Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Haymarket, VA

Culpeper Star-Exponent · Haymarket, VA

AFTER THE BITE

Sherry Weakley found a Lone Star tick on her thigh after attending a farmers' market in Haymarket. She and her partner joked about it giving her alpha-gal syndrome.

Fairfax County Times · Reston, VA

Nearby: Reston, VA

In Memoriam: Betty Kerley

Betty Kerley, 96, a retired librarian, died in Reston, VA, on October 27, 2026. All her life, Betty loved learning and connecting with others. After college, she studied law at the University of Cincinnati. Of the 65 UC students graduating with a law degree in 1952, she was the only woman.Betty met her future husband, Ernest Kerley, in law school. They married and began a family, moving to Reston in 1966 when the community was only two years old.Betty was an active member of St. Anne's Episcopal Church for over 50 years, serving in many roles.Shortly after Ernest died, Betty went back to school to become a librarian. She worked as a Fairfax County Public Librarian for many years and continued to volunteer at the library after she retired.Betty loved helping patrons at the library, taking special satisfaction in helping recent arrivals to the United States set up email accounts, complete applications for immigrant documents, and connect with Fairfax County services.

Air Force Times · Navy, VA

Nearby: Navy, VA

That time Ted Williams faced off against Babe Ruth during WWII fundraiser game

It was a fantasy come true for baseball fans in the Bronx when a team led by Ted Williams, the last of the .400 hitters, met up with a team led by all-time slugger Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium on July 28, 1943, to benefit war-relief efforts and the American Red Cross. Then-Aviation Cadet Williams was the star left fielder for a Navy team called the “Cloudbusters” that featured other major leaguers such as Johnny Sain, Harry Craft, Johnny Pesky and Buddy Hassett who were now in Navy flight training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They were among the roughly 500 major league players who served in World War II. Player-manager Ruth’s team, called the “Yanklands,” was made up of former Yankee and Cleveland Indians players.

WorldNetDaily · Herndon, VA

Nearby: Herndon, VA

‘Appeared to depict minor girls’: Son of Obama hatchet man John Brennan named in child porn case

John Brennan was the CIA director under Barack Obama’s administration and his blunt, hatchet man personality drew little favor from those outside his party. He, of course, had a large role in the Democrat Party lawfare against Donald Trump, then candidate for president, in cases that rolled like a steamroller through much of his first term. Now he’s under investigation for a variety of potential offenses, such as lying to Congress, and recently lost a lawsuit trying to force the government to bend to his will in its investigation. Turns out he’s not the only Brennan family member likely to spend some time in courtrooms. The Daily Mail reports Brennan’s son, Kyle, has been arrested for the alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. “FBI agents took Brennan, 40, into custody at his workplace in Herndon, Virginia, on Friday afternoon. A search warrant of his personal cell phone was executed by FBI last night, according to a law enforcement source,” the report said.

Cherry Creek News · Ashburn, VA

Nearby: Ashburn, VA

Scott Wiener, Pelosi’s Successor, Vows to Slow Down AI: ‘We Could Sleepwalk Into a Disaster’

San Francisco’s newly elected congressman is making one thing clear before he even takes his seat: America needs to hit the brakes on artificial intelligence. Scott Wiener, the California state senator who just won the hard-fought race for Nancy Pelosi’s open seat, has spent years authoring legislation aimed at curbing the risks of advanced AI. Now he’s bringing that mission to Washington — and he isn’t mincing words about the stakes. “We need to slow this down,” Wiener told MIT Technology Review just hours after he was declared the victor. “Because it’s moving very quickly, and we could sleepwalk into a disaster.” In a 20-minute conversation, the congressman-elect used the phrase “recursive self-improvement” half a dozen times — a window into how deeply he’s thinking about where AI is headed.

National Catholic Register · Burke, VA

Nearby: Burke, VA

This ‘Pilgrim of Hope’ Spent His Days Battling Cancer by Making ‘Endless Plans for Eternal Life’

Facing an inoperable brain tumor, eight-year-old Francisco inspired family, classmates, and his priests by showing that joy and hope always get the final word.Francisco looks up at his mother, Laura Fredrickson while she kisses him, pregnant with twins, in the early days of his terminal diagnosis. (Photo: Fredrickson Family)Alyssa MurphyFeaturesNovember 9, 2026In the quiet, tree-lined town of Burke, Virginia, 7-year-old Francisco Fredrickson had a laugh that could light up an entire room. He was a boy of boundless energy — an avid fan of soccer, music and giant plates of tacos. And he had really big dreams: to be a priest-astronaut in heaven. But in May 2023, his mother Laura, noticed something different in her son's eye that upended the cheerful household. A Trial Met With Unshakable Faith It began with a subtle change in his vision.

Falls Church News-Press Online · Falls Church, VA

Nearby: Falls Church, VA

Good Money Habits Can Start Young — Even at Age Six

A bank might seem like a mysterious and magical place, like Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the Harry Potter stories. Or maybe it seems like a place that only adults visit, with a team of financial advisors barking long words. But the truth is, you can have a savings or checking account and learn all about how to save money (and spend it wisely) when you’re as young as six years old. You just need to know where to look. In 2025, Chase Bank opened a new branch in Falls Church, at the West Falls development, and I dropped by recently to talk with the financial advisors who work there. Who knew there were so many banking options for young people to learn how to handle money and even earn interest? Well, as it turns out, the people who work at Chase did. “A bank is a safe place to store money you don’t need to spend right away,” Ruth Eshun, the Vice President, Branch Manager of Chase’ s West Falls location told me.