Aug. 7, 2002
<sh>AOL Purchases Dulles Property
<bt>America Online, Inc. (AOL) purchased 69.44 acres of land next to the Dulles campus in a deal that was finalized Tuesday.
Located at Route 28 and Waxpool Road, the land provides enough space for the company to construct 1.1 million square feet of office space, though the company has not made any final decisions, said Nicholas Graham, spokesperson for AOL in Dulles, the company's headquarters.
The Dulles campus includes 1.4 million square feet of space on 150 acres. AOL's purchase is on an undeveloped site that is zoned for retail and office space, Graham said.
"We're going to take some time to consider our options," Graham said. "The purchase of this land was of strategic importance and value to us. It's designed to protect our substantial investment in our campus here. ... This is where we began in Northern Virginia."
AOL made a cash purchase from developer Nattak Associates, which is owned by Clark Construction. Negotiations for the purchase began last month. AOL would not disclose the amount of the purchase.
AOL has 3,700 employees working at the Dulles facility and a total of 4,700 employees in the Washington, D.C. and Virginia area. The company has 16,000 employees worldwide.
AOL recently named Jonathan F. Miller as chairman and CEO of the company.
<sh>Man Charged With Manufacturing Marijuana
<bt>On July 23, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office arrested Whitfield Stark, 39, of McLean on charges of manufacturing marijuana. The arrest followed a two-week joint surveillance operation conducted by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Game Warden Mark Diluigi discovered the plants while he was working in an area off of Belmont Ridge Road in Ashburn. The plants were placed under surveillance for approximately two weeks and during that time period Stark was observed tending to them on several occasions. The plants ranged from 12 inches to five feet in height. If the plants were left grow to maturity, they could produce up to five pounds of marijuana. Stark was released on bond.
<sh>D.C. Men Arrested Distribution Charges
<bt>On July 23, a combined undercover investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Leesburg Police Department Drug Task Force led to the arrest of Jarvis Govan Jackson, 21, and Deyuan Antwon Williams, 22, both of the District of Columbia. Both men were charged with the distribution of crack cocaine and possession of firearms while selling cocaine after they sold crack cocaine to an undercover narcotics investigator in a shopping center in Sterling.
During their arrests, Jackson and Williams were found to be in possession of handguns. Both men are currently being held without bond in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Leesburg Man Arrested on Drug Charges
<bt>On July 23, members of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Leesburg Police Department Drug Task Force arrested a subject for possession with the intent to distribute over $6,000 worth of crack cocaine. David Pharr, 30, of Leesburg was arrested after crack cocaine was found in a hidden compartment inside his vehicle. A subsequent search of Pharr's residence on Plaza Street recovered thousand of dollars in U.S. currency, a safe and marijuana.
David Pharr is currently being held without bond in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Convention Association Moves
<bt>The Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association has moved its offices and the visitor center to 222 Catoctin Circle, S.E., Suite 100 in Leesburg. The cause for the move was that the lease at Market Station expired. The association is in the process of having their offices moved and unpacked, but the visitor center is ready to be used. It will have Skyline Displays added by September.