PFHS Candidates Forum
<bt>The Potomac Falls High School Youth and Government Club is sponsoring and moderating a School Board Candidates' Forum and Reception on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Potomac Falls High School Auditorium. Other co-sponsors of the event include the Potomac Falls High School PTSO, River Bend Middle School PTA, and the PTAs for Algonkian, Countryside, Horizon and Potowmack Elementary Schools.
The forum is designed as an educational and community service program for the Sterling area communities. The public is invited to come and meet School Board candidates serving Eastern Loudoun County communities: At-Large District, Tom Reed and Chris Simmons; Potomac District, John A. Andrews and Kathy Lague; Sterling District, Marlene W. Barney and Warren Geurin; and Sugarland Run District, Candy Cassell and Joseph M. Guzman.
A reception will held following the forum and refreshments will be provided. The forum and reception are free and open to public.
<sh>Malicious Wounding Arrest
<bt>A Herndon man has been arrested in connection with an attempted malicious wounding involving a firearm earlier this month.
Rodina Kim, 18, was arrested yesterday and charged with attempted malicious wounding. The arrest stems from an incident on the evening of Oct. 8 when several local high school students say they were assaulted by a large group of males, one of which brandished and fired a weapon.
Through the course of the investigation it was learned the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation between two groups consisting of juveniles and adults.
The groups met up around 10:45 p.m. that same day in the area of Glenn Drive and Export Drive. During the incident Kim brandished a firearm and discharged the weapon towards the victims as they fled into some nearby woods.
All four of the victims at the scene, a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old and two 18-year-olds are from Sterling. It was learned through the course of the investigation two other victims had left the scene before deputies arrived. None of the victims were injured as a result of the incident.
Kim is currently being held without bond at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Sterling Bank Robbery
<bt>The Sheriff's Office is investigating a bank robbery that occurred shortly before noon Monday in Sterling.
In the incident, an unknown male subject wearing a Halloween mask entered the Greater Atlantic Bank in the Cedar Lake Plaza and brandished a firearm. The man then asked the teller for money. The subject left the scene with an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency in a blue van with a white stripe on the side. The van was also said to have some type of logo on the back door. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Investigator Fognano of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475.
<sh>Man Arrested for Assault
<bt>A Leesburg man was arrested Oct. 20 and charged in connection with an assault at a high school homecoming party Sunday, Oct. 19. Christopher Bittler, 19, is accused of assaulting an 18-year-old Leesburg man who was attending the party held at a residence in Leesburg. According to witnesses at the party the subject assaulted the victim while he was sitting on the ground.
Bittler has been charged in the incident with attempted murder and aggravated malicious wounding. He is being held at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center without bond.
The 18-year-old victim was being treated at the Loudoun Hospital Lansdowne Campus with serious but non-life threatening injuries but has since been released.
Early Sunday morning Sheriff's Deputies were called to the home in the 20090 block of Gleedsville Road shortly before 4 a.m..
<sh>Man Charged in Fatal Accident
<bt>A 26-year-old Sterling man was charged Oct. 21 with involuntary manslaughter after he was apparently racing with a motorcycle that crashed and killed the rider, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Through the course of the investigation it was determined that Kevin Lee Judkins, who was driving a 2003 Honda Civic, was traveling at a high rate of speed behind 31-year-old Jason Matthew-Austin Allbright Monday evening in the CountrySide area.
The two vehicles were heading northbound on Spotswood Drive near Bentwood Road in a residential area when Allbright lost control of the 1981 Suzuki motorcycle he was riding. The motorcycle jumped the curb, went off the right side of the roadway, struck a street signpost, continued across Bentwood Road and struck a tree.
Allbright died early on the morning of Oct. 21 at Washington Hospital Center where he was airlifted to from the scene listed in critical condition.
A Loudoun Magistrate released Judkins on an unsecured $25,000 bond.
<sh>Hit and Run Investigation
<bt>Members of the Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Unit are searching for a vehicle involved in a hit and run the afternoon of Oct. 22 on Watson Road (Route 860).
The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. in the 23000 block of Watson Road when a full-size red pick-up truck traveling southbound struck the driver's side mirror of a northbound Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging bus. The pick-up did not stop after the incident and continued southbound. The truck, which is of unknown make, is believed to have extensive mirror damage. There were no injuries in the incident but the bus did incur damage to the driver's side mirror and window. Anyone with information regarding the incident, or anyone who may have seen the suspect vehicle, contact Sgt. Nugent of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Unit.
<sh>Warning: Lock Vehicles
<bt>The Sheriff's Office reminds residents to lock their vehicle doors and remove anything of value when left unattended, especially during the overnight hours.
The reminder comes after a series of larcenies from vehicles recently in the Ashburn and Leesburg areas.
The Ashburn area saw 13 vehicle break-ins early Tuesday morning between midnight and 5:30 a.m. Most of these incidents occurred in the area around Ashburn Road (Route 641). A majority of the vehicles were unlocked and in three of the incidents windows were busted open for entry. Car stereos appeared to be the main targets in these larcenies.
Six of the break-ins occurred on Aberdeen Terrace, one on Downing Court, two on Carson Court, two on Shellhorn Road, one on Webster Court, and one on Camptown Court.
On Oct. 23, Sheriff's deputies responded to numerous calls of vehicle tampering and larcenies just north of Leesburg. Vehicles that were parked on and around Raspberry Drive had been entered and rummaged through. Some of the items removed from the vehicles included U.S. currency and several purses.
Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for the information that leads to the subjects' arrest and conviction. Anyone with information about the identity of these subjects is asked to call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. The caller will never have to give their name, just the information that they want investigators to know. The caller will be assigned a number that is specific to the information that they provide, and this caller number is the key to getting the cash reward. The caller is eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000, from the Crime Solvers Organization if the information provided leads to the arrest and indictment in this case.
<sh>Fire Damages Apartments
<bt>The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating an early morning fire, which resulted in approximately $30,000 in damage to an apartment building in The Manor Apartments in Leesburg. Around 5:21 a.m., Sunday Oct. 26, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a 911 call for a structure fire on at The Manor Apartment Complex on Fort Evans Road in Leesburg. Fire and rescue personnel from Leesburg, Loudoun Rescue, Ashburn and Lucketts responded to the scene. Firefighters went to work quickly and were able to contain the fire in a matter of minutes. Although the majority of damages from fire and water were confined to one apartment, occupants of three other units were also displaced. Fifteen people, who have been temporarily displace pending repairs to the units, have received assistance from the American Red Cross.
<sh>Car Fire Investigation
<bt>The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office is seeking information on a car fire that occurred early Oct. 22 in the 20900 block of Timber Ridge Terrace in Ashburn. The incendiary fire, which resulted in an estimated $3,000 in damage to the car, is under investigation. Anyone with information, or person(s) who may be involved in the fire, is asked to contact Art Staub at 703-777-0333.
<sh>Route 659 May Get Expansion
<bt>County officials are working with developers on a public-private partnership to expand Route 659 to four lanes from Route 7 to Route 50.
"The Broad Run and Dulles districts share Route 659 as a major north-south road that is in desperate need of improvement," said Planning Commissioner John Murphy (At large), a Dulles District Supervisor candidate. "A public-private partnership will allow this critical road to be constructed much quicker and with less interruption to those who live nearby."
Broadlands committed $4 million to the Route 659 improvements. Another three developers plan to provide $4 million based on the outcome of rezoning decisions. And the county has funds in its six-year capital improvements program.
The improvements are scheduled to be completed in 2015 under the Virginia Department of Transportation's schedule, a project the state estimates will cost $41 million.
"As a piecemeal project, improvements to Route 659 would waste millions of dollars," said Supervisor Charles Harris (D-Broad Run), a candidate for reelection, adding that as a public-private project, the improvements "would be mapped out and construction coordinated with one construction company, which would save time and money."
<sh>Storm Water Ordinance Approved
<bt>With the Board of Supervisors' approval of a stormwater management ordinance, Loudoun County is launching a program to meet federal and state stormwater regulations.
The board has approved the adoption of Chapter 1096, Stormwater Management, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The ordinance establishes a stormwater management program, which will include the design, development, improvement, operation, inspection, maintenance and oversight of the stormwater management system. The new stormwater management program will help meet federal and state requirements to develop an integrated stormwater management plan to mitigate pollution in the eastern urbanized area of the county.
<sh>Meeting on Storm Outages
<bt>The public utilities staff of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) will hold public meetings in seven areas of Virginia affected by lengthy electric and telephone service outages resulting from Hurricane Isabel.
The SCC is seeking customer input for its analysis of service restoration efforts of Virginia's electric and telephone providers following the Sept. 18 storm.
The meeting for residents of Loudoun County and other areas of Northern Virginia will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Fairfax County Government Center, 1200 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax.
The SCC is encouraging written comments to be submitted via electronic mail for those unable to attend. Comments can be submitted online at www.state.va.us/scc/isabeloutages.htm. The direct e-mail address is isabeloutages@scc.state.va.us.
Comments will be received through Nov. 19. Written correspondence may be sent to Isabel Outages, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218.
<sh>Public Hearing Scheduled
<bt>The next public hearing of the Board of Supervisors will be held Wednesday, Nov. 5, due to the election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E. in Leesburg.
The agenda and items for the public hearing as well as other documents related to the board's business meetings and standing committee meetings are available online at www.loudoun.gov/bos/documents.htm.
<sh>Time Change for Nov. 12 Meeting
<bt>The meeting of the Board of Supervisors' Land Use Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 12, will begin at 4 p.m., one hour earlier than originally scheduled. The meeting will take place in the Lovettsville Room of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E. in Leesburg.
The meeting packet for the committee, which includes the agenda as well as action and information items, will be available online several days before the meeting at www.loudoun.gov/bos/documents.htm.
<sh>Meeting on Purcellville Plan
<bt>The public input session on the update of the Purcellville Urban Growth Area Management Plan originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30, has been rescheduled for Dec. 6. Details regarding format, time and location will be announced later.
A work session for property owners adjacent to the Town of Purcellville's corporate limits will be held Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Town of Purcellville office, 130 E. Main St., Purcellville.
The Joint Policies Review Committee will meet Dec. 16, at 5 p.m. at the Town office to discuss input from the earlier public work sessions. Comments from the sessions have been compiled and are available online at www.loudoun.gov/compplan/purcellville.htm.
The Town of Purcellville and Loudoun County are in the process of updating the Purcellville Urban Growth Area Management Plan, which contains land use goals and priorities for the area surrounding Purcellville's corporate limits. The area is known as the Joint Land Management Area (JLMA) and is jointly planned by the town and county.
<sh>Make a Difference Day
<bt>Loudoun Volunteer Services invites families in Loudoun County to make a difference by volunteering in support of their community during National Family Volunteer Day on Nov. 22. The event is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving and kicks off National Family Week.
Loudoun Volunteer Services has put together a planning packet for groups or families that will provide some project ideas, "how to" tips and a registration form for an event.
For more information, or to receive a registration packet, contact Lisa Rose, Loudoun Volunteer Services at pivs@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0113. All materials are available online at www.loudoun.gov/pio/volunteer.htm.
<sh>Holiday Programs Begin
<bt>The Community Holiday Coalition's "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" program is gearing up for the 8th annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Stores. The Thanksgiving and Christmas stores will help more than 1,000 Loudoun families in need, including more than 2,000 children. For the second year, Lerner Corporation, owner of Dulles Town Center, has donated space at the Dulles 28 Centre for use by the Coalition Stores. Dulles 28 Centre is located at the northwest corner of Route 28 and Waxpool Road in the old Best Company Building.
Families are determined eligible by income and can find applications at Loudoun County Social Services, Loudoun Interfaith Relief and the Good Shepherd Thrift Store.
The Holiday Coalition will be collecting and distributing gently used, clean winter coats and blankets. Coats are needed in all sizes, but especially those for children and teens. New gloves, hats and mittens will be distributed in December. Bring items to the Dulles 28 Centre on Sunday, Nov. 16, from noon-4 p.m., and on Monday, Nov. 17 through Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
In addition, many area businesses and all community centers have drop-offs for donations. Those wishing to participate as volunteers may call 703-737-8367. To donate cash or clothing, call the Holiday Hotline at 703-771-5718 or visit www.loudoun.gov/dss/holiday.
<sh>Leesburg Planning Meeting
<bt>The Town of Leesburg Planning Commission invites the public to attend a Visioning Session to discuss long-range urban growth issues on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Ida Lee Recreation Center, 50 Ida Lee Drive, N.W., Leesburg. For more information, visit www.leesburgva.org/townplan, e-mail townplan@leesburgva.org or call 703-771-2765.
<sh>Clerk Announces Citizen Meetings
<bt>Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens announces the kickoff of community meetings organized to provide information regarding public records in the circuit court clerk's office, remote access to court records, legislation regarding public records, and privacy issues with public records. The remote access system proposed by the Clerk would allow access to public court records used for land records research from remote locations.
Currently, individuals must visit the Clerk's Office in person to perform land records research of public court records.
Remaining meetings for citizens in the various election districts are as follows:
* Blue Ridge District, Oct. 29, 7:30-9 p.m., Purcellville Town Council Room, Purcellville Town Hall.
* Potomac and Sugarland Districts, Nov. 6, 7:30-9 p.m., Eastern Loudoun Regional Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling.
Meetings for the Catoctin and Sterling Districts will be scheduled in
November 2003 and an announcement for those meetings will be released once the meeting locations and dates have been confirmed.