Correction
<bt>The back-to-school story in the Sept. 6-12 issue of The Loudoun Cascades edition contained some errors concerning Lowes Island Elementary School.
Principal Bruce Shafferman is in his second year at the school, which was originally constructed in 1997. Additionally, the elementary school does not offer the Steps to Literacy program at any grade level.
<sh>Information Needed
<bt>Sheriff's investigators believe a hit-and-run crash that occurred early Sunday morning in Ashburn Village was intentional, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Deputies were initially called to the area of Ashburn Village Boulevard near Shady Glen Terrace at 4:19 a.m., Sept. 17, for a report of disorderly conduct. As deputies were responding to the scene they learned that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. The victim, a 23-year-old Ashburn man, was hospitalized at Fairfax Inova Hospital with a serious leg injury.
Based on the evidence at the scene and witness statements Sheriff's investigators believe the victim was intentionally struck by a vehicle. The Sheriff's Office continues to try and locate the suspect vehicle and is asking any witnesses to the incident to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator S. Angelo of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. Loudoun Crime Solvers is offering a cash reward in the case to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and indictment. Loudoun Crime Solvers allows callers wishing to remain anonymous to call the tip line at 703-777-1919. If there is an arrest and indictment in the case based on the information provided by the caller they could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
<sh>Obey Traffic Rules
<bt>In recent days members of the Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Unit have received numerous complaints of cars passing stopped school buses unloading children.
The Sheriff's Office would like to remind all drivers to obey the signals of school buses as well as crossing guards. By ignoring their signals the drivers put the lives of the children and the crossing guard in danger.
According to the state code of Virginia, a person is guilty of reckless driving who fails to stop, when approaching from any direction, any school bus which is stopped on any highway, private road or school driveway for the purpose of taking on or discharging children. It further states that the driver of a vehicle, however, need not stop when approaching a school bus if the school bus is stopped on the other roadway of a divided highway, on an access road, or on a driveway when the other roadway, access road, or driveway is separated from the roadway on which he is driving by a physical barrier or an unpaved area.
In regards to crossing guards per the state code, whenever any law-enforcement officer assumes control of traffic, all drivers of vehicles shall obey his signals. The code also states that all uniformed school crossing guards may control traffic at any marked school crossing, whether such crossing is at an intersection or another location. Disobeying a law-enforcement officer or crossing guard who is controlling traffic could result in the driver being charged with reckless driving.
<sh>Grant Application Sought
<bt>The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved funding in the amount of $704,124 for 11 projects in Loudoun County, including a home-rehabilitation program for low- and moderate-income homeowners, playgrounds in communities in eastern Loudoun and assistance to seniors to access free medications. The source of funding for the projects is the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
Loudoun County receives an annual allocation of CDBG funds from HUD, which are distributed through a competitive application process to nonprofit organizations and towns in the county. Proposed projects should primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents and may be public service or capital projects. The next application process begins in November 2006. Contact Jan Boothby at 703-737-8971 or jboothby@loudoun.gov.