Fairfax Station: Fourth Fragile X Walk Scheduled for April 24
Since their first fundraising walk, the Northern Virginia Fragile X Family group has raised more than $130,000 for research into Fragile X, an inherited genetic mutation that can cause mental impairment ranging from moderate to severe learning disabilities and linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Clifton and Fairfax Station: Garden Club Member Receives Award of Honor
At a recent award ceremony at George Washington’s River Farm in Alexandria, Dominion Valley Garden Club member Millicent “Millie” Rever of Fairfax Station received the National Garden Clubs, Inc. Award of Honor.
Alexandria: Cancer Survivor Hosts Karaoke Fundraising Event
Lisa Gray of the Hayfield Farms area of Alexandria, a 16-year cancer survivor, hosted her second “Karaoke for the Cure” fundraising event at Lucky’s Sports Theatre & Grill on April 12.
Fairfax County: Supervisors Approve 4-Cent Tax Rate Increase
The gap between the Fairfax County School Board and total county budgets is a formality away from being the smallest since before Jan. 7 when FCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza announced she wouldn’t be making any additional cuts in her $2.67 billion Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
Burke & Fairfax: 5K Fundraiser to Honor Robinson Grad RJ Hess
First Lt. Robert Joseph “R.J.” Hess of Fairfax graduated from Robinson Secondary School in 2005 and Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia’s Army ROTC program in 2010. He was killed in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan on April 23, 2013.
Mount Vernon: Marking Placement of Final Beam
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital CEO Deborah Addo joined other guests, donors, hospital employees and community members April 19 to sign the final steel beam going into the new Veatch Family Emergency Department.
Fairfax County: Torres Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter of John Geer
Former Police officer faced murder charges for 2013 shooting
It was over before it began. Neither prosecution nor defense gave opening statements in former Fairfax County Police Officer Adam Torres’ trial for the August 2013 murder of Springfield resident John Geer. Instead on Monday, April 18, Torres pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter for the August 2013 incident.
Mount Vernon Gala: Neighborhood Gala To Benefit Hollin Meadows STEM
With the sizeable rift between the Fairfax County Public Schools adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2017 and the advertised transfer from the Board of Supervisors still looming, parents and community supporters of Hollin Meadows Elementary hope to protect their school’s highly valued STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and outdoor garden programs.
Mount Vernon: Neighborhood Gala To Benefit Hollin Meadows STEM
With the sizeable rift between the Fairfax County Public Schools adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2017 and the advertised transfer from the Board of Supervisors still looming, parents and community supporters of Hollin Meadows Elementary hope to protect their school’s highly valued STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and outdoor garden programs.
Springfield: Summer STEM Academy at NOVA
High school juniors and seniors are invited to apply for a weeklong summer STEM academy at Northern Virginia Community College. Selected students will unravel a forensics mystery by conducting various STEM experiments in a college setting.
Mount Vernon Grad, Mclean Resident Opens Tropical Fruit Smoothie Café in Dunn Loring
McLean resident Trung Tang has worked in food service since starting as a busboy for East Wind in Alexandria at age 14. The 1996 Mount Vernon High School graduate made a career out of serving in and managing restaurants.
Fairfax County Police Hold Assessment Public Hearing
As part of an on-site assessment by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., Fairfax County Police held a public forum on April 11 at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Lorton’s Fair Winds Named Best Local Brewery
On a glimmering spring Sunday afternoon, the occasion might call for a light, effervescent beverage: a saison or farmhouse ale, a session IPA. But at Fair Winds Brewing Company in Lorton, customers lined up on April 10 to taste of something much darker, the second “Brewer’s Reserve” limited release beer: a barrel-aged imperial stout called “Ghost of the Mariner.”
Police Cruiser Collides with Loaded School Bus in Springfield
A Fairfax County Police patrol cruiser struck the side of a Fairfax County Public Schools bus carrying around 40 students and five adults around 12:44 p.m. on April 7, a police release said.
Police find Springfield Man Dead after Responding to Domestic Violence Call
A 67-year-old Springfield man is dead after Fairfax County Police spent two hours outside a residence in the 7000 block of Leewood Forest Drive trying to make contact with him.
Fairfax County: 24th annual Service Awards recognizes community champions, hundreds of volunteers
Kathy Hertz, a longtime volunteer in Clifton, spent more than a week in Lesvos, Greece just after Christmas with her cousin. The two of them volunteered in and around a refugee camp for individuals being funnelled to Athens and hopefully back to Germany or other European havens.
Mount Vernon: Las Vegas-themed Friends of UCM Spring Gala raises $185,000.
The sparkling red sequins and crown of spindly feathers moved gracefully with the long-limbed Vegas showgirl around supporters of the Mount Vernon area social services organization United Community Ministries as they play-gambled and silently bid on auction items at the casino-themed Friends of UCM 2016 Spring Gala.
Fairfax County Police Conduct Neighborhood Canvass for Data on Mason Neck Homicide
For two evenings, Fairfax County Police canvassed the Mason Neck Community where John De Leede, 83, was murdered on March 11.
Alexandria Man Dies after Collision with Fairfax County Police Cruiser
Jeffrey Ponce Aguilar of Alexandria, 26, was struck by a Fairfax County Police Department marked cruiser around 11 p.m. Saturday night, April 2.
New Fairfax Location of Hooters Opens on Lee Highway.
A collection of multicolored lights dangling casually above the hostess station is an homage to one of few interior similarities between the old Christmas light-laden Hooters at 10334 Lee Highway and the gleaming new location down the road at 10060, which opened March 21.
‘Shark Tank’ for Seniors
High school students design and present tech products to improve lives of older adults.
Chantilly High School freshman Aru Rajpurohit remembers seeing her great-grandfather struggle to drink his morning tea and other beverages, his hands shaking from Parkinson’s disease.
Woman Robbed and Sexually Assaulted on Morning Walk in Springfield
Just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, March 30, a 40-year-old woman was robbed and sexually assaulted as she was walking alone around 6 a.m. behind the shopping center on the 7000 block of Commerce Street in Springfield.
Burke and Fairfax: New Bike Lanes Proposed for 7 Braddock District Roadways
New bicycle lanes are being proposed for Ravensworth Road, Coffer Woods Road, Burke Road, Patriot Drive, Guinea Road, Queensberry Avenue and Heritage Drive in Braddock District. The improvements would come as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation 2016 summer road repaving program.
Mount Vernon Brief: Community Champion Named
Storck honors Fitzsimmons of Alice’s Kids.
District Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon) named Alice’s Kids Executive Director and founder Ron Fitzsimmons his 2016 Community Champion, an honor typically bestowed at the Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards. Fitzsimmons couldn’t attend this year’s awards so Storck recognized him in a ceremony at the Mount Vernon District Government Center on April 4.
First Responders Honored at 38th Annual Valor Awards
‘Ready for All Emergencies’
Technician Ryland Chapman and Lieutenant Lawrence Mullin with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were preparing to return home from a deployment with Virginia Task Force 1 to earthquake-rocked Kathmandu, Nepal when another quake sent them back out for duty.
Lawmakers Wrap-up Richmond Legislative Session
Unspent TANF grant money, prisoner rights among social issues discussed.
On average, low income families in Virginia who are eligible and sign up for funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant receive $269 monthly and are cut off after five years. But lawmakers say there’s a lot more unexpended money available in the federal grant that, if it remains unused, could one day be taken back.
Mount Vernon and Springfield: Detectives Investigate Possible Stabbing Homicide
William G. Martines-Palma, 29, of Alexandria died after sustaining what Fairfax County Police said appeared to be a stabbing wound to his leg.
New decision-making training meant to alter how Fairfax County police officers approach use of force
Making decisions can be instinctual, from the gut. It can also be practical and informed, coming to the best judgement considering all variables. For police officers responding to calls where there might be a threat of violence to civilians and or themselves, their decision whether to use force and which type to neutralize the situation quickly must be a hybrid.
Suspicious Noises Reported in Area of March 11 Mason Neck Homicide
The Department of Public Safety and Communications received several calls of “suspicious noises” around the 6000 block of River Drive in Mason Neck, early in the morning on March 20, a Fairfax County Police release said.
Students at William Halley and Newington Forest Elementary schools raise thousands during sports-based Boosterthon program.
Earlier in March, students at William Halley Elementary School in Lorton and Newington Forest Elementary School in Springfield participated in the nationwide fundraising program Boosterthon Fun Run by raising money and learning life skills through physical activity.
Two Injured in Accidental Shooting on Tralee Woods Court
Two men were injured Wednesday night, March 23, when the gun a third man was showing them went off unintentionally inside a residence on the 7500 block of Tralee Woods Court in Springfield.
Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Awards $380,000 in Local Grants
Five of 36 grant awardees speak at “Cocktails & Conversation” event.
When Lorton residents Marcy Mager and husband David Lunter’s daughter Michell Merhige was killed in 2009, they wanted to establish a scholarship in her honor but knew handling the financial logistics would be tricky.
Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Springfield: Brain Injury Services honors volunteers and community partners
Maya Simbulan of Fairfax is thankful for being normal. The Lake Braddock Secondary School freshman would like to pursue work with computer graphics and plays electric wheelchair soccer.
Burke: Alcohol and Speed Suggested Factors in Fatal Crash
Crash reconstruction detectives are investigating a fatal car crash that occurred March 14 around 12:23 a.m. near Burke Commons Road and Roberts Common Lane.
Burke, Bairfax Station, Springfield: Shark Tank Racing Squad sets new record in sixth year of swimming marathon fundraiser
For the sixth year, swimmers piled on miles of laps in the pool, raising money to support their coach and the Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer.
Fairfax County Public Schools to Seek FEMA Relief Funds
Winter Storm Jonas, Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse 2.0 — no matter what it’s called, the county-crippling January 2016 blizzard cost Fairfax County Public Schools $7.2 million to pay for employee overtime compensation, additional contractors and equipment rental.
Mount Vernon: Mamma’s Kitchen Expands with EVOO at Mamma’s Market
Staying rooted in Mount Vernon.
Marianna Johnnides was raised here in the Mount Vernon area, educated here — from Waynewood Elementary School through West Potomac High School — and for the last seven years, has owned and run Mamma’s Kitchen restaurant here on Fordson Road.
Aspiring nurses receive scholarships in honor of Harriet H. Fatzinger
Amina Amisi of Falls Church and Ashley French of Great Falls are second-year nursing students at Northern Virginia Community College, each expecting to graduate with completed Associate’s degrees in May this year.
Mount Vernon: Fort Hunt Little League to Begin Challengers Division for Children with Disabilities
As Opening Day for baseball approaches, Fort Hunt Little League is preparing to offer an opportunity for young aspiring baseball players with disabilities the chance to participate in America’s pastime.
Lorton: No Suspects Yet in Mason Neck Homicide
Police seeking help from community members.
Johan de Leede, 83, was shot several times in a home on the 6000 block of River Drive in Lorton, Fairfax County Police said in a release Friday afternoon on March 11. He died after being taken to an area hospital for his injuries.
Mount Vernon: 56 Graduate from Bryant alternative school at winter term ceremony.
Fifty-six students walked out of the William Cullen Bryant Auditorium on Feb. 17 as high school graduates. Bryant Alternative High School in Alexandria held its winter graduation exercises beginning at 4 p.m. that day.
Burke Historical Society begins new research education series.
When Col. Blake Meyers’ (U.S. Army, ret.) mother and grandmother died, he inherited boxes of family records that no one had ever taken the time to archive, much less even go through and organize.
Fairfax County: Commonwealth's Attorney Finds No Criminality in Paul Guida In-Custody Death
After a determination from the medical examiner that Falls Church resident Paul Guida, 68, died of natural causes while in the Sheriff’s custody at the Fairfax County Detention Center, Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh concluded there was no evidence of criminality associated with involved law enforcement or staff at the jail.
Fairfax and Mount Vernon: Matthew Takes on Four More Life Sentences with Guilty Plea for Murders
Jesse L. Matthew, Jr., now 34, will never leave prison. Matthew was already beginning to serve three consecutive life sentences after he entered an Alford Plea for charges of abduction, sexual assault and attempted murder in Fairfax in 2005.
Health Department Confirms Raccoon in Clifton Incident Had Rabies
Fairfax County Police investigated three separate incidents of wild animal bites at the end of last week, including a report of a Clifton man being awakened around 11 a.m. on March 3 by a raccoon in his home. The next day, police said the Health Department confirmed the raccoon tested positive for the rabies virus.
Burtons allergy-friendly Grill & Bar opens at Hilltop Village Center in Alexandria
The Big 8: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. These represent the vast majority of all food allergies in the United States.
Alexandria Man Charged with Assault after Police Barricade Incident in Franconia
Alexandria resident Sayed Robbie Javid was charged with assaulting a police officer and falsely summoning police after an incident at his home on Larkspur Drive escalated into a barricade situation.
Boutique fitness studio WheelHouse Clifton caters to mind and body, men, women and children
Michele Achterberg is a winner. When the Clifton resident was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2015 despite having no family history with it, she underwent 20 weeks of chemotherapy and won. She went through a double mastectomy in June 2015, and won.
Burke and Fairfax: Super Tuesday 2016 Viewpoints
Who did you vote for, and what are some of the most important issues for you in this election?
John Kasich. He’s the more moderate option. I really don’t want Trump to win and I want a more moderate fiscal budget, with more equitable wealth distribution.
Clifton: Super Tuesday 2016 Viewpoints
Who did you vote for and what are some of the most important issues to you in this election?
It’s important that populist leaders make logical choices, instead of emotional choices. We need someone who will lead our country, make sound decisions, have an actual plan.