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Mercia Hobson

Stories by Mercia

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Raising Funds for Children’s and Teens’ Fine Arts

Arts of Great Falls produces Monet’s garden-inspired gala

Art

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Mourn Loudoun County Firefighter Killed in Explosion

NIOSH, Federal Investigation Underway

Firefighter

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Gun Safety Bills Head to Governor’s Desk

Rally cry in Richmond: ‘Sign the Bills’

Gun Bill

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Fed Up: Fairfax Connector Workers on Strike

Union cites unfair labor practices and Transdev’s ‘slow-walking the talks.’

Bus Strike

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County Executive Presents FY 2025 Advertised Budget

Tax increase proposed; jobs cut; state underfunds schools; supervisors will make changes.

Budget

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Preschool Mail Carriers Deliver Valentines

FCPS teacher broadens students' learning and social skills through play.

Valentines

House of Delegates Considering SB 280, Medical Aid in Dying

Death with dignity bill passed in Virginia Senate.

Death with Dignity

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DOJ Releases Uvalde Review in mid-January

Where are comments by Fairfax County and Virginia on recommendations?

Review

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Justice Sunday Addresses Mount Vernon Issues

Justice Sunday Addresses Mount Vernon Issues

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Justice Sunday

On First Baptist Church of Vienna’s 8th Annual Legislative and Justice Sunday, elected officials update the status of bills and review past actions.

Church

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Friends of the Reston Regional Library Donate $100K to Fairfax County Public Library

Supervisor Walter Alcorn announces location on the new Reston Regional Library.

Library

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Ancient Great Falls Oak Faces the End of Life

Looking for the root cause.

Tree in the forest

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RA Updates RELAC Referendum

FAQs hours before first public hearing

RELAC

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County’s FY 2025 Budget Process Kicks Into Gear

Potential budgetary shortfall of $284.5 million complicates matters.

Budget

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Casino Bill SB 675 Carries Over in 13 to 2 Vote

VA Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee ends consideration of a Tysons casino for this session; likely to be back in 2025

Casino bill

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Casino Bill is Dead for 2024

Carried it over until 2025.

Sen. Marsden’s SB 675 Casino Bill Carried Over: Opponents react; Marsden touts benefits.

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County Jackpot in Tysons Casino?

Or ‘a concept derived in a vacuum.’

Tysons Casino

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Rotary’s 12th Annual McLean Chocolate Festival

Sponsor Mars Inc. makes a difference.

Chocolate

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FCPS Proposed Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan

Climate change, gerrymandering, and inequitable funding discussed.

Climate change, gerrymandering, and inequitable funding discussed.

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January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month

Prevention, detection, badge-to-badge support, and data gathering.

Cancer Month

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RA Announces RELAC Referendum

If passed, affected properties would be able to install individual HVAC systems

Referendum

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Spotlighting the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate

The Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services facility empowers individuals and families.

The Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate in Reston is a vital, active neighborhood hub. Located at 12125 Pinecrest Road, Dogwood Elementary School, a Fairfax County Title 1 grant program school, anchors the community.

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Multiple Rotary Clubs Collaborate for Rise Against Hunger

Volunteers and sponsors needed.

Volunteers and sponsors are sought for the Rise Against Hunger Food Packaging event at Aldrin Elementary School, 11375 Center Harbor Road, Reston, VA, Saturday, Jan. 20, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; set-up at 8:30 a.m.

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First Snow in a Long Time

First Snow

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Volunteer Fairfax Mobilizes Hundreds for

Weekend of Service 2024 benefits those in need and bolsters volunteerism.

Volunteerism

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Reston Community Center’s Annual MLK Celebration

Rev. William J. Barber II calls on us to recommit to the fight for justice and remember the real King.

MLK Day

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The Upcoming 2024 Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II will present keynote address.

MLK Events in Reston

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Grand Opening of Paris Baguette in Herndon

Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce helps celebrate with ribbon cutting.

Baguette Opens

Zamarod Afghan Restaurant Celebrates 10th Anniversary

A dining gem in Great Falls

Afghan Restaurant

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Herndon Festival ‘Permanently Canceled’

Reasons why may differ from what you think.

The award-winning outdoor Herndon Festival, held yearly and produced by the town’s parks and recreation department, supported by volunteers since 1981 (except for one year during COVID) is permanently canceled.

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Future of Lake Accotink

Could a smaller lake provide most of the benefits?

Lake Accotink

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Cornerstones Opens Food Hub

Other nonprofits can supplement their resources.

A challenge existed for Cornerstones: wasted food, tons of it destroyed in the communities the nonprofit organization served, yet people were going home and going to sleep at night hungry.

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Looking for Miracles- Public Menorah Lighting

Five oil pots lit commencing the 5th day of Chanukah.

One of the traditions that is widespread among people of faith is celebrating the holidays with light.

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Supervisors Recognize Penny Gross

Thanking outgoing Mason District Supervisor for years of service to Fairfax County.

After serving seven consecutive terms as the Mason District Supervisor and attending more than 700 Board of Supervisors meetings, the Dec. 5, 2023 meeting will forever be etched in the memory of Penny Gross, who currently serves as vice chair. It was her final board meeting with colleagues.

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Supervisors Recognize Outgoing Dranesville District Supervisor John W. Foust

Thank you for years of dedication and service to Fairfax County!

At its Dec. 5 meeting, the Fairfax Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution honoring Dranesville District Supervisor John W. Foust for his community service.

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Angels Soar in Great Falls

Wish List Project 2023 benefits Fairfax County foster care, The Women’s Center, Second Story, Herndon ES and Aldrin ES

As part of the Wish List Project in its 23rd year, donors brought hundreds of gift items they purchased to the Perez family home in Great Falls on Saturday, Dec. 9.

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Vouchers Help Erode Barriers to Affordable Housing

One option to open the door to the county’s lowest income residents.

Vouchers

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Supervisors Approve Good Faith Funding for Police & Firefighters

Fiscal Year One Impacts: $33 million for police and $24.7 million for firefighters and paramedics

Funding

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Food Lines Resemble Bread Lines of Great Depression

2,000 people in need show up for help.

“The need was great — at one point, people were lined up around the block waiting to receive canned food, dry goods, fresh produce, and winter clothes.” — Herndon Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick

Supervisors Approve Good Faith Funding for Police & Firefighters

Fiscal Year One Impacts: $33 million for police and $24.7 million for firefighters and paramedics

“Many of the commitments that are in this, that we are expecting the county executive to include in his budget proposal to us, are things likely we would have done anyway.” — Chairman Jeff McKay (D)

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Impact of Fairfax’s High Rental Costs and Low Income

Validity of the point-in-time count

Rents out of control

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Challenges Don’t Take a Holiday

What about those experiencing hunger and homelessness?

Hunger

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Veterans Day 2023

Observance at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial

“The willingness with which young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars are treated and appreciated by their nation,” — Bruce Fein, Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army Reserves

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Veterans Day 2023

Coming together “to honor generations of women and men who have served and sacrificed.”

In the Town of Herndon, members of the Wayne M. Kidwell American Legion Post 184 members started their day’s observance at dawn.

Virginia Dems: Blue Wall in Both Houses

One Republican Supervisor-elect, zero Republican-endorsed school board member-elects

Election aftermath

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Name Change for W. T. Woodson High School

Intentionally uplifting people who were held down.

Woodson name