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An 80-person search-and-rescue team from Fairfax County is deploying to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes killed at least 164 people. Virginia Task Force One is sending the heavy urban rescue team with six dogs to assist recovery efforts.
Virginia communities will gain authority to install AI-enabled cameras at stop signs and crosswalks beginning July 1. The new law permits their use in school zones, work zones and high-crash corridors to supplement crossing guards and law enforcement.
Background checks for private firearm sales are also set to resume July 1. A Lynchburg judge cleared the way Wednesday after a series of legal disputes had repeatedly halted the checks since October.
Student journalists across Virginia are forming a coalition to pursue stronger classroom free-speech protections. The effort follows threats by school administrators to shut down student journalism in Fairfax, Alexandria, Loudoun County and Albemarle County.
Fairfax County firefighter Thomas “Pup Jr.” Williams has left the hospital after suffering a life-threatening medical emergency at work Sunday. Fellow firefighters, relatives and friends gathered for his discharge. His crew provided emergency medical care before taking him to the hospital.
Vienna will hold a naturalization ceremony Saturday as part of its Liberty Amendments Month celebration. Live music and entertainment begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center, followed by 15 people taking the Oath of Allegiance and becoming U.S. citizens at 5 p.m.
Several Northern Virginia restaurants earned recognition in the 2026 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. Honorees include Barcelona Wine Bar in Reston, The Capital Grille and Seasons 52.
Metro has opened a 50th-anniversary pop-up shop at 300 Seventh Street SW in Washington, D.C. The store, which opened Thursday and will remain through July 10, offers commemorative clothing, rare merchandise, authentic bus stop signs and other regionally themed items.
A college side job has grown into a Northern Virginia business for Andreas Karagounis. He launched Gen Z Junk Removal in March 2025 and now dismantles and hauls away structures including hot tubs and sheds.
Friday’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high near 92 degrees, with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly after 5 p.m. Rain chances rise to 70% overnight, particularly between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy conditions, variable winds, a low around 70 and patchy fog after 3 a.m. are expected.