Hit-and-Run Charged
City of Fairfax police have arrested a Shenandoah County man in connection with an Aug. 18 hit-and-run which resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The victim was James Ralph Davidson, 52, of no fixed address; charged with felony hit-and-run was Malik Tayvon Battle, 22, of 299 Stickley St. in Strasburg.
According to police, Davidson was crossing Fairfax Boulevard in the 9800 block when he was struck in the eastbound lanes by a vehicle whose operator failed to stop. Davidson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The striking vehicle was located a short time later by Arlington County police. Following an investigation by the City of Fairfax police Accident Reconstruction Unit and Criminal Investigations Division, Battle—who doesn’t own the vehicle—was allegedly identified as the driver.
Battle was apprehended in the District of Columbia by the Metropolitan Police Department and held for Virginia authorities. On Sept. 28, City of Fairfax police detectives transported him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center where he was ordered held without bond.
Fire Stations’ Open House
To try to prevent home fires before they start, all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations will host Fire Prevention Week Open Houses on Saturday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The theme is: “Have Two Ways Out.”
Firefighters and paramedics will have displays and activities emphasizing fire safety, including preventing fires and fire injuries, especially in the home. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, nearly 3,000 people die in home fires each year. About two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms. In 23 percent of home fire deaths, smoke alarms were present, but didn’t sound.
Bedrooms are the main locations where residential fire fatalities occur, with 75 percent of these fire victims escaping or sleeping at the time of their deaths. Smoking was the leading cause of fatal fatalities in residential buildings. To learn more about fire prevention, go to www.firepreventionweek.org.
VATF-1 Hosts Grand Opening, Open House
Virginia Task Force One (VATF-1), Fairfax County’s urban search and rescue team, will host both a grand opening and open house, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012.
A grand opening will be conducted at VATF-1’s new disaster training center, from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m., 9900 Furnace Road, Lorton. Task force members will be on hand conducting various demonstrations using a wide array of rescue tools. Equipment will also be on display. The 25-acre training site is now VATF-1’s primary training area, previously part of the old Lorton Youth Correctional Facility.
VATF-1 will spotlight its new headquarters, deployment center and warehouse with an open house, scheduled from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., at 14725-H Flint Lee Road, Chantilly. Tours of the facility will be conducted, including interview opportunities with VATF-1 members.
Team deployments include the Oklahoma City bombing, bombing in Kenya, earthquakes in Turkey, and Taiwan, the 9/11 response to The Pentagon, and numerous other national and international activations. The team consists of firefighters, paramedics, rescue specialists, physicians, hazardous materials and logistics specialists, structural engineers and canines.
All costs for personnel, training and equipment are paid for by the federal government.
Church Celebrates 121st Anniversary
The congregation of Greater Little Zion Baptist Church at 10185 Zion Drive, Fairfax, will celebrate their 121st church anniversary on Oct. 21, 2012 at 10 a.m. Dinner will be served immediately after the service. Revival will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 19. Reverend Charles A. Lundy of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Va. will be the guest speaker on Oct. 18. Reverend Doctor Alfred Jones, Jr. of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Triangle, Va. will be the guest speaker on Oct. 19. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. prior to each service.
Recycle During Electric Sunday
Residents may recycle old TVs, computers, peripheral electronic devices—such as keyboards, speakers, printers and scanners, as well as household hazardous wastes—including fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, for free, during Fairfax County’s “Electric Sunday” events. The next one is slated for Sunday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the I-66 Transfer Station, 4618 West Ox Road in Fairfax. For more information, call 703-324-5052.