Citizen's Police Academy
<bt>The 18th Citizen's Police Academy will begin Wednesday,
Sept. 7. The free sessions will be held one evening per week for 11-weeks and each session will be two hours in length, from 7-9 p.m., at the Sheriff's Office administration
building in Leesburg with the exception of the firearms training session, which will be held at the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office firearms range located off of Route 50, in the Chantilly area.
Sheriff's Office personnel will conduct the training classes,
providing an overview of all the aspects of law enforcement within the agency. Members of the class may also have the option of participating in a ride-a-long with a deputy after completing the academy.
The classes are open to Loudoun County residents over the age of 18. To enroll in the Citizen's Police Academy, contact Ginger Wines or Audra Vogel at the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-0407, during normal business hours of 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Enrollment will be limited to 25 participants.
<sh>Fish Advisory
<bt>The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued a new fish consumption advisory and has modified several existing advisories for various waterways throughout the commonwealth. The advisories are in response to recent tissue sample tests conducted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Test results indicate that the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury exceed maximum levels allowed for bodies of water where fish are harvested for food.
Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should not eat fish contaminated with PCBs or mercury from these advisory areas, including areas in Fairfax County, Manassas Park City and Prince William County among others.
Because PCBs tend to concentrate in the fatty tissues of the fish, VDH recommends the following precautions to reduce any potential harmful effects from eating fish:
* Eat the smaller, younger fish Ñ within the legal limits. Younger fish are less likely to contain harmful levels of contaminants than larger, older fish.
* Remove the skin, the fat from the belly and top, and internal organs before cooking the fish.
* Bake, broil or grill on an open rack to allow fats to drain away from the meat.
* Discard the fats that cook out of the fish.
* Avoid or reduce the amount of fish drippings or broth that is used to flavor the meal.
* Eat less deep-fried fish, since frying seals contaminants into the fatty tissue.
Mercury concentrates in the fish muscle and is not reduced by cleaning or cooking.
For more information on current fish consumption advisories in Virginia, visit http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/HHControl/fishingadvisories.asp. A fact sheet with answers to frequently asked questions about fish consumption advisories is available at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/hhcontrol/advisoriesq&a.pdf.
<sh>Child Injured in Crash
<bt>A 7-month-old baby remained in stable condition over the weekend after a two-vehicle accident in Sterling Friday, July 29, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
The accident occurred shortly before 7 p.m. when a 2001 Lincoln limousine pulled out into the intersection of Woodland Road and Greenoak Way and struck a 2005 Toyota Sequoia. According to the Sheriff's Office, the driver of the limousine, John Byram, 51, of Herndon, was turning right onto Woodland Road from Greenoak Way when he struck the SUV driven by Yessenia Rivera, 27, of Sterling.
The impact caused the SUV to roll three times before it came to rest when it struck a group of small trees. Rivera, her husband, Juan Selinas Flores, and their 8-year-old daughter, who were all wearing their seat belts were taken to the Lansdowne Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital where they were treated and released. Their 7-month-old daughter, who
was secured in a child-safety seat, was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she was listed in stable condition.
Byram was not injured in the accident. He was charged with reckless driving.
<sh>Herndon Woman Injured
<bt>A Herndon woman is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries when she lost control of her car, struck another
car and then a utility pole on Route 50 Saturday, July 30, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The accident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. when, according to the Sheriff's Office, Selina Afzal, 40, of Herndon, was driving her 1993 Toyota Corolla east on Route 50 near the Loudoun County Parkway and for unknown reasons she traveled into the median. Afzal then veered back into the eastbound lanes where she struck a 2004 Toyota
Camry driven by Randi Steinhaus, 46, of Aldie. After striking the Camry, Afzal's car went off of the roadway and rolled onto its side where it struck a utility poll.
Afzal was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she was being treated for non-life-threatening-injuries. Her 15-year-old son was taken to the Lansdowne Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital where he was treated and released. Both mother and son were wearing their seat belts.
Steinhaus was not injured in the accident.
Witnesses who have not already been interviewed by deputies should call DFC J. Kenna of the Sheriff's Office Accident Reconstruction Unit at 703-771-5798.
<sh>Lightning Strikes
<bt>Around 5:38 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a 911 call for a medical emergency in the 14600 block of New Valley Church Road in Lucketts. According to the fire department, reports received indicated that several people had been struck by lightning.
Upon arrival, rescuers found four people had been struck by lightning while standing under a tree waiting out the storm. One of the four was in cardiac arrest when crews arrived. CPR was initiated and the patient was defibrillated utilizing an AED (automated external defibrillator). Crews were able to successfully resuscitate the patient prior to arrival at the hospital.
A total of four patients, three males ranging in age from 15 to 19 and one 20-year-old female, were treated and transported. Two of the patients were transported by ambulance to the Cornwall Campus of the Loudoun Hospital Center in Leesburg and two of the patients were transported to the Lansdowne Campus of the Loudoun Hospital Center in Lansdowne.
A dog was also struck by lightning and killed as a result of the incident.
<sh>Checking Unsafe Trucks
<bt>A truck safety inspection held Thursday, July 28, by
the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office on Route 15 in Lucketts saw 22 trucks inspected, with seven being taken out of service for safety violations, according to the Sheriff's Office. A total 18 summons were issued for safety violations.
A majority of the truck citations issued at the morning inspection were for defective equipment, such as having insufficient tire tread; load violations; and driver violations, such as no medical certification or no commercial motor vehicle operators license.
During the inspection, members of the Sheriff's Office Motor Carrier Safety Inspection Team used thermal imaging units to identify unsafe trucks traveling on county roadways. The units detect heat that results from braking action, an absence of heat means the brakes are not working properly. Members of the Sheriff's Office Motor Carrier Safety Inspection Team are responsible for detecting and inspecting unsafe commercial motor vehicles. Members of this unit have received certification from the federal Department of Transportation to perform these duties. This team has a secondary function of responding to and assisting in the
investigation of vehicle accidents.
<sh>Wanted Man Caught
<bt>The apprehension of an alleged prowler earlier this month led authorities to a man wanted on 10 outstanding
warrants and a capias Ñ a judge-issued warrant for failing to appear in court Ñ in Loudoun.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Jefferson Beckles, 43, was taken into custody July 9, shortly after 4:30 a.m., after Sheriff's deputies were called to the 44500 block of Potter Terrace in Ashburn for a man attempting to enter a residence.
Beckles allegedly was attempting to enter the residence of a
34-year-old Ashburn woman. Shortly before the arrival of the deputies the suspect fled, but was located underneath a pickup truck on Kilawag Terrace, several streets away from the victim's home.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Beckles was wanted on 10 outstanding warrants including sexual battery, stalking, grand larceny, obtaining credit card numbers under false pretenses, two counts of attempting to commit credit card fraud and two counts of credit card fraud. Beckles was also charged with drunk in public, stalking and trespassing for the July 9 incident. He was held without bond at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center.