams, whose district includes several counties in the southwestern portion of the state, defined “Fairfaxphobia.”

Early voting has been underway for weeks, but on April 21, voters will decide whether to OK a plan that would redraw Virginia’s congressional map. Currently, the state has elected six Democrats and five Republicans across its 11 districts. The proposed map could give Democrats a 10-1 advantage, experts say.

Virginia Democrats argue the step comes in response to President Donald Trump’s push for redistricting in Republican-led states. Republicans have been critical of the effort.

Williams is describing “Fairfaxphobia” as a fear that political power concentrated in Fairfax County will make decisions for the whole state and create policies impacting some communities that they can’t afford.

“We don’t want to be Fairfax County,” Williams told ������Ƶapp. “We don’t want skyscrapers. I don’t want to have to go somewhere outside and walk around to find some patches of grass to touch. I am interested in rural life, a little bit easier, a little bit simpler, a little bit more laid back, not as fast paced.”

As part of the proposed map, Williams said, “at least five districts run up and split up Fairfax County, which will eventually lead to five sitting congressional members from the county of Fairfax, and that’s just not representative of the entirety of the commonwealth.”

Jeannette, a longtime Northern Virginia resident, said people who live in the northern part of the state “are seen as an anomaly, maybe to the rest of Virginia, given our, I think, collective more liberal leaning. And I understand why they’re saying that, but I think we should separate that from the goal of the referendum.”

Dave Lincoln, meanwhile, said Friday he hadn’t heard about the signs in rural parts of the state but, “I guess it’s — we are what we are.”

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell called the campaign disappointing, because “Fairfax County does a lot for the entire state. If it wasn’t for Fairfax, our state would have the economy of Mississippi.”

The “Don’t Fairfax Me” signs say they’re paid for and authorized by a political action committee called “New Vision VA.” Dominion Energy made a $25,000 donation to the PAC, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Yves Fischer, who lives in Alexandria, said the messaging and advertising on the redistricting referendum are confusing.

For Tiffany, “I guess they’re saying ‘Don’t Fairfax’ Virginia, because obviously we are a much more educated, classy, professional, employed area, and we, of course, are going to vote ‘yes’ on this.”

In Springfield on Friday afternoon, Ann said she hadn’t seen or heard about the signs, but, “It should be a big ‘no.’ It’s not right. It’s not fair to most Virginians.”

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The proposal, which passed through the state’s General Assembly, would have paved the way for Fairfax County leaders to decide whether to put a casino question on the ballot. Based on the legislation, the casino and entertainment complex would have either been built near the Spring Hill Metro station or in the parking lot where Cirque du Soleil is typically held.

Advocates have said the potential casino project would bring needed jobs and revenue to Northern Virginia, often referencing business lost to Virginians who go to MGM National Harbor. Critics, though, have worried about crime, traffic and questioned whether Tysons needs a casino.

“Local governing boards should lead on proposed casino development, as has happened in every locality that now has a casino,” Spanberger said in a statement. “But in Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors has explicitly opposed this legislation, and an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly members who represent Fairfax voted against it.”

The measure would have required a 1.5-million-square-foot mixed-use project that would have featured a convention center and entertainment complex. The idea has been contemplated in Richmond for several years.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, who led the effort for the project, said in a statement that the plan was Northern Virginia labor’s “No. 1 legislative priority” and said he’s “deeply disappointed” by the veto.

“The Sphere — one of the most iconic and transformative entertainment venues in the world — is going to MGM National Harbor, not Tysons,” Surovell said. “An independent analysis by (Ernst & Young) projects that venue alone will generate $1.5 billion in annual economic activity for Maryland and nearly 8,000 jobs. That is $1.5 billion every single year flowing to our neighbors across the Potomac — jobs, tax revenue and tourism that belong in Virginia, serving Virginia families. Maryland is competing aggressively for the large-whyscale entertainment investments of the future. We just handed them another win.”

Before the 2026 General Assembly session started, Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors voted to leave the casino project out of its legislative priorities. McKay said he encouraged Spanberger to veto the plan. As it was debated, several state lawmakers representing Northern Virginia criticized the idea.

“Casinos were derived in Virginia to be put in places where local governments requested them, because they had few other options for economic success,” McKay told ������Ƶapp.

Some community members welcomed the idea of a casino, referencing jobs growth, the distance to Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the revenue it could bring the area. But overwhelmingly, critics worried about traffic and public safety.

“This was a special carveout for one locality, and Governor Spanberger rejected it,” said Lynne Mulston, chair of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition’s steering committee.“That decision respects local concerns and recognizes the need for transparent, evidence-based policy.”

In a news release, Spanberger said because Fairfax County leaders didn’t advocate for a referendum on the project, “the impact of this legislation is to supersede local authority.”

While the casino emerged as the focal point for the project, the vision also included a concert venue, hotel, entertainment district and IMAX center for sporting events. Referencing a 2019 report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, Surovell previously said a casino project would produce “more revenue than all the other casinos we’ve authorized in Virginia combined.”

In a statement, Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman called the casino bill “ill-conceived, unwanted and corrupt.”

“Casino proponents have consistently promised the moon, but their arguments have always fallen apart faster than a house of cards in a light wind,” Bierman said.

As for the possibility of the plan being considered in future General Assembly sessions, McKay said, “There aren’t nearly enough votes on this board of supervisors to ask for a casino in the near future. And so I think we’re safe as long as the bar is still a local government should be the one that asked for this and requested.”

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The meeting at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus was the last stop on a Virginia Department of Education listening tour. As part of Executive Order Four, Gov. Abigail Spanberger directed the education secretary and superintendent of public instruction to host a statewide listening tour and summarize findings from the community sessions.

The Wednesday meeting marked the last stop on the tour, and brought together public school leaders including Loudoun County Superintendent Aaron Spence, Fairfax County School Board Chair Sandy Anderson, Arlington Chief Academic Officer Gerald Mann and Alexandria City School Board Chair Michelle Rief, among others.

During the 90-minute session, small groups discussed strategies for retaining educators, ways to help students and families and how the state’s new school performance framework has been working.

“We need to figure out what works, and we need to continue to try to build on what works,” said John Porter, a former teacher, assistant principal and principal with Alexandria City Public Schools. “Sometimes, because of the nature of the turnover over the years, we tend to reinvent the wheel more than we probably need to, and therefore we’re going back to the drawing board from time to time.”

Jenna Conway, Virginia’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction, said throughout the listening tour, families encouraged staff to consider what changes get made.

“They have also asked us to be thoughtful about change and the pace of change, and so there are places where they want us to stay the course,” Conway said.

As for some of the recent literacy changes, “we’re going to stay the course on that,” Conway said.

Part of Spanberger’s executive order calls for a working group that will help strengthen implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. The General Assembly passed the act in 2022, and it went into effect for the 2024-25 school year. It requires schools to use an evidence-based literacy curriculum.

Virginia has changed English language arts, math, science and social studies standards recently, and Conway said families have urged the state to avoid changing them again.

Changes to the school accountability system will be made based on what Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission said needed to be tweaked, Conway told ������Ƶapp. A report from the commission found the system approved in 2024 to be more effective and useful than the one previously used, but recommended a series of changes.

As for statewide testing, Conway said, “We do want to see some changes as it relates to testing and figuring out what our next assessment system will be, and how do we support all of our schools to implement testing in a way that works better for kids and for educators.”

On topics such as technology use in schools, Conway said community feedback across the state varied.

“They have incredible needs, from mental health needs to students who are new to this country to students who might not be engaged in school,” Conway said. “We have students who think we need more technology, and we have students who think we need less technology.”

Broadly, Porter, the former principal, said one of the biggest challenges for education leaders is making decisions “based on elections and budget cycles. Nobody’s looking 15 years out to see the results they’re looking at. Let’s look at the results this year. We’re going to implement something now, and we want the results right now, because we got to develop another budget, and somebody else is going to get elected in four years or two years.”

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D.C. traffic cameras issued hundreds of thousands of tickets last year, and city leaders say their presence alone has made streets and neighborhoods safer.

A large increase in traffic cameras last came in 2024, and now, there are 215 speed cameras, 55 red light cameras, 31 stop sign cameras, 10 oversized overweight truck cameras and 25 school bus stop arm cameras.

The city also has 210 cameras tied to WMATA buses. Those issue tickets to drivers parked in bus lanes.

For years, some drivers have been critical of the city’s traffic camera program, suspecting it’s an attempt to increase revenue for D.C.

Now, Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry is leading a measure in Congress to ban the city’s use of cameras.

But Sharon Kershbaum, director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation, said the program is having an impact on driver behavior.

“It’s a key tool in our tool kit, and we want to continue to use it,” Kershbaum told ������Ƶapp. “We would be handcuffed in terms of really trying to improve traffic safety if we didn’t have it available.”

In deciding where to put the cameras, Kershbaum said city leaders consider requests from the community indicating where there’s a need for traffic calming. Typically, concerns can be addressed by using an engineering solution. But when that approach doesn’t yield the desired result, a camera is considered.

Separately, the agency proactively installs cameras in crash-prone locations or other problematic streets and intersections.

“Nobody likes getting fines, but there is a huge demand here when people are just fed up,” Kershbaum said. “A lot of our stop sign cameras are in areas near schools, near parks, in areas where we have a lot of vulnerable road users and people are desperate, because when you’ve got a reckless driver, there is very little that an engineering solution can do.”

Once a camera is put in place, it’s likely to remain there for at least a year or 18 months, Kershbaum said. DDOT conducts before and after assessments, and evaluates whether drivers are following the speed limit and obeying red lights and stop signs.

The agency is refining the threshold used to determine whether to move a camera, Kershbaum said, and the goal is to be in a position to track driver behavior even after a camera moves locations.

The city, she said, has reported a 50% reduction in speeds that are up to 25 mph over the speed limit, and a 35% reduction in speeds more than 25 mph over the speed limit. Similar improvements have been documented in areas that have red light and stop sign cameras.

that shows the locations of different types of cameras throughout the city.

In fiscal year 2025, the top speed camera was along Route 295. It issued 95,418 tickets.

Others in the top 10, including one along the Potomac Freeway, regularly appear on lists of most violations.

Generally, Kershbaum said, about 70% of drivers who receive a speed camera ticket only get one. Fifty-eight percent of license plates only have one violation, according to city data.

“Cameras work for the majority of the people who want to be in compliance. They don’t want to have tickets rack up,” Kershbaum said. “There’s always going to be a subset of extremely reckless drivers. … Cameras are not going to fix it for everybody. It is one of many tools in our tool kit.”

Almost 60% of violations last year were issued for drivers going 11-15 mph over the speed limit, according to city data. The second-most amount of tickets were issued for passing a stop sign without fully stopping.

About 18% of tickets were given to cars with D.C. plates, compared to 27% from Virginia and 41% from Maryland.

In response to community members who suspect the cameras are an effort to boost revenue, Kershbaum said she’s “not even aware of how much money we collect. It is a nonfactor in our decisions about where to put cameras.”

In the first half 2025, the city collected over $110 million in fines from traffic cameras.

“I get demanded from our residents that we do things to make our roads safer, and this has been a critical tool in our tool kit,” Kershbaum said. “I don’t know how to state it more clearly. And if you don’t like getting tickets, don’t get one.”

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Dominik Villatoro was nervous to start his freshman year at Woodbridge High School last fall.

At times, he found middle school difficult. He became distracted easily. At one point, he wasn’t passing most of his classes. So, as he prepared to transition to high school, keeping his grades up was top of mind.

As the final stretch of the school year approaches, Villatoro’s fear didn’t become reality. In his current classes, he’s focused and pays attention to the work. He’s not fearful about the transition to sophomore year.

Villatoro is one of 50 students at the Northern Virginia school who was picked to participate in a pilot program in which teachers across different subject areas regularly talk about how students are doing. The pilot came about through a partnership with the Center for High School Success, and early results have been promising.

“My grades are a lot better,” Villatoro told ������Ƶapp.

This year, three Prince William County high schools — Woodbridge, Unity Reed and Osbourn Park — are participating in the pilot.

At Woodbridge, school staff picked 50 students who may have struggled in middle school, either academically, behaviorally or with consistent attendance. They formed two teams of four core teachers — one from social studies, one math, one science and one English educator. Those teachers have a normal caseload of 150 students throughout the day, and the kids in the pilot program are embedded within those classes.

The teachers have dedicated planning time to “come together and talk about instruction, behavior strategies, and most importantly, talking about these 25 kids and what they need, when they’re successful, what’s made them successful, and how administration can support or counseling can support those students,” said Kim Geck, Woodbridge High School’s specialty program coordinator.

In some cases, social studies teacher Michael Daughtry said, if a student has their head down the whole class or is exhibiting “class clown behavior,” he can meet with other teachers and inquire about whether they witnessed the same in their class. If one of the teachers has a strategy to help a student, the collaboration can help ensure it’s used in multiple classes.

Daughtry, who has 25 students in the program, said all of them had previously told him they were nervous about high school.

“And just about every single one of them has said high school has been a great experience so far with ninth grade, and they’re excited to move on to 10th grade. That, for us, right there is a huge success,” he told ������Ƶapp.

Freshman Lobo Maritinez, for one, is typically reluctant to speak out loud during class, but the extra communication with teachers has made her more comfortable.

“The admin and teachers, they talk to you more, and they’re more there for you,” she said.

Students who aren’t directly in the program benefit, too, Daughtry said. A strategy that helps one student is likely to assist others, he added.

Next year, Woodbridge High is hoping to have 100 students participate in the program. And by 2030, school leaders are hoping to have all ninth graders enrolled.

Eight Prince William County high schools are slated to participate next school year, and about $164,000 has been budgeted for the ninth grade success program across those campuses.

Heather Abney, Woodbridge High’s principal, said scheduling students with the four specific teachers participating in the pilot can be a challenge. But educators seem rejuvenated, students are enjoying school and parents say their kids are looking forward to attending, which may not have been the case previously, Abney said.

“Research shows that ninth graders struggle the most in high school, so we realized that we needed to put something in place to support our ninth graders with attendance, with grades and just enjoying the high school experience, because we believe that that’s what is going to help them graduate on time,” Abney said.

The workload, number of classes and teachers and the size of the school can all pose as challenges to new high schoolers. But Geck said students are now “starting to celebrate their own successes, because for some of them, this is the first time they’ve seen success.”

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The National Merit program, which started in 1955, is a competition that students participate in by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Some school districts offer the exam for free to high school juniors.

On Friday, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia’s largest school system, announced it had 241 finalists from 16 different schools. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology has 105 finalists, according to a news release.

“It’s one data point, number one, but it’s a significant data point,” Superintendent Michelle Reid told ������Ƶapp. “And it’s one that shows you our arc of improvement and commitment to excellence.”

In Fairfax, Reid said about 70% of juniors take the PSAT exam, compared to about half of all juniors in Virginia. In the last two years, the division has introduced nearly 40 new courses, and Reid said, “we want to make sure that these actions are resulting in stronger student achievement.”

The National Merit data, she said, “are an indicator that our work is definitely paying off for our students.”

In Prince William County, six students have been recognized as 2026 National Merit Scholarship finalists. Six more who previously attended school in Prince William are finalists from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Loudoun County reported 69 semifinalists for 2026, a spokesman said, adding that finalist details are expected there later this month. Eighteen Loudoun students won National Merit Scholarships during the 2024-25 academic year. Five of those earned college-sponsored scholarships, 11 were National Merit $2,500 scholarship winners and two earned corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships.

A spokesman for D.C. Public Schools said a list of finalists from the city is expected this month.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, over 100 students were named National Merit semifinalists. A division spokeswoman said they’re awaiting a list of finalists.

Prince George’s County Public Schools hasn’t released details on its semifinalists or finalists.

Community service, academic performance, PSAT/NMSQT scores, leadership roles and award recognition are all used to pick the finalists.

The finalists from school systems across the U.S. compete for National Merit Scholarships, which are $2,500, college-sponsored scholarships and corporate-sponsored financial awards. The group competes for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarship awards that are worth almost $26 million in total.

Reid said National Merit recognition is typically included in applications for local scholarships and internship opportunities, too.

“There are all types of assessments as we go through life that we need to sit for, and this is one that has an opportunity to potentially also provide good information about course-taking patterns in that senior year,” Reid said. “There may be a course that a student hadn’t thought of that the assessment may say, ‘Hey, you have a real propensity to be successful in this particular area.'”

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The project, which the Town of Vienna estimates could cost up to $28 million, is planned for the site of the old Vienna Faith Baptist Church. The town previously bought the 3-acre site, referred to as the Annex, and it remains empty.

The proposal would bring an indoor pool and aquatic center to the heart of the area, near Vienna Elementary School. Local officials said the community has been asking for a pool for decades, and the demand intensified when one wasn’t added during renovations to the Vienna Community Center.

Leslie Herman, Vienna’s director of parks and recreation, said survey results indicate “overwhelmingly that one of the biggest unmet needs was a pool and also a fitness facility.”

But critics of the project are frustrated about the cost, and have questioned whether a pool is needed. In some pockets of Vienna, lawn signs that say “small pool, BIG cost” have gone up.

Later this month, local leaders will seek town council approval to hire a project management firm.

“Vienna is a great little town, but our taxes have gotten so difficult for so many of our residents, and it’s going to continue with this aquatic center,” resident Don Feltman said.

The town included $28 million for the project in its long-term Capital Improvement Plan. While the plans could shift, Herman said the pool could be four lanes and 25 meters, or six lanes and 25 meters.

About 110 people would be able to be in the water at a time, according to a county FAQ about the project. The second floor could feature cardio and stretching equipment, turf training and free weights.

The blueprint includes plans for community meeting spaces.

About 1,500-2,000 Vienna residents would become members, the town estimates, and at least over 1,000 would be nonresident members. Residents and nonresidents would pay to use the facility.

In November, Vienna’s Town Council accepted a $3 million interest-free advance from Navy Federal Credit Union to cover initial project management and design. Vienna recently increased its meals tax to 4%, and revenue from the tax is used to pay for capital improvement projects, Herman said.

Accounting for inflation, the county projects in fiscal 2034, expenses would be $3.1 million, and revenue would be $1.6 million.

“I think that a lot of folks feel that it is a done deal, and that it’s already on its path and looking to build it so that it’s completed in 2030, but that’s not the case,” Herman said. “There will be various stop gaps along the way where council can say, ‘No, this isn’t the facility that we’re looking for’ based on the design process.”

One Vienna resident who asked not to be named said the project “would be great, a place to swim that’s close by, and there’s a lot of seniors that could really benefit from that, and it would be fun for the kids too.“

But another resident, Melissa, told ������Ƶapp that even without knowing many of the details, “Everything that I’ve seen makes me think that it is not going to be useful enough to justify the cost to the residents of the town.”

Feltman agreed, suggesting local leaders stop “spending so much of the taxpayers’ money, give more back to them, so our kids can afford to live in this town and people as they get older as well, will be able to still be here.”

As part of the long-term use study, Herman said options for the land included an aquatic and fitness facility, a standalone fitness facility or an outdoor gathering space.

While there are Fairfax County facilities nearby, Herman said the aquatic and fitness center would allow Vienna to control what type of programming is offered and who can use the site.

, Herman said, addresses many questions about the proposed project and reaffirms “that the town is … not going to make a decision that’s going to hurt the town. The town’s AAA bonded. They’re going to make decisions based on the good of the greater community.”

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There was standing water, blown out windows and one of the front doors had been pulled off its hinges.

“There was water everywhere,” Thompson, the group’s CEO, recalled.

After the January 2024 explosion that damaged a day care center and convenience store, the facility supporting women experiencing homelessness had to temporarily relocate the 30 women and staff who had been living and working there.

D.C. Fire and EMS had to sign off before the power was able to be turned back on. Therapists were made available so everyone felt supported.

“It was a pretty traumatic event,” Thompson said. “The building itself was very, very damaged.”

The facility was able to reopen by July 1, 2024, and over two years later, it is fully remodeled and again focused on its mission — ending homelessness among women and providing housing, health and employment to help achieve that goal.

“There’s ways we could have done it just piecemeal,” Thompson said. “We could have just laid tile on half the floor. The decision for the organization was really that the women who come here deserve for this to be a safe and comfortable home for the time that they’re here.”

The Jan. 18 explosion happened at the building next door, and behind a fence, the damage is still evident.

Sixteen kids were safely evacuated from the day care center, which Thompson said hasn’t reopened. One person, who officials at the time said was hit by debris, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

As the work to get the facility operating again continued, there was a period during which “there were just open walls, awaiting everything to dry out and new drywall to go up,” Thompson said.

The building has 45 beds for transitional housing, and on the lower level, the computer lab, therapy office and staff offices were all damaged.

Now, there’s a new computer lab, new offices and new flooring. Windows that were either blown out or broken by firefighters responding to the emergency have been repaired.

The work, which Thompson said cost about $400,000-$500,000, was paid for through private donations and an insurance claim.

“There really was a gap between what insurance was going to cover, and what it would take to make this building the beautiful, safe, comfortable place that we want it to be for women who come into this program,” she said.

On Tuesday, a banner from a Women’s History Month event remained on the wall near the kitchen. It served as a reminder of the site’s versatility.

“We know that we have the strength of the staff who work here, the strength of women who come here who are working to change their lives,” Thompson said. “We have the strength of people … who have come out to hear our stories, and that’s what allows this organization to thrive, and the women who come here to thrive.”

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Alix Fetch has recently noticed how few five-day weeks appear in the Fairfax County Public School calendar.

There are federal holidays baked in, and at various points during the year, there are teacher workdays that count as student holidays. Elementary school students also have early-release days almost every month to give teachers time to complete finish required training.

On planned days off, the county’s Park Authority offers one-day camps at recreation centers. They’re about $75 for the day, but Fetch called the option “kind of vital for a lot of us that are working.”

The alternative, she said, is taking a paid day off from work or arrange for another child care option.

Students in Northern Virginia’s largest school district began spring break Monday. But when they return to class next week, the school week will include two days off. April 6 is listed as a teacher workday and April 10 is a school planning day.

Campuses will be closed to students both days.

“When every other week they’re not in school for the full week, that’s certainly not helping maintain any of that consistency or behavioral expectations in the classroom or transitioning to learning,” Fetch said. “And then we’re also hearing, ‘Your kid’s behind in reading, your kid’s behind in math.’ Well, yeah, they’re never in school. So I’m not sure what we’re expecting here.”

Virginia law requires students have either 180 school days or at least 990 instructional hours, but each school division determines how those requirements are met

In 2023, Fairfax County’s school board approved a three-year calendar plan that includes the 2025-26 academic year. That calendar featured scheduled breaks and religious holidays. More recently, Superintendent Michelle Reid said elementary early-release days are necessary so teachers can complete required training.

But unplanned closures, including those tied to weather or the April 21 special election, add another layer of frustration.

“I’m fortunate enough to have flexibility in my job,” Fetch said. “That means I can work from home on days where the kids have to come home early. But I think we all learned during COVID that working from home while providing child care is fairly impossible and quite stressful.”

Just over half the school weeks in the 2025-26 academic year are full five-day weeks, according to a calendar analysis shared with families by School Board Member Mateo Dunne in a community newsletter.

Fairfax County, Dunne said, has the longest school year, the shortest summer break, the most days off, the largest number of cultural and religious holidays and the lowest percentage of five-day weeks.

“The FCPS school calendar is a clear outlier, both regionally and nationally, when compared to other large school districts, and that is concerning,” Dunne told ������Ƶapp. “I don’t think anyone intended for it to become the worst school calendar in the country, but that’s just a fact of what it is today, and we need to fix it. And we need to fix it now.”

Eileen Chollet, whose son attends Providence Elementary School, said being her family’s breadwinner has enabled her husband to work around school schedules.

However, she said, “There’s always this implicit assumption that, ‘Well, mom and dad work exactly nine to five every day, and therefore arranging calendars is easy.’ Well, lots of moms and dads work in retail, in trucking, I work for the military. The military families, they don’t necessarily have consistent schedules.”

To address the logistical challenges frustrating some parents, several school board members, including Dunne, Melanie Meren, Ricardy Anderson and Ryan McElveen, are proposing changes.

One would allow schools to remain open on Veterans Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. Another would limit early-release days at elementary, middle and high schools to no more than four per year.

A vote on the proposals is scheduled for April 9.

“These changes would provide at least two additional full school weeks for families this fall,” Meren wrote in a Facebook post. “While there is more substantial policy work to be done, these motions would help parents sooner rather than later.”

Meren is also working with school board colleagues to develop a school calendar policy that would create guardrails for future schedules.

Fetch said she hopes the changes lead to more five-day weeks and the end to monthly half days for elementary school students.

“Having the kids out of school for an afternoon once a month, I don’t understand why we have that when a lot of other districts don’t have that,” Fetch said.

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The nurses and hospital staff jump-started her recovery, but when she got home, Kenney was lost. For months, she sat around her house. She couldn’t drive, go anywhere or do anything.

Then, she remembered a flyer she received upon being discharged from the hospital. It had details for the hospital’s stroke survivor group.

The first day Kenney was able to arrange for a ride to attend the session, she did.

The group morphed into what’s become known as the hospital’s Brain Choir. Since 2015, it has offered a sense of community for stroke survivors, people with progressive neurological disorders or diseases and acquired traumatic brain injuries. Many of the participants have already received physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Music therapy helps their progress advance.

“To have that community is a huge, positive impact on our healing journey,” Kenney said. “It’s just meant the world to me for the last three years.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a group of 20 gathered in the hospital’s south entrance atrium. In between Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” the group sang an original song thanking the doctors and nurses who treated them.

“It’s got some roots in your body, but then it has roots in your heart and brain,” said John Blackwell, a choir member who has Parkinson’s disease. “It’s really a wonderful thing for everybody that participates.”

Monika Stolze, program manager at Inova Loudoun’s outpatient rehab, said philanthropic donors fully fund the program. Every Wednesday, the group uses the conference room to host the sessions. Singing experience isn’t a requirement.

“It’s really about being able to find your words, express yourself, connect with other people who have gone through similar experiences,” Stolze said.

A speech language pathologist and certified music therapist participate in the weekly sessions too. After a brain injury, Stolze said, many people could be isolated, unable to walk, drive or communicate.

“I feel like I’m not terminally unique when I am around other people who have had similar experiences to myself,” said Toni Popkin, a long COVID survivor who has had three traumatic brain injuries.

“I feel like when I’m with other people that are not OK, even though on the outside we might look OK, then I can be myself. I don’t have to pretend.”

The group features young adults and retirees — and many in between. The variety introduces participants to music they may not have known about.

While singing is often the mission, they also go through breathing exercises and talk about their moods. Sometimes, Kenney said, the sessions help when someone’s feeling down.

“This has been so incredibly powerful for me,” Kenney said. “Music therapy, we need to spread the word about it.”

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The plot of land near the Spring Hill Metro station has been connected to the entertainment complex, and a group of labor leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon to urge Spanberger to sign the legislation.

But Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said the parking lot near Tysons Galleria that typically hosts Cirque du Soleil also meets the requirements as described in the approved legislation.

The two pieces of land are controlled by two different developers, Surovell told ������Ƶapp, responding to criticism that the project is being pushed to benefit a developer that’s already been identified.

“There’s two different places where this project could be constructed that are owned by two different entities,” Surovell said.

“And any other developer is welcome to put together an assemblage of parcels to propose their own project. The terms of the law do not say it applies to one entity or one developer.”

State lawmakers have been discussing the possibility of building a casino in Fairfax County for years, touting the revenue potential. The measure approved in the 2026 General Assembly session would allow voters to weigh in on whether to move forward with the project.

The bill requires a 1.5 million square foot mixed-use project that would include a convention center and entertainment complex. But critics worry about traffic and public safety — and questioned whether the project is necessary.

“Arlington got Amazon. When’s the last time you heard about a project like that in Fairfax? You haven’t; there hasn’t been one in 10 years,” Surovell said.

Spanberger has until the end of the day on April 13 to sign, change or veto the bills that reached her desk.

Asked about Spanberger’s view on the casino project, a spokeswoman told ������Ƶapp the governor is “currently reviewing all legislation on her desk.”

Before this year’s General Assembly session started, Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors voted against including the Tysons casino project in its legislative priorities.

But last week, Surovell said he doesn’t think all supervisors are opposed to the idea, adding “there’s varying degrees of support within the board for the project.”

While most supervisors oppose the idea, two say they’re open to the idea of a referendum.

������Ƶapp asked every county supervisor the same question: Under what, if any, conditions would you support a referendum and plans for the proposed Tysons casino project currently on Gov. Spanberger’s desk?

Here are their responses:

Chairman Jeff McKay

“This is a very complex issue, and so far the state has ignored all of the concerns the Board has raised. Under no circumstance would I consider the current bill, and I have asked the Governor to veto it because it’s too flawed to even attempt to fix. The residents of the county have emphatically said no to a casino. The state’s bill is structured to send 70% of the revenue to the state while leaving the county just 30%. That is a terrible deal for our county, and one I could never support.”

Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, Dranesville District

“To underscore the state of play, I’ll quote the 2004 cinematic masterpiece ‘Mean Girls’: ‘Stop trying to make “fetch” happen, it’s not going to happen.’ I’m going to continue standing with my constituents and the rest of the Board of Supervisors in opposition to this irredeemable proposal.”

Supervisor Dalia Palchik, Providence District

“As I’ve said before, I do not support the bill on Gov. Spanberger’s desk and have urged her to veto it.”

Supervisor Kathy Smith, Vice Chair, Sully District

“I remain on record for not being in favor of a casino.”

Supervisor Pat Herrity, Springfield District

“While my mind is not made up on a casino, I am open to considering one if there is a voter referendum, inclusion of a much needed conference center, inclusion of an entertainment center, formation of a gaming commission, and deference to our local zoning process.”

Supervisor Rodney Lusk, Franconia District

“I do not support a plan for a casino in Tysons under any plan or conditions. Fairfax County has a well-established comprehensive plan for Tysons that has successfully transformed the area into the economic engine of both Fairfax County and the Commonwealth. A casino would undermine this progress, jeopardize our efforts to expand the tax base in Tysons, and harm ongoing work to attract businesses that want to locate and grow there.”

“This is also fundamentally a local land use issue, within the authority of local government. Although I do not support a plan to bring a casino to Tysons, I do support the option for a referendum to allow the citizens to decide the appropriateness of a casino in Fairfax County.”

Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Braddock District

“My position is unchanged from what was communicated to the General Assembly in our legislative program and again during session. The casino proposal doesn’t make sense for Fairfax County and I am skeptical it would be approved in a voter referendum.”

“My job is to represent my constituents, and I am here to represent their wishes. In all the doors I knocked during the course of my campaign last year, I did not hear a single constituent tell me they wanted a casino. This bill, though it preserves local control, has provisions which deeply trouble me, and has done nothing to change my view that the casino proposal doesn’t make sense for Fairfax County.”

Supervisor Walter Alcorn, Hunter Mill District

In a statement, Alcorn said he “doesn’t support spending any county money on a referendum for a casino in Tysons.”

Supervisor Andres Jimenez, Mason District

Declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Supervisor Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District

Did not respond.

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