<sh>Laughs for Fun This Weekend
<bt>Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services will present the second annual Laughs, Loudoun's Annual Unforgettable Gigantic Hilarious Storyfest, from June 22-23 at Claude Moore Park in Sterling.
Six national storytellers will be featured at the storytelling festival, including, Len Cabral of Rhode Island; Carmen Deedy of Georgia; Elizabeth Ellis of Texas; Bill Harley of Massachusetts; Susan Klein of Massachusetts; and Ed Stivender of Pennsylvania. Regionally, the Virginia Storytelling Alliance, the African Folk Heritage Circle of New York City and Voices in the Glen from the Washington, D.C. area will feature another 24 storytellers.
Laughs will showcase roving entertainers, demonstrations of homespun crafts, food and refreshment vendors, and family entertainment.
The Laughs festival opens at 9 a.m. June 22-23 and continues until 6 p.m. on June 22 and 5 p.m. on June 23. Country dancing is scheduled from 4:15-6 p.m. on June 22, hosted by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington with a hoe down caller leading the dances. Later that day at 6:30 p.m., the Saturday Night Reception and Concert, which requires a special ticket, will feature the Novelty Five Jug Band, followed by a special storytelling session of the six master storytellers’ funniest stories from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Claude Moore Park is located at 21544 Cascades Parkway. For ticket information, call 703-777-0343.
<sh>Reston Woman Dies in Ashburn Accident
<bt>A 61-year-old Reston woman died June 14 in a two-vehicle accident in Ashburn.
Martha Ann Richards was driving a 1994 Cadillac El Dorado westbound on Ryan Road when she failed to obey the stop sign at Belmont Ridge Road, according to accident investigators from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. She was hit broadside by a 1990 Ford landscaping truck heading north on Belmont Ridge Road.
Sheriff's deputies and units from the Department of Fire and Rescue Services were called to the accident at 7:29 a.m. Richards was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident is still under investigation, but neither speed nor alcohol is believed to be a factor. The name of the truck driver was not available by press time.
<sh>Ashburn Man Charge in Wounding Case
<bt>Loudoun County Sheriff's Deputies received a call on Monday, June 17 at 7:18 p.m., in reference to a shoplifter with a knife at the 21300 block of Price Cascades Plaza.
A loss prevention agent with Price Costco observed a man taking unpaid merchandise into the men's bathroom. The loss prevention agent approached the man after he emerged from the bathroom. The man pulled a knife from his person and struck the agent in his hand.
The subject then fled the scene on foot towards the Target store in the Potomac Run Plaza. The agent along with several other Price Costco employees followed the subject outside of the store. Several bystanders including an off-duty customs agent and the store employees were able to surround the man at the Chevy Chase Bank, where they were able to convince him to drop the knife.
Shortly thereafter, deputies arrived and detained the subject. He was identified as 20-year-old Endri Hamataj of Ashburn. Hamataj was charged with malicious wounding and shoplifting and is being held in the Adult Detention Center on a $2,000 secured bond.
<sh>Leesburg Man Arrested for May 26 Fire
<bt>The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office announced that an arrest has been made in conjunction with an arson fire that occurred on May 26 at 114 Fort Evans Road S.E. in Leesburg.
Nicholas Adam Crenshaw of Leesburg was arrested by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office on June 7. Crenshaw, who has been charged with the burning of a dwelling unit, was taken before a magistrate and bond was set at $4,800. If convicted, Crenshaw faces between 5 years and life imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000.
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a 911 call around 2:15 a.m., Sunday, May 26 for an apartment fire on Fort Evans Road. Fire and rescue personnel from Leesburg, Hamilton, Ashburn and Loudoun Rescue responded to the scene and reported heavy smoke coming from the three-story apartment building. Damages from the fire were minimal due to a resident extinguishing the fire.
<sh>Two Men Arrested at Dulles Town Center
<bt>On Thursday, June 6, at 1 p.m. Sheriff's Deputies were called to the Dulles Town Center Mall for a report of a possible larceny in progress.
Members of the loss prevention team for the Hecht Company noticed two males acting suspiciously in the domestic's section of the store. The two subjects had been seen crouching down in the area of some expensive bedding merchandise. After a few minutes the subjects left through a nearby exit and deputies went to inspect the area. There they found two white plastic shopping bags containing unopened sheet sets hidden behind some comforters.
At 1:45 p.m. the two subjects were seen returning to the mall through a general entrance. The subjects then proceeded into the Hecht's department store toward the location of the concealed merchandise. One of the subjects picked up a comforter and the other subject removed the two plastic bags containing the merchandise. They then proceeded to a nearby exit and left the building.
Two members of the loss prevention team from Hecht's then confronted the two subjects. A scuffle ensued between the store employees and one of the men as he was detained. The second subject turned back into the store and began walking through the lower level of the Hecht's towards the mall concourse. As the subject attempted to exit through a general entrance he noticed Sgt. Vernon Foster and Deputy Suwit Yonkwan waiting outside the doors.
Deputy Lou Coyner apprehended the subject without incident as he attempted to walk away from the general entrance. Arrested in the incident were Felton Roy Pierce, 51, and Roderick Maurice Alphonso Smith, 39. Both men are from Washington, D.C. A Magistrate issued warrants and a secured bond of $5,000 was set on each suspect. Both men have been charged with felony shoplifting.
<sh>Vehicle Crashes into Sterling Home
Loudoun County Sheriff's Deputies responded at 4:20 p.m on June 11 to a report of a vehicle crashing into a structure at the 42700 block of Longwood Court in the Potomac Hunt subdivision of Sterling.
On arrival, deputies discovered a vehicle had crashed into the garage portion of a single family home. The female driver of the vehicle and a child passenger were airlifted to Fairfax Hospital. The residents of the house were at home at the time of the incident. None of them were injured. The family was displaced, after the structure had been determined to be unsafe.
<sh>Committee Forming to Oversee Bicycle, Pedestrian Plan
<bt>Loudoun County is looking for people who want to help develop a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the county. A Citizens' Advisory Committee is being formed to provide guidance in the drafting of a countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan. The committee will be made up of people who represent the diverse perspectives of the community. Anyone interested in serving on the committee is encouraged to fill out an application form, which is available on the county web site at www.loudoun.gov/revisedcomp/docs/bikepedplan_/index.htm. Application forms can also be obtained by calling 703-777-0246 or by writing to the Department of Planning, 1 Harrison St., S.E., Leesburg, VA, 20177. Applications should be received by July 5.
<sh>Deputies Win Trophy at Patrol Competition
<bt>Members of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office recently won a second place trophy in the 12th Annual Council of Governments Patrol Officers Competition. The event took place at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy. Deputies Sean Allen, Chris Harmison, Greg Johnson, and Frank Pearson represented the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
The practical exercise component of the competition consisted of two officers encountering situations similar to ones they might deal with while on duty. The first practical exercise featured a burglary call and enabled Harmison and Pearson to show their knowledge of handling such a situation. The two-person teams were evaluated on officer safety and search techniques in response to this type of call. The Harmison-Pearson teaming proved successful as they were rewarded second place in that exercise.
<sh>Green Candidate Submits Petitions
<bt>S. Ann Robinson submitted her qualification petitions as an Independent candidate for the 10th Congressional District of Virginia. She has been endorsed by the Loudoun Greens and the Virginia State Green Party and requested endorsement from the Democratic Party. Robinson provided the State Board of Elections with the notarized names and signatures of 1,180 voters, exceeding the required 1,000 signatures.