Registration Deadline Approaches
<bt>Loudoun County election officials remind voters that the last day to register to vote in the upcoming general is Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Loudoun County voters will go to the polls Nov. 8, to decide races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and members of the Virginia House of Delegates. There will also be nine local bond questions on the ballot.
A few polling places have changed names or locations since the last election. Precinct 108, formerly Arcola, has been renamed Mercer and moved to the Mercer Middle School. The two new precincts are 410 Tolbert at John W. Tolbert Jr., Elementary School and 814 Newton-Lee at Newton-Lee Elementary School.
Residents who are not certain of where to vote or if they are registered may call the Voter Registration Office at 703-777-0380 or send an e-mail to vote@loudoun.gov. The office at 26-C Fairfax St., S.E., Leesburg, is open Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Extended hours for absentee balloting will begin Oct. 24.
Polls will be open on Election Day, from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. The Officers of Election will take the name of any qualified voter who is in line at the polling place by 7 p.m. and they will be permitted to vote.
More information about the election, including the names of the candidates and the language of the bond questions appearing on the ballot, is available on the Loudoun County Web site at www.loudoun.gov/government/voting.htm. Questions about the election may be directed to the Electoral Board, 703-777-0548.
<sh>Safety Seats for Evacuees
<bt>The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is offering free child-safety seats for eligible children relocating to Virginia due to Hurricane Katrina. The child-safety seats are available to relocated children through Virginia's low-income, safety-seat distribution and education program until February 2006.
Virginia law requires that all children under the age of 6 be properly secured in a child-safety seat. VDH's safety-seat program distributes child-safety seats to Virginia families who could otherwise not afford them. VDH is expanding the program and waiving certain requirements for Gulf state residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina
Katrina survivors are eligible for a free child-safety seat if they meet the following qualifications:
* Applicant must be the parent, legal guardian or foster parent of the child.
* Applicant may apply no earlier than in the last trimester of pregnancy.
* The child must be 3 years old or younger and must be within safety seat manufacturer's weight/height guidelines.
* Applicant must attend a 'safety-seat installation and use' class, and sign a waiver of liability.
Virginia residents applying for the program must additionally meet the following requirements:
* Must be a legal resident of Virginia.
* Must be Medicaid eligible or meet certain income requirements.
To learn how to apply for the low-income, safety-seat distribution and education program and to find a local distribution site, visit http://www.safetyseatva.org or call 800-732-8333, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
<sh>Vital Records Aid
<bt>The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Division of Vital Records is assisting Hurricane Katrina evacuees who have relocated to Virginia in obtaining a new birth record.
The VDH Division of Vital Records has already helped 21 evacuees who were born in Virginia to begin re-establishing their birth records free of charge. Now, VDH is assisting the Louisiana Vital Records Office to serve those born in Louisiana who have sought refuge in Virginia from the storm damage.
The National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) has been in contact with vital records staff in Louisiana and has established procedures that states may follow to assist those evacuees residing in their state who were born in Louisiana.
Questions on how evacuees in Virginia can obtain Louisiana birth certificates can be directed to Janet Rainey or Linda Whitaker at 804-662-6200. For more information about obtaining birth, death or marriage certificates in Virginia, visit http://www.vdh.virginia.gov.
<sh>Sheriffs' Fund-raiser
<bt>Responding to the increasing number of people wanting to assist law-enforcement officials and build a stronger relationship in the fight against crime, Sheriff Steve Simpson announces that Loudoun County citizens are being invited to become associate members of the Virginia Sheriffs' Institute.
Membership appeals go out in the mail shortly and should arrive this week in Loudoun's mailboxes. Individuals choosing to join the voluntary program can do so for $20, while businesses can show their support with a $40 contribution. The funding provides critical important technical resources, training and support on key criminal justice issues.
In addition, dues will be used to assist sheriff's offices throughout Virginia by supporting training and educational programs for Virginia sheriff's and deputies, and sponsoring educational scholarships for young people attending Virginia's colleges and universities.
The contributions are tax-deductible and upon receipt of the dues members will receive a membership card, a bumper sticker, a decal and a year subscription to The Virginia Sheriff magazine.
Individuals that do not receive a membership appeal or need more information, contact the Virginia Sheriff's Institute at
701 East Franklin St., Suite 706, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Or sign up for the program by contacting the Sheriff's Office.
The Virginia Sheriffs' Institute is a nonprofit, professional and educational organization dedicated the peace and protection of the lives and the property of the citizens of Virginia.