<sh>Matter of Economic Development
<bt>Loudoun County does not want to have the precedent of buying companies, said Sandy Denham of the Department of Economic Development.
"Loudoun County never provides cash incentives directly to one company," said Denham, communications and special project coordinator. "We provide incentives that apply to certain entire industries, not one particular company."
The same occurred with WorldCom, which announced plans to locate in Ashburn in 1998 and opened the technology company in 1999. Loudoun County and the state provided WorldCom with $4 million to expand Loudoun County Parkway from the Dulles Greenway exit to Waxpool Road, a roadway that runs in front of the company's building.
The county's $1 million payment helped fund the roadway to serve businesses and residents in the area, said Robin Bailey, marketing manager for the Department of Economic Development.
"The Loudoun County Parkway is a key north-south connector in Loudoun County besides Route 28, because it runs people into the Greenway," Bailey said.
WorldCom originally planned to build a corporate campus for 20,000 employees in a 7.7 million-square-foot building. So far, the company has used 1.4 million of the 2 million square feet that are built out. The company staffs 3,700 employees.
<sh>County Moves to Second Place
<bt>Loudoun County moved from third to the second fastest growing county in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Douglass County, Colo. is first.
<sh>Draft Zoning Ordinance Online
<bt>The Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission recently received the consultant's report and draft zoning ordinance, which is available online at www.loudoun.gov.
<sh>Robbery Arrest
<bt>Williamsburg resident Kenneth Davis, 26, was arrested April 26 on charges of robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The charges stem from the June 2001 robbery of the High-Up Food Market in the Sterling Park Mall. A black male entered the market at 428 S. Sterling Blvd., brandished a weapon and demanded money.
Davis was taken into custody in New Kent and was returned to Loudoun County, where he is being held in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
<sh>Breaking and Entering
<bt>A white male suspect attempted to break into a home at 4:50 a.m. May 6 in Burnley Square, located in Cascades. Loudoun County sheriff's deputies encountered a male coming from the back of a row of town homes and a foot pursuit ensued. The suspect fled into the woods, and K-9 units from the sheriff's office and a helicopter from the Virginia State Police were called to assist in locating the suspect.
The suspect is described as being 20 to 25 years in age with brown hair and wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475.
<sh>Drug Bust
<bt>A routine traffic stop for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office turned into a drug bust last month. On April 25 at 3:40 p.m., sheriff's deputy Easton McDonald pulled over a vehicle for exceeding the speed limit on Sterling Boulevard near West Greenthorn Avenue. Upon approaching the driver side of the vehicle, McDonald noticed an odor of alcohol and marijuana. He searched the vehicle and found seven bags of plant material in the center console, along with unidentified pills and drug paraphernalia.
Marcella Louise Rizzo, 23, of Arlington; Raymond Clifford Kennedy, 23, of Falls Church; and Michael John O'Donnell, 21, of Ashburn, were arrested. Rizzo was charged with possession with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana and is being held on $7,500 bond. Kennedy and O'Donnell were charged with possession with intent to distribute and are being held on $5,000 bond.
<sh>Children Report Incidents
<bt>The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is investigating two separate cases involving schoolchildren in the Ashburn area.
At about 1 p.m. April 23, two nine-year-old girls at Sanders Corner Elementary School reported that a man exposed himself to them while they were at recess. The suspect is described as a white male wearing a black shirt and jeans.
A second incident occurred at 3 p.m. on April 26 near the same school. A black man reportedly approached a 10-year-old girl who had just been dropped off at her bus stop. The suspect asked the girl if she could give him directions to the mall. She left the scene after the man asked her if she wanted to be friends. The suspect is described as being in his mid-thirties and having crooked teeth. He was driving a purple van, possibly used commercially, at the time of the incident.
In response to these incidents, the sheriff's office has increased patrols in the Ashburn area.
<sh>CTB Awards Toll Road Expansion
<bt>The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) awarded a $2.8 million contract to add an additional Smart Tag toll lane at the Dulles Toll Road and Spring Hill Road according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The project will help ease traffic by increasing the toll lanes from two to three. The CTB also awarded three contracts totaling nearly $1.8 million to D & F Construction, Inc. of Alexandria, Va. to repair and replace sidewalks, curb and gutter and entrances throughout Fairfax County.