Express Lanes Open

The Beltway Express Lanes, a 14-mile highway-inside-a-highway from the Springfield Interchange to the Dulles Toll Road, opened Saturday morning. Santa was allowed to test the lanes Friday morning en route to Tysons Corner.

Missing Alexandria Man Found Dead

Mohammad Sharif Yazdani, 64, was found dead Sunday, according to a news release from the Fairfax County Police Department's Mount Vernon Police District.

Yazdani — an Alexandria resident — was last seen by family members on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 24. Yazdani had walked away from his residence in the 3800 block of Havenwood Place on the same day.

Water Main Break Collapses Road in Annandale

An eight-inch water main break caused the street at the intersection of Springbrook Drive and Eddystone Street to collapse on Wednesday morning. The collapsed road is located in the Canterbury Woods community in Annandale.

MVHS Basketball Stars Celebrate Commitment on NCAA Signing Day

Mount Vernon High School basketball players Taylor Dunham, Kelly Loftus, and Tiffany Webster gathered Wednesday in the Michael Skinner field house to celebrate their commitments to play basketball in college next year.

Dunham, Loftus, and Webster have played basketball together since they were 10 years old. Seven years later, they have made great strides in the sport and have been named captains of the Lady Majors basketball team their senior year.

No More Twinkies? Hostess Shutting Down

Will Twinkies and Ding Dongs soon be scarce at your local grocery store? Some of America's guiltiest pleasures could soon disappear, after their parent company, Hostess Brands, announced it plans to go out of business, citing a labor union worker strike on top of a first bankruptcy earlier this year.

County Requesting Architectural Qualifications for Flood Control Measure

The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services recently put out a request for qualifications for professional architectural and engineering services for a flood control measure to be built along Cameron Run. The request was released not too long after the Stormwater Drainage Improvements Bond was approved by Fairfax County voters on Election Day.

Obama Marks Veterans Day with Wreath-Laying at Tomb of the Unknowns

In one of our next-door counties, President Barack Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2012.

Board Lays Early Plan for Superintendent Search

The Fairfax County School Board will use a "two-tiered public engagement process" to search for its next superintendent, board members said Monday during their first meeting with search consultants — a move likely to be welcomed by many residents who have said they felt "excluded" and "unheard" during the system's last search for a leader in 2004.

West Potomac Academy, Alexandria Community Dance Present 'The Nutcracker'

West Potomac Academy and Alexandria Community Dance will join together to present their fourth annual performance of The Nutcracker, the traditional holiday story with a modern twist. Performances will be Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1 at West Potomac High School.

Tickets on Sale for Mount Vernon by Candlelight

Tickets are now on sale for Historic Mount Vernon's popular program Mount Vernon by Candlelight, now being held for an additional weekend this year.

The event includes a holiday-themed tour of the Mansion given by characters from the Washingtons' world. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking, see Martha Washington’s Great Cake, and be given a complimentary copy of the recipe to try at home. Following the tour, guests can walk along candlelit paths, join in fireside caroling, and enjoy complimentary hot cider and cookies.

Bull Run Festival of Lights Kicks Off

Kick the holiday spirit in gear with a visit to one of the region's biggest holiday lights displays. The Bull Run Festival of Lights starts at Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive in Centreville, on Wednesday, Nov. 21.