<sh>Smith Hearing Continued
<bt>The preliminary hearing for the case of Arlington resident Stacy Darrell Smith was continued on July 20 because the public defender who had been assigned to the case is resigning. The defense is now being handled by William Edwards, another public defender.
According to police reports, on May 21, Smith drove away while two officers were attempting to question him in the Merrifield area. They had approached him because he was parked near the dumpsters behind Merrifield Plaza in the 8100 block of Lee Highway, and, as they began speaking to him, they noticed an illegal substance in the vehicle, said police.
Smith put the vehicle in reverse and tried to leave. The officers attempted to stop him, but he began driving away, dragging one of the officers, said police.
The other officer shot at the car in an attempt to stop it. The officer being dragged was then able to free himself, said police. The vehicle was later found abandoned nearby. It did not appear to have been hit by the shots according to police.
The officer who was dragged was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries.
On June 2, Smith was arrested after an officer saw him stopped at a traffic light. The preliminary hearing in Fairfax County General District Court originally was scheduled for July 20 and concerned five felony charges — hit and run/personal injury, possession of a controlled substance, eluding police/endangerment, bodily injury to a law enforcement officer and a habitual offender offense regarding operation of a vehicle. In addition, Smith faced a misdemeanor charge for possession of marijuana.
The hearing has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21.
<1b>--Mike DiCicco
<sh>ACE Receives $20,000 Grant
<bt>The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced on July 15 the recipients of the 2005 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants including $20,000 to Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) for the Water Stewardship Program. The Water Stewardship Program was launched in 2003 and is a partnership between ACE, Arlington County, the City of Alexandria and the City of Falls Church.
The program creates neighborhood teams that act to improve the health of local streams, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.
The $20,000 funding the program in 2005-2006 will provide training for volunteers to lead and coach the neighborhood teams, as well as materials and workbooks for program participants. The program is available to residents of Arlington County and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church. Volunteers interested in getting involved should contact ACE at 703-228-6427.
<sh>Emergency Preparedness Presentations
<bt>The Arlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross continues to offer free presentations to the Arlington community regarding how to be prepared in the event of any type of emergency, from house fires to hurricanes to acts of terrorism. The presentations include information about five action steps of preparedness: making a communication plan, building a disaster kit, getting trained in first aid and CPR, volunteering and giving blood. Trained Red Cross volunteers can make the presentation at businesses, places of worship or community/civic organizations and can tailor the presentations to meet the needs of the group.
For more information about preparedness or to schedule a presentation, contact Ruth Anne Miller at ramiller@arlingtonredcross.org or 703-527-3010, ext. 739.
<sh>Digital Arlington
<bt>Arlington has been named one of the Top 10 Digital Counties in the United States in an annual survey by the Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties (NACo). In April, all U.S. counties were invited to participate in the 2005 Digital Counties Survey. Officials responded to a set of 22 questions that included more than 95 measurements or data points. Arlington tied for third place, along with Hamilton County, Ind., for counties with 150,000-249,999 residents. The winners are being recognized at NACo's annual conference this week in Hawaii.