David Sherfinski

AOL looks to shed one-third of its work force

AOL is looking to shed more than one-third of its nearly 7,000 employees to cut costs. The Internet company, founded in Northern Virginia, is asking 2,500 employees to take voluntary buyouts, which will be available from Dec. 4 to Dec. 11. AOL will begin to fire employees if enough employees do not volunteer,according to spokeswoman Tricia Primrose. The online company, famous in the 1990s for its dial-up Internet business, employs about 2,400 workers in Northern Virginia, where it maintains its Dulles campus in Loudoun County.The company's corporate headquarters moved to New York from the Dulles campus in spring 2008. About 650 employees work in New York, according to Primrose. The...

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Office vacancies in Alexandria hit five-year high

Office vacancy rates (as of June 30, 2009) Jurisdiction Current year Prior year Alexandria 16.2% 7.0% Northern Virginia (1st quarter) 16.0% 13.3% D.C. metro area 14.9% 12.0% Source: Grubb and Ellis, City of Alexandria The office vacancy rate in Alexandria has climbed to its highest level in more than five years, as the city has joined a growing list of...

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Alexandria's Victory Center sits empty after BRAC loss

When the Defense Department chose to move thousands of employees to Alexandria's Mark Center site off Interstate 395 last year, it left the competing Victory Center building empty -- and still waiting to be filled. The two sites, with the GSA Warehouse in Springfield, were contenders to house 6,400 employees in a new Defense Department facilityas late as last September. The move was part of the federal government's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan, which mandated the relocation of thousands of military personnel nationwideby September 2011. The 13-story, 600,000-square-foot Victory Center building is still hunting for tenants, although itunderwent a $60 million renovation...

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The Blotter

Men killed in Southeast D.C. shooting A 42-year-old Maryland man was gunned down early Saturday in Southeast D.C., according to police. Frederick Darnell Ard of Suitland was found with multiple gunshot wounds at 1:11 a.m. on the 2000 block of 16th Street SE near Good Hope Road. He died at a hospital. No arrests had been made. Police search for suspect in attempted rape Montgomery County police are asking for help finding a man who tried to rape a woman after she got off a bus in Aspen Hill on Saturday evening. The man followed her toward her apartment near Bel Pre Road and Grand Pre Road around 7:30 p.m., then assaulted the woman and forced her into the nearby woods, police said....

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Foreclosure filings jump in Prince George's County

County sees more than 2,000 cases in October Prince George's County saw more than 2,000 foreclosure filings last month, and the Maryland suburb accounted for nearly one-third of the total in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The total more than doubled the foreclosures from October 2008, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac, a California-based company that tracks and markets foreclosed properties. One of every 157 homes received a foreclosure filing in the county, compared with one of every 348 in Maryland and one of every 385 in the United States. Nationally, the report for October was a mixed bag; foreclosures ticked down slightly from September to October, but...

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Arlington approves parking overhaul

Arlington County may eventually see parking meter hours extended to nights and weekends and variable meter pricing, under a 20-year parking plan passed Saturday. The county board on Saturday approved a long-term parking and curb space management element to its master transportation plan for the first time. One of the goals behind the amendment is to accommodate an anticipated 17 percent increase in population and 31 percent increase in employment over the next 20 years. Few of the implementation actions would be adopted soon, said Sarah Stott, the county parking manager. "This is a well-thought-out parking plan that will help Arlington manage growth in the coming years, by helping...

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The Blotter

Trial begins for Baltimore mayor Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, who has been accused of stealing donated gift cards intended for needy families, appeared in court Thursday for the opening arguments of her trial. Prosecutors said that store receipts proved Dixon used the gift cards for personal use. Defense attorneys argued that Dixon had confused the cards with others that had been given to her. Police bust gold burglary ring Fairfax County police said they've busted a burglary ring that targeted gold held primarily by South Asian families. Authorities say Francisco Gray, Dagoberto Soto-Ramirez and his wife, Melinda Soto, burglarized more than 20 homes in Fairfax and Loudoun, stealing...

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Area housing market -- aided by tax credit -- picks up in Oct.

Get 'em while they're hot -- Days on market in October "> Jurisdiction average days on market 2009 average days on market 2008 percent change Loudoun County 56 90 -37.78 NVAR* 58 94 -38.30 PWAR** 46 114 -59.65 Montgomery County 80 116 -31.03 Prince George's County 122 136-10.29 D.C. 91 77 18.18 *Alexandria, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Arlington County, Falls Church **Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc. The D.C.-area housing market continued to inch forward in October, thanks in part to the federal government's tax credit for first-time homebuyers. Homes were flying off...

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Study: More construction necessary to accommodate BRAC traffic

Mark Center project » Mixed-use park near Interstate 395 in Alexandria » Two site garages containing nearly 4,000 spaces » One 15-story building and one 17-story building, plus a public transportation center » Would employ more than 6,400 Defense Department personnel. » Is scheduled for completion by Sept. 15, 2011, as mandated by the 2005 BRAC legislation. Source: Belvoir New Vision Direct access from Interstate 395 to Alexandria's Mark Center will be needed to accommodate an anticipated crush of traffic when the complex is finished, according to a new report. The Mark Center, a mixed-use business park, is slated to add a...

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Another tough budget year ahead for Alexandria council

With the U.S. and Virginia state economies still limping along, the Alexandria city council on Saturday steeled itself for another lean budget year. City manager James K. Hartmann summed it up rather bluntly. "This next budget could quite possibly be the hardest budget any of us have ever faced," he said at the council's budget retreat. The city's real estate tax revenue is expected to take a big hit -- as is the case with many jurisdictions. Officials are projecting a roughly 8 percent decline in total real property assessments, with a 5.7 percent drop as a "best case" scenario and a 9.4 percent drop a "worst case." Commercial property assessments are projected to drop from...

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Thousands rally against health care reform

Thousands of people from across the country gathered at the U.S. Capitol Thursday to protest a proposed health care reform bill making its way through the House of Representatives. American flags, "Don't tread on me" flags, and signs with messages like "Hands off my health care" and "Clean the House 2010" peppered the teeming crowd. One sign skewered the famous President Obama "Hope" poster with a picture of Gandalf from "Lord of the Rings" and the words, "You shall not pass the Health Care Bill." A man in a white lab coat yelled "Tort reform!" Lonnie and Barry Mussell, who made the trip from Georgia, were holding a...

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Biographical profile

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GOP cements control of Va. House

Republicans increased their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates in Tuesday's election by picking up at least five seats -- stanching a recent Democratic tide in the state's lower chamber. The GOP also made inroads into a handful of seats representing the Washington suburbs, including the 34th District, comprised of part of Fairfax County. Republican Barbara Comstock defeated Democratic incumbent Margi Vanderhye in the race for that seat by the razor-thin margin of 50.6 percent to 49.2 percent. Meanwhile, Republican Scott Garrett nipped incumbent Democrat Shannon Valentine in Lynchburg, 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent, with the race called by the Associated Press Wednesday...

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GOP maintains Va. House majority

Down-ballot Republicans, riding a sweep at the top of the Virginia ticket, maintained their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, and appeared poised to widen that margin. The GOP managed to stanch a recent Democratic tide in the state legislature. Democrats had gained 11 seats in the past three elections, leaving Republicans with a six-seat working majority after holding 64 seats in 2001. There were 69 contested races in the House, 11 of which were for open seats. Republicans poured a significant amount of money into a handful of House races, including five seats in the D.C. suburbs that broke for President Obama in 2008. GOPAC, a group that helped fund the "Republican...

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THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW - Demetrios Papademetriou

Demetrios Papademetriou is the president and co-founder of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank devoted to the study of worldwide migration. Papademetriou also has served as the director for immigration policy and research at the U.S. Department of Labor. How has the role of MPI changed over the past decade or so? Certainly, we have expanded our reach in both the topics we look at and geographically. Now, we are indeed an institution that has a reach that covers North America, Europe, and probably a dozen or so countries other than [in] Europe and America. How do you remain nonpartisan on such a heated issue? We look at numbers -- we don't start...

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CATCHING UP WITH ... 'Iron heart' Boyle finishes marine marathon, gears up for NYC

Brian Boyle, profiled last week in Personal Best, completed the Marine Corps Marathon in just over 4 1/2 hours last weekend -- the second of three marathons that he will run this month. "It was great," he said. "It was awesome. "To be honest, I'm a little sore," he conceded. Boyle, who has come back from major injuries and a coma after being hit by a dump truck five years ago, ran in the Baltimore Marathon earlier this month, and headed to New York on Friday to prep for the New York City Marathon on Sunday. He said he wouldn't recommend running three marathons in a month, but he wanted to honor the servicemen and servicewomen before heading to the Big Apple. Though Boyle grew up...

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Retailers pin hopes on 'consumer centricity'

If retailers can't find a way to convince frugal consumers from parting with their waning cash this holiday season, they could be in for a world of hurt. So in an attempt to circle the wagons, the National Retail Federation's Web site is featuring a report written by Brian Ross, general manager of the retail consulting group Precima, titled, "Winning at consumer centricity: 10 tips for retailers and manufacturers." The idea behind "consumer centricity" is basically to find out how consumers shop, then align parts of a company to target them so they spend more. The tips are as follows: Retail ¥ To succeed at consumer centricity, retailers need to commit -- NOW. ¥ Collecting...

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Consumers unite: Early holiday shopping season means big discounts

By the numbers The National Retail Federation is forecasting a rough holiday season for retailers: » U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping, a 3.2 percent drop from last year's $705.01. » Holiday retail industry sales are projected to decline 1 percent this year, to $437.6 billion. Last year's drop was 3.4 percent. As a result, retailers are getting creative and offering special promotions: » Sears' "Doorbusters," in which stores open at 4 a.m., typically are held the day after Thanksgiving, but the department store giant is already running the promotional event. » Special offers at electronics chain...

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Alexandria opposes toll lanes on I-95

The Alexandria City Council is opposinga high-occupancy toll lane project on Interstate 95/395, following resistance from residents who arefightingthe project. Alexandria residents have argued that, rather than relieving congestion in the crowded I-95/395 corridor, the HOT lanes ultimately would add cars and increase pollution in the surrounding areas. "In certain instances, private-public partnerships have added value, but not in this case," said Heather Rogers, co-chairwoman of the Parkfairfax HOT Lanes Task Force. "Northern Virginia represents 42 percent of the tax base in the entire state, and should have a say in how money allocated to transportation is spent,...

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Report: New flood of foreclosures likely to hit area

Tens of thousands of additional foreclosed homes are expected to flood the Washington area soon, and the housing crisis is sending "ripple effects" down to renters and school-age children, according to a report released Wednesday. More than 100,000 mortgages -- almost 8 percent of all loans in the region -- were delinquent in June. Further, 51,500 were more than 90 days past due, the report said. "The chances of these households going into foreclosure are very good," said Kathryn Pettit, lead researcher on the report, titled "Housing in the Nation's Capital 2009." "The level of delinquency was very surprising to us." Foreclosure facts »...

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O'Malley eyes mediation before foreclosure

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to introduce legislation that would require mediation efforts before foreclosure processes began, a spokesman said Tuesday. The bill would provide an incentive for lenders who drag their feet to do more to help struggling homeowners, said Shaun Adamec, a spokesman for O'Malley. "This is a way to level the playing field," Adamec said. The governor is committed to putting a bill before the General Assembly next year that mandates mediation for homeowners facing foreclosure, he said. Local housing officials were open to the idea. "It has some potential to be helpful," said Rick Nelson, head of Montgomery County's Housing and Community Affairs...

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Brush with death takes runner from coma to competing in Marine Corps Marathon

Five years ago, Brian Boyle was in a chemically induced coma after being hit by a dump truck. He lost 60 percent of his blood in the accident. He recalls hearing talk of "vegetable" and "nursing home" during the haze. His dream of joining the military became secondary to walking again. Or even surviving. "It was so weird to be that numb," he said. "I was just happy to be alive." On Sunday, after a remarkable comeback, Boyle, a 23-year-old from Welcome, Md., will be running in his first Marine Corps Marathon. The road to recovery was anything but easy. He swam, ran track and field, and powerlifted in high school. But after the accident, it became a big deal when he was able to blink...

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Runner survived 'mental prison' while in coma after accident

Brian Boyle told his story in a book called "Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back From the Dead," which was released Oct. 1. Here is part of his story in his own words on his blog, brianboyle.wordpress.com. It was a little over a month and a half when I started to regain consciousness to the point that I knew what my surroundings were and I wasn't hallucinating. But this was before I started talking. Once they put me in a comatose state, the doctors didn't know that when I woke up if I would be mentally okay; if I would be able to function; if I would be able to walk or sit up or even do anything without having to be helped. I was pretty much going to be a vegetable, and...

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Alexandria residents continue attack on toll lanes

Alexandria residents who have assailed the proposed high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95 and 395 have persuaded the City Council to formally denounce the project. "This is an issue we're all concerned with," Mayor William D. "Bill" Euille told residents at a recent public hearing. Euille assured the public that the council has consistently been engaged on the issue. "Any accusation that this body has been asleep at the wheel is completely erroneous," he said. Euille wrote a letter in July to Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer describing a June meeting with the Parkfairfax Condominium Board of Directors, which more than 250 people attended. "In nearly 3 decades...

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Deeds seeks to shore up Hispanic vote

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds sought to rally Latina voters on Saturday as his campaign gears up for the final sprint to the Nov. 3 election. Deeds' campaign organized a handful of events across the state billed as opportunities for Latinas to rally support for the Democratic candidate. Anne Holton, First Lady of Virginia, was among the volunteers cheering on campaign workers at Caribbean Breeze restaurant in Arlington Saturday morning. The differences between Deeds and his opponent, Republican Bob McDonnell, "could not be more stark," Holton told a group of supporters in Arlington. "There's nothing [done] about this election yet," she said. "Work, work, work - 10...

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Massage therapists fight permits, changes to rules

Massage therapists are prickling at proposed changes to the rules governing Alexandria's massage industry. "I see no rationale for the [section] about where certified massage therapists may provide therapy and under what conditions," wrote Rebecca Bowers-Lanier, a consultant for the Virginia Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association. "I believe this is archaic language that refers back to a time when massage therapy was confused with massage provided by persons such as prostitutes and call girls. These individuals were not practicing massage therapy." Jessica Johnson, of the advocacy group Virginia Stop Modern Slavery, questioned the effect the changes...

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Bedroom community blues: foreclosure crisis creating suburban slums

Two years of economic collapse have pockmarked the D.C. region's affluent suburbs with blight and experts are worried that the foundering cul-de-sacs and towns are on the verge of becoming the region's next ghettoes. "What you're looking at now is a structural problem," Brookings Institute scholar Christopher Leinberger said. "We have structurally overbuilt the fringe...It ain't coming back." Consider, for instance, Prince William County's Georgetown South community. The signs there used to say, "For sale." Then they said, "foreclosed." Now they say, "For rent." ANDREW HARNIK/EXAMINER Herb Cooper-Levy runs a group home for...

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Alexandria residents urge council to preserve programs

Alexandria residents made impassioned pleas to preserve city programs and services during a Saturday public hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget. Cuts are likely however, according to Mayor William D. "Bill" Euille, who said the city would probably endure budget difficulties for the next couple of years. "Everything is on the table," he said. "Nothing is sacred." Still, residents made emotional pleas for programs like the Untouchables youth mentoring program, which seeks to curb drug use among the city's young people. Carlton Miller, who's served as a mentor in the program, said the last time he stood before so many people to talk was in 1991. That group,...

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The 3-minute interview: Rick Nealis

Nealis is the race director for the Marine Corps Marathon, which will celebrate its 34th anniversary on Sunday. Nealis has completed five marathons — including three MCMs — and boasts a personal best of 3:09:50 from the 1983 Marine Corps Marathon. How's the workload right now? At this point, it's just 'attention-to-detail' type items. As Marines, they understand the mission-type orders. Which is easier -- running in the actual race, or running the event? Running [in] the event is much easier. You're in total control of your destiny. Changing hats and switching over -- you can't be out there. It's a different type of anxiety. Was it a huge thrill to carry the Olympic...

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Pr. William County school enrollment jumps

Enrollment in Prince William County schools surged by almost 3,000 students this year -- the largest one-year jump since at least 1990. This year's official enrollment tally of 76,656 students is a 4.1 percent increase over 2008. Last year, student enrollment increased by 1,003, or 1.4 percent. "Data indicate that the large increase in student enrollment is likely attributed to signs of an economic rebound (e.g. re-occupancy of foreclosed homes and high demand for affordable housing," the school system said in a release. Still, the leap in enrollment comes as both the county and the commonwealth head into another difficult budget season. The school board's recently prepared...

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Deeds to get boost from Obama, Clinton

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds will get a boost on the campaign trail from President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton, as national Democratic figures focus their attention on the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. Former president Bill Clinton and rival Terry McAuliffe, who Deeds defeated in the June primary, will appear with Deeds at an event on Tuesday. An even bigger boost for the Democrat will come on Oct. 27, when President Barack Obama will campaign with Deeds. Further details will be announced in the coming days, according to a release from Deeds' campaign. Former vice president Al Gore also lent his support to the state senator's...

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Alexandria residents open to tax increase

A majority of Alexandria residents polled in an annual survey would be willing to pay more in taxes to preserve city services and maintain the quality of area schools, according to a recent survey. Of the 1,000 residents polled, 55 percent said they would be "very willing" or "somewhat willing" to pay "reasonably" more in taxes to ensure the city meets its strategic goals, which include contributing to quality public schools and enhancing the vitality of city neighborhoods. Conversely, 41 percent said they were "somewhat unwilling" or "not at all willing" to do so. The survey was conducted by the Center for Research & Public Policy, a Connecticut research and consulting...

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Pr. William, Pr. George's dogged by foreclosures in 3rd quarter

By David Sherfinski Prince William and Prince George's counties boasted seven of the nine area ZIP codes with the most foreclosure filings last quarter, as the suburbs continue to lurch through fallout from the real estate crash. A Woodbridge, Va., ZIP code saw 523 foreclosure filings -- tops in the region -- and one in Fort Washington, Md., was second with 347. Others in the top 10 included an Alexandria section of Fairfax County and a section of Germantown in Montgomery County, according to data released Wednesday by the online foreclosure-tracking Web site Realtytrac. In general, there have been a high number of foreclosures in exurban communities such as Prince William and Loudoun...

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Supreme Court of Va. to hear Episcopal Church ownership case

The Supreme Court of Virginia will hear the appeal of the Episcopal Church, which is trying to keep ownership of nine properties in a highly publicized dispute with a group of breakaway conservative congregations. Attorneys were notified of the decision Wednesday morning, according to Henry D.W. Burt, secretary of the diocese. "We are pleased that the court has agreed to hear this important case regarding the ability of the Episcopal Church and other hierarchical churches to organize themselves according to their beliefs without unwarranted governmental interference," Burt said. The rift drew national attention as the conservative congregations voted en masse to leave their parent...

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Nearly 2,000 suspected illegals in Pr. William sent to feds

Prince William County has turned over about 2,000 suspected illegal immigrants to the federal government since July 2007, the county jail superintendent said Tuesday. The county jail has issued 2,041 federal detainers and has transferred 1,923 inmates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement from July 2007 through Sept. 30, said Col. Peter Meletis, superintendent of the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center. Under a new agreement with ICE, the county will target illegal immigrants who commit serious, "Type 1" crimes, such as murder and armed robbery. "We are confident that we will be able to continue to operate as we have in the past under this [agreement]," county...

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Realtors, police officers honored for stopping thefts

Four local Realtors and three police officers were honored Tuesday for shutting down a scheme in which two suspects, posing as father and son, are accused of looting homes during open house events in the area. Mary Hurlbut and Kim Farina of Weichert Realtors in Alexandria, and Jim and Patricia Bryant of Weichert Realtors in McLean were presented with the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors' inaugural safety award for helping nab the suspects. Jeffrey Mellott of the Baltimore City Police Department, Patrick O'Hara of the Fairfax County Police Department and Daniel Plank of the Alexandria City Police Department were also presented with the award. Susan Mekenney, chairwoman of...

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Alexandria seeks to reform massage parlors

Alexandria is trying to reform massage parlors in the city, although a requirement for hand sinks in all new locations has delayed the vote. The city council was set to vote on the measure Tuesday, but it now will have a public hearing later in the month. The sink requirement will be pulled, said Lisa Kaplowitz, director of the Alexandria Health Department. "This was done as an infection-control measure," but the city understands the financial concern behind the requirement, Kaplowitz said. Another proposed change still in the legislation would require massage establishments to provide the names and contact information for each massage therapist working in the company when...

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Women canvass for Deeds across Va.

Creigh Deeds' campaign hosted a handful of statewide "women to women" canvassing events throughout the Commonwealth on Saturday, as the Democratic candidate for governor seeks to bolster his standing among female voters. Though the campaign billed the day as a series of "women to women" canvasses, Cecile Glendening of McLean said that she was just focusing on it as another canvassing day. "Every day is important between now and election day," she said. "I'll talk to anybody." Glendening said that she appreciated Deeds' honesty and straightforward nature, but that she'd like to hear from him more directly in the future. Democratic Del. Margi Vanderhye, who represents the 34th...

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Prince William cools on HOT lanes suit

Prince William County will not join Arlington County in a lawsuit over high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95 and 395, arguing that elements of the lawsuit include unfair accusations of racism. Arlington filed the suit against the Virginia Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation in August to halt the 56-mile project that stretches from Arlington, near the Pentagon, to Spotsylvania County along I-95/395. It argues for a comprehensive study on its impact on the environment and public health. "We were set to join the Arlington lawsuit against VDOT," said Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large. But some parts of...

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The 3-minute interview: Paul Herbert

Herbert is president of the Fairfax County Historical Society and author of the recently published book, "God Knows all Your Names: Stories in American History." Herbert also used to work as a special investigator for the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. How did you get interested in history? Just started reading. Fifteen years ago, my uncle did an extensive family genealogy -- it showed we had ancestors in the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and one on the Mayflower. I guess it's in my blood. My dad's a history buff. Did your interests cross with his at all? He just reads his own stuff, and I'd read mine. He read six to seven hours on the...

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Report: one-third of illegal immigrants have employer-based health care

About one-third of working-age illegal immigrants in Virginia and Maryland have employer- based health insurance, according to a new report. In Virginia, 35 percent of illegal immigrants are covered through their employer, and in Maryland, 31 percent are. Nationwide, about 31 percent of illegal immigrants, or 3.2 million, have insurance through their employers. About three-quarters of U.S.-born citizens in Maryland and Virginia are covered through their employers. Manyimmigrants, including those in the country illegally, work for large companies such as meat-packing plants and hotel chains have full-time jobs with benefits, said Randy Capps, senior policy analyst at the Migration...

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No. Va. officials eye taxes to stanch red ink

Northern Virginia officials, facing another dismal budget season, are considering raising taxes to climb out from under the red ink. Loudoun County supervisors on Tuesday supported asking the Virginia General Assembly for the authority to tax such items as cigarettes and food and beverages. Though the majority of the board approved the measure, the issue met with controversy -- and a bit of grandstanding. Lori Waters, R-Broad Run, pointed out that a so-called "meals tax" had been voted down by county voters multiple times, and that it would be "somewhat offensive" for the board to go around their wishes. Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, took it one step further. "I challenge...

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Loudoun turns over more inmates to feds this year

Loudoun County has turned over more suspected illegal immigrants to the federal government so far this year than it did all of last year. The county turned over 166 suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 24, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell. In 2008, the county turned over 135 suspected illegals to ICE, and in 2007, it turned over 83. Troxell said 43 inmates currently being held on localcharges have been placed on ICE detainers. Loudoun and Prince William counties are participating in a federal immigration program known as 287(g) that allows local law enforcement...

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Bulova's trip to Korea latest chapter in Fairfax ties to Asia

Fairfax County Board Chairwoman Sharon Bulova's trip to Asia last week was the latest chapter in ties between the county and the continent -- one that dates to the 19th century. Her journey across the Pacific was to announce a formal partnership with the jurisdiction of Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. "We were treated very well," she said. "It is a big deal for them." Teacher exchanges between the two regions was one result of the trip. A Korean teacher interested in teaching English could come to Fairfax, for example, and a Fairfax County teacher could head overseas to learn more about the Asian culture and develop his language skills. Bulova, with Cora Foley, is co-organizing the...

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Education, jobs draw influx of Asians to region

Asians are flocking to the Washington area, drawn by the region's strongeducational and economic opportunities. And with strong academic success, high household incomes and low poverty rates, the area's Asian-American and Asian immigrant populations are contributing to the strength of the Washington region. The major draw is the quality school systems, which are ranked among the best in the country, said Cora Foley, who is co-organizing the Fairfax County Asian American History project. "That is the major magnet," she said. Asians are "especially concerned about the future of their children," said Alan Kraut, professor of immigration history at American...

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Jack-of-all-trades at home on the Potomac

After life of grab-bag jobs, N.Va. resident settles on fishing guru "Captain" Steve Chaconas has done it all. He has hosted a financial reporting radio show, but retired from that in 2000. Photo:8092532,right;"I found my bosses kept getting younger and dumber," he said. He was a writer for "The Howard Stern Show" in the early 1980s. He "sold computers before everyone had computers." He has taught high school algebra. He sold Volvos and bartended in different decades, though on the same road -- King Street in Alexandria. But now, Chaconas, 53, has found his way onto the Potomac River as a fishing guide. The Mount Vernon-area resident travels around the country with top fishing...

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Decline in local home values slows for sixth straight month

Washington-area home values ticked up from June to July and year-over-year values declined at a slower pace for the sixth straight month, according to data released Tuesday. The area also led the nation in the amount of home appreciation since 2000 for the second straight month, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index, which measures home prices in 20 major metropolitan areas. "The summer was really very good," said local real estate agent Donna Evers. "The difficulty with 2007 and 2008 is that we had financial crises that occurred in August and September. I think we're going to be able to avoid that this year, which means that the situation will keep on improving." Nationally,...

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Arlington runner preps for MCM, eyes Boston

Jeff Bedell is already pumped for his fifth Marine Corps Marathon -- the third-largest in the country -- next month. "At this point, you're ready," he said. But his first was "pure hell," said Bedell, who works for MicroStrategy, a McLean software company. He said he had a bit of a workout lapse before the 2005 race, after wrestling and rowing crew in high school and continuing to row through college and for some time afterward. He started running when his brother -- three years older -- started running marathons and basically shamed him into it, Bedell said. The 40-year-old Arlington resident said he doesn't row competitively anymore, but does use the rowing machine to...

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Arlington moves toward parking overhaul

Extending parking meter hours to include evenings and weekends and allowing limited public parking in office lots are just two of many changes to Arlington County's transportation plan being considered by the county board. The board is weighing incorporating these new long-term strategies in anticipation of a 17 percent increase in population and 31 percent increase in employment over the next 20 years. Another element under consideration is the prospect of "unbundling" parking from the cost of rent. Under this practice, the price of a parking space would be separated from the price of renting or owning an apartment. Unbundling has been proven in various parts of the country to...

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Arlington sets sights on tax scofflaws

Arlington County is looking to crack down on long-term tax scofflaws, despite recently recording an all-time low overall in its tax delinquency rate. County board members on Saturday voted to hold a public hearing next month to discuss amending the county code so that the 10 percent annual interest rate charged on delinquent taxes and debts could be collected retroactively from the date of delinquency. In April 2009, county board members increased the penalty interest rate from 1 percent for delinquent real estate taxes and 5 percent for other taxes and debts to 10 percent across the board, effective July 1, 2009. The proposed change to the county code would allow the 10 percent per...

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Report: Pr. William residents claim highest quality of life in 17 years

Prince William County residents say their quality of life is the highest it has been since the county's annual citizen survey began in 1993. On a scale from one to 10, with 10 representing the best community in which to live, the average rating has climbed from 6.90 in 1993 to 7.30 this year, up from 6.98 last year. "It is surprising because of the poor economy" and because the county had to cut back on services to deal with last year's budget, said Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large. "Of course, it's a delightful surprise and of course we're very proud that the quality of life was rated so high." Researchers polled 1,746 randomly selected...

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Economists cautious, hopeful at Realtors' annual summit

Northern Virginia's housing market is improving, but rising unemployment will accompany the turnaround, local and national experts told local real estate agents at a housing conference Wednesday. Local economic and housing indicators are on the upswing, but unemployment will lag, said Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors summit was held at GMU's Johnson Center in Fairfax County. "The turnaround has occurred" for new-home sales in the Washington area, excluding condominiums and multifamily homes, he said. Still, he said unemployment would remain high -- which would hurt the housing...

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Prince William pushes to lower numbers of euthanized animals

Prince William County is pushing forward with plans to promote animal welfare and reduce the number of euthanized pets. A new, 13-person animal advisory committee will be tasked with seeking grant funding for animal welfare initiatives, as well as increasing community outreach and providing support to animal control and care services. Ultimately, the goal of the committee is to reduce the number of animals euthanized at the county animal shelter. The shelter last year handled 6,476 animals, excluding wildlife, 2,709 of which were euthanized, according to a presentation given by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The board first suggested the idea of an advisory board...

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Preservationists buy key Civil War land in Virginia

Preservationists have announced a major victory to protect a Civil War battlefield near Winchester, Va. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation bought 209 acres of battlefield for $3.35 million, ensuring the field will remain intact as a historic battlefield. The land is the 209-acre Huntsberry property slightly northeast of Winchester, part of the bloodied Middle Field during the Third Battle of Winchester, fought on Sept. 19, 1864. The 209-acre addition to previously preserved land will create a 567-acre battlefield park stretching from Interstate 81 to Millbrook High School in Winchester. Although the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation closed on the property in August,...

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Antietam anniversary brings battlefields to forefront

A cool breeze drifts over the Antietam National Battlefield Park in the late afternoon one daybefore Sept. 17 -- the anniversary of the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Showers appear headed for the site -- fitting, as rain-soaked Union and Confederate soldiers had to fight the elements 147 years ago, when 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing during the battle. Antietam, in Sharpsburg, Md., is one of about a half-dozen Civil War battlefield sites within 100 miles of Washington. The sites offer a variety of weekend excursions for history buffs and families alike as the war that divided the nation approaches its 150th anniversary. There is a "huge, huge...

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Commuter ferry plans move forward, but funding questions linger

Prince William County officials have endorsed moving forward with plans for a commuter ferry from Woodbridge to the District, but expressed concern about demand and funding sources for the project. Estimated costs for items such as buying boats and pedestrian improvements are $29.8 million, said Cody Smith of the consulting firm Greenhorne & O'Mara, which conducted a feasibility study. The estimated annual operating costs for the Woodbridge-to-Anacostia service would be about $3.9 million, with an average round-trip fare of $11. The trip from Woodbridge to the Anacostia waterfront would take about an hour, the study said. It recommended a craft with an average cruising speed of...

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Pr. William board endorses D.C.-to-Richmond rail project

Prince William County supervisors on Tuesday formally backed a proposed $1.5 billion high-speed rail project that would rush trains from Richmond to Washington at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Virginia has until Oct. 2 to apply for a piece of the $8 billion in stimulus funding available for high-speed rail projects around the country. The state also submitted an application for about $72 million in stimulus funds last month for an 11.4-mile, "ready-to-go" track project in Stafford and Prince William counties. "Virginia is geographically unique because we serve as the link" between high-speed rail in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., said Barbara Reese,...

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Local housing market inches forward in August

The Northern Virginia housing market continued to stabilize in August, while foreclosures in the Maryland suburbs spiked from a year ago. A total of 873 properties in Prince William County received a foreclosure notice in August, according to the online foreclosure-tracking Web site RealtyTrac. The county posted a 36 percent drop in foreclosures from August 2008 and a 16 percent drop from July. In Fairfax, the commonwealth's most populous county, more than 1,200 foreclosures were filed last month, but those numbers marked a 5 percent drop from last year and a 34 percent drop from July. "Northern Virginia remains a leading indicator" in the Washington area, said Anirban Basu, economist...

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Jack-of-all-trades at home on the Potomac

"Captain" Steve Chaconas has done it all. He has hosted a financial reporting radio show, but retired from that in 2000. "I found my bosses kept getting younger and dumber," he said. He was a writer for "The Howard Stern Show" in the early 1980s. He "sold computers before everyone had computers." He has taught high school algebra. He sold Volvos and bartended in different decades, though on the same road -- King Street in Alexandria. But now, Chaconas, 53, has found his way onto the Potomac River as a fishing guide. The Mount Vernon-area resident travels around the country with top fishing professionals and gleans tips, both to take back home to...

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Alexandrians urge council to turn up heat on HOT lanes

Alexandria residents on Saturday urged the city council to formally oppose plans to build High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes down I-95/395 and join Arlington County's lawsuit concerning the project. Citizens urged the council to take a stronger stand against the proposed HOT lanes after council members in March passed a resolution withholding their support until issues such as environmental documentation were "adequately addressed." "We really need the council now to pass a resolution opposing the project and joining Arlington's lawsuit," said Gregory Cota, a member of the city's traffic and parking board. Arlington County filed a lawsuit last month against the Federal Highway...

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Report: BRAC to cause congestion problems

Congress' investigative arm says a plan to relocate thousands of Defense Department workers by 2011 will significantly increase traffic congestion in the Washington area, notably around the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Army base in Fairfax County. A report from the Government Accountability Office projects that immediate costs to deal with traffic problems created by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure plan would be at least $2 billion nationwide. "Obviously, transportation has always been everyone's number one concern because of the nature of [Fairfax] county," said Fort Belvoir spokesman Don Carr, noting that the southern part of Fairfax has...

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The 3-minute interview: Liz Bahrns

Bahrns, the communications director for Prince William County, is retiring this week after serving the county for 23 years. Before Prince William, Bahrns worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. What is your best memory during your time in Prince William County? Probably the most recent memory is how communication has changed since Sept. 11, particularly crisis communication. We practice and train for different crises that occur. We learned that whenever there’s an incident, the response is essentially the same, it’s just the [personnel and scope that are different]. What advice would you give your successor to deal with hounding reporters? One of the things I would...

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Surrogate city: National figures pour into race to Richmond

With the Virginia governor's race looming as one of the most important in 2009 -- and one that many pundits are touting as a precursor to the 2010 midterm elections -- both parties are pouring money and surrogates into the Old Dominion. President Obama is the highest-profile political figure to cross the Potomac and enter the campaign, stumping for state Sen. Creigh Deeds at a rally and fundraiser last month. Deeds has also enjoyed the support of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who is also the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine has pledged to pour in $5 million to help Deeds in the race, and would certainly like to keep a Democrat in the governor's mansion in Richmond. Bob...

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McDonnell maintains lead as candidates start sprint to Nov. 3

Just seven weeks before Election Day, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell holds a sizable lead in the most recent polls in Virginia — despite spending much of the past two weeks playing defense after reports surfaced of his now-infamous 1989 graduate thesis. The sagging popularity of President Obama in the commonwealth so far has proved more critical to the campaign than McDonnell’s decades-old research paper, in which he wrote that working women were detrimental to the family and the government should favor married couples over homosexuals and “fornicators,” according to experts and poll results. The most recent Rasmussen poll showed McDonnell with...

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Kaine announces layoffs, higher ed cuts to close shortfall

Virginia will eliminate nearly 1,000 jobs, slash funds for higher education, and institute a one-day furlough for state employees to meet a fiscal 2010 revenue shortfall of $1.35 billion, Gov. Tim Kaine announced Tuesday. The plan calls for 593 layoffs in a state government workforce of about 102,000. In addition, 336 positions would be frozen, bringing the total to 929. "It's a tough job market if you lose your job, and we're very mindful of that," Kaine said. The main goal was to protect K-12 education, the governor said. "It's not easy for anybody to cut," but that needed to be the top priority, he said. Higher education was a different story. Kaine proposed...

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Alexandria council takes aim at arrow law

Alexandria archers soon may have to be more careful where they fire their slings and arrows. In its first meeting since swearing in three new members in July, City Council members are scheduled to weigh an ordinance Tuesday that would prohibit people from shooting arrows onto other people's property without permission from the owner. The proposal stems from a complaint received by Mayor William D. Euille, said city attorney James Banks. In June, Euille received a complaint from a citizen regarding an ongoing dispute with a neighbor. The citizen complained that, despite his protests, the neighbor continued to use a compound bow for target shooting in his yard. While there is no city...

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Report: Immigrants staying put during recession

Immigrants are overwhelmingly staying in their adopted countries instead of returning home during the recession, contrary to popular belief,according to a report to be released Tuesday. The trend is holding true "even more so" in the Washington area, said Michelle Mittelstadt, communications director for the Migration Policy Institute and an author of the report. Immigrants in the Washington area are typically better educated, are more highly skilled and make more money than in other areas, so they are better able to weather the economic downturn than immigrants -- both legal and illegal -- in other parts of the country, she said. The report, "Migration and the Global Recession,"...

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Local principals, teachers to decide whether to show Obama speech

Local principals and teachers throughout the Washington area will have the choice of whether to show President Obama's controversial back-to-school speech to the nation's students Tuesday. That includes Loudoun County, which reversed its original decision not to show the speech, which Obama will give from Wakefield High School in Arlington. Instead, students will be given the choice to view the president's address. The address, to be streamed live at noon on whitehouse.gov/live and aired on C-SPAN, has generated a firestorm of controversy, with some parents and pundits accusing the president of trying to indoctrinate children with political propaganda. "It is unfortunate that we...

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Report: Va. commuters save $113,000 on 'Telework day'

Virginia commuters saved $113,000 and removed about 76 tons of pollutants from the air by working at home Aug. 3. More than 4,000 commuters participated in "Telework Day," including 878 in Northern Virginia. Richmond boasted the most participants, with 1,211, according to a new study. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine commended participants. "The results are clear — telework plays an important role in meeting the commonwealth's green objectives, reducing strain and traffic on our roads, increasing savings for our employees, and will provide our businesses with increased employee productivity," he said. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., also touted benefits to teleworking beyond...

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McDonnell supports statewide immigration enforcement plan

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell would move to expand a local immigration enforcement program statewide if elected, the former attorney general said. The Republican said he would like to see Virginia State Police trained for the program, known as 287(g), which allows local law enforcement officials to enforce some federal immigration laws. Some local jurisdictions in the state, including Prince William and Loudoun counties, participate in the program. “I have urged Governor Kaine for one and a half years to enter into [the] partnership,” he said in an interview with reporters and editors at The Washington Examiner. “It would be a proper and limited tool...

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Dulles security checks to change Sept. 15

Passengers at Washington Dulles International Airport will undergo security checks in a new location starting Sept.15, as the airport plans to complete part of a long-awaited project by the end of the year. The screening process will take place at a new permanent facility, and the old checkpoints will no longer be used, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The new security mezzanine will be on the airfield side of the main terminal. "The new screening location is one of the many programs constructed under the Dulles Development Program," he said. "We're working right now to prepare to inform the passengers of that...

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McDonnell hits Deeds for focusing on the past, social issues

"[Deeds] must have the most backward-looking campaign in Virginia history," he told editors and reporters at The Washington Examiner. "His platform is based on past presidents, past governors and a 20-year-old...

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Va. unemployment dips below 7 percent in July

Virginia's unemployment rate fell below 7 percent in July, but is expected to jump in August before easing back down by year's end. Northern Virginia boasted the lowest unemployment rate in the state, at 5 percent -- down from 5.5 percent in June -- according to data released Tuesday by the Virginia Employment Commission. Arlington County, Loudoun County, Fairfax County and Alexandria had unemployment rates below 5 percent, which is generally considered to be full employment, said William Mezger, chief economist at the commission's Economic Information Services Division. Prince William County was ranked 12th out of 136 cities and counties in the state, with a rate of 5.4...

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Local leaders say region prepared for swine flu

Local leaders said the region is prepared for the swine flu in the fall, following a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty spoke after holding a closed-door meeting with Napolitano in which the four leaders discussed emergency preparedness in the Washington region. Each jurisdiction submitted plans to deal with the swine flu, formally known as the H1N1 virus, to the Department of Health and Human Services as of midnight Monday, Napolitano said. The jurisdictions are emphasizing vaccinations, washing your hands often, especially after sneezing or...

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The World Police and Fire Games -- a brief history

The World Police and Fire Games, founded in 1985, are held every two years throughout the world, and feature traditional events such as running, swimming and team sports, as well as job-specific events related to police and fire work. There are canine competitions and a shooting competition for police, Fairfax Police Lt. Bruce Blechl said. For firefighters, the event has a stair climb competition, in which firefighters climb a certain number of stairs -- 31 flights are planned for 2015 -- in full gear, complete with air tanks. Competitors also have the option of completing the climb in T-shirts and shorts. Host cities 1985: San Jose, Calif. 1987: San Diego 1989: Vancouver,...

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Fairfax cop stays on top of his game in global contest

Some athletes spark their careers via a game-winning shot or a mind-blowing curveball that freezes a hitter in the bottom of the ninth. Fairfax County Police Lt. Bruce Blechl's path back into competitive running was slightly different: He was chasing down a burglar. Blechl, a longtime competitor in cross-country and distance events at the biennial World Police and Fire Games, was a runner in high school and college. But he burned out and stopped soon afterward. In college he was "emaciated," he joked, weighing in at a slim 140 pounds. Within four years, Blechl had shot up to 190. Then, he got back into running by simply doing his job -- running down a burglar. He caught the perp,...

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Feds revise immigration partnership with local jails

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring counties that participate in its illegal immigration enforcement program to agree to a new focus on violent criminals. The agency is telling counties, including Prince William and Loudoun, to sign a new memorandum of agreement for its 287(g) program or end their agreements. The program allows state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce some federal immigration laws. Loudoun County staff and the county attorney are reviewing the revised memo, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell. The memo is also under review in Prince William County, said Police Department spokeswoman Kim Chinn. Prince William County has turned over 1,600...

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The 3-Minute Interview: David Anderson

David Anderson is a professor of recreation, health and tourism at George Mason University, and is the director of Mason's Center for the Advancement of Public Health. Anderson co-authors national surveys on drug and alcohol prevention efforts at the college, community college and high school level. Prior to arriving at GMU in 1987, he served as a student affairs administrator at Ohio University, Radford University and Ohio State University. How did you get into the alcohol research field? [At Ohio State], it felt like the mindset of the young people was, "There's one socializing behavior, and it's drinking." And that seemed to be narrow. The point is, I saw so much of an...

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Three-minute interview - David Anderson

David Anderson is a professor of recreation, health and tourism at George Mason University, and is the director of Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Public Health. Anderson co-authors national surveys on drug and alcohol prevention efforts at the college, community college and high school levels. Prior to arriving at GMU in 1987, he served as a student affairs administrator at Ohio University, Radford University and Ohio State University. How did you get into the alcohol research field? [At Ohio State], it felt like the mindset of the young people was, “There’s one socializing behavior, and it’s drinking.” And that seemed to be narrow. The point is, I...

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Northern Va. eyed again for Cold War Museum

Fairfax City and Prince William County have emerged as contenders for a site for a Cold War museum after plans to build a museum in Lorton were scuttled in April. Francis Gary Powers Jr., who founded the Cold War Museum in 1996, said he has been in talks with Fairfax and Prince William officials to find a permanent home for the museum. "We are a functional museum in all aspects, except for brick and mortar," he said. He cited the area near the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle as one selling point for locating in Prince William. Powers added that he would like to open a permanent museum "yesterday," but was exploring several opportunities, and would be open to...

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Va., Md. place in top 10 for naturalizations

Virginia and Maryland were two of the most popular states last year for foreign nationals who wanted to become U.S. citizens. The two states ranked among the top 10 for naturalizations, as Virginia placed seventh, with almost 30,000 newly minted U.S. citizens, and Maryland 10th, with about 23,000, according to an annual Department of Homeland Security report. Neither state ranks in the top 10 in overall population, according to 2008 estimates from the U.S. Census. I pledge allegiance ... The top 10 states in naturalizations last year: "> State Total 1. California 297,909 2. Florida 128,328 3. New York 90,572 4. Texas 82,129 5. New Jersey 59,950 6. Illinois...

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HCA plans hospital along Route 50 in Loudoun

The Hospital Corporation of America announced plans Wednesday to build a hospital on a 50-acre campus along Route 50 in Loudoun County. Plans for the StoneSpring Medical Center include 124 acute-care beds, including 12 obstetrical beds, 40 child and adolescent psychiatric beds, comprehensive diagnostic services, a cardiac catheterization lab, and seven operating rooms. The projected cost is $195 million, and the facility could open as early as December 2015. "Our decision to target a new site in Loudoun serves the best interests of all who live and work there," said Margaret Lewis, president of HCA's Capital Division and senior executive of HCA Virginia. "While Route...

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Arlington County sues over HOT lanes

Arlington County has sued the Federal Highway Administration and the commonwealth of Virginia over the toll lanes project on I-95/395, arguing that they failed to fully assess the environmental and public health effects of the plan. A sticking point for county officials on the proposed high-occupancy toll, or HOT, lanes project is a “Categorical Exclusion” issued by the FHWA in January. The classification allows the project to move forward without a full environmental and public health analysis as required by federal law. The suit alleges that the FHWA and the commonwealth of Virginia failed to meet requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air...

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House legislation would allow rentals of foreclosed houses

Washington lawmakers are considering legislation that would make it easier for people to rent foreclosed properties, but some experts are questioning that method of handling the housing crisis. The bill, known as the Neighborhood Preservation Act, would allow banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to rent out foreclosed properties for up to five years. The logic behind the proposal, which has been approved by the House and is pending in the Senate, is that by allowing banks to lease foreclosed homes for an extended period, the number of foreclosures for sale will drop and priceswill stabilize. Homeowners who have been foreclosed on could rent out their own property under...

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Pr. William latest in area to face backlash on loitering law

The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging Prince William County's loitering law, the latest in a series of fights against such measures. The case stems from a May incident in which four Hispanic men were arrested while standing near their apartment complex in Manassas. "Unfortunately, the imprecision of the Prince William loitering ordinance gives police the leeway to apply it to almost any circumstance they wish, enabling them to enforce it against disfavored groups," said ACLU of Virginia Legal Director Rebecca Glenberg. The Prince William County loitering ordinance makes it unlawful to loiter "under circumstances which justify a reasonable suspicion that such...

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Vast majority of illegal immigrants arrested in Prince William charged with one of three crimes

The vast majority of of illegal immigrants arrested in Prince William County last year were charged with public drunkenness, driving under the influence or driving without a license, according to recent data. Among 20 common crimes, such as vandalism and drug possession, arrests for the three crimes accounted for 76 percent of arrests of illegal immigrants (440 out of 576). Among all the persons arrested for those 20 crimes, the three charges constituted 48 percent of the arrests (5,064 out of 10,465), according to a report from the University of Virginia. The data sample was taken from March 2008 to December 2008. "We find, not surprisingly, there are a substantial number of...

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Webb secures release of American sentenced to 7 years prison in Myanmar

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) on Saturday secured the release of American prisoner John Yettaw during a two-day visit to Myanmar. Yettaw had been sentenced to seven years in prison for swimming to the residence of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since 2003 and was recently sentenced to an additional 18 months. The sentence was for violating the terms of her detention after she allowed Yettaw to stay in her home. On Saturday, Webb became the first American leader ever to meet with Myanmar President Than Shwe. He is the first member of Congress to visit the country in more than 10 years. He was able to broker Yettaw’s release during the...

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World War II veteran buried, 13 years after murder

A World War II veteran from Baltimore has finally been laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, 13 years after his body was discovered in a trunk along Route 340 in Loudoun County. The burial marks the end to a tragic story of romance, deception, and a decades-long identity theft scheme. Jasper "Jack" Watkins, who served honorably with the U.S. Army, met Nancy Jane Siegel, now 61, of Baltimore, in 1994. Ironically enough, the encounter began when Siegel, Watkins' eventual murderer, sold him a mausoleum and burial services. The two later developed a romantic relationship, according to witness testimony. By December 1994, Siegel had gained access to Watkins' financial...

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'Inclusionary housing' law takes effect in D.C.

A law that makes new or expanded housing developments more affordable for low- to moderate-income residents in the District has gone into effect. The law requires housing developments consisting of more than 10 units to set aside between 8 and 10 percent to be affordable to residents with low and moderate incomes. The policy, called "inclusionary zoning," is practiced by hundreds of jurisdictions nationwide, including Montgomery, Fairfax and Arlington counties locally. "We are so glad this day is finally here," said Cheryl Cort, policy director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. "Once the economy recovers, inclusionary zoning will be an invaluable tool for...

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Foreclosure filings jump in Md. suburbs

Foreclosure filings doubled in Montgomery County in July and jumped 60 percent in Prince George's from last year, according to data released Thursday. Maryland as a whole ranked 11th in the country for foreclosures with one filing out of every 450 homes in July, according to data from the online foreclosure-tracking company RealtyTrac. The number of filings jumped to 5,152 statewide, a 66 percent increase from last year. Nationwide, there were 360,149 foreclosures in July, about a 30 percent increase from last year. One in every 355 homes had a foreclosure filing last month. "Despite continued efforts by the federal government and state governments to patch together a safety net...

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In the Tiger era, Columbia Country Club still holds up

As you walk along the Georgetown Branch section of the Capital Crescent Trail, you can catch a glimpse of the second tee at Columbia Country Club, a par four named "Valley Brook." The posh name brings to mind Augusta National, home of the Masters, which features holes such as "Flowering Crab Apple" and "Carolina Cherry." But the similarities between the courses don't stop there, according to Columbia member George Vary. The 16th hole at the prestigious club is a par three over water, with a green that runs away from the golfer. Flowering trees sit behind the hole. The story, Vary says, is that Bobby Jones modeled the famous 12th hole at Augusta...

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Golfers, hikers, homeowners unite: Groups dig in for Purple Line battle

The proposed Purple Line light rail project has united a diverse coalition of opponents ranging from homeowners and hikers to the members of Columbia Country Club who say its historic golf course will be harmed. The rail project has supporters, including transit groups, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Sierra Club, all of whom argue that such a mass transit project connecting New Carrollton to Bethesda is essential for the region's long-term growth. But the opposition, armed with cash and connections, is preparing to dig in for the long haul and extend an already protracted battle. A letter dated Aug. 4 -- the day Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley endorsed light rail for the Purple...

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Housing market shows signs of life

Home sales rose throughout the Washington area in the second quarter, but July was a tough month for Prince William County. More than 15,000 houses sold in the Washington area from March through June -- a 7 percent increase from a year ago and a 51 percent jump from the first quarter this year, according to local real estate statistics. "Prices are showing renewed signs of strength," said Sandy Paul, national research director for Delta Associates, an Alexandria real estate consulting group. "The spring selling season is usually the strongest of the year, and this year's bodes well for a continued correction -- the first step in a housing market recovery." The average...

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Stewart defends immigration policy, hints at political future

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart defended the county's crackdown on illegal immigration as "the right thing to do" and hinted at a potential run for statewide office. Stewart, speaking on WTOP's "The Politics Program" with Mark Plotkin, said the county's illegal immigration policy is "not about being anti-immigrant -- it's about targeting illegal immigrants who are here, committing crimes." The Republican chairman did not mince words when asked if he would like to have no illegal immigrants in the county, and if that was the county policy. "If I could do that, I would, absolutely, but that's not the policy," he said. "The policy is aimed primarily...

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McDonnell talks jobs in response to presidential address

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell delivered the Republican response to President Barack Obama's weekly radio address Saturday, two days after Obama appeared with Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds at a rally in Northern Virginia. McDonnell devoted much of his address to jobs and the economy, invoking the commonwealth in his argument against Congress's proposed cap-and-trade legislation. He said that he recently visited Mead West Vaco, a packaging company in Covington, Va. with about 1,500 employees. "They told me that cap and trade, if passed, would threaten those good jobs," he said. "Mark George, the vice president of the facility, told me this: 'I feel...

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Pr. William has delivered 1,600 illegal immigrants to feds

Prince William County has turned over more than 1,600 illegal immigrants to the federal government, according to a recent report. The county jail’s federal immigration unit has processed detainers for 1,739 individuals and turned over 1,632 inmates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement from July 2007 through May 2009, the report from the University of Virginia said. Jail officials do not know exactly how many of these inmates have been deported, but the Government Accountability Office reported that about two-thirds of those arrested nationwide in fiscal 2008 were being deported. More than 40,000 illegal immigrants were arrested through the federal immigration enforcement...

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Pr. William has delivered 1,600 illegal immigrants to feds

Prince William County has turned over more than 1,600 illegal immigrants to the federal government, according to a recent report. The county jail's federal immigration unit has processed detainers for 1,739 individuals and turned over 1,632 inmates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement from July 2007 through May 2009, the report from the University of Virginia said. Jail officials do not know exactly how many of these inmates have been deported, but the Government Accountability Office reported that about two-thirds of those arrested nationwide in fiscal 2008 were being deported. More than 40,000 illegal immigrants were arrested through the federal immigration enforcement program...

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Report: Overcrowding issues drop, vacancy problems rise

Prince William County’s high-profile crackdown on illegal immigration has contributed to fewer overcrowding problems in the county but also has led to more vacancy issues, according to a new report. Between 2005 and 2008, the number of complaints to the Neighborhood Services Division jumped from 3,341 to 7,126, and the number of violations rose from 3,226 to to 4,975. “Although these figures indicate that residents were making a higher proportion of unfounded complaints, which represents their concern over the quality of life in their neighborhoods, they also represent actual changes in the neighborhoods during those years,” the report from the University of Virginia...

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Illegal immigrants total 3 percent of serious-crime arrests in Prince William County

About 3 percent of individuals arrested for violent crimes in Prince William County last year were illegal immigrants, according to data released Tuesday. Of nearly 2,000 people arrested for the most violent crimes -- which include murder, rape and aggravated assault -- from March to December 2008, 3.4 percent were in the country illegally, according to an interim report on the county police department's policy. Seventy-six percent of illegal immigrants arrested during that time were charged with public drunkenness, driving without a license or driving under the influence, said the report from the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research. The county's highly publicized...

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Pr. William tightens security in wake of IT scandal

Prince William has taken a number of steps to tighten controls in its information technology department after one of the biggest embezzlement schemes in county history was revealed two months ago. A review of the Office of Information Technology's operational and financial status is under way, and a number of internal controls have been added to the system, according to a presentation to be delivered Tuesday by Deputy County Executive Melissa Peacor. Four individuals were indicted in June on 153 state charges, which included bid rigging, forgery and money laundering. The scheme involved about $8 million in contracts approved by the county for several companies. An investigation accuses...

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Prince William revenue beats estimates for fiscal 2009

Just a few short months ago, Prince William County supervisors were debating solutions to what Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart described as "probably the toughest budget this board has faced in 25 years É or so." This week, they'll have a different kind of "problem" to deal with -- $4.5 million in general revenue funds in excess of budget estimates for the last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Still, Stewart wasn't kidding. The board made significant cuts across the board and raised the real property tax rate from $0.97 to $1.212 per $100 of assessed value to address a projected shortfall of nearly $200 million for fiscal 2010. But...

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The 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW - Eleni Rossides

Eleni Rossides is executive director of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting tennis and education to disadvantaged youth in the District. Before joining WTEF in 2004, Rossides was a four-time national champion at Stanford University and spent eight years on the women's professional tennis tour. What's your background in the sport? I grew up here in D.C. I grew up around this tournament [Legg Mason Tennis Classic]. I was a top player in the mid-Atlantic since I was 11 or 12. I competed in all the 12-14 tournaments, and was ranked in the top three in national juniors. I got a scholarship to Stanford and played on four national championship...

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New immigration enforcement programs take shape

The federal program used by Prince William and Loudoun counties to curb illegal immigration is coming under increasing scrutiny as two new enforcement programs take shape on Capitol Hill. The program, known as 287(g), deputizes local police to enforce immigration laws. One relatively new plan, Secure Communities, has local officers scan the fingerprints of individuals arrested and check them with government databases. E-Verify is a Web-based system that electronically verifies the residency status of workers. Herndon implemented the E-Verify system in February, and Fairfax County began using the Secure Communities program in March. "I think Secure Communities is a much more...

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Trial date set for fired driver's lawsuit against AU

A trial date has been set for a wrongful termination lawsuit brought forth by a driver of former American University President Benjamin Ladner, court records show. Reginald Green says he was fired because he asked to take a bathroom break. According to a memo given to Green after he was hired, Ladner wanted to "minimize bathroom stops on long trips ... one is acceptable -- zero is preferable." Green was let go a day after he told Ladner he had to use the restroom on a return trip from Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2004. Green says he made the university aware of medical conditions that necessitated frequent access to a restroom. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder...

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Students, auto suppliers push up Va. unemployment in June

Virginia's seasonally unadjusted June unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent from 7 percent in May, and was nearly twice the state's 4 percent rate in June 2008, said a report released Wednesday. Northern Virginia remained the best-performing metropolitan area for employment in the commonwealth, with an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent in June, up slightly from a 5.3 percent rate in May. Danville had the highest metro area jobless rate in June, at 12.8 percent. Arlington County, Fairfax County, Alexandria and Loudoun County had the four lowest unemployment rates in the state in June, at 4.7 percent, 5.2 percent, 5.2 percent, and 5.3 percent, respectively. Prince William County, Manassas...

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D.C.-area home prices inch back up in May

Washington-area home prices rose in April and May, but experts caution that values still have a long way to go. The District, Arlington and Alexandria area's price index level of 169.49 placed second in the country to New York, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. The index is based on home appreciation values since January 2000, with a base value of 100. Area home prices increased 0.8 percent from March to April and 1.3 percent from April to May, but the area's year-over-year May home prices dropped by about 15 percent compared with last year. "The pace of descent in home price values appears to be slowing," said David M. Blitzer, chairman of...

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Deeds, McDonnell trade punches in first Va. gubernatorial debate

Virginia gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds took the gloves off in a heated debate Saturday -- their first one-on-one face-off of the general election campaign. McDonnell, a Republican and Virginia's former Attorney General, and Deeds, a Democratic State Senator from Bath County, sparred over topics including transportation, education, and energy in the debate hosted by the Virginia Bar Association at the Homestead Hotel in Hot Springs. McDonnell confronted Deeds with the notion that he only offers a "wish list" in his goal to fix Virginia's transportation system, rather than a concrete plan. "You outlined a wish list, but not one dime for...

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Deeds, McDonnell trade punches in first Virginia gubernatorial debate

Virginia gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds took the gloves off in a heated debate Saturday — their first one-on-one face-off of the general election campaign. McDonnell, a Republican and Virginia’s former Attorney General, and Deeds, a Democratic State Senator from Bath County, sparred over topics including transportation, education and energy in the debate hosted by the Virginia Bar Association at the Homestead Hotel in Hot Springs. McDonnell confronted Deeds with the notion that he only offers a “wish list” in his goal to fix Virginia’s transportation system, rather than a concrete plan. “You outlined a wish list, but not one...

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Officials: Defense agency relocation will grow Arlington, retain jobs

The Defense Department's central research and development office will relocate to Ballston's "Science Corridor" in 2012, a move local officials say will help keep jobs in the county. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which directs and manages research for the Defense Department, will move to 675 North Randolph St., part of the Founders Square development by the Shooshan Co. It is currently located in Arlington's Virginia Square neighborhood along Fairfax Drive. "It's kind of a double win for the county," said Arlington Board member Christopher Zimmerman, highlighting not only the retention of the agency, but also its new site -- a former Metro bus yard....

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Commuter hell: Region searches for congestion remedies as construction heats up

A cartoon orange construction barrel brandishing a shovel greets commuters as they drive north on Interstate 270, about 10 miles south of Frederick. "Thanks for your patience," the sign reads as the construction site ends. Heading southbound, the feeling is much less cordial. Just past 7:30 a.m., traffic slows to a crawl around Germantown. And that's being generous. Drivers regularly sit in hours-long congestion in Washington's notoriously bad traffic -- ranked second-worst in the country -- but summertime construction designed to ease the pain is making conditions even more frustrating for drivers morning, noon and night. "Summertime is prime time for road...

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The pitch for smarter growth

Want to cut down the omnipresent congestion on Washington-area highways? Host a presidential inauguration. Indeed, the Beltway got a temporary reprieve from oppressive traffic on Jan. 20, as road closings and bridge shutdowns kept people out of their cars. But for the other 364 days of the year, the area needs something else. Organizations like the Coalition for Smarter Growth are lobbying for transit projects that shy away from highway expansion and to focus more on encouraging development around transit hubs. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the coalition, said that rather than widening lanes and building high-occupancy toll lanes, officials should examine charging peak rates...

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Board paves way for baseball in Loudoun

Loudoun County supervisors voted 6-2 on Tuesday on a measure that would bring minor league baseball into the county. The supervisors' vote allows plans to move forward for a 5,500-seat, 75,000-square-foot stadium, as well as up to eight office buildings and 74,000 square feet for auxiliary use, on the Kincora property west of Dulles Town Center. Hall of Famer and former Baltimore Oriole Brooks Robinson joined dozens of Little Leaguers in their uniforms at a public hearing Monday night to lobby for the project. "Opening Day 2011 is an aggressive goal for us and we intend to meet it; [the vote], coupled with a decision later this year on the overall project, will make that goal a...

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County looks to expand foreclosure program

Prince William County is weighing the expansion of a program in which county employees buy houses at discounts, after 323 people applied for 167 program spots in February. The new program's first participants so far have bought less expensive houses than expected, which has allowed more slots to open up, said Finance Director Chris Martino. "We have more capacity -- we don't want to sit on it," he said. "We want to get as many people as we can into a good buying situation." The county staff wants the Board of Supervisors to approve immediate open enrollment in the program on a rolling first-come, first-served basis through Sept. 18. It is expected the program could...

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Loudoun eyes easing alcohol restrictions

Loudoun is considering allowing alcohol to be served at libraries and two public park facilities for special events and fundraisers. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in parks, recreation areas or community centers in the county. One recommendation would allow a one-year trial period for limited alcohol use at the Franklin Park Visual and Performing Arts Center and the Heritage Farm Museum. Another would endorse the Library Board of Trustees' decision to serve beer and wine at select events. For the center and museum, alcohol would be allowed at rentals of the two facilities at evening and some afternoon events from Sept. 15 to March 15. Proponents of the change say the move would...

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Region to pitch for money to fight foreclosures

The Washington region is joining together to ask for stimulus money for neighborhoods that are being pummeled by foreclosures. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and six jurisdictions are applying for funds through the federal stimulus package’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program to be used throughout the region. The group has targeted 60 areas that would benefit from the grants. “We have tried to target neighborhoods within jurisdictions that are good places where” there is a need for the funds, said Paul DesJardin, director of community planning and services for the Council of Governments. He said many areas were improving, but specific sections were...

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Region to pitch for money to fight foreclosures

The Washington region is joining together to ask for stimulus money for neighborhoods that are being pummeled by foreclosures. Midyear foreclosures Location Jan.-June filings Rate Jan.-June 2008 Change District 1,776 1/160 2,576 -31.06% Montgomery County 3,171 1/114 2,568 23.48% Prince George's County 6,308 1/51 4,913 28.39%...

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CATCHING UP WITH ... NORM COLEMAN Cancer researcher continues racing, trekking

Norm Coleman, of Chevy Chase -- the first athlete profiled on The Examiner's Personal Best page when it started last July -- is still going strong with swimming, biking and running. Oh, and hiking 16,000-foot mountains. He raced in the Lake Placid Ironman in New York last July, finishing 19th out of 32 in his age group (60-64) and completed the course in 15:17:32. The race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. He then headed to Ironman Wisconsin in September, where he placed 19th out of 26 in his age group with a time of 15:30:04. At the Timberman half-triathlon in New Hampshire in August, he finished seventh out of 14 in his age group with a time of 6:26:05. He...

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Fish vs. mosquito

In the animal kingdom, felines prey on fish. But in the insect world, it's the fish that have been charged with hunting down tigers. Well, tiger mosquitoes: Specifically the Asian tiger mosquito, a breed that annoys many a picnicker and vacationer in the Washington area. The mosquito -- native to Asia but now prevalent in Virginia and Maryland -- is believed to have come over through the trade of used tires. To wit, tiger mosquitoes were discovered in Maryland at a Baltimore processing plant for used tires. The mosquito's name comes from its native land and because its black-and-white legs resemble a tiger's stripes. It is a container breeder, meaning it typically develops in a...

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They're back: Mosquito population explodes during wet spring

It's high time to break out the bug spray. Washington's unseasonably cool, soggy spring has nurtured a torrent of mosquitoes -- just as temperatures approach their typically oppressive summer levels. "It was a lot wetter [this year]," said Mike Cantwell, chief of the Maryland Department of Agriculture's mosquito control division. "That did give a sharp rise in the mosquito population in the early season." Mosquitos were "well above" their normal levels in April through June, he said. "It was a highly unusual early season this year -- at least the worst year in 10 years. At least the worst early season in 20 or more years." Besides ruining...

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Home sales decline in Pr. William, bucking trend

Year-over-year monthly home sales in Prince William declined in June for the first time since February 2008, while sales picked up in nearly every other D.C. area jurisdiction. In Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park, 795 homes were sold in June, compared to 976 in June 2008 -- a nearly 20 percent drop -- according to Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc. Investors who were probably in the market earlier are starting to get out, a normal trend for the summer months, said Elijah Johnson, director of Prince William's Department of Housing and Community Development. "We hope that it's just the natural progression of the market," Johnson said. The county is...

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Government simulates biological attack on Pentagon

Volunteers from about 20 federal and local agencies were among those who helped simulate a biological attack at the Pentagon on Saturday morning to assess emergency response and preparedness efforts. A stream of harmless garden powder used for crop dusting was released at about 8 a.m. at the Pentagon South Parking Lot. Volunteers were exposed to the powder and decontaminated close to the nearby Navy Annex. A helicopter also landed and departed from the other side of the lot to measure the amount of powder that the chopper kicked up into the air. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency, in cooperation with Arlington County and other federal and local agencies, conducted the test....

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House approves $200 million for new immigration enforcement program

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to appropriate $200 million for a new immigration enforcement program used in Fairfax County and about 50 other jurisdictions nationwide. Fairfax recently became the first county in Virginia to begin using the program, which is known as Secure Communities. Under the program, local officers scan the fingerprints of individuals arrested, which are run through government databases. The issue of immigration enforcement has resurfaced this week, as a report from the Council on Foreign Relations concluded that cooperation between local and federal officials on the matter are "unsatisfactory." The council is a nonpartisan think tank that...

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The 3-minute interview: Yuntao Wu

Wu, of George Mason University, has spent the past six years decoding the molecular processes of the AIDS virus. For the second consecutive year, Wu has been selected as the beneficiary of proceeds from the NYC DC AIDS Research Ride, which will take place Sept. 10 to 13. The cyclists are riding from New York City to Washington, D.C., to raise $200,000 to help fund the next stage of Wu's research....

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Report: D.C.-area homes prices likely lower in 2011

Home prices in the Washington area have a 92 percent chance of dropping over the next two years, according to a recent report. Rising foreclosure rates and burgeoning unemployment were the two major factors contributing to the increased risk, according to the report released by the California-based PMI Mortgage Insurance Company. After dropping for two consecutive quarters, mortgage foreclosures nationwide rose in the first quarter this year to 1.34 percent, compared with 1.01 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. Unemployment in the D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria region was 6.1 percent in the first quarter. Home prices in the Maryland suburbs are also projected to drop. The...

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Loudoun supervisors approve energy measures

Loudoun County on Tuesday passed two measures to promote energy efficiency, despite pointed opposition from two supervisors. The county will upgrade six of its largest energy-using facilities, including the government center, courts building, and fire and rescue training center, to lessen their effect on the environment. The total cost of the upgrades is expected to be just over $1 million. Custom Energy Services, Loudoun's energy services contractor, projected nearly $143,000 in annual savings with the implementation of all 29 recommended measures, which include building weatherization, the installation of high-efficiency lighting, and water conservation. The board in May adopted a...

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D.C. area a hot spot for legal immigration last year

The D.C. area was among the most popular regions for legal immigrants in 2008, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The Washington region ranked fourth among metropolitan destinations for immigrants in fiscal 2008, and Virginia and Maryland were in the top 10 in state rankings, according to DHS’s annual flow report. There were nearly 43,000 legal permanent residents in the D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria region in 2008 and about 1.1 million nationwide. Virginia ranked eighth among states with about 30,000 and Maryland ranked 10th with just over 27,000. The D.C. area’s legal immigrant population made up about 4 percent of the national total last...

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Overseas TV crew tapes Arlington emergency preparedness team

A TV crew from the nation of Georgia has taped a group of Arlington emergency responders for a series about disaster response to be broadcast on public television in that Middle Eastern country. Georgian Public Broadcasting, with help from the State Department, filmed 16 members of Arlington’s Community Emergency Response Team practicing bandaging and splinting at the county’s Fire Training Academy. CERT was formed on the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and has trained about 400 residents since then. “We appreciate the opportunity to help emphasize the importance of personal preparedness, as well as the value of programs like the CERT...

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Alexandria swears in new city council

Two new faces -- to say the least -- were among those sworn in to the Alexandria City Council. Republican Frank Fannon IV and independent Alicia Hughes became the first non-Democrats to be sworn in on the council since 2003. Former Mayor Kerry Donley was sworn in as vice mayor, and Mayor William "Bill" Euille and incumbents Rob Krupicka, Paul Smedberg and Redella "Del" Pepper were sworn in to three-year terms. All won their office in the May 5 election. "Six years ago, I took the oath of office for mayor ... I hope I have not disappointed," Euille said Wednesday night. "I still have the passion to serve and the desire to ensure that no one is left behind." Euille said the new...

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Virginia faces historically bad summer job market

Virginia is facing its worst summer job market in nearly three decades, according to a recent report from the Virginia Employment Commission. The non-seasonally adjusted state unemployment rate was 7.0 percent in May, compared with 6.6 percent in April and 3.6 percent in May 2008, the report said. "It appears to be the worst summer job market since the early '80s," said William Mezger, chief economist in the commission's Economic Information Services Division. "It's been about 27, 28 years since it's been this bad." In Northern Virginia, unemployment nearly doubled in May compared with last year. The region's unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, compared with 2.8...

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House restores funding to jail illegal immigrants

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to restore $400 million in funding for state and local jails to incarcerate criminal illegal immigrants, a program which would reimburse Fairfax and Prince William counties a total of $1.5 million. The Commonwealth of Virginia would also receive $1.7 million if funds for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program provided under the measure, which was included in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, are approved. SCAAP funding had been cut in President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget. “This funding will be a great help in these hard financial times,” said Fairfax County...

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Team spirit rules at Saturday morning swim meet

The cheers rang out Saturday morning at the Hallowell pool in Olney: “Who’s No. 1? Marlins!” “Who’s going to win? Marlins!” Even in the rain, the parking lot was packed with cars before 9 a.m., including quintessentially suburban minivans and sport utility vehicles. Encouraging messages decorated many of the cars. “Swim fast Chloe and Kyle!” was painted on the back of a black Chevy Tahoe. A white “Mill Creek Towne Marlins” flag was stuck to the back passenger-side window of a silver Chevy Equinox, which also had “Marlins rule” painted in blue on one side and “Rock on” painted in red on the other. Mill...

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Local swim leagues dive into summer

Chris Loeser remembers counting how many kids swam in the Northern Virginia Swimming League when she served as the league’s treasurer. “Every year it went up,” said Loeser, now the league’s president. “And now it’s up to 15,000 kids.” The NVSL, founded in 1956, is one of the oldest swim leagues in the country and the largest summer swim league in the region — and it spawned an explosion of recreational and competitive leagues unique to the Washington area. After NVSL, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties created their own leagues, said Pete Morgan, head coach of the Curl-Burke Swim Club. The Montgomery County Swim League, which...

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The Langston legacy

Former Washington Senators baseball player Chuck Hinton, sporting a green Nationals hat and Major League Baseball windbreaker, leaned against a railing outside the Langston Golf Course Club. “I love [Langston],” he said. “You going on the back nine? Oh man, you’re going to love it. They changed some holes four or five years ago.” Hinton is the former baseball coach of Jimmy Garvin, the president of Langston Legacy Golf Corp., at Howard University. “I say I’m watching his back,” Hinton said, gesturing to Garvin. “I usually play Rock Creek Park all day, every day, then when he came over here, so did I.” Coming out of college,...

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Expansion of immigration enforcement could affect Prince William crackdown

A new immigration enforcement program from the federal government effectively could eliminate Prince William County’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, experts say. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to make the program, known as Secure Communities, available to all 1,200 of the country’s state and federal prisons and 3,100 local jails by the end of 2012. Fairfax County recently became the first jurisdiction in Virginia to begin using the program. Under Secure Communities, local officers scan the fingerprints of individuals arrested, which are run through government databases. Prince William’s program, a partnership with ICE known as 287(g), deputizes...

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Arlington increases fuel efficiency rules for taxis

Arlington County’s taxicabs will become more fuel efficient as part of a major overhaul to the county’s taxicab rules. Taxis initially will be required to get 26 miles per the gallon for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2010. By 2020, the standard will be 35 mpg. After July 1, 2012, though, taxis will be required to follow federal standards if they are more stringent than Arlington’s. “We view the taxi industry as a very important component to our transportation system, [in regard] to the car-free diet,” said Mark Kellogg of Arlington’s Department of Transportation. “Technology’s changing, federal regulations are changing. So this is...

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Hundreds cross Chesapeake in Bay Swim

About 600 swimmers from across the country and around the world braved the choppy Chesapeake waters Sunday in the 2009 Great Chesapeake Bay Swim. Brian Benda, 38, of Parkton, Md., won in his seventh time swimming the race, finishing in 1:34:34. Erin Luley, 20, won the female race with a time of 1:42:11. Race volunteers shouted “Congratulations!” and “Way to go, Brian!” as Benda made his way up the chute, exchanging high-fives with other well-wishers. “Look, there’s no 12-year-olds coming out first!” shouted race director Charles Nabit as more swimmers crossed the finish line. “These guys actually grow beards!” Earlier, in the mile...

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SCC to hold power line hearing in Loudoun

The Virginia State Corporation Commission will conduct a hearing in Loudoun County in early August to hear public comments on a controversial electrical transmission line proposed by Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power. The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) would cross Frederick, Clarke, and Loudoun counties. Thirty-one miles of the line would pass through Northern Virginia. U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) has been an outspoken opponent of the project. “I have yet to see anything to convince me that unless these huge power lines are built across our region, we will be sitting in dark homes and offices,” Wolf wrote in a letter to the Virginia SCC dated...

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Arlington County manager backs Rosslyn cultural center

Arlington County Manager Ron Carlee has recommended the county move forward with plans for a cultural center in Rosslyn. The county would pay $5.6 million for the project and an additional $1.1 million would come from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District. The center would combine the Rosslyn Spectrum and space vacated by the Newseum when it relocated to D.C. Under the plan, the center would house two performing arts spaces, an exhibition gallery, a ballroom, a restaurant, and retail space. Officials estimate it would have a $10 million impact on the economy annually and attract about 250,000 visitors each year. The county has been searching for a way to build a cultural center for...

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Police Blotter: June 14, 2009

Man struck, killed by Metro car Metro says a man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Avenue station has died. Spokeswoman Candace Smith says the incident happened at about 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Trains had been sharing a single track between the Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory stations. But Smith says trains have returned to normal service. Officials say crews removed the man from under the train and took him to a hospital, where he died. – AP Man dies in motorcycle crash in Woodbridge A man died in a motorcycle crash Friday night, Prince William Police said. The victim, 21-year-old Stephen Lewis Stone, crashed at Beau Ridge Drive and Traverser Court in Woodbridge at about...

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Alexandria to pitch for early education funds

Alexandria plans to apply for $400,000 in federal stimulus money to expand a program benefiting low-income children. The federally funded Head Start program — which helps prepare preschool children from low-income households for elementary school — has 252 students. The money would allow the program to expand to 306. The program has a waiting list of about 100, said Karen Hughes, the president and chief executive of the Campagna Center, which runs Alexandria Head Start. There is a huge demand for such programs in Northern Virginia because of the large immigrant population, she said. Statewide, $1.8 million in stimulus funds is available for Head Start expansion programs for...

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Avid McLean golfer looks to senior play

“I’m a doctor. I understand pain.” Any golfer can relate can to that sentiment from Dale Matthews, an internist from McLean. But Matthews was able to parlay that pithy quote into a spot in the finals of the U.S. Open Golf Challenge. More than 73,000 hackers submitted six-word entries for a chance to play Bethpage Black, the site of this year’s U.S. Open, in a celebrity round that will be aired June 21 before NBC’s final round coverage. “I’m an avid golfer — specifically the contest, with six words, was very attractive to me. I like words — I like the challenge,” Matthews said. Matthews was beaten out by Larry Giebelhausen, of...

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Pr. William residents create plans to clean up community

Manassas and Prince William County neighborhoods are starting new efforts to combat creeping issues such as violence and neighborhood blight in a region devastated by house foreclosures. Residents of the Georgetown South neighborhood in Manassas, for example, plan to establish a neighborhood watch program, lobby cable companies to bury lines and lockboxes, and petition absentee landlords to clean up properties. The Westgate community has plans to transfer its homeowners association to a new management company, and the Lindendale neighborhood is concentrating on curbing potential violence near an area where a teenager is accused of killing two people. The efforts stem from a six-month...

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Report: Consumers conflicted on buying foreclosed homes

Homebuyers are showing high interest in buying foreclosed homes but are also worried about hidden costs and whether they have been well maintained, according to a new report. More than half of U.S. adults say they are at least somewhat likely to consider purchasing a foreclosed home in the future, compared with the 47 percent of U.S. adults who indicated the same in November 2008, according to a study conducted by Harris Interactive. Jill Landsman, spokeswoman for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, said that the stigma of purchasing a foreclosed home is declining in the current market. “Some foreclosed properties actually have bidding wars,” she said. “The...

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Thousands honor fallen vets in D.C., Arlington

Thousands of tourists and Washington-area residents journeyed to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall on Monday to honor the nation's fallen and pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces on Memorial Day. David and Sue Knight of Alexandria were there to honor two veterans — David Knight's father, Hale H. Knight, who served in the Army infantry in Burma and Vietnam, and Albert J. Zlogar, his brother-in-law's father, a Marine who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. David Knight said growing up in the Vietnam era amid the legacy of the “greatest generation” imbued him with a certain perspective on military veterans. “You can take one day a year...

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Office vacancies double to 14 percent in Alexandria

The amount of empty office space in Alexandria doubled in the first quarter from a year ago, one of several indicators that offered a “mixed to weak” economic picture for the city in April, according to the city manager. The city’s office vacancy rate increased from about 7 percent to over 14 percent in the quarter ended March 31, the city manager’s April economic report said. That compares with a first-quarter vacancy rate of 15.2 percent for Northern Virginia and 13.5 percent for the Washington area. The rate would be about 9 percent if the Victory Center Building, which was renovated and added back to the vacancy listing during the first quarter by commercial...

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Arlington expecting nearly $20 million in stimulus funds

Arlington is anticipating nearly $20 million in federal stimulus money, the majority of which will go toward infrastructure and transit projects in the county. Of the $19.3 million, $9.0 million will be from federal, formula-based funding programs. Arlington will also benefit from $10.3 million going to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the Courthouse Road Interchange Project. “Our vision and our ability to plan has helped us enormously,” said Board Chairman Barbara Favola. Funding for the Arlington Boulevard at Courthouse Road Bridge and Interchange Project has been one of Arlington County's top stimulus priorities. During last year's state budget...

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Arlington approves towing fee hike

Drivers who park illegally on private property in Arlington could soon see a steeper fine, as the Arlington County board on Saturday approved a 15 percent increase in its trespass towing fee. The storage fee of $50 a day after the first 24 hours and the drop fee of $25 will not change, said Nancy Iacomini, Chairman of the Arlington County Towing Advisory Board. The increase keeps Arlington's trespass towing rate within range of surrounding jurisdictions, whose rates vary from a low of $80 in Alexandria to a high of $165 in Fairfax City. John O'Neill, a member of the Towing advisory board, said that over the past decade, increased costs in the towing company have put pressure on his...

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Chrysler dealership closings send shock waves across region

Chrysler said Thursday it planned to close 15 auto dealerships in the Washington region, causing angst and outright disbelief among local dealers. The move comes as part of the company’s plan to shut 789 of its 3,200 dealerships nationwide by June 9, the automaker said Thursday in a bankruptcy court filing. The manufacturer notified the dealerships by letters sent by UPS. Local dealers lashed out at the news. “In many cases, these folks are second-, third-generation [dealers],” said Don Hall, president of the Virginia Auto Dealers Association. “It’s a hell of a way to treat a partner that’s been doing business with them for generations.” Jack...

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County seeks funds to stem jail crowding

Prince William County is asking the federal government for help in reducing the number of inmates in the county jail. Program details The Intensive Pretrial Supervision Program: Established in July 2006. Created with the initial goal of reducing jail crowding. Officers screen defendants who remain jailed after their initial bond hearing and have a predicted detention stay of 90 days or more. Eligibility is determined by the defendant’s risk level on the Virginia Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument, resident status, employment status and criminal history. After screening, the court decides if a defendant is eligible. Participants are released with electronic monitoring and required...

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Local officials: Don’t cut federal money for holding illegal immigrants

Local officials are arguing against potential cuts in the federal budget that would eliminate certain grant money for state and local jails that incarcerate criminal illegal immigrants. In President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget, $400 million in funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP, would be scrapped. The program partially subsidizes the cost of housing criminal illegal immigrants, based on the population of illegal immigrants in state and local jails. The program is proposed for elimination because “it functions as an unfocused block grant and funds can be used for any correctional-related purpose,” according to budget...

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Prince William expects $4.4 million for housing, homelessness

Prince William County is anticipating nearly $4.4 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in fiscal 2010 for local housing and homelessness prevention programs. Nearly $2 million of the anticipated funds would go toward the Community Block Grant Program, which develops housing primarily for citizens with low to moderate incomes. The county, which has been ravaged by foreclosures during the housing crisis, has rolled out a number of programs in recent months to deal with the issue. In March the department introduced the Foreclosure Rehabilitation Assistance Program, which sells foreclosed homes at discounts in targeted areas of the county. Prince Williams...

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Two local golfers qualify for U.S. Open challenge final

Two local golfers have been named finalists out of more than 73,000 contestants to try to break 100 on the Black Course at New York’s Bethpage State Park — the site of the 2009 U.S. Open. Dale Matthews, a doctor from McLean, and Bob Ray, a firefighter from Baltimore, made the final four. The winner will play an 18-hole round at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale that will be taped by NBC Sports and will air at noon June 21, immediately before the broadcast of the tournament’s final round. Contestants had to submit a six-word statement in December as to why they should be chosen. “I’m a doctor. I understand pain,” Matthews wrote. Ray’s entry was...

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Arlington boosts affordable housing program

Arlington County is increasing the amount of money it can loan low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers, the first time it has raised its cap in six years. The basics Moderate Income Purchase Assistance Program Property must be in Arlington County. Eligible low- and moderate-income households must be first-time homebuyers, defined as those who have not owned a house in the previous three years. Applicants must contribute a minimum of $2,000 of their own funds toward the purchase of the home. Assistance is a second mortgage with a deferred payment and low interest rate. The loan can cover all closing costs not paid by the seller, up to a maximum of three discount points, and a...

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Johns Hopkins, Suburban announce health system merger

Johns Hopkins Health System and Suburban Hospital Healthcare System announced their plan to merge Friday; a deal officials expect to be completed early in the fall. Both companies say the change would help them address health care reform, offer health care in a more efficient way and provide better access to patients for health care. If the transaction is completed and implemented as planned, the Montgomery County-based SHHS will become a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of JHHS. Suburban will retain its name. The merger is not expected to change Suburban’s day-to-day operations or its leadership. Democrat Roger Berliner, District 1 Representative to the Montgomery County...

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Arlington OKs massive green building plan

Arlington County on Saturday approved plans for a 16-story, 250,000 square foot complex that combines residential, retail and office space and would be the first LEED gold certified residential building in the county. The construction plan contains approximately 240,000 square feet of housing space, 254 residential dwelling units and about 15,000 square feet of office and retail space. The complex also has a 3-level parking garage with over 270 spaces. The complex would be located on the north side of 14th Street North between North Troy and North Taft streets, and would replace a seven-story office building and two-story parking deck currently located on the site. “The plan here...

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Loudoun superintendent: ‘I have no intention of resigning’

Loudoun County public schools superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick responded to a letter last Tuesday from the executive committee of the NAACP’s county branch calling for his ouster, saying in a statement that he has “no intention” of resigning his position. “I must say that I was surprised by the tenor of the letter considering that I had positive feedback from members of the NAACP’s general membership after our March 16th meeting,” Hatrick wrote. “In the more than a month that has passed since this meeting, I received no complaints or expressions of concern until the letter of April 21. I do not believe this letter reflects the general membership...

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Prince William board gives initial OK to budget

Prince William County supervisors on Tuesday gave initial approval to a nearly $850 million budget for fiscal 2010 that partly restores programs such as child care and transportation for senior citizens. The nonbinding straw vote came after supervisors added about $4 million to the budget. The additional funds came from the discrepancy between the proposed tax rate of $1.19 per $100 of assessed value in County Executive Craig Gerhart’s proposed budget and the tax rate of $1.212 advertised by the board. The board, led by Chairman Corey Stewart, restored about $1.2 million to human services programs, including transition funding for outsourcing its Bluebird bus tour program,...

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Moran kicks off campaign with Alexandria rally

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran formally kicked off his campaign Saturday with a rally at the Charles Houston Recreation Center in his hometown of Alexandria. The former state delegate and Arlington prosecutor hit on a variety of issues in his speech, including renewable energy, children's health care, equal rights for gay and lesbian couples, and raising the minimum wage in Virginia. “In these difficult times, Virginia needs a leader who fights for people each and every day,” Moran said. “For 20 years, I've fought hard for the people of Virginia. I know we need a governor who cares more about the family dinner table than the corporate board...

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Washington-area foreclosure filings drop in March

Foreclosure filings dropped in the Washington area in the first quarter from a year earlier, bucking a national trend that saw a 24 percent overall increase. The number of filings fell 12 percent from the first quarter of 2008 for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria region, according to data released Thursday by the online foreclosure-tracking Web site RealtyTrac. Montgomery County saw a slight uptick and Prince George’s County saw a slight decrease in the first quarter. In Virginia, Loudoun County’s filings dropped about 10 percent and Prince William County’s 40 percent. Among states, Virginia ranked 10th with one foreclosure for every 222 housing units and Maryland...

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Federal immigration program placed under heavy scrutiny

A program that allows state and local lawenforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws came under heavy scrutiny Thursday in a heated and often emotional House hearing. The program, known as 287(g), is being used in communities throughout the country, including Prince William, Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia, and Frederick County in Maryland. The program’s implementation in Prince William two years ago drew national attention. “When the 287(g) program was started, it was supposed to be a way to get criminal aliens out of the jails and into the hands of federal authorities,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., D-Mich....

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Violent crime stats on the decline in Prince William

Violent crimes in Prince William County dropped by more than 20 percent in 2008, Police Chief Charlie Deane said Wednesday. In 2008, 485 violent crimes were reported, including murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. That was down 21.8 percentfrom the 620 violent crimes committed in 2007, Deane said. He added that the overall crime rate of 20.1 percent was “significantly below” the five-year average in the county, though it rose slightly from 19.8 percent in 2007. Property crimes, which include burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft, rose 5.8 percent in 2008, from about 6,900 to about 7,300. “Even before property crimes began to increase, [Deane] warned...

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Virginia electricity provider proposing rate increase

Dominion Virginia Power is asking the state for permission to raise customers’ power bills 7 percent. The company filed five requests and one notice of intent with the State Corporation Commission on Tuesday that, if approved, would result in a 6.9 percent increase in rates for a typical residential customer. The increases would be phased in over the next 14 months, with the first change starting July 1. The net effect of all the proposed rate changes on a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would be an increase of about $7.54 a month, from $108.73 to $116.27. The increase would come through a series of rate adjustments between July 1 and May 1, 2010....

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Prince William firefighters test European tactics

Prince William Fire & Rescue Department is trying out a new firefighting technique popular in Britain and other parts of Europe to improve firefighter safety. Assistant Fire Chief Warren Whitley has traveled across the Atlantic Ocean about eight times to learn more about the tactic, known as air track management, which isolates the flow of oxygen to fires to prevent them from spreading. The technique has been used in Europe for more than 10 years, including in countries such as England, Sweden, Germany and Croatia. In the United States, the mind-set is often to go immediately through the front door, and fire officials have not addressed the potential pitfalls of that...

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Supervisors, school board clash over Prince William budget plan

Prince William County supervisors and school board members are clashing over the school system’s five-year budget plan, which is projecting big deficits. Under the plan presented to the board, a combined deficit of $126.5 million is predicted from 2012 to 2014. The plan includes losing $35 million in federal stimulus funding, but doesn’t include corresponding spending reductions. “It appears that hope is the plan,” said Supervisor Marty Nohe, R-Coles. “And I worry about that because it’s like standing next to a snake — eventually, it’s [going to] bite you.” Board Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large, also questioned the...

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Firefighter physicals would be required in Prince William

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors has passed emergency legislation requiring medical evaluations based on national standards for all firefighters and rescue workers after a volunteer firefighter recruit died in November. The plan, still being finalized by county staff, would authorize Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee, in consultation with the county’s Fire and Rescue Association, to monitor and enforce the medical evaluation program. The county code currently mandates physicals for only paid fire and rescue staff. Board Chairman Corey Stewart stressed the need for what he called “drastic action.” “The longer we delay this, the greater the...

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Pr. William population expected to shift to younger generation

Prince William County’s population is expected to shift from families to twentysomethings and empty nesters who will want to live in town houses and duplexes instead of single-family houses. Stephen K. Griffin, director of the county’s planning office, said planners already were moving from lots for single-family homes to multi-use areas, which the “younger demographic” would prefer. “We’re already seeing” the demand shift to more mixed-use developments, which include retail, office and residential space, Griffin said Tuesday. According to a recent study, Virginia’s 20-34 population is expected to jump until 2020 while the 40-49...

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Kaine: Protecting Civil War battlefields an ‘obligation’

FREDERICKSBURG – Gov. Tim Kaine said Tuesday that Virginia has a “special obligation” to protect its Civil War battlefields. Standing at the Slaughter Pen Farm on the Fredericksburg Battlefield, he called the battlefields “places of natural beauty that have truly been sanctified by the blood of patriots.” The battlefield, where 5,000 men died Dec. 13, 1862, is one of 41 across the state that has been preserved by the Civil War Preservation Trust. It was one of the first sites preserved using the Virginia Historic Battlefield Preservation Fund, a state-funded matching grant program the Kaine administration created. “Our state saw the majority of the...

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Report: New power lines would create ‘adverse effects’ for battlefield park

A proposal to replace two power lines on Manassas Battlefield Park land could hurt the area’s environment, according to a recent report, but battlefield officials concede that Dominion Power has the legal right to move forward with the plan. Dominion’s current right of way — on the far west end of the park’s property — contains two transmission lines, which would be replaced with two larger lines under the power company’s plan. If a construction permit were approved, about 1.8 miles of transmission lines would be rebuilt within the park by July 2011. The plan is part of a large-scale, 240-mile line that would stretch across West Virginia, Virginia and...

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Pair of New Englanders win the National Marathon

An estimated 8,000 runners pounded the pavement around the District Saturday morning in the 4th annual SunTrust National Marathon. Former All-Big East runner and Providence Friar Patrick Moulton took the men’s title and Jeannette Seckinger of Massachusetts won the women’s race. Demesse Tefera won the men’s half marathon race and Hirut Mandefro took the women’s crown. Both are from Silver Spring. The race featured enthusiastic runners of all skill levels, and onlookers who were just as passionate. Just after 8:30 a.m., one smiling half-marathoner exchanged a high-five with his watching friend as fans shouted encouragements of “Almost there!” and...

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Gainesville residents protest construction of power lines

A Gainesville couple are protesting a Dominion Power proposal to build two power line towers on their land, arguing the lines would interfere with their horse barn and create potential safety hazards. “The proposed new structures/towers will destroy my whole facility as a horse operation and they will destroy the value of my entire estate as an equestrian facility,” Mary Ann Ghadban wrote in a Feb. 4 letter to Dominion project managers Wade Briggs and John Bailey. Ghadban and her husband, Thom Ackerly, also contacted state Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Prince William/Manassas, as well, in hopes of delaying the project. “I think she’s got some points,” Colgan said....

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Prince William house values plummet 30 percent from 2008

Home values in Prince William County plunged an average of 30 percent from last year, according to updated property assessments due to be mailed to residents Monday. The drops vary from 20 percent to more than 40 percent throughout the county. The figures include all residential properties: single-family houses, town houses, condominiums and duplexes. The worst plunge was in the Sudley area, or ZIP code 20109, which posted a 41.43 percent drop from $250,357 last year to $146,634. On the flip side, Quantico, in the 22134 ZIP code, saw average residential real estate values drop from $183,216 to $145,437, or 20.62 percent. Supervisors pointed out that homeowners should exercise caution...

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Pr. William supervisors raise property tax rate

The Prince William Board of Supervisors voted to raise the property tax rate as much as 24 cents per $100 of assessed value for the next fiscal year. The supervisors voted to advertise a maximum real estate tax rate of $1.212 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2010, up from the current 97 cents. The change, if approved by supervisors after public hearings, would mean the average tax bill would drop by 12.7 percent, or $435, according to County Finance Director Christopher Martino. The figure differed slightly from county staff’s previous projection of an average decrease of 15 percent, or $514. Martino said residential and commercial property assessments declined slightly less...

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Three-minute Interview - Lisa Eckenwiler

Lisa Eckenwiler is associate professor of philosophy and associate professor of health administration and policy, as well as the director of health care ethics at the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University. She teaches courses in bioethics, ethics in health policy, ethics and public health, and research ethics. She has also written on access to AIDS care, policy for pregnant addicts, and the ethical implications of work in biodefense and emergency preparedness. How did you get into the field of bioethics? To make a really long story short, I took a class in college on ethical and social issues in AIDS. I was really riveted by it — there were a lot...

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Alexandria council approves contract for new police facility

The Alexandria City Council this week approved a construction contract that would pave the way for a new police department headquarters facility. Following the money Project budget (in millions of dollars) Item CIP Budget Feb. 19 Construction 57.4 55.5* Furniture, etc. 4.0 3.0 Technology 19.7 19.7 Total 81.1 78.2 *guaranteed maximum-price contract Source: Alexandria city government The plan, which has been in the works for the past five years, would allow the city to consolidate police operations from four locations, according to county documents. A $55.5 million...

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D.C.-area housing prices continue to decrease

New housing data shows a consistent drop in the sales prices of homes in the D.C. area, and local authorities are ramping up efforts to assist homeowners and potential buyers during the down market. The cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, which have been hit hard during the foreclosure crunch, both saw drops in median sales prices of nearly 50 percent from February 2008 to February 2009, according to data from the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems. Even tony Montgomery County saw a drop of about $100,000 in the median sold price from February of last year. But local jurisdictions and organizations are moving quickly to help people navigate the choppy market. Marcia Griffin,...

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Pr. William staff identify potential cuts

Prince William County staff on Tuesday outlined cuts in services their departments would face under County Executive Craig Gerhart’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget. Seven departments would see cuts under the proposed reductions: the county library, Human Rights Commission, and Offices of information technology, executive management, finance, general debt, and self insurance. Assistant County Executive Melissa Peacor said that the proposed reduction to the office of Executive Management in fiscal 2010 was $1 million, or 14 percent. In fiscal 2008, the office’s budget was reduced by about $230,000 and in fiscal 2009 the office kept several positions vacant in order to reduce the...

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Local researchers hope to reap rewards from stem cell shift

Local leaders are hoping that President Barack Obama’s executive order lifting the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research will spur the region’s scientific businesses and research centers. Lawrence Tabak, acting deputy director of the Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health, said in a conference call with reporters that he anticipated funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus package would be available for use under the guidelines NIH will be developing over the next 120 days. And much of what’s spent on harvesting cells from human embryos could end up going to local outfits. Julia Spicer, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Venture...

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Prince William School Board chooses compromise in math fight

The Prince William County School Board rejected a motion where parents could opt out of having their children in the controversial Math Investigations program, instead passing a motion that would allow a teaching approach blended with more traditional methods. After weeks of heated battles at the School Board’s Wednesday evening meetings, the motion by board member Dale Trenum that would allow parents to take their children out of the program failed by a 4-4 vote. “A significant number of parents [are] not happy, to say the least,” Trenum said. “[Those opposed] definitely represent more than just a small handful of parents, as it’s been characterized.”...

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Pr. William Co. introduces new housing program

Prince William is rolling out a new program that would enable residents to purchase foreclosed homes in areas of the county that have been particularly hard hit by the housing crunch. The Foreclosure Rehabilitation Acquisition Program uses federal funding to provide new homebuyers financial counseling, homeownership education and deferred loans for down payments and closing costs. The properties must be located in ten specific census tract areas in Prince William County, all four tract areas in Manassas, and the 9201 tract — or “old Manassas Park” — in Manassas Park. Homebuyers do not have to live or work in the county to be eligible for the program. Realtors,...

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Loudoun County OKs final measure

Loudoun County this week approved the final piece of a seven-part series of initiatives to promote transparency in local government. The measure, which passed Tuesday, is designed to prevent last-minute changes to land-use applications and to give both officials and the public sufficient time to review them. Accusations of improper, but not illegal, activity among influential supervisors became common over the last few years. Some faced questions about land purchases that benefited friends and contributors and advocacy for developments that would benefit their employers and financial backers. Four supervisors were swept out of office in the November 2007 elections. “Reports of...

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Vote on tax rate deadlocked

Prince William County supervisors Tuesday ended up deadlocked on setting a maximum tax rate for fiscal 2010. Board Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large, was adamant about advertising a $1.19 rate, which would net the average home- owner an estimated savings of about $550 on his or her tax bill. “We are in a different world than we were just a year ago,” he said, adding that he was “bound and determined” on the issue of tax relief more than any other. In late March last year, the board broke a 21-day stalemate over the county budget by advertising a maximum rate of $1 per $100 of assessed value. The approved tax rate for fiscal 2009 ended up being...

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Loudoun approves $290M list of potential stimulus projects

Loudoun County on Tuesday approved a list of about $300 million worth of projects to send to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine in hopes of securing some of the commonwealth’s $4 billion in federal stimulus funds. The list includes about $87 million of “ready to go” county projects and just more than $200 million in school projects. County projects include $10.2 million for the Brambleton Public Safety Center, and school projects include $3.6 million to renovate the Park View High School Science Lab/Art Studio. The county in January had submitted a list of about $513 million worth of “shovel-ready” projects, which was compiled based on early guidance from the National...

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Housing slump could last for two more years

Prince William County officials are predicting that it will take up to two years for housing prices to stabilize, according to county documents. A prolonged drought in the housing market is one of several forecasts for the next five years to be presented to the county Board of Supervisors by Finance Director Chris Martino on Tuesday. County financial analyst Dave Sinclair said that in addition to the county’s real property assessment drop, a national depreciation of auto values is also hurting the county. Auto sales declined 18 percent in 2008, and monthly sales declined 30 percent in November and December. Next to real estate taxes, personal property tax revenue — which...

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Loudoun Co. residents make final pleas to supervisors on ’10 budget

Loudoun County students, teachers, parents and senior citizens pleaded with supervisors on Saturday to provide adequate funding for schools, senior centers and other county services in the proposed fiscal 2010 budget. Over 40 people signed up to speak before seven supervisors and an audience of some 200 attendees at the last of the board's three public budget hearings. Some supported raising the tax rate from the previous year in order to retain as many county services as possible. County Administrator Kirby Bowers included an advertised tax rate of $1.29 per $100 per assessed value in the budget for fiscal 2010 — up from the adopted rate of $1.14 last year. Because of the...

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Questions raised about study on Prince William immigration policy

Prince William County’s government was unprepared for — and reacted ineffectively to — a massive influx of Hispanic immigrants, according to a study released this week, but some have raised questions about the report’s methods and findings. The report by Audrey Singer, Jill H. Wilson and Brooke DeRenzis of the Brookings Institution also concluded that there was not sufficient vetting of the immigration resolution or research into its potential consequences before its passage two years ago. The original resolution — which directed police to inquire into the immigration status of anyone detained for a violation of state law or county ordinance if they had...

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Existing-home sales dive in Jan.

Sales of existing homes dropped 5.3 percent nationwide in January, while nearly half of the homes sold in Maryland and Virginia late last year were foreclosures or sold for less than the mortgage was worth, according to recent reports. Existing-home sales — including single-family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops — fell 5.3 percent from December to January, and were 8.6 percent lower last month than in January 2008, according to the National Association of Realtors. Distressed home sales — foreclosures and sales for less than the mortgage — comprised 44 percent of all sales in Maryland and Virginia in the fourth quarter of 2008, said Walter Molony, a...

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Prince William volunteer firefighters to undergo physicals before training

All Prince William County volunteer firefighters will have to take physical exams before training — a recommendation issued this week by a panel that examined a November line-of-duty death. The medical evaluation will include a physical exam, medical history disclosure and any laboratory tests needed to determine whether the recruit can adequately perform his or her job. Previously, physicals were required for career fire and rescue staff, but were optional for volunteers. The committee — composed of fire and rescue staff from Prince William, Loudoun and Frederick counties — was formed immediately after the death of Cecilia Turnbough, said Prince William Fire and...

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Pr. William parents’ outcry saves middle school sports

The Prince William County schools superintendent is proposing a pay-to-play option for middle-school sports after parents balked at his proposal to cut them from next year’s budget. “At the overwhelming request of middle school parents, we will ask them to support middle school interscholastic sports with a $50-per-sport participation fee, as is already proposed at the high school level,” Steven Walts wrote in a letter addressed to students, parents and staff. The fee would generate an estimated $292,335 next year, according to his proposed budget for fiscal 2010. The fee would be $25 for students in the reduced-price lunch program and free to students with a free...

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Barry ‘awake’ and ‘alert’ after kidney transplant

D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry successfully underwent kidney transplant surgery Friday night, a spokeswoman for the former D.C. mayor said Saturday. Clive Callender, director of the Howard University Hospital Transplant Center, said Saturday Barry was “awake” and “alert,” and was behaving normally based on what’s expected after surgery. The procedure took about six hours, Callender said. Barry had completed breathing exercises, said Callender, adding that most patients who undergo the surgery remain in the hospital for five days. “The older you are, the more aggressive we are,” said Callender. “Sometimes exercise is underappreciated...

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Arlington County manager proposes modest budget cuts

Arlington County has proposed a small drop in its in fiscal 2010 budget but is not contemplating the dramatic cuts other jurisdictions are weighing. County Manager Ron Carlee proposed a $929.5 million budget for 2010 at the county board meeting Saturday. The proposed amount is 1.3 percent less than Arlington’s revised fiscal 2009 budget. The 2009 budget had to be scaled back in light of the economic downturn. Carlee said Friday the budget constituted “serious belt-tightening,” but not a “restructuring of government,” adding that the goal was to “take care not to undermine what’s gotten us to where we are.” He recommended $23.3 million in...

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Analysts predict more DC area mortgage meltdowns

The Washington area is expected to be slammed by a second wave of foreclosures later this year as a new crop of adjustable-rate mortgages resets to higher rates and homeowners struggle with rising monthly payments. The problem is with “Alt-A” loans, which were popular with banks and mortgage lenders mid-decade after many stopped issuing subprime loans as more homeowners defaulted on their mortgages, according to local analysts. Like other adjustable-rate mortgages, Alt-A loans reset to current rates, which are typically higher, after three to five years. They were used by consumers who had better credit than subprime borrowers but whose credit was not good enough to qualify...

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Local nonprofit still wading through ‘tsunami’ of foreclosures

Sheila Marshall works with a struggling homeowner at HomeFree-USA in Hyattsville. “Good afternoon. Thank you for calling HomeFree-USA. How may I help you?” she says through her telephone headset. “No, no, that’s OK,” she reassures the person on the other end of the line. “Let’s focus on you right now, and then we’ll figure out what to do, OK? No, no. You’re fine. Come on. You’re OK.” Marshall and other workers at the nonprofit agency HomeFree-USA have been inundated with requests for advice on preventing foreclosures and how to deal with rising mortgage costs during the current housing crisis, which President Marcia...

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Proposed budget cuts jobs, taxes

A leaner county government and lower tax bills are likely in store for Prince William County residents next year. Salaries for county employees would be frozen for one year, 155 government positions — 76 filled — would be cut, and budgets would be slashed across the board in County Executive Craig Gerhart’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget, presented Tuesday. The county is facing an estimated $107.2 million budget deficit. “We’ve been at this budget-cutting [exercise] for three years,” Gerhart said. “I think we did the right things when times were good, and I think we’re proposing the right things now that times are challenging.” The...

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Board pushes online worker residency checks

Prince William supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a directive to implement the federal E-Verify system in the county. E-Verify is an online system that verifies the residency status of new employees. It would affect county contractors, as well as new county employees, Board Chairman Corey Stewart said. The system would be implemented within 120 days after the current deadline set for federal contractors, which is May 21. Stewart said that because the county has made an effort to focus on the economy, the board wanted to make sure that county jobs were filled by legal...

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Prince William students could opt out of math program under new proposal

Prince William parents would have the option to pull their children out of the controversial Math Investigations program, under a recent proposal by the school board chairman. Under Chairman Milton C. Johns’ proposal, any parent of a rising first- through fifth-grader could request traditional math textbook-based instruction by April 30. “In any grade level where there are enough students to comprise an economically feasible traditional math text class, at least one will be formed,” Johns said in a statement. “ ‘Economically feasible’ will vary from school to school.” Superintendent of Schools Steven Walts would report how many...

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3-minute interview: Andrew McGrath

Andrew McGrath is a physical education teacher at Cedar Point Elementary School in Bristow, as well as a graduate student at George Mason University studying overweight and obesity percentages among elementary school students. McGrath and the school have created Healthy Families Night, a free event to provide more information on health and well-being, to be held Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. What have you found in your studies at GMU? Prince William County has an alarmingly high percentage of youth [ages 2-18] who are either at risk of becoming overweight, are overweight, or are obese. Here at Cedar Point ES, out of the 122 fifth-graders that I assessed, 26.6 percent fell into that same...

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Inova moves to build hospital in Loudoun Co.

The hospital war in Loudoun County is heating up, with two competing health care groups announcing new facilities in the last four days. Inova Health System said Monday that it had filed a formal letter of intent with Virginia to build an 80-bed hospital on Route 50 in Loudoun County, just three days after the Hospital Corp. of America announced plans to expand its facility in nearby Reston. Two weeks ago, the county Board of Supervisors rejected HCA’s proposal that would have paved the way for a new hospital in Broadlands, about five miles from Inova’s Lansdowne campus. Inova plans to build a health complex on the property it owns at the intersection of Route 659 and Route...

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HCA moves to expand Reston Hospital Center

The Hospital Corporation of America is pushing forward with an expansion of its 187-bed Reston Hospital Center in the wake of the rejection by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors of its request to build a hospital in the Broadlands region. HCA Virginia on Friday submitted a rezoning request for the Reston campus to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning. “Our long-term expansion plans for Reston Hospital Center have been under development for two years,” said Margaret Lewis, President of HCA’s Capital Division and head of HCA Virginia, on Friday. “Now, in the wake of the recent Broadlands Regional Medical Center decision, we will take full...

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Virginia’s General Assembly rejects REAL ID provisions

The Virginia House and Senate have overwhelmingly passed legislation rejecting elements of the federal government’s Real ID law, which requires states to issue federally mandated drivers’ licenses or similar forms of identification that would become part of a national database. The House approved Del. Robert Marshall’s, R-Prince William, bill 88-10 on Tuesday, and the Senate passed legislation from Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, 30-9. “I was obviously pretty pleased with that,” said Cuccinelli, noting that the bill survived a close 8-6 vote in committee. “Right and left were aligned on this thing. Consistent, steady, grassroots support for it, combined...

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Md., Va. foreclosure rates leveling, but remain high

Virginia and Maryland foreclosure rates ranked 15th and 16th, respectively, among states last month as area home sales picked up, according to local real estate data. Manassas City and Prince William County had the highest and second-highest foreclosure rates in Virginia, with Fairfax City ranking third, according to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac. In Maryland, Frederick County placed first, Prince George’s was second and Montgomery County was fourth. Despite the high rates, Fairfax and Prince William counties — which posted the two highest foreclosure totals of any jurisdiction in the state, respectively, according to RealtyTrac — both saw declines in...

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Official: ‘Alexandria faces its most serious fiscal crisis in more than 30 years’

Alexandria would eliminate more than 120 jobs and freeze employee pay for the first time in nearly two decades under the city’s proposed $524.3 million operating budget for fiscal 2010. Homeowners would face a 4.2-cent increase in real estate taxes, from 84.5 to 88.7 cents per $100 of assessed value. Under the city’s proposed plan, the average cost would remain at the 2008 level of $4,226, because of an estimated 4.7 percent decline in average assessed home value. The budget for the year starting July 1, presented to the City Council last night by City Manager James K. Hartmann, reflects a 7.7 percent drop, or $43.6 million, from what it would cost to maintain the...

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Report: Alexandria shortfall bigger than projected

Slumping revenue projections, as well as refunds to Fairfax County for misallocated sales tax, will increase Alexandria’s projected shortfall of $10.5 million in the current fiscal year, according to city documents. Prospects for the city’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget — to be presented Tuesday by the city manager — are also bleak. Under current tax rates and revenue policies, the outlook is about $35 million less than original revenue projections for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. Alexandria will have to pay Fairfax County about $1 million in sales tax and real estate tax settlement refunds, according to city officials. Businesses typically give...

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Herndon implements E-Verify; others in Va. hope to follow

Herndon has begun using the federal government’s system to electronically verify the residency status of workers, a program Virginia officials are hoping to expand to other parts of the commonwealth. E-Verify is a Web-based system that verifies the Social Security numbers of new employees and is overseen by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “E-Verify is a quick, free system that provides the town with another tool to ensure that newly hired employees are legally eligible to work in the United States,” said Town Manager Arthur A. Anselene. “The Town Council’s legislative position is that all employers throughout the commonwealth of Virginia should use...

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Loudoun raises tax on hybrids

Loudoun County hybrid owners soon will see a substantial increase in their car tax. The Board of Supervisors has voted to increase taxes on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles from a penny per $100 of assessed value to $1 starting in fiscal 2010. “I hate the car tax, and it should have been done away with, but it wasn’t,” said Supervisor Lori Waters, R-Broad Run, adding that the county had to promote fairness across the board. “This is an effort to normalize [the] tax rate a little bit,” said Supervisor Jim Burton, I-Blue Ridge, chairman of the Finance/Government Services and Operations Committee. Burton said the rate increase would produce about $600,000...

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Loudoun rejects new hospital after lengthy battle

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a new hospital in the Broadlands region of the county. The board voted 5-4 against the bid by the Hospital Corp. of America to build a new 164-bed facility that would have been called Broadlands Regional Medical Center, after a final debate Tuesday that raged for about 90 minutes. About 150 people packed the supervisors’ board room Tuesday to await the decision after a five-year effort that included numerous legal battles, lobbying, political posturing and heated argument from supervisors on both sides of the debate. “It’s a troubling vote,” HCA spokesman Mark Foust said afterward. “We’ll...

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Loudoun approves marketing partnership with Redskins

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a two-year marketing partnership with the Washington Redskins and are set to pursue a future Redskins Hall of Fame in Loudoun County. The 5-3-1 decision, with Chairman Scott York abstaining, to approve the marketing deal came at the recommendation of a panel formed after a similar partnership was rejected in December, then brought up again at a special meeting Dec. 18. Supervisors Stevens Miller, D-Dulles, and Lori Waters, R-Broad Run, headed the committee. “Polo … fox hunting … wine country … horse country … golfing … but no football,” said Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, who supported...

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Loudoun rejects hospital plan after lengthy battle

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a new hospital in the Broadlands region of the county. The board voted 5-4 against the bid by the Hospital Corp. of America (HCA) to build a new 164-bed facility, after a final debate Tuesday that raged for about two hours. About 150 people packed the Loudoun County government board room Tuesday to await the decision after a five-year battle that included numerous legal battles, political posturing and heated argument from supervisors on both sides of the debate. "It's a troubling vote," HCA spokesman Mark Foust said afterward. "We'll review all of our options, and we'll make a decision soon about our next...

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3 Minute Interview-Griffin

Marcia Griffin is founder and president of HomeFree-USA, a nonprofit organization based in Hyattsville that provides free counseling and advice to potential homebuyers as well as homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments. HomeFree-USA has 91 affiliates nationwide, and is one of 15 nonprofit agencies devoted to fighting foreclosures that have been authorized through Congress. How and when did you get your start with HomeFree-USA? I started up in 1995 — during the early part of the 1990s, we were seeing foreclosure issues like we are now, though they weren’t as bad. My husband owned a mortgage servicing company that helped people prevent foreclosure. Over the course...

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Loudoun board to vote on new 164-bed hospital Tuesday

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on a new 164-bed hospital that would be built in the Broadlands region, after a lengthy battle between the Hospital Corp. of America and Inova Health System, as well as county residents on both sides of the issue. Hospital Corp. of America has touted a new hospital as a way to attract jobs and business to the area, as well as offer increased services to a county whose population continues to grow. The nonprofit Inova has argued that its business would suffer if the hospital were built on the proposed site — about five miles from its own hospital. Staci Kapinos, one of the founding members of the group Broadlands...

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Va. unemployment highest in 13 years

Virginia’s unemployment rate rose in December to 5.2 percent — the state’s highest level in 13 years — according to data released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission. Unemployment in Northern Virginia was 3.9 percent in December, and Arlington County boasted the lowest unemployment rate of Virginia’s 134 jurisdictions, at 3.2 percent. Though December’s rate was the highest since 1996, the state unemployment rate was still significantly lower than the national rate of 7.1 percent. William Mezger, an economist with the Virginia Employment Commission, attributed the spike to a slowdown in the retail sector during the holidays, as well as a...

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Pr. William parents work around new math program

Prince William County parents are teaching their children math at home and are considering “sit-outs” of state standards-of-learning tests if the county school board does not revise its Math Investigations program. Kim Simon said she has bought traditional math textbooks for her second-grader, who she said “sits in Investigations and basically stares at the wall.” Greg Barlow, who was the first to sign an online petition to return to a more traditional approach to teaching math, has said that without home tutoring, his fourth-grade son would be falling behind. Simon said she would “probably continue working at home” if the program isn’t changed,...

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Herring seated in House after Monday’s recount

Democrat Charniele Herring was seated as the representative for Virginia’s 46th District in the state House of Delegates Monday, after a recount confirmed her 16-vote win in a special election held two weeks ago. A three-person judicial panel in Alexandria Circuit Court upheld the results of the special election held Jan. 13, in which Herring defeated Republican candidate Joe Murray by 16 votes. The judges Monday morning denied motions from Murray’s legal team to add 25 absentee ballots to the recount — a major victory for the Democratic candidate before the formal recount process began at about 11 a.m. “I congratulate Delegate Herring on her victory in this...

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Loudoun County seeks state funds for foreclosure aid in 3 neighborhoods

Loudoun County is pressing for $2 million in state funds to help three neighborhoods hit particularly hard by the foreclosure crisis. The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to apply for the funds, which county staff projects would help about 30 low- to middle-income households and about 100 people. The application for part of the $20 million available through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development is due Jan. 30. The three neighborhoods are the Sterling Park South town houses, a Sterling Park single-family neighborhood off Maple Avenue and Sugarland Run town houses near Meadowland Elementary. “We all have the problem in our districts,” said...

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Loudoun assessments dropped last year

Loudoun County residents will receive good news and bad news when they open their mail early this week: Property assessments dropped an average of about 10 percent in 2008. That means that although their property isn’t worth as much as it was a year ago, their tax bills could be coming down. The assessments, which were mailed to homeowners Friday, are bad news for Loudoun County officials, whose budget depends heavily on property values. More than two-thirds of the county’s general fund revenue, 74 percent, came from general property taxes in the current fiscal year. Total taxable property fell from about $67.7 billion a year ago to just over $62 billion, according to the...

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Pr. William parents, school board clash over Math Investigations program

Parents in Prince William County are clashing with school board members over the county’s controversial Math Investigations program, seeking a return to a more traditional approach. An online petition to remove the curriculum from Prince William County schools has amassed more than 1,500 signatures since the program was introduced in 2006. Greg Barlow of Dumfries, who was the first person to sign the petition, told the board he still had problems with the Math Investigations program despite Chairman Milton C. Johns’ presentation of an “opt-in” option for traditional math in elementary schools at Wednesday’s meeting. “If we weren’t tutoring at...

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Loudoun seeks taxing authority from Virginia General Assembly

Loudoun County, facing a projected shortfall of nearly $200 million in fiscal 2010, will attempt to gain authority from the General Assembly to create taxes to diversify its revenue base. Supervisors passed the recommendation 7-1-1 Wednesday, with Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, opposed and Scott York, independent-at large, absent. Some, though, were skeptical about the likelihood that the legislature would grant such authority. Under Virginia law, cities and towns are authorized by the state to institute taxes, while counties are not. The state operates under an interpretation of “Dillon’s Rule,” named after a 19th-century Iowa judge, under which municipal or local powers...

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Roads relatively quiet as crowds pound pavement, pack Metro

Traffic on the Capital Beltway and the Washington area’s other major roads and arteries was much lighter than expected Tuesday, despite several early morning traffic jams, as hundreds of thousands flocked to the Mall on foot or via Metro. There were reports of delays of up to two hours on Interstate 66 eastbound before the Vienna Metro stop at the end of the Orange Line and on Interstate 95 northbound before the Franconia-Springfield stop at the end of the Blue Line between 6 and 7 a.m. By 7:45 a.m., traffic had dissipated somewhat as Metro parking lots filled up, said a spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Later on, though, it was relatively smooth sailing for...

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Oprah show packs Kennedy Center with stars

More than 2,000 enthusiastic Barack Obama — and Oprah Winfrey — supporters packed the Kennedy Center Opera House on Monday for a star-studded special taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show. The show, the first of two Winfrey is holding in Washington for the inauguration, featured performances by Seal, Faith Hill and the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, and appearances by such celebrities as Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. Winfrey, a Chicago resident and one of President-elect Barack Obama’s most high-profile supporters, was caught on camera as one of the thousands celebrating Obama’s election night victory in Grant Park in Chicago. Monday’s mostly female crowd,...

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Washington area hit hard by foreclosures in 2008

The Washington area saw more than 50,000 foreclosure filings in 2008 — about a 160 percent increase from 2007 — according to recent data from the online foreclosure-tracking Web site RealtyTrac. When compared with 2006 data, some of the numbers for local jurisdictions are staggering. Manassas reported 37 properties with foreclosure filings in 2006 and 1,424 in 2008 — a spike of nearly 4,000 percent. And though Montgomery County saw 4,651 foreclosure filings last year, a modest number considering its size, the filings spiked more than 3,000 percent from the 141 filings in 2006. Marcia Griffin, president of Home-Free USA, a Maryland nonprofit that gives real estate advice...

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Families, kids find ways to participate in downtown inaugural festivities

While some people came to the Mall this weekend to kick off a days-long celebration, others — especially those with young children — came to get a taste of the historic events so they could skip the crushing crowds Tuesday. Marybeth Connelly, of Falls Church, who was headed toward the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday with her children, Brian, 12, Andrew, 10, and Julie, 7, said the preinaugural excitement in the air was enough of a brush with history for her. “I think it’s great — it definitely portends something big,” she said of the crowd milling about Saturday, adding that she planned to “soak in the atmosphere without having to deal with the...

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Prince William dissolves problem-ridden volunteer fire department

Prince William supervisors on Friday voted unanimously to dissolve the Gainesville District Volunteer Fire Department after a four-month internal audit revealed a number of deficiencies, and caused Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee to say he has "lost confidence" in the department's leadership. Supervisors deliberated in closed session for more than three hours before county auditor Robin Howard presented his official report to the public. Howard said Gainesville¹s volunteer fire department was uncooperative with the overall audit process, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the department's internal controls were unsatisfactory. "We did not find any instances of...

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Herring refused seat, Murray files for recount

The Virginia House of Delegates Wednesday refused to seat Democrat Charniele Herring, who eked out a 16-vote victory over Republican Joe R. Murray for the House’s 46th District seat in Alexandria, after Murray filed a petition for a recount earlier in the day in Alexandria Circuit Court. The Republican-majority House voted 54-41 against seating Herring, arguing that the results of the election — which were certified Wednesday morning by the Virginia State Board of Elections — could be overturned by the recount. Herring took 1,344 votes to Murray’s 1,328. Candidates can petition for a recount if the difference is less than 1 percent of the votes cast for the two...

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Local home prices drop in December

Home prices continued to slide in the Washington region last month, according to data from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, with the biggest drop — nearly 50 percent from December 2007 — in Prince William County. The median house price in the region, which includes Manassas and Manassas Park, fell from nearly $310,000 in December 2007 to $165,000 in December 2008, according to the statistics. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia posted a modest 12.5 percent drop, with the median price falling to $350,000 last month from $400,000 the previous year. “When the real estate market slows, it’s people who had to go to Prince William, along [Interstate] 66 to...

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D.C. water and sewer agency proposes a double-digit rate increase for fiscal 2010

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority has proposed a 10 percent rate increase for water and sewer services in the next fiscal year, the first request for a double digit rate boost since 1997. The agency’s board of directors last week approved a fiscal 2010 operating budget of $393.6 million — a $30.4 million increase, or 8.4 percent, over the previous year. “It is imperative that we deliver these critical services in a responsible manner that improves the environment and enhances the quality of life for the community,” said board Chairman William M. Walker. “And that comes with a cost.” With that increase, and raises in two fees, the total monthly charge...

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Trial by fire for Herring, Murray campaigns in special election

A quickly assembled special election is scheduled to be held Tuesday to fill the Virginia House of Delegates seat vacated by Brian Moran, with Democratic candidate Charniele Herring squaring off with Republican Joe R. Murray. Moran said Dec. 12 that he would leave his 46th District seat to campaign full time for governor. With the General Assembly session starting Wednesday, Gov. Tim Kaine set the special election date for Tuesday and gave potential candidates until Dec. 17 to file. The 46th District covers 11 precincts in western Alexandria and the Skyline district in Fairfax County. The compressed time frame of the campaign process led to a relatively low turnout for the Democratic...

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Manassas Park property values projected to dive

Manassas Park residential property values are projected to decline between 30 and 50 percent next fiscal year, leaving the city with an estimated shortfall of about $8 million in fiscal 2010 — more than one-fifth of the city’s $38.9 million budget in fiscal 2009. City Assessor Richard Sanderson said he “never before” had seen such a big drop in his 20 years of experience, adding that when he worked as the Alexandria assessor in the early 1990s, drops came in groups of 2 percent to 3 percent each year, “not in the 20s and 30s.” A major reason for the precipitous drop in assessment values was the glut of bank-owned and foreclosed properties sold last year...

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Prince William faces major budget challenge, Stewart says

Prince William County is facing its greatest budget challenge in its history as the nation suffers through a recession, Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart said Tuesday. “[The year] 2009 will present the toughest fiscal challenge that this board and this county has ever faced,” Stewart said in his annual State of the County address. While the county is not facing a shortfall this fiscal year, dropping residential assessments and shrinking sales taxes have contributed to a projected shortfall of $190 million for fiscal 2010, which begins July 1. Stewart said supervisors will have to cut spending to shore up the budget. “The cuts will be deep. The cuts will...

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Loudoun to ask Congress for stimulus funds

Loudoun County has prepared a list of ready-to-go projects in hopes of getting a piece of the federal economic stimulus package. “While the board will have to make difficult decisions in order to balance the county’s budget, including possible employee layoffs and cuts to essential programs, we simply do not have the resources or the ability to provide the kind of economic stimulus needed at this time,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York wrote in a draft letter addressed to Sen. Jim Webb, dated Jan. 6. York pointed out in the letter that the county has been decimated by foreclosures, with the home foreclosure rate in the county growing 800 percent from 2006 to 2007....

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Citizens, officials respond to Loudoun crime spike

Fifteen new neighborhood watches have formed in the Sterling Park area as residents and officials work to battle a rash of crime in the area. With the additional programs, neighborhood watches now cover more than 98 percent of residential areas in Sterling, according to the county. Loudoun County now has 50 neighborhood watches overall. “We have held several community meetings on this subject this past year, and the community has turned out big time joining neighborhood watches and volunteering with the auxiliary [unit],” said Sterling Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, a Republican. The auxiliary unit enlists volunteers 21 and older who assist county law enforcement...

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Stocks rise for small number of local companies

A dozen local businesses rode innovation and in-demand products to post gains last year, while hundreds of other Washington-area companies fell with the rest of the stock market. “I think anything that increases productivity [or] cuts costs is going to do well,” said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist for Raymond James based in St. Petersburg, Fla. “My sense is you’re getting the worst economic numbers right now,” he added. “I think energy is going to resurface as a pretty investable thing,” he said, predicting a rebound for traditional commodities like oil, gas and coal, as well as water, electricity, timber, base metals and precious...

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3 Minute Interview-Velez

Karen Velez of the Loudoun County Family Services Department and the Loudoun Community Action Agency is working as the volunteer coordinator for a new program designed to help lower-income families earn money on their tax returns. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program depends on volunteers to provide free tax preparation services for working families and individuals with low-to-moderate income levels. How did you get started with the program? A few years ago while I was attending a conference in Richmond for Community Action, I learned that the State Department of Social Services wanted statewide community action agencies to play a bigger role in VITA and the Earned Income...

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A day for faith and family

On the morning of on Christmas Eve, lights illuminated the path to Mary’s Garden outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast D.C. Other than the low, faint rumble of a plane in the distance, and the occasional car driving along Harewood Road, the area was calm at 8:30. The lights guided the pathway — welcoming beacons during a Christmas season that has brought troubles for many. But — at least for these brief moments — the spinning, tumultuous world had stopped in the garden. Inside, services in the Crypt church started at 7 a.m., a prelude to the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses that will be packed with Catholics on...

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Former teacher goes over the top for Toys for Tots

George Corbin Jr. has been working like a maniac for Toys for Tots this Christmas season. A Bethesda real estate agent, he has been on somewhat of a one-man mission in collecting toys for needy children around his neighborhood. “I’ve been really successful in getting a lot of toys — people in my neighborhood really like it,” he said. “I’m not just going to get the businesses with fliers.” Indeed, Corbin goes beyond merely leaving fliers in hopes that people will donate — he drove around blasting Christmas music and knocking on doors for the cause. “[Radio station] 97.1 — I cranked that up. I could tell people were looking at...

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Sagging retailers feel the heat as final day of shopping looms

Retailers are feeling the heat as the economy slips deeper into recession, and many shoppers are changing their spending habits as the end of the holiday shopping season approaches. “We’ve done really well Sunday, yesterday — [customers] didn’t start coming out in full force until Sunday — but they’re looking for bargains and sales,” said Verna Baer, who works part time at the Waldenbooks in Alexandria’s Landmark Mall. “Before that, we were running about 60 percent of what we were last year.” Indeed, some shoppers in the area are adjusting their spending habits as Christmas inches closer. Customers milled through the For Your...

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Longtime residents of Alexandria mall slash their prices

Signs of “sale” and “marked down” are common during the holiday shopping season, and Landmark Mall in Alexandria is no exception. Elite Jewelers has a banner boasting, “Biggest sale of the season,” “50% off everything in the store” and “70% off selected items.” “People have come out very late this year — they didn’t start coming out until Sunday — and they’re buying bargain books,” said Verna Baer, of Alexandria, who has worked in the mall’s Waldenbooks store since 2001. “From what I can tell, that’s why people came out later this year. They’re trying to wait out the...

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Power plant plans move forward

A major power company is taking formal steps to build a natural gas-fired power plant in Prince William County. An affiliate of New Jersey’s LS Power has officially submitted a permit to the Prince William County planning office, after the company in March bought a three-year, $195,000 option to begin the study and permitting process for the plant. “Now we're basically putting our money where our mouth is,” said Matthew Held, project manager for LS Power. The $500 million, 600-megawatt plant would be in a 28-acre industrial-zoned area on Balls Ford Road. The plant would cover about 10 acres and would generate enough electricity to power between 400,000 and 500,000...

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Local officials hope for an economic boon from inaugural EagleBank Bowl

Nearly 30,000 saw D.C. host its first-ever bowl game Saturday, an annual event local officials and businesses hope will boost the District's economy and tourism industry during a relatively slow time of the year. Navy and Wake Forest squared off in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium on a windy day with temperatures hovering in the mid-30s. Wake Forest overcame an early 13-0 deficit to down the Midshipmen, 29-19. Navy won a Sept. 27 match-up between the two teams, 24-17. “I'm excited that we've brought a new event to the city,” said EagleBank Bowl co-founder Sean Metcalf, a former staff member for D.C. Councilman Jack Evans. “We're providing work for other local...

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Loudoun board OKs Woodgrove high school construction

The Loudoun Board of Supervisors has approved a plan that helps pave the way for the construction of Woodgrove High School at a site north of Purcellville. Though the vote was 8-0-1, with Andrea McGimsey, D-Potomac, absent, Supervisor Jim Burton, I-Blue Ridge, spoke at length about the arduous legal battles the Town of Purcellville and the county have struggled with over the past decade. "In my opinion, the Town Council has deliberately held the children of Western Loudoun hostage for years while it attempted to extort millions of dollars from the county," he told the board. 'As a result of this extortion, the money paid to the Town of Purcellville may, I repeat may, result in...

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Loudoun approves radio contract with Motorola

Loudoun supervisors Thursday voted to award a contract to Motorola to replace the county’s current public safety radio communications system, though some said a competitive bidding process could have saved the county money on the deal. The contract passed 5-4. The board had voted to approve a similar contract at its Dec. 2 business meeting, but chose to take another look at the proposal after a Dec. 8 public hearing in which some critics questioned the $35 million contract price. Some supervisors were frustrated with the fact that Motorola — which installed the county’s current system in March 2002 — was the only bidder for the upgrade. “It’s a very...

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Public pools need new drains by Saturday, or face closure

Local authorities say they’re playing “catch-up” to bring their pools up to code to comply with new national drain cover regulations or face getting shut down this weekend. The Pool and Spa Safety Act, enacted last December, is designed to protect swimmers from potential drowning or dismemberment by creating better safeguards against drainage suction. “We’re working with our manager about getting that stuff taken care of — we know what we need to [get] done,” said Peter Haack, recreation supervisor for the Montgomery Aquatic Center. “We’re doing what we can.” Effective Saturday, all public pools and spas open year-round need new...

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Prince William needs billions for road projects

Prince William County needs $2.7 billion to pay for all the roads and other infrastructure necessary to keep up with projected population growth in the next five years, but has only $155 million in its budget to pay for it, the county executive said Tuesday. County Executive Craig Gerhart stressed that county funds based on bonds, proffers and recordation taxes are struggling because of a bleak real estate market. “Everything we depend on is in the tank,” he said. The county’s building program for the years 2010 through 2015 includes 45 projects — many of which are road and highway improvements. The $155 million in funding is primarily provided by the county...

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Fairfax eyes Redskins Hall of Fame after Loudoun County aborts plan

Fairfax County is pursuing a Washington Redskins Hall of fame after the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors rejected a marketing partnership with the team. Fairfax supervisors last week unanimously approved a motion to try to lure a potential Redskins Hall of Fame to the county. Supervisor Pat Herrity, R-Springfield, suggested the measure at a Dec. 8 meeting, less than a week after supervisors in Loudoun, which houses Redskins Park in Ashburn, rejected a deal with the team by a vote of 5-4. “The Washington Redskins have a huge national and even global fan base and any kind of partnership with the Redskins would be advantageous to a jurisdiction like Fairfax County for the economic...

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Ft. Myer parents, base commander protest changes in school boundaries

The base commander and parents at Fort Myer are opposing proposed changes in school boundaries that would transfer 36 military students from Long Branch Elementary to Hoffman-Boston Elementary in Arlington County. The School Board in February approved boundary changes that would move about 80 students to different schools, and the board is scheduled to vote on further changes Dec. 18. “Changing a military child’s school is a very traumatic event … most children move very frequently, and as a result attend six to nine different schools during their K-12 years,” Col. Laura J. Richardson wrote in a letter last month to the County School Board. “This degree of...

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Manassas neighborhood struggles with foreclosures

“Price reduced,” “For sale” and “Bank-owned” signs pepper properties throughout the Georgetown South community in Manassas. The neighborhood is in the 20110 ZIP code, the area the foreclosure crisis has hit the hardest in the Washington region, with a foreclosure rate of one of every seven houses so far this year. The property at 9793 Bragg Lane features a “Bank Owned” sign in the front yard. The gate on the white picket fence in front of the property is open, but the house is dark, and a knock on the door yields no answer. “It’s mainly we have a lot of vacancies and foreclosures,” said Hanna Senft, the president of the...

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Sick suburb

Foreclosures, failures leave once-booming Manassas struggling Santa Claus rode down the streets of Old Town Manassas in Saturday’s annual Christmas Parade, waving to the hundreds of residents who braved frigid temperatures to attend. Onlookers huddled under blankets and sipped coffee and hot chocolate, cheerfully exchanging greetings of “Merry Christmas” with St. Nick. But as the route turned onto Center Street into the heart of Old Town, the parade passed two dilapidated buildings and an empty lot on one side of the street — and the Prince William/Manassas Chamber of Commerce on the other. Though Manassas was one of the big beneficiaries of the Washington...

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Pr. William votes to cut 36 positions

The Prince William Board of Supervisors voted to eliminate 36 county positions Tuesday, including 17 that are currently filled. The vote was 8-0, with Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles, absent. Of the other positions, 19 are vacant. The Building Development Division of the Department of Development Services is projecting a $2.7 million shortfall in fiscal 2009, as the construction industry has slowed in the county. Nine filled positions and two vacant positions in the department will be eliminated, saving the county about $400,000. Land development departments — Development Services, Planning, Public Works and Transportation — will lose eight filled and 17 vacant positions,...

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Loudoun officials urged to reconsider Redskins deal

The chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, as well as local tourism and business groups, is urging the board to revisit its 5-4 rejection last week of a partnership with the Washington Redskins. “This [board] came in on a platform of economic development, yet the [board] turned this down,” Chairman Scott York wrote in a recent constituent’s newsletter. “This simply leaves me baffled and discouraged as we head into making probably the most difficult budget decisions during my tenure on this board. I encourage you to write directly to your own supervisor and ask them to reconsider this vote.” The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce Tuesday called on the...

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Prince William plans to eliminate 17 filled, 19 vacant jobs to aid budget

Prince William County government is planning to cut more than 30 positions in an attempt to shore up its budget this year. A total of 36 positions in the departments of development services, planning, public works, and transportation are facing the chopping block. Of those jobs, 19 are vacant, while 17 are filled. The Building Development Division of Development Services is proposing to cut 11 positions, from 85.18 full-time equivalents to 74.18, which would reduce expenditures in fiscal 2009, which started July 1, by about $400,000. The division, which issues permits and conducts construction plan review, inspections and building code enforcement, is projecting a $2.7 million shortfall...

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Number of Prince William illegals turned over to ICE holds steady

The Prince William jail turned over 82 illegal immigrants to federal authorities between Oct. 27 and Nov. 30, showing no slowdown in the number of criminals being caught by the county’s crackdown despite changes that took effect in July. “We’ve been going 24/7 the past few months,” said jail Superintendent Col. Pete Meletis. “We weren’t doing near that much” at the start, he added. A total of 82 inmates were turned over to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July, August and September 2007, immediately after the jail entered into a formal partnership with ICE. The number spiked to 83 in October 2007, when a similar partnership between...

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Prince William seeing effects of immigrant crackdown

Many illegal immigrants have left Prince William County or slid out of public view in the 17 months since the county’s high-profile crackdown on them was proposed. Student enrollment in the public schools’ English as a Second Language program has dropped by several hundred students over the past year while increasing in surrounding jurisdictions, one sign that immigrants have left. Fewer day laborers congregate outside the 7-Eleven on the corner of Route 1 and Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge. About 10 of them gathered on a Tuesday afternoon several weeks ago looking for work, to no avail. Police drive past, paying little attention to the group. In March, police officers...

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Group eyes inaugural path from Gettysburg

A Loudoun historical society is pushing for President-elect Barack Obama to start his inaugural procession in Gettysburg, a historical tour that would link him to Presidents Bill Clinton and Thomas Jefferson. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership is trying to get Obama to commence his procession at Gettysburg, Pa., travel down Route 15 to Leesburg, and then along the Dulles Toll Road to the Lincoln Memorial. Clinton kicked off his inaugural at Monticello — the southernmost site on the 175-mile corridor supported by the partnership — and traveled north to the nation’s capital. Jefferson took the same route in 1801 for his swearing-in, and was the first president...

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Prince William to weigh freezing tax breaks

The Prince William County finance department is asking supervisors to consider a freeze on some tax breaks as the county tries to deal with an expected $190 million shortfall in fiscal 2010. In a letter to County Executive Craig Gerhart, Finance Director Chris Martino recommended postponing tax exemptions that aren’t mandated by the state constitution. “Considering the negative revenue impact to Prince William County and its taxpayers if exemptions are granted, the Finance Department does not believe approving tax exemption requests … would be fiscally sound in the current financial environment,” he wrote. Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, though,...

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Woodson wins Turkey Bowl, 24-6

The H.D. Woodson Warriors won the 39th annual Turkey Bowl on Thursday at Eastern High School, capping an improbable season with a 24-6 victory over the Dunbar Crimson Tide. The win was sweet revenge for the Warriors, who lost to Dunbar 20-9 in last year’s city championship game. Nearly 3,600 fans were in attendance on a bright, crisp, clear day in Northeast Washington. “This means that they are truly, truly champions in every sense of the word,” said Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander on the field afterward, noting the camaraderie the team displayed despite not having a home field this season. “They really deserve what they’re getting.” Woodson...

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A football feast in D.C.

On a cold, windy Tuesday night, Dunbar High School starting quarterback Tyree White ran through a series of in routes, hand-offs and even a nifty hook-and-ladder with the Crimson Tide offense. As twilight turned to dusk and the chill in the air turned brisker, the Crimson Tide made final preparations for their showdown with the H.D. Woodson Warriors at 11 a.m. today in the 39th installment of the Turkey Bowl. “It’s the biggest day at this point in time,” said Dunbar head coach Craig Jeffries of the D.C. high school championship game. “It’s the only game on Thanksgiving Day in this area that’s played — a lot of people are at home, you know, waiting...

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Turkey Bowl often showcases future stars

Long before Joshua Cribbs was shredding opposing special teams units for the Cleveland Browns, or San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was shredding the sanity of head coach Mike Singletary, the two were hooking up on a 55-yard touchdown pass for Dunbar High School in the 2000 Turkey Bowl. And before bailing out the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Washington Redskins a month ago, Byron Leftwich was racking up touchdowns in the 1997 Turkey Bowl. He led H.D. Woodson High School to a 26-22 victory over Anacostia High School, which featured current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cato June in its lineup. For these players, and many others, the Turkey Bowl and D.C. football have served...

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The man behind the Dunbar dynasty

Dunbar High School head coach Craig Jeffries is a popular guy. Tuesday morning before the Turkey Bowl, he warmly greeted Dunbar employees, students and well-wishers as he made his way through the school halls. Then he was interrupted by a text message from Southeast Missouri State. Apparently, the university wants some of his players. As well it should. Jeffries has led the Crimson Tide to 11 straight Turkey Bowl appearances, winning nine of them. He has missed the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs only once in his 13-year tenure as head coach. “[1997] was the only time I didn’t make the playoffs,” he said. “And from that point on ... “We...

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Loudoun County supervisors to ask General Assembly for cigarette tax

Loudoun County supervisors plan to ask the General Assembly for a cigarette tax in January, among other items on the county’s annual legislative wish list. The county wants to ask the legislature to approve a measure that would give Loudoun County the authority to impose a cigarette tax, as well as statutory authority that would authorize the county to decide for itself what it should do with potential revenue from the tax. Projected revenue from such a tax would be $2.7 million at 30 cents a pack and $4.4 million at 50 cents a pack for fiscal 2010. The board has also issued a draft position to support a “significant increase” in state education funding and additional...

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Loudoun County, Purcellville end stalemate over school locale

Loudoun County and the town of Purcellville have reached a tentative deal on the construction of Woodgrove High School on Fields Farm north of the town, bringing to a close about two years of lawsuits and political stalemates that delayed the project. “Board members, ladies and gentlemen of the public ... it appears that we have reached settlement with the town of Purcellville and that we can begin to move forward with construction of HS-3,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York, I-At Large. “It has been a long, hard tow and certainly now we can begin to do what we need to do to begin the process of construction and relieving the overcrowding situation at Loudoun...

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County to cut spending, outsource services

Prince William is planning to cut back and outsource some county services and restructure staff as a way to deal with a projected $190 million shortfall in fiscal 2010. “The pain will be shared across county government,” said Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large. “Spending cuts are necessary.” All agencies except for public safety would be subject to 20 percent cuts, he said. Funding increases to at-risk youth and community services programs would be deferred for one year. Stewart said the county would outsource some of the services to Youth for Tomorrow, a local service for at-risk youth founded in 1986 by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. The county...

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Pr. William preps for $4M from feds to fight foreclosures

Prince William County officials are preparing to use $4 million they have received from the federal government to help the county ease its foreclosure crisis. The $4.1 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development comes as part of the $700 billion federal bailout package that passed Congress on Sept. 26. County Executive Craig Gerhart said the money is just one step in handling the daunting rash of foreclosures in the county. “None of us believe this money will completely solve the foreclosure situation,” he said, stressing the need “to tackle things one at a time.” More than $2 million will be used for the county to buy up foreclosed properties,...

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Skins fans gear up for Sunday night showdown

As the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys rev up for Sunday night’s high-stakes, nationally televised football face-off, local residents are preparing in kind. Lindsay Rogers of North Potomac said this weekend's game will be her first at FedEx Field. Rogers had an interesting experience watching the Washington-Dallas game in September, as she witnessed a group of Redskins fans refusing to order from a waitress because she dared to wear a Cowboys jersey. Dave & Busters in the White Flint mall will host a “We Want Dallas” pep rally from 7 to 9 tonight. ESPN 980’s Sports Reporters team of Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin will broadcast a show from 4-7:30 p.m. and...

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Nearly 50-year-old rivalry is ‘personal’

Espionage. Bitterness and back stabbing. Alleged cross-dressing. In the D.C. area, these images could evoke thoughts of the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. But the eclectic history of the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry combines these elements, too. The rivalry began before the Cowboys were even an NFL franchise, said Michael Richman, the author of “The Redskins Encyclopedia: The Definitive History of the Washington Redskins.” In 1960, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall — boasting the NFL’s southernmost franchise at the time — tried to block the Cowboys’ entrance into the league, explained Richman. Cowboys owner Clinton Murchison then bought 50 percent of the...

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Home prices plunge in Pr. William

Home prices in Prince William County plunged about 40 percent in October, as the housing crisis continued to pummel the county harder than other jurisdictions in the Washington area. The median cost of houses and condos in the county dropped from $330,000 to $188,000, according to data released this week from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc. Sales in the county, Manassas and Manassas Park nearly tripled as buyers looked to scoop up relatively inexpensive property. The area has been hit hard by foreclosures recently. One in 68 homes, or 186, has been foreclosed on in Manassas, according to September data from foreclosure-tracking Web site realtytrac.com. In Prince William,...

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County to propose tax rate increase to shore up budget

Prince William County supervisors will propose raising the property tax rate 16 percent to help the county deal with a looming $190 million shortfall. The Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to meet tonight with the school board to discuss the budget, is recommending a tax rate of $1.13 per $100 of assessed value, up from the current 97-cent rate. Because of a plunge in home values, however, homeowners are expected to see an average 18 percent drop in their tax bills at the new rate. The median house price plummeted 43 percent to $188,000 in October from $330,000 a year ago, according to statistics released Monday by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems. The supervisors...

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Loudoun restricts nonconventional septic systems

Loudoun County residents no longer will be allowed to put in high-tech septic systems, as sporadic failures have led opponents to question their safety. The Board of Supervisors has approved a five-year ban on the systems, though opponents say they fear the ban could hurt property values in rural areas. In addition, residents will have to get already installed nonconventional systems inspected annually. Conventional sewage systems use gravity to dispose of waste — or a pump to a gravity-distributed drain field — whereas nonconventional systems employ newer, often more complex technology. About 1,200 of the newer systems have been installed, with about 20 failing, according...

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D.C. taking steps toward addressing tenant grievances

D.C. officials told tenants Saturday the city is making progress on addressing charges of landlord abuses and dangerous living conditions, but some who attended the meeting at St. Aloysius Church said they did not find the gathering helpful. “Instead of sending five inspectors, we’ll shortly have the ability to send one,” said Don Masoero, chief building inspector for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. “It’s an efficiency issue.” In six to eight months, he said, you’re “clearly going to see a difference in what DCRA’s doing. I’m asking [you] to bear with us.” Johana Shreve, the city’s chief tenant...

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Loudoun casts eye toward deficit after voters ax meals tax

Loudoun County’s rejection of a proposed meals tax was championed by local residents and restaurants, but will leave local officials looking for different ways to temper a near $200 million budget deficit in fiscal 2010. “It was very gratifying to see that,” Leesburg Councilman Ken Reid said of the decision. “It was a very poorly thought-out referendum by the Board of Supervisors to ask people to pay more for restaurant meals.” More than 80,000 voters opposed the measure, or 70.07 percent, and about 34,000 supported it, with only absentee and provisional votes remaining to be counted as of Wednesday. “It kind of leaves us in the same position...

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Results mixed on local ballot initiatives

Loudoun was on track Tuesday to vote down a proposed meals tax for the third time since 1992, with 70 percent of voters opposing the measure after 94 percent of the county’s precincts reported. The tax was one of several notable initiatives to appear on local ballots in Maryland and Northern Virginia. The proposal would have increased taxes on certain prepared foods by 4 percent and was projected to raise $13 million in revenue to be earmarked for the county’s public schools. Some opponents of the measure argued it would unfairly strain small businesses during a difficult economic time. “Thirteen million is the same amount raised from the fees for recordation and wills...

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Loudoun County residents to vote on meals tax

Loudoun County voters will choose whether to start taxing meals up to 4 percent when they go to the voting booth Tuesday. The tax would apply to food and beverages sold in restaurants as well as prepared foods sold ready-to-eat in grocery and convenience stores. It would apply to beverages that are not factory-sealed — for example, a cup of coffee or fountain soda. It also would apply to concessions sold at Washington Dulles International Airport. The increase would generate about $13 million in annual revenue, which would go toward public school construction. The tax is one way the county is trying to diversify sources of revenue in preparation for a $176 million budget gap...

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Prince William considers cuts to crack down on illegal aliens

Prince William County’s high-profile crackdown on illegal immigration is facing the chopping block for fiscal 2010 as the Board of Supervisors looks for ways to cut spending at its annual financial retreat Friday. The program is one of a host of cuts the supervisors will consider. County agencies have prepared for budget cuts from 10 percent to 33 percent, and County Executive Craig Gerhart will present the potential plans to the supervisors. If proposed 20 percent cuts to the police department and jail are approved, the county’s illegal-immigration program with the federal government could be drastically reduced. Fewer officers and jail staff — if any — would...

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Loudoun supervisors reject business tax increase

The Loudoun Board of Supervisors has scrapped a planned increase in a business tax. The board recently voted 5-4 against the increase in the Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax rates, which had been part of the fiscal 2009 budget approved in April. The plan would have raised the tax rate in six business categories by a total of $2.5 million annually. “With the fiscal situation we’re in, small businesses are really suffering,” said Vice Chairman Susan Klimek Buckley, D-Sugarland Run, who voted against the tax. “To increase the BPOL tax would really send them over the edge.” She said she supported the measure when it came before the...

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Manassas to follow Pr. William on illegal immigration policy

Manassas police officers will begin checking the residency status of everyone arrested starting Dec. 1, the city announced Tuesday. The policy is intended to bring the department’s immigration laws into “lockstep” with Prince William County’s recently revised law, officials said. Under the policy, Manassas police officers will ask about the immigration status of anyone arrested for violation of a state or local law. However, as in Prince William, police will be able to ask about a person’s residency before arrest if the officer thinks the person may be in the country illegally. “I think the [City] Council is certainly in favor of working towards ......

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Va. elections board rules disputed ballots are OK

The Virginia State Board of Elections Tuesday unanimously decided to accept overseas military ballots that had been rejected last week. The three-person board voted to accept Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell’s opinion, written Monday, that Fairfax County must count about 100 absentee military ballots from overseas that were being withheld because of a state law. McDonnell said Monday that a federal law “bars” local election officials from rejecting military absentee ballots because of a technicality. Fairfax County Registrar Rokey Suleman rejected about 100 ballots last week because the servicemen did not include the addresses of the person witnessing the...

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First-timers take first place

For more than 20,000 runners, volunteers and military personnel, the purported day of rest was anything but on Sunday. Two first-time marathoners took home the men’s and women’s crowns in the 33rd annual Marine Corps Marathon run through Arlington, Va. and the District. Andrew Dumm, 23, of Arlington, won the men’s competition with a time of 2:22:42. Cate Fenster, 37, of Wooster, Ohio, took the women’s title with a time of 2:48:53. Andrew’s brother Brian, 25, of Fairfax, finished in 2:25:58, good for fifth place. Brian, a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, was also the first armed services member to finish. Kenneth Dumm, 57, an Air Force retiree and father of...

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Virginia unemployment rate drops; Northern Va. lowest in state

Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped in September from an 11-year high in August, according to a report from the Virginia Employment Commission. The Old Dominion’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate dropped from 4.6 percent in August to 4.2 percent in September. The rate is up from September of last year, when there were 123,200 unemployed, or 3 percent of the population. The national rate declined slightly from 6.1 percent, or 9.5 million unemployed, in August, to 6 percent, or 9.2 million unemployed, in September. Alexandria, as well as Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, were among the top 20 in employment rates in September out of the...

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Virginia sees fast-growing Hispanic population

Virginia counties have some of the nation’s fastest-growing Hispanic populations, but also some of the quickest-dropping, according to a new report. Frederick and Culpeper counties were ranked first and second, respectively, in Hispanic population growth between 2000 and 2007, in the Pew Hispanic Center report. Other counties in the top 25 were Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Loudoun and Prince William. The Hispanic population increased by 335 percent — from 1,004 to 4,371 — in Frederick and 312 percent — from 858 to 3,533 — in Culpeper. Prince William County, though ranked 23rd in growth rate, saw its Hispanic population increase from 27,338 to...

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Marine Corps Marathon inspires while testing runners’ limits

At around mile 24 in the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon, George Banker ran out of steam along Route 110 in Arlington. “The cramps hit me so bad, I was leaning up against the guardrails,” the Oxon Hill resident said. An Arlington police officer asked him whether he needed to get on the bus that patrols the 26.2-mile race and offers respite for runners who can’t finish. But Banker refused. “ ‘I’m not gettin’ in nobody’s bus,’ ” he remembered saying. “ ‘I don’t care if I have to crawl. I’m going to get to that finish line.’ ” Banker, 58, who literally wrote the book on the race — “The...

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Ale-ing brewing company to shut down Ashburn branch

Old Dominion beer will no longer be brewed in the Old Dominion. Coastal Brewing Co., which brews Old Dominion and Fordham beers in Virginia and Delaware, will close its Ashburn branch next year and move its operations to Dover, Chief Executive Officer Garry Williams said. Williams said no date has been set for the move, but they hoped to complete the transition by the end of the first quarter in 2009. “Basically, the brewery’s closing for financial reasons and the company’s moving it to their factory in Delaware,” said Favio Garcia, the Ashburn branch brewmaster. “Obviously, it will be much more cost-effective for us,” William said, adding it would...

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Loudoun property value set to decline

Property value in Loudoun County is projected to drop 6.31 percent this year, while taxable value is expected to decline 6.96 percent, according to the county assessor. Loudoun County finances are heavily dependent on property taxes, which are based on assessed values. The county, which is suffering through difficult budget times with the rest of the Washington area, raised property taxes 19 percent in April to shore up its coffers. “Obviously we’re in October, and this is stuff we’re seeing day to day,” said county Assessor Todd Kaufman, who emphasized the declines were predictions and subject to a currently volatile real estate market. He emphasized that...

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Thousands cheer McCain at rally in Pr. William

Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke in Woodbridge Saturday before thousands of enthusiastic supporters in an attempt to shore up support in the Old Dominion — a former Republican stronghold that has now become a key battleground state. An estimated 5,000 to 8,000 people began lining up for the rally at the Prince William County Complex as early as 11:00 a.m. Maya Hudson of McLean, Va., — a Lebanese immigrant who has been voting since 2001 — said she was impressed with the diversity of the crowd, noting that a number of people from various parts of Virginia were in attendance. Former Virginia Governor and current Republican Senatorial candidate Jim...

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Va. senators say budget gap could be worse than forecast

Republican Virginia senators are concerned that Gov. Tim Kaine’s projected $2.5 billion shortfall through fiscal 2010 is too optimistic, with some predicting a figure of as high as $3.2 billion. Senators discussed the state’s budget woes in a private meeting with business leaders before a Senate Finance Committee meeting in Richmond Thursday morning, said J. Scott Leake, executive director of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus. During the meeting, state Finance Secretary Richard Brown presented a summary of Kaine’s cuts and where they would leave the state’s budget in the coming years. “[Fiscal] 2009 was the critical checkpoint because a quarter’s...

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Area home prices drop; sales increase

Home sales in the Washington suburbs climbed in September as prices dropped, according to recent data from the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems. Leading the way was Prince William County, where sales jumped from 248 in September 2007 to 1,116 last month. The average sales price dropped nearly 40 percent, from $361,369 to $219,675 last month. Home sales and prices in D.C., however, remained stagnant compared with surrounding suburbs. The average sales price slipped 4.29 percent, from about $540,000 to $520,000, and there was one fewer house sale in September from a year earlier. Though the data show prices dropping for single-family homes, condominiums and co-ops, not everyone is...

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3 Minute Interview-Walter

Mark Walter owns two Salsarita’s Mexican restaurants — one in Fredericksburg and one in Glen Allen — with another scheduled to open in Manassas by Thanksgiving. Walter hails from just outside Philadelphia and lives in Spotsylvania County, where he’s been since 1992. Salsarita’s, founded in 2000, was No. 1 on Restaurant Business’ 2007 list of fastest-growing restaurant chains in America. How did you get into the business? What did you do before? I had spent the bulk of my career as a sales marketing executive ... traveling 100, 120 nights a year. Worked for two companies — the owners sold the company, took the check and moved to the Cayman Islands....

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High ridership strains county bus service

Bus ridership in Prince William county soared 30 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, but a transit agency official says he does not believe the trend will continue. “We’re not seeing a drop-off in ridership,” said Al Harf, executive director of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission. “We’re not plateauing. [The increase] is straining our capacity even beyond what we thought it would be.” From July 1 to Sept. 30, the bus system served more than 560,000 customers, an average of 8,955 commuters per day. The figure marks a 30 percent increase from the same period last year. The agency has added 10 bus trips and is planning others...

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County to weigh new housing rules

Prince William County will consider changing its rules on overcrowding in private homes after a consulting firm’s report found the problem was not widespread. The county Board of Supervisors today is scheduled to consider a study prepared by a firm that recommended the county occupancy ordinance be revised to link the number of adults allowed to live in a dwelling to homes’ square footage. Neighborhood services director Michelle Casciato said that because overcrowding violations were detected at only a “slightly higher rate” in a six-month pilot program than in recent years, the Department of Public Works will not recommend implementing a new program that...

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Few protesters near IMF, World Bank

It was unexpectedly calm in downtown Washington over the weekend as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund held annual meetings that have historically been the focus of broad protests. In 2000, up to 20,000 protesters descended upon the meetings to protest the groups’ approach to international finance. This year it was so quiet a flock of pigeons rested undisturbed on a streetlight across from the World Bank building. D.C. police spokesman Quintin Peterson said Saturday that there was “light activity” in the area, but no reports of any protests. Jacob Johnson of the District was one of a handful of representatives from the Leesburg-based LaRouche Political...

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Increased enrollment, ESOL growth strain Pr. William County schools

About 500 more Prince William County students are enrolled in the English as a Second Language program than expected this year, which could further strain a county budget that has been hit hard in recent months. Enrollment in Prince William Public Schools rose by more than 1,000 students this year, 336 more than projected for the school year, said county schools spokesman Ken Blackstone. The total enrollment is 73,657, compared with 72,654 last year. Blackstone called the projection “extremely accurate,” as the difference reflected less than 0.5 percent of the total student population. The ESOL numbers, however, could prove difficult for the schools to deal with. The total...

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Pr. William Board passes bill to reduce false calls to police

A Prince William County police sergeant said the department has lost an estimated 7,500 hours responding to false alarms in fiscal 2008, prompting the Board of Supervisors to pass legislation that would impose escalating fines for those who trigger the alarms. Sgt. Thomas Garrity of the county police department told the board that there were more than 13,500 alarms triggered in fiscal 2008, and more than 2,200 were canceled by the alarm company before police arrived on the scene. Of the 11,334 alarms to which officers responded, only 19 — less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all alarm calls — involved criminal activity. “By doing this, we are taking the little resources...

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Pr. William boosts parking fines, enforcement

Prince William County officials voted Tuesday to impose fines for unpaid parking tickets and increase the time granted to citizens to pay them. Previously, citizens had just five days to pay fines for parking violations, but the county was limited in the way it could enforce the tickets. “Right now [the county ordinance] does not authorize us to tow or boot [a vehicle] for unpaid parking citations,” said Sgt. Thomas Garrity of the Prince William County Police Department. He added that officers were forced to pursue scofflaws in court if they wanted to recover the $35 penalty for the citations. The amended ordinance would increase the payment period to 30 days and double the...

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Over 900 gang members arrested since 2005

Nearly 1,000 gang members have been arrested in Prince William County since 2005, a member of the county gang unit said Tuesday. Detective Dennis Gill, in a presentation on the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, said that 941 gang members have been arrested in the county since 2005. He also said that members of the Prince William gang unit have executed 162 search warrants “to support the charge of criminal street gang participation.” The Regional Gang Task Force, founded in 2003, is a multi-jurisdictional partnership that combines area law enforcement divisions — as well as federal agencies — to combat gang activity in Northern Virginia. Detective Gill...

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Thousands bid at foreclosure auction

More than 450 foreclosed properties located in the D.C. area were auctioned this weekend at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. An estimated 4,500 people on Saturday and Sunday attended the sell-off run by Irvine, Ca.-based real estate auctioneer and broker Real Estate Disposition Corp. REDC President Jim Corum said auctions were a good way to attempt to assuage the county’s housing crisis. “I think it helps immensely,” he said. “It’s one of the easiest ways to sell real estate.” Properties were sold at prices tens of thousands — often hundreds of thousands — of dollars below previously valued prices, which are based on the higher...

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Report: Flow of illegals into U.S. down since 2005

The yearly inflow of illegal immigrants into the United States has significantly declined over the past three years, according to a report released Thursday. The report by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan D.C. think tank, estimated that from 2000 to 2004, an average of 800,000 unauthorized immigrants entered the United States per year, but this number fell to 500,000 from 2005 to 2008. Though the growth rate has decreased, the overall population of undocumented immigrants in the United States has increased by more than 40 percent since 2000, the report said. Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center and co-author of the report, said that for the first time in...

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N.Va. to receive more than $100 million in funds to improve Chesapeake Bay

Arlington and Prince William counties will each receive over $40 million of the $190 million in funds that the Virginia Resources Authority has granted to statewide wastewater treatment facilities to maintain the Chesapeake Bay. Arlington County will receive the largest project investment, at $50 million, to continue upgrades to its Water Pollution Control Plant. Phil Loar, a county spokesman, said that the county began planning for the $565 million upgrade to the facility in 2001. “There’s a lot of pressure [from a number of sources] to improve the quality of the bay,” he said. “Resources like this [are] essential.” “Arlington tries to be on the...

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Feds reimburse region nearly $4.5M for costs of illegal immigrants

The federal government reimbursed local governments nearly $4.5 million for arresting and detaining illegal immigrants through a Justice Department program last year. The money from the department ranged from about $200,000 for Alexandria to about $1.5 million for Montgomery County. The reimbursement for fiscal 2008 comes through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which provides funds for state and local jails that house undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of a felony or second-degree misdemeanor, and have been housed in a corrections facility for four or more straight days. Loudoun County saw a dramatic increase in its grant, from about $30,000 in 2005 to just...

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3 Minute Interview-Maskal

Stephen Moskal is the Director of Instruction at TopGolf in Alexandria, one of three TopGolf locations in the country. In TopGolf, players score points by hitting balls implanted with microchips to targets ranging from about 20 to 240 yards. In addition to playing professionally in France, Moskal has designed a 27-hole course near Paris and laid out the first golf course in Mongolia. When did you start working at TopGolf? I started working there in June of 2005. I was hired by Mitchell Spearman, a top-100 instructor and the founder of TopGolf. What did you do in golf before working there? I played through high school and college, then moved overseas and turned pro in Europe. I spent 10...

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Recommendations emphasize increased law enforcement, crime watches

The Loudoun Planning Office has released a draft of recommendation for its eight-month community outreach project that includes increased law enforcement and crime watches to help address quality-of-life issues in the Potomac and Sterling districts. Miguel Salinas, the director of the outreach program, said many of the concerns voiced by citizens were related to issues involving neighborhood housing commissions, crime and gangs. Sterling Park, one of the oldest planned communities in eastern Loudoun, does not have a homeowners’ association, an organization with the legal authority to protect citizen interests and enforce ordinances within planned communities. Without HOAs, residents...

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Petition on controversial immigration panelist pick packs meeting

Prince William County residents packed the Board of Supervisors chambers Tuesday night to petition the supervisors over their appointment of a vocal immigration critic to a county panel. The petition, presented by Haymarket resident Elena Schlossberg, has garnered more than 70 signatures and calls for supervisors to explain individually the reasoning behind their vote naming Robert Duecaster, an officer in the anti-immigrant group Help Save Manassas, to the county’s Human Services task force. The petition also asks the eight supervisors to make a statement “to express [their] appreciation of people of Hispanic heritage in this community,” since they approved...

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Prince William officials OK increase in taxi fares

Prince William County officials Tuesday approved a measure to raise taxicab fares starting Wednesday. The county’s previous taxi fares were $1.80 per mile and 15 cents for every 27 seconds of waiting time, or $20 per hour. The adopted amendments would increase the fare to $2 per mile and 20 cents per 32 seconds of waiting time, or $22.50 per hour. Rising gas prices prompted the county Board of Supervisors to enact an emergency 60-day ordinance June 3 for a $1 fuel surcharge for each cab ride. The board extended the measure Aug. 5. With the amended fare rates, the emergency ordinance would end Tuesday. The county code requires a public hearing for changes in the rates, fares, or...

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Pr. William board chair rebuts budget criticism from Fairfax

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart awoke to a surprise Friday morning: His Democratic counterpart in Fairfax County, Gerry Connolly, was announcing a budget shortfall of up to half a billion dollars. He wasn’t speaking about Fairfax, which had previously reported a revenue shortfall of $430 million. Connolly was talking about Prince William. “We think in Prince William County, [the shortfall] could be as much as a half a billion-dollar shortfall, bigger than Fairfax County, and as a percentage much bigger, almost a third of its budget,” Connolly said on WTOP radio’s “Politics Program With Mark Plotkin.” The announcement...

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Loudoun violence wave sparks emergency meeting

A recent spate of violence in eastern Loudoun County has prompted local officials to hold an emergency community meeting tomorrow. There have been several violent incidents in the past two weeks alone. Three men were shot at the intersection of East Poplar Road and Buckingham Court in a Sterling drive-by Wednesday. The weekend of Sept. 13, two teenagers were shot and a 25-year-old man stabbed within the span of a few hours in Sterling. The teens, an 18-year-old man and 17-year-old girl, were shot on the 300 block of North Argonne Avenue. Martin Jose Morales-Mancia, 24, turned himself in last Sunday night after allegedly breaking into the house of a senior citizen and sexually assaulting...

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Former Sen. George Allen causes sparks at McCain unity rally

The presence of former Virginia Senator George Allen at the Fairfax County Republican Committee’s fourth annual “unity rally” in Alexandria Saturday outraged some in the audience. The rally, held at Edison High School, was designed to reach out to minorities in anticipation of the Nov. 4 presidential election between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama. Allen’s bid for re-election in 2006 was derailed, in part, by allegations he used a racial slur in referring to a campaign worker of opponent Jim Webb. Just prior to Allen’s taking the stage, Victoria Leavelle and Nancy Hwa stood up, blowing whistles and shouting “George Allen is a racist!” before...

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Pr. William set to cut budgets by a third

Prince William County agencies are steeling for budget cuts of up to 33 percent. “We’ve asked departments to envision what they would look like if they [were] two-thirds the size,” County Executive Craig Gerhart said. Gerhart said the budget for fiscal 2009 — which started July 1 — looks “pretty good,” but added that it’s “very clear that we are experiencing a decline in residential property values.” County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large, said drastic measures will be necessary to cope with declining real estate tax revenues. “There’s going to be some pain here,” he said. “The...

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Loudoun County sees nearly $200M deficit for fiscal 2010

Loudoun County is facing a budget deficit of nearly $200 million for fiscal 2010, the county administrator said Wednesday. “I wish I had better news for you, but we are experiencing something that’s no different than all the other jurisdictions in the region,” Kirby Bowers told the Board of Supervisors’ finance-government services and operations committee. Bowers is projecting a $176 million deficit caused by a revenue shortfall of $97 million and a $79 million increase in expenditures. The national economic slowdown is hurting counties around the Washington area as well as the states of Maryland and Virginia. Last week, Maryland officials said they were looking...

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Foe of illegal immigration appointed to human services panel in Pr. William

A vocal critical of illegal immigration was appointed to a Prince William County panel on human services Tuesday, despite outrage among residents. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 5-3 to appoint Robert Duecaster, the secretary of Help Save Manassas, an anti-illegal immigration group, to the county’s Human Services Strategic Goals task force. He was nominated by John Stirrup, R-Gainesville. Duecaster drafted the county’s original crackdown on illegal immigrants, which was weakened last summer because it included wording that would have denied illegal immigrants access to public education in violation of rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. Duecaster, 58, a...

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Pr. William may suspend roads projects over budget woes

Prince William County is planning to freeze hiring in a transportation program and has indefinitely stopped numerous roads projects as budget concerns mount. Seven road projects are on hold due to a lack of revenues from bond sales, including Route 28, Route 1 and Prince William Parkway. The agency that handles bonds for roads projects has eight vacancies, only one of which is expected to be filled. Employees are beginning to leave because the budget is not expected to improve anytime soon, County Executive Craig Gerhart said. Most of the positions have not been filled because county officials are not sure when the roads projects will be able to start up again, and the county plans to...

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Bush dedicates 9/11 memorial

President Bush on Thursday dedicated the Pentagon Memorial honoring the 184 people who were killed in the terrorist attack on the building on Sept. 11, 2001. “On one of the darkest days in American history, we saw [some of] the greatest acts in American history,” he said, referring to the heroic efforts from first-responders in the aftermath. “Future generations will … learn that freedom prevailed. We can be optimistic about the future. That day of peace will come.” Jim Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, was one of many — including Bush, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and...

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First 9/11 memorial will be open 24 hours a day

The memorial honoring the 184 people who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon will open tonight after a morning dedication ceremony. The first national memorial dedicated to those killed in the four hijacked-airline attacks consists of 184 memorial cantilevered benches, honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the Pentagon who were killed in the attack. The benches are arranged by age, with the bench honoring 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg in the southeast corner of the site and the bench dedicated to 71-year-old John Yamnicky in the northwest corner. The site itself is in the southwest corner of the Pentagon Reservation, outside...

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Va. budget ills force cuts in Prince William County

Virginia’s budget woes will force Prince William County to slash its budget by more than $1 million, with the police department and youth programs getting hit the hardest. The Board of County Supervisors Tuesday voted to spread a $1,029,879 drop in state funding across 10 agencies. The county police department will take the biggest hit out of the 10 agencies, with a cutback of nearly $500,000. The department plans to eliminate four vacant officer positions and one civilian job as part of the cuts. Police Chief Charlie Deane told the supervisors Tuesday that his department was already strained enforcing the county’s new laws cracking down on illegal immigrants. A nearly...

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Pr. William reports drop in mental health, substance abuse incidents

The number of critical incidents involving patients who suffer from mental health and/or substance abuse issues has decreased nearly 30 percent since 2006, according to Prince William County statistics. There were 108 critical incidents — defined as death, serious injury, serious illness, or loss of consciousness requiring medical attention by the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services — in fiscal 2006. That number dropped to 93 the following year and to 77 in fiscal 2008, which ended June 30, according to a recent report by the county’s Office of Consumer and Family Affairs. Incidents included accidents, illnesses,...

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The 3-Minute Interview: Ann Yonkers

Ann Yonkers is the co-director of FreshFarm Markets, a nonprofit organization that promotes the local selling of crops from the Chesapeake Bay region. The organization’s first market in Dupont Circle has a customer base of more than 100,000 and has been named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top farmers markets in the country. When did FreshFarm Markets start? It was founded in 1997, and the first market was in Dupont Circle. We actually run eight farmers markets — four are in Maryland, and four are in Washington, D.C. FreshFarm market producers are from the five states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed — Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania....

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Loudoun panel to vote on curbing ‘eyesore’ commercial vehicles in neighborhoods

Loudoun County supervisors are set to rid the county of “eyesore” commercial vans and trucks in residential neighborhoods, a hot-button topic that some have tied to the larger issue of blight in the county. At its first business meeting since July 15, the Board of Supervisors plan to vote on whether to curb the presence of trucks and vans in residential areas by more narrowly defining “commercial vehicles” and “trailers.” Proposed legislation also would impose a new fine of $40 for trailers left in residential zones. “These trucks are not just an eyesore, but a hazard to traffic,” said Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling....

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Va., Md. sending aid teams to New Orleans as Gustav nears

Virginia and Maryland have dispatched aid to New Orleans in preparation for Hurricane Gustav, a decision applauded by experts who say reciprocity among governments is increasingly critical to emergency response. Thirty officers with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries left Sunday for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Baton Rouge. The team has been trained in search and rescue missions as well as evacuation operations in high-water areas. The team, equipped with chain saws, axes, extra fuel and equipment designed for self-sufficiency in the bayou, is expected to work for about a week before returning to Virginia. “We have been working for several...

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Five new schools to make debut Tuesday

Prince William and Loudoun counties will open a total of five new elementary schools on the first day of the 2007-2008 school year Tuesday. The three schools in Loudoun — Steuart W. Weller Elementary and Creighton Corner Elementary in Ashburn and Liberty Elementary in South Riding — are “off the pod and ready to go,” said Wayde Byard, spokesman for Loudoun Public Schools. Prince William will open Samuel L. Gravely Elementary in Haymarket and Fannie W. Fitzgerald Elementary in Neabsco. “Everything’s looking very well,” said Deraine Simpson, principal of Fitzgerald, the first elementary school to open in the Neabsco District in 30 years. “I...

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Maryland sends aid teams to Gulf, Virginia preparing

Maryland has deployed a medical strike team to Louisiana to help steel for Hurricane Gustav and Virginia is prepared to send assistance if help is needed. “Because natural disasters are not contained by geographic boundary, neither therefore should our ability to respond to them,” said Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. “While we don't yet know the potential impact of this storm, it is nonetheless our responsibility to answer the call for assistance from our friends along the Gulf Coast, as we did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and will continue to do.” The hurricane was on track to hit the Gulf Coast early this week after ravaging the Caribbean. Maryland...

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General Assembly foot-dragging a concern in privacy lawsuit ruling

A Virginia district judge has ruled that a new state law barring online posting of Social Security numbers is unconstitutional in the case of a privacy advocate’s current and past online postings, repeatedly citing the General Assembly’s shortcomings as a factor in his ruling. B.J. Ostergren has posted public documents containing Social Security numbers — some of prominent political figures — on her Web site to demonstrate the relative ease with which anyone can access such private information in the state. In 2007, the General Assembly passed a law requiring county clerks to make land records available online by July 1, 2008, and redact Social Security numbers...

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Personal info of over 2,550 students, school employees, parents released in Prince William

Confidential information for more than 2,500 students, employees and volunteers in Prince William County was put in the public domain for more than a month this summer. Personal information for more than 1,600 students and 65 employees at two Prince William County schools were exposed from about July 14 to Aug. 18 after a Prince William County school employee accidentally released the information. Confidential information for 257 other division employees, and names, addresses and e-mail addresses of 736 parent volunteers also were released. The school division’s investigation into the breach found that a school-based employee released the information through a file-sharing program...

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Record number of Va. children on state health insurance

More Virginia children than ever are receiving their health insurance from the state. The number of youth enrolled in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is intended for families who earn too much to qualify for the federal Medicaid program but not enough to afford private insurance, has nearly tripled since 2001, from 32,587 to 91,406. Nearly 450,000 children in Virginia are receiving health care through the two programs for the poor. The number enrolled in children’s Medicaid in the state has risen from 348,093 in February to 356,380 as of Aug. 1. Virginia ranks 14th in the nation in SCHIP enrollment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit...

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ICE plans to add officers to local jails

Criminal database access included in crackdown Federal immigration officials plan to place at least one agent in every jail nationwide in the next few years. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also plans to expand its immigration crackdown by opening access to its criminal databases to more local law enforcement agencies. ICE currently has a federal official in every state and federal jail, but officers in only about 10 percent of local jails nationwide, said James Pendergraph, executive director of ICE’s Office of State and Local Coordination. The goal, he said, is to put one in every local jail in the near future. Pendergraph also said he hoped ICE would expand local...

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Immigrant population soaring in Virginia

The number of illegal immigrants moving into Virginia is soaring, bucking a national trend of slower immigrant growth as the economy falters, according to a report released Thursday. Virginia’s immigrant population, both legal and illegal, grew by more than 145 percent from 1990 to 2006, said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer for the Pew Hispanic Center at a conference on immigration enforcement. The percentage of immigrants in Virginia who are illegal is among the highest in the nation, at between 44 and 66 percent, he said. The nationwide average is 30 percent. Passel labeled the commonwealth a “new growth state” to which immigrants are moving because of new job...

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Wagner announces bid for VA lieutenant governor

Former Virginia finance director Jody Wagner (D) on Friday announced her bid to run for Virginia lieutenant governor in 2009. “I’m running for Lieutenant Governor because as a mom and a small business owner, I know that we need steady, proven leadership in Richmond,” she said in a statement e-mailed to her supporters and posted on her Web site. Wagner served as Virginia treasurer from 2002-2006 and Secretary of Finance from 2006-2008. In 2000, she lost a close race to Republican Ed Schrock for the 2nd District congressional seat in Hampton Roads. “Announcing her candidacy in the midst of yet another budget shortfall that she helped create is a great reminder to...

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The 3-minute interview: Dr. Makarand Paranjape

Dr. Makarand Paranjape, associate professor of physics at Georgetown University, is the co-investigator of a glucose sensor project that could all but eliminate painful finger-pricking for diabetics. Georgetown recently entered into a partnership with Gentag Inc. and Science Applications International Corp. to make a blood-glucose testing......

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The 3-minute interview: Jon Gann

Jon Gann is the founder of the D.C. Film Alliance, an organization that supports local film, video, television and multimedia projects. Gann also helps to organize the annual D.C. Shorts Film Festival each fall. It will celebrate its fifth anniversary Sept. 11-18.What is the mission of the D.C. Film Alliance?We work together to unify D.C.’s film and TV industry. We talk with groups, we talk to production companies. There’s just so much talent in D.C. — we try to get everyone......

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Region's foreclosures increase

The number of foreclosures in Virginia nearly tripled in July from a year ago and rose in the District and Maryland as well. Virginia had the 10th most foreclosures in the nation during July, with 5,745. Fairfax County had the highest foreclosure total in Northern Virginia, at 1,731. Prince William County’s foreclosures declined from June, with its total of 1,266 down 17 percent. Fairfax and Prince William accounted for more than half of Virginia’s foreclosures. In the District, there were 559 foreclosures in July, an 8 percent increase from June. “Over the last few months, the activity has definitely been escalating in Northern Virginia and the D.C. area,” said...

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Prince William has sent more inmates to ICE than other counties in area

Prince William County has turned over 533 inmates to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement this year, 134 more than any other county in the Washington area. Prince William and Loudoun are the only local counties that formally partner with the federal government to crack down on illegal immigration. The Loudoun Sheriff's Office has released 78 inmates into ICE custody so far in 2008 after handing over 107 illegal immigrants in 2007. Loudoun has been working with ICE since 2003, said sheriff's office spokesman Kraig Troxell. The county entered into a formal agreement with ICE in June, and recently received clearance to begin checking the resident status of those arrested for serious...

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Federal bill may hurt initiative against illegals in Pr. William

Prince William County’s crackdown on illegal immigrants would be hurt under legislation before Congress that would cut funding for local law enforcement agencies’ enforcement of immigration laws. The House version of the Department of Homeland Security spending bill for fiscal 2009 would not fund any efforts by state or local authorities to enforce laws related to the federal 287(g) program other than in jails, prisons or correctional facilities without approval from the assistant secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the 287(g) program, local law enforcement has the authority to hold an inmate under a federal detainer if the officer determines the suspect...

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Prince William turns over 747 illegal immigrants in first year

Almost 750 illegal immigrants were turned over to federal immigration officials in the first year of Prince William County’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Of the 867 detained, 747 inmates were given to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Col. Peter Meletis, superintendent of the county’s Adult Detention Center, told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Over the past few months, the jail had 340 foreign-born suspects jailed per month, which created additional work for the 10 full-time center employees committed to monitoring the crackdown. “Not everyone’s illegal, but [staff members] have to find out if they are or...

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Trying to revive Little League in the District

Paris Inman has accomplished quite a bit in his three months as the district administrator for D.C. Little League. He has made connections with Washington’s business community to attract sponsors. He has hired an agent to deal with finances. He consolidated leagues to make them more competitive.He also uncovered several leagues that seemed to exist only on paper."All the leagues were noncompliant — paperwork, insurance, everything," he said. "The Department of Recreation had paper teams. In many cases, there wasn’t any real coaching or organization going on. [Paid employees] were......

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Homeland Security facilities getting new access system

More than 15 Department of Homeland Security facilities in the Washington area are hoping to speed up the time it takes for thousands of civilian employees to clear the campus’ access gates with a new security system.Facilities are starting to implement the RapidGate program, with "full lockdown" expected to be completed in September, said Keith Metz-Porozni, an outside spokesman for Eid Passport Inc., a private Portland, Ore., company that created the system.The system requires that companies whose employees work in the facilities conduct criminal background checks to screen for felonies,......

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Empty Diamonds: Baseball loses its mythic grip on area youngsters

Paris Inman had a relatively simple assignment several years ago: find a place for his 5-year-old son to play T-ball. He trolled the grounds of Kelly Miller Middle and Gage Eckington Elementary schools, only to find trash stuffed into the backstops. Inman phoned his D.C. councilman, alerted his LeDroit Park neighbors,and even resorted to taking pictures of the litter in his attempt to find a playable field."I had to do all of this to start a T-ball program for my son," he said.Inman, now the district administrator for D.C. Little......

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Loudoun revs up for community outreach meeting

Loudoun County residents are prepared to complain about a host of local problems such as community aesthetics and overcrowded houses at Tuesday’s community outreach meeting, with one supervisor promising to stay until the witching hour to listen to citizens.Though the meeting is scheduled to take place from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, said he would stay as late as midnight to talk to Loudoun residents."I’m fanning the flames......

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Rental proposal roils Arlington board meeting

Bedlam erupted in the Arlington County boardroom Saturday, as citizens clapped, cheered, booed and brandished homemade signs both in support of and opposition to a proposal that would allow rental units in single-family homes.The proposal, which passed on a vote of 4 to 1, allows homeowners to create additional living spaces in their homes for no more than two renters.Sixty-five people spoke before the county board over the course of about three hours."[The legislation] proposes to upzone and potentially irrevocably change......

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Feds seek to expand use of license tag readers in Va.

The federal government wants to expand a program that allows police to check license plates for stolen vehicles to also search for the vehicles tied to known or suspected terrorists, Prince William County police said Tuesday.The Department of Homeland Security has asked for a grant proposal that would allow automated license plate readers to be bought throughout Northern Virginia for......

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Irked supervisors pass lawn-mowing measure

A huge spike in complaints about tall grass in Loudoun County prompted supervisors to pass an emergency lawn-mowing ordinance Tuesday — but not before engaging in a heated debate that included the merits of gardening, the definition of a weed and the proper length of a lawn-mower blade.Under the ordinance, grass on vacant commercial and industrial-zoned property — and houses with less than a half-acre — cannot be longer than 12 inches. Using Continued...

 

Pr. William, Loudoun plan to raise bus fares to offset expenses

Bus fare increases are being planned in Prince William and Loudoun counties to offset a recent spike in fuel prices and increased ridership.Soaring gas prices have more people flocking to buses, but the increased business is creating expensive problems, said Alfred Harf, executive director of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, which runs Continued...

 

Angry tenants tell landlord horror stories at townhall meeting

Hallways full of excrement, vermin and prostitutes were just some of the grievances voiced by D.C. tenants against recalcitrant landlords at a town hall meeting Saturday afternoon.Over 100 people attended the meeting, some sharing personal horror stories of living in rodent and cockroach infested buildings, without heat or hot water, and under ceilings crumbling from disrepair during a meeting organized by the Tenant Advisory Council. D.C. city council members also spoke and fielded questions from the livid residents at the......

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A confident Ironman

Anybody can race a triathlon, says Norm Coleman, a 63-year-old cancer researcher from Chevy Chase. But what got him hooked on the grueling sport was one of his patients.After competing in his first Lake Placid Ironman triathlon in 2001 – he will run in his second July 20 — Coleman put off racing in another, he said.But then he treated a patient who......

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Time out with Norm Coleman

What are your goals for Lake Placid and the coming months?"If I finish in the top half in my age group in Lake Placid, that’ll be really good for me. If I could win one of these races [in his age group] I’d love to go to Kona [the Ironman championship in Hawaii]. I think when I’m 80-85, if I can find a race and outlast everyone, I’ll qualify."Do you have any tips......

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Students complain about marginalization to D.C. Council

D.C. youth sounded off about what they assert is a lack of communication between students, teachers and administrators at a public oversight hearing held by D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray Saturday morning. Marquis Battle of Anacostia Senior High School said many students he's spoken with "feel that adults see students as children, and that they don't know what they're talking about." A recent survey......

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Obama draws crowd to Fairfax for speech

Nearly 3,000 people packed the Robinson Secondary School gymnasium in Fairfax on Thursday afternoon to hear Sen. Barack Obama’s speech on economic security for women.The appearance marked Obama’s second speech in Northern Virginia since effectively clinching the Democratic nomination for president June 3. He held a rally at Continued...

 

Zoning office says education may not mean fewer violations

A recent project to educate Sterling Park residents about zoning laws does not mean the number of complaints about zoning violations — or violations themselves — will drop, the Loudoun zoning office said Wednesday.The high turnover in the county means the six-month program, which ended last month, did not reach new residents, said county zoning enforcement manager Keith Fairfax."Yes, people are more educated now, but there are many houses that have been vacated," he said. "At least the owners that remained......

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Loudoun zoning office: Education may not mean fewer violations

A recent project to educate Sterling Park residents about zoning laws does not mean the number of complaints about zoning violations — or violations themselves — will drop, the Loudoun zoning office said Wednesday.The high turnover in the county means the six-month program, which ended last month, did not reach new residents, said county zoning enforcement manager Keith Fairfax."Yes, people are more educated now, but there are many houses that have been vacated," he said. "At least the owners that remained......

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Pr. William residents decry tree loss at Civil War park

Prince William County residents are mad that efforts to preserve the Manassas National Battlefield Park are coming at the expense of trees, they told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.Officials at the Civil War battlefield cut down 130 acres of trees in a region of the park named Deep Cut, an action that angered several citizens, including Jonathan Way......

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Prince William board eyes faster action on blight

The Prince William Board of Supervisors is set to start an aggressive attack on blight today.The supervisors are scheduled to vote on several measures to clean up the county, including speeding the process for cleaning up trash-filled properties, demolishing four dilapidated buildings, and getting debris picked up quicker during crises.With the amount of vacant property growing, county officials want to speed up the process by which they are able to enter private property and remove trash and potentially hazardous materials, said Continued...

 

County predicts $20M boon from Tiger’s AT&T National

Even with the absence of host Tiger Woods, the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda is expected to bring in about $20 million of revenue for Montgomery County this Fourth of July weekend, said the county Department of Economic Development.About 150,000 fans attended the tournament last year, county spokeswoman Kristina Ellis said. Based on early projections, those numbers are expected to remain relatively constant, she added."It seems like there are actually more people here today than there have been on most Thursdays," Ellis said. "If I base it......

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Study: N.Va. hub for immigrants

One in five residents of Northern Virginia is now foreign-born, according to a study by the University of Virginia.For the first time in commonwealth history, one in 10 Virginia residents was born outside the U.S. The overall percentage of foreign-born Virginians has doubled since 1990, according to the report by the university’s Continued...

 

Loudoun supervisors OK transparency bill

Loudoun County supervisors Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to increase the transparency of local government.The provisions limit campaign contributions from groups involved in applications or appeals to the board and also require board meeting documents to be made readily available to the public.Board members said that the first provision would help prevent conflicts of interest with respect to their responsibilities to their constituencies and their responsibilities to the county as a whole."There should be a distinction between perpetually running a campaign......

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Residents call for zoning crackdown

Overcrowding complaints by Loudoun residents who charge that groups of illegal immigrants are packing houses zoned for single families have more than doubled in 2008, prompting a county supervisor to urge an investigation.The issue has underscored rising tensions in the county between a growing population of immigrants and residents who say zoning and other regulations are being ignored. "Residential, family-owned housing is not meant to be a barracks or a bunkhouse for workers in between jobs," said Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling,......

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Loudoun supervisors OK transparency bill

Loudoun County supervisors Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to increase the transparency of local government.The provisions limit campaign contributions from groups involved in applications or appeals to the board and also require board meeting documents to be made readily available to the public.Board members said that the first provision would help prevent conflicts of interest with respect to their responsibilities to their constituencies and their responsibilities to the county as a whole."There should be a distinction between perpetually running a campaign and serving our people’s interests," said Supervisor Susan Buckley,......

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Residents call for zoning crackdown

Overcrowding complaints by Loudoun residents who charge that groups of illegal immigrants are packing houses zoned for single families have more than doubled in 2008, prompting a county supervisor to urge an investigation.The issue has underscored rising tensions in the county between a growing population of immigrants and residents who say zoning and other regulations are being ignored. "Residential, family-owned housing is not meant to be a barracks or a bunkhouse for workers in between jobs," said Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, who sent the letter to county Administrator Kirby Bowers......

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Pr. William officials say crackdown on illegals reason for crime decline

Prince William County officials Friday attributed a 19.3 percent decline in crimes against people from 2006 to 2007 to last year’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart said the major difference between Prince William and other counties where crime is on the rise is the county’s "very aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration.""That’s the major difference," he......

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Legislation leaves definition of ‘dangerous’ dogs to Pr. William judges

The definition of "dangerous" dogs in Prince William County will be left to judges starting Tuesday.The Board of Supervisors passed legislation last week that will allow county judges greater discretion in labeling dogs "dangerous," currently defined as having attacked, bitten or hurt a person, dog or cat, or having killed a dog or cat in some cases.No revisions were made to the definition of "vicious" dogs, which have killed or seriously injured a person.The move was made to conform to......

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Pr. William supervisors present vision for future of county transit

Prince William County would have Metro stops, extended commuter rail lines, more bus routes, and reconfigured roads and highways under the county’s proposed  transportation plans.County supervisors approved a long-term plan that would extend the Virginia Railway Express’ Manassas line south through Nokesville and west through Innovation and Gainesvilleto Haymarket. Bus routes would extend service from Gainesville/Haymarket......

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Pr. William might make vandals clean up own graffiti

Graffiti vandals would be required to clean up their own spray painting under a measure being considered by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.A first offender convicted for defacing public or private property would be put on probation while repairing the damage and might have to further beautify or clean up other parts of the county, according to a proposed amendment to the county code.The conviction likely would be thrown out after the vandal finished the community service, said......

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Emergency stop-skipping policy leaves VRE’s new riders fuming

The Virginia Railway Express recently has resorted to purposely skipping stops to deal with delays as more commuters turn to trains to get to work. The last time VRE skipped stops was the morning of June 6, when a freight train broke down, creating a backup on VRE’s Fredericksburg line. So just before 7 a.m., VRE passengers at the Leeland Road and Brooke stations waited for their already-delayed trains — only to see them zoom by without explanation.To get the commuter trains......

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Revisions to immigration policy take effect July 1

Prince William County is set to begin its revised crackdown on illegal immigrants next week, when police officers will begin checking the U.S. residency status of everyone arrested for violating a state or local law.The county’s original policy, introduced in October, requires officers to check the status of crime suspects they had probable cause to believe were in the country illegally.There are two major provisions in the new policy, which was......

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Lawyer: Virginia Tech officials knew about shooting before campus alert

Some Virginia Tech officials knew about the first shootings at the Blacksburg university in April 2007 and had locked down their offices about 20 minutes before student gunman Seung-Hui Cho burst into Norris Hall, chained its doors shut and killed 30 people before taking his own life, according to e-mails and......

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Loudoun County pushes to remove suburban blight

Loudoun County supervisors moved Tuesday to reduce suburban blight caused by foreclosed homes and overcrowded neighborhoods, taking significant steps to improve the aesthetics of local property.The Board of Supervisors moved toward approving a measure that would restrict cars from parking on front lawns and planned to set up a volunteer program to mow overgrown lawns of foreclosed houses."These are quality-of-life issues, or life-as-we-know-it issues," said Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling.The board told staff......

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Virginia classifies more miles of waterways as polluted

Virginia added about 1,100 miles to its list of polluted rivers and streams in the past two years,bringing the total to 10,604 miles, according to a report Monday from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality."We have a polluted river from Richmond to California and back — twice," said Continued...

 

School’s books found to promote violence

Textbooks being used in a private Saudi school in Fairfax County contain material promoting violence and intolerance, a federal commission said Wednesday.  Several textbooks used at the Islamic Saudi Academy’s main campus in Alexandria during the 2007-2008 school year contained passages that "do not conform to international human rights norms," the Continued...

 

High temperatures threaten health, strain local railway

Near-record heat in the D.C. area Monday created critical health problems for residents, buckled the track on a local railway, and left area residents and visitors desperately seeking cool comfort."I’m going to get a cold beer, jump on a Metro, get some large, two-liter sodas, get the AC on, and DVD myself to death after this," said Jimmie Routt of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. "I can’t remember the last time it’s been this hot this early."Kimberly Gibbs, a spokeswoman for Innova Fairfax, said that since the weekend, the......

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Thousand still witout power from Wednesday storms

Residents' patience is quickly running out as thousands remain without power - and air conditioning - after Wednesday's severe storms.As of late Friday afternoon, 13,000 residents in Northern Virginia still were without power, according to Dominion Power. In the District of Columbia and Montgomery and Prince George's counties, 8,000 residents had no power.Liliane Bohmer of......

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Officials rush to clean, restore power after storm

Local officials were scrambling to clean up the Washington area Thursday after Wednesday's severe weather killed one person and left thousands without power.About 100,000 homes were still without power Thursday afternoon, down from a peak of just under 400,000 Wednesday night, according to local power companies.In Virginia, Dominion Power spokesman Karl Neddenien estimated that power would be fully restored in Continued...

 

Loudoun to help workers buy foreclosures

Loudoun County supervisors took steps Tuesday toward giving county employees housing relief while curtailing Sterling’s foreclosure crisis.The Board of Supervisors’ proposal directs county staff to explore options to award loans or grants to county employees living outside of Loudoun to help them buy foreclosed homes closer to work. The proposal specifically targets the 20164, 20165 and 20166 ZIP codes in Sterling.Nearly half of county and school system employees do not live in Loudoun."Some of them do so by choice, and some......

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Loudoun approves new fees, rules

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved higher registration fees and new registration requirements for massage services.The measure increases the initial massage service registration fee by $100, to $200, and raises the renewal fee $50, to $100."Costs do rise over time, and this is an item that hasn’t been looked at in over a decade," said Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Continued...

 

Loudoun supervisors to eye easing water limits

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors today is set to consider loosening the county’s water restrictions in the wake of last year’s drought.The changes would exempt government and public infrastructure from restrictions. Under the original 1979 plan, voluntary water restrictions were universally a maximum of 75 gallons per person, per day. The supervisors also will vote on changes that would allow them to declare specific days of restricted water use to help fight off a drought.The county’s water plan also would......

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Execution date set for killer challenging lethal injection

Virginia on Thursday set July 24 as the execution date for a man convicted of bludgeoning a co-worker to death in 200l but who is challenging the state’s method of lethal injection.Christopher Scott Emmett is appealing his sentence, claiming Virginia’s method of capital punishment is cruel and unusual because a low dose of anesthetics is used and a second dose is not offered. A three-judge panel of the 4th Continued...

 

Drag-race driver charged with car theft

The driver who killed eight spectators at an illegal drag race three months ago in Prince George’s County was arrested last week by Maryland State Police for allegedly driving a stolen car. According to police, Darren Jamar Bullock, 20, was pulled over by Trooper William Jenkins, who, using a scanning device that runs license plates through a police database, determined the white GMC Safari he was driving had been reported stolen."If there’s any type of violation with the tag, then [the device is] going to give us an indication," said Sgt.......

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