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Two local nonprofits will permanently close after an investigation found that children from low-income neighborhoods were exploited to sell candy bars door to door without proof they were paid.
The attorneys general of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., announced the shutdown Tuesday. Investigators found that leaders of the Maryland Youth Club and Fairfax County-based Virginia Youth Club used money raised through the sales for their personal benefit.
In Fairfax County, attorneys defending Brendan Banfield began calling witnesses Wednesday in his double-murder trial. Banfield is accused of killing his wife and a stranger as part of an alleged plan to pursue a relationship with the family’s au pair.
The defense witnesses included digital-forensics experts. Judge Penney Azcarate said the courthouse could close early next week if the region receives significant snow over the weekend, though she noted that the trial remains ahead of schedule.
Virginia Democrats, meanwhile, advanced several voting-access and campaign-finance bills Tuesday during the 2026 General Assembly session. The measures seek to expand ballot access and make elections more transparent.
One proposal, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek, would create an online campaign-finance portal similar to the platform offered by the Virginia Public Access Project.
New Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones also moved quickly after taking office Saturday as the commonwealth’s 49th attorney general. The Democrat joined several ongoing state lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s administration and reversed multiple opinions issued by his Republican predecessor. The actions followed his campaign pledge to oppose what he described as federal overreach.
Sen. Mark Warner is facing another Democratic challenger as he approaches his first primary election in 18 years in the Senate. Mark Moran, a Falls Church resident, former reality television personality and former Wall Street investment banker, has entered the race.
Moran said he would focus on cost-of-living concerns and supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other proposals.
In the City of Fairfax, police are seeking help identifying two men accused of stealing $1,284 in merchandise Friday from the Home Depot at 3201 Blenheim Blvd. Police released photographs of the men Tuesday.
Fairfax County’s new Operations Support Bureau police building at 3911 Woodburn Road in Annandale is expected to open in February, according to project manager James Sun. The facility is nearing completion three years after its originally scheduled opening.
Chantilly Crossing could also gain a new retailer. A site plan from property owner Kite Realty Group Trust shows Burlington taking over part of the shopping center space formerly occupied by Office Depot and Party City.
Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high near 51 degrees. Southwest winds of 7 to 10 mph are expected to shift west during the afternoon, with gusts reaching 20 mph. Thursday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 29 and northwest winds of 3 to 6 mph.