Corrections
<bt>The article "Sterling's Falcons Landing Granted Tax Relief Status" in the July 13-19 Loudoun Connection should have said Falcons Landing is available for retired military officers, their spouses and widows/widowers of same from all military services, not just Air Force; and the real property tax paid in 2004 was $580,000 but due to reduced tax rates, the 2005 tax is $544,651; 43 percent of the independent living units are occupied by widows, not 60 percent.
<sh>Joint Hearing Scheduled
<bt>The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing Monday, Aug. 1, for landowners in the Rural Policy Area who wish to retain their AR-1 (Agricultural Rural-1) or AR-2 (Agricultural Rural-2) zoning classification. The public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m., in the boardroom of the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St., S.E. in Leesburg.
The board approved the remapping process in April and directed staff to contact property owners who had expressed interest in retaining the AR-1 or AR-2 classification, as well as owners of properties subject to active development applications that could be impacted by the classification change. Fifty-one property owners, representing 85 separate tracts of land totaling 5,126 acres have elected to participate in the remapping.
Letters from the Loudoun County Department of Planning have been sent to affected property owners notifying them of the public hearing. A map of the properties included in the rezoning application is available on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/planning/rezone.htm.
<sh>Coins Missing
<bt>Fourteen coins, some dating back to the 1800s, were taken from a display case in the Loudoun County Courts
Complex last week, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
The coins were last seen on the morning of July 12 and were found missing the following morning from one of the relic boxes located on the second level of the courthouse. It appears that someone had removed the glass tops that are secured to the display by an adhesive to take the currency.
The coins were discovered in the fall of 1998 during an eight-week archaeological dig on the courthouse grounds. One of the items discovered during the excavation was a King George penny that is said to be worth $5,000.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Investigator R. Colantonio of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.
<sh>Candle Causes Fire
<bt>The Loudoun County Department of Fire-Rescue Services' Fire Marshals Office determined the July 11 fire that damaged a townhouse in Sterling was accidental. The fire, which resulted in approximately $100,000 damage to the residence, started when a candle that was left unattended ignited nearby combustibles.
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a call around 6:34 p.m. for a structure fire at 915 Cheshire Court in Sterling. Upon arrival, firefighters could see flames and smoke coming from the second floor of an interior townhouse.
The two residents, who have been displaced pending repairs to the home, will be staying with family members. Additional assistance was provided by the Loudoun County After the Fire Program and the American Red Cross.
As a reminder, the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office offers the following tips for safe use of candles:
* Use candles only with constant adult supervision.
* Do not use candles in places where they can be knocked over by children or pets.
* Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or going to sleep.
* Keep candles well away from items that can catch fire, flammable decorations, clothing, books, paper, curtains, etc.
* Make sure candles are placed on a secure piece of furniture, in sturdy holders that will not tip over.
* Make sure candleholders are non-combustible and big enough to collect dripping wax.
* Do not place lit candles in windows, where blinds or curtains can close over them.
* Extinguish candles when they burn down to within two inches of the holder.
* Keep candles and all open flames away from flammable liquids.
* Candles are not to be used in displays in commercial businesses.
<sh>Teen Found
<bt>A 16-year-old juvenile missing since last week was located safe and sound in Leesburg Monday, July 11. The teenager left the Graydon Manor Psychiatric Care Facility in Leesburg on July 6 and was considered endangered because of a medical condition that made it paramount she was located. The teen has been returned to the Leesburg facility.
<sh>Two Arrested for Robberies
<bt>Two Loudoun teenagers were charged in connection with two June robberies of pizza deliverymen.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Franklin Rommel Sosa-Carmona, 19, of Round Hill, and a 17-year-old male from Leesburg were both charged with two counts of armed robbery. The first incident occurred in Leesburg on June 18 with the second taking place the following evening in Ashburn.
In the Leesburg robbery a pizza deliveryman was confronted at the Fieldstone apartment complex where he was making a delivery. According to the report, a suspect approached him in the stairwell of the building, brandished a handgun
and demanded his money. According to the victim the suspect fled with another man who was waiting outside.
On June 19, a 30-year-old pizza deliveryman told authorities shortly before 10 p.m. he was walking to his car from the rear entrance of the Domino's Pizza in the Junction Plaza when an unknown suspect approached him brandishing a firearm. The suspect told the victim to give him his wallet. The suspect would later remove the wallet from the victim's back pocket and take an undisclosed amount of cash.
As of July 13, the 17-year-old remained held at the Juvenile Detention Center while Sosa-Carmona is held without bond at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Body Identified
<bt>A body found by a group of young boys in June has been positively identified as William Sims who went missing nearly two years ago, according to the Loudoun County sheriff's Office.
An investigation including an autopsy performed by the Office of the Virginia Medical Examiner in Fairfax revealed Sims, 50, of Gainesville, took his own life.
Sims was reported missing to the Purcellville Police Department in October of 2003 and was said to be depressed and was suffering from a heart condition. Sims was visiting family at the time he went missing.
On June 10 of this year several young boys were playing in the area of an old shed near Ballenger Lane outside the Purcellville town limits where they discovered the body.