Northern Virginia Magazine

The Library of Congress just opened a new interactive gallery designed for kids and teens curious about research, storytelling, history, and creativity.

The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery is a new 4,000-square-foot experience inside the Jefferson Building in DC for visitors ages 8 to 15. The gallery includes listening stations, film clips, historic manuscripts, and videos explaining how librarians research everything from the history of basketball to cartoon art.

Some of the featured items include:
• Presidential papers from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln
• Clips from “The Wizard of Oz”
• A 1926 Babe Ruth home run
• Interactive sound and image stations

The gallery opened May 9 and is now open Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Would your kids want to visit this?

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(📷 Courtesy Library of Congress)

A new Italian restaurant is coming to Ashburn.

Mike Cordero, the chef and restaurateur behind Carbonara, is opening Capellini’s Classic Italian at Brambleton Town Center this September.

The restaurant will offer a contemporary take on Italian dining with Northern Italian influences, tableside presentations, an extensive wine program, and some of Carbonara’s most popular dishes, including its Parmesan-wheel pasta.

📍 Brambleton Town Center
📅 Expected opening: September
(📷 Courtesy Connor Reed)

The driver involved in the fatal I-95 tour bus crash near Stafford now faces five counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Authorities say the May 29 crash killed five people and injured 44 others. Officials allege the driver was operating the bus in a criminally negligent manner at the time of the crash.

(courtesy Virginia State Police/AP)

Driver in Fatal Bus Crash Faces Additional Manslaughter Charges New details have emerged about the fatal bus crash that happened on I-95 near Stafford Friday morning that killed 5 people.

UNDER CONTRACT in Herndon: a 1900 Queen Anne Victorian home with a wrap-around porch, original heart pine hardwood floors, and modern updates throughout.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home includes:
• Historic millwork and custom built-ins
• A renovated kitchen with quartz counters and a Smeg range
• A primary suite with a steam shower and marble finishes
• A recently built back deck and landscaped yard

📍 805 Monroe St., Herndon
💰 $898,000

(📷 by Epic Homes)

Anthony Eugene Robinson has been sentenced to two life sentences plus 10 years in prison for the murders of two Virginia women.

Robinson was convicted in connection with the 2021 deaths of Beth Redmon and Tonita Smith in Harrisonburg. Authorities have linked him to at least one other murder, but he’s not been formally charged.

(📷 Courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)

You may start seeing Waymo vehicles around Alexandria and Arlington. 🚗

The self-driving car company has begun mapping parts of Northern Virginia as it prepares for a potential future expansion into the commonwealth.

Waymo says the vehicles currently have drivers behind the wheel and are collecting data to build detailed digital maps of the area.

(📷 Courtesy Waymo)

In a single day, volunteers transformed 50 empty apartments across the DMV into fully furnished homes for families rebuilding after hardship.

A Wider Circle’s Home Reimagined event brought together designers, movers, and community volunteers to help families emerging from homelessness, fleeing domestic abuse, or starting over.

(📷 Courtesy Abdullah Konte; courtesy A Wider Circle)

A rare piece of Virginia history is now available for private sale.

The Middle Ground Lighthouse, built in 1891 in the Chesapeake Bay near Newport News, has been fully restored into a furnished private residence only accessible by boat.

The lighthouse was purchased in 2005 for $31,000 before two families spent several years repairing and renovating the structure. Today, the property includes living quarters, a working kitchen, solar panels, HVAC, a generator, and a wraparound balcony overlooking the water. The original lantern room still operates nightly and is maintained by the Coast Guard.

Interested buyers can submit inquiries online, with offers due July 4.

(📷 courtesy middlegroundlight.com)

Maggiano’s Little Italy is returning to Tysons with a new location at Tysons Corner Center.

The Italian restaurant, which closed its longtime Tysons Galleria location last year after nearly 30 years, is scheduled to reopen June 15. The new restaurant will occupy more than 17,000 square feet near Coastal Flats in the former Brio and La Sandia space.

Maggiano’s is known for its family-style Italian American menu, including dishes like baked ziti, chicken parmesan, spaghetti, and linguine di mare.

(📷 courtesy Maggiano’s Little Italy)