Addition
<bt>The story regarding freshman Del. David Poisson (D-32) heading to Richmond (Loudoun Connection, Jan. 11-17, 2006) included a local contact number for constituents to reach the delegate, 703-421-6890. The story however, did not include Poisson's Richmond number, 804-698-1032,s or the constituent viewpoint line, 800-889-0229.
<sh>Delegate Meetings
<bt>Del. David Poisson (D-32) is holding two town hall meetings Saturday, Jan. 28, to update the community on legislative issues in Richmond and to get community feedback. Meeting times are as follows: 10 a.m., at Leisure World in Lansdowne, and 1 p.m., in the auditorium at Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Sterling. Call 703-421-6890.
<sh>Joint Public Hearing
<bt>The Loudoun County Planning Commission and the Purcellville Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing Monday, Jan. 30, on the revised draft Purcellville Urban Growth Area Management Plan (PUGAMP). The public hearing will begin at 7 p.m., at Loudoun Valley High School, 340 N. Maple Avenue in Purcellville.
In addition, a joint Planning Commission work session will be held Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., in the Lovettsville Room on
the first floor of the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St., S.E. in Leesburg.
A joint committee of the Loudoun and Purcellville planning commissions has been conducting a review of the draft plan since June 2005 and has recommended revisions to the May 2005 draft plan. These recommendations have been incorporated into the latest draft. The draft is available online on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/compplan/purcellville.htm.
<sh>Phone Scam
<bt>The Sheriff's Office is alerting Loudoun residents to a potential tax scam after an Ashburn woman received a phone call Thursday, Jan. 12, claiming she was to receive a large sum of money from the Loudoun County government.
The 66-year-old woman says she received a call from an unknown female who claimed she worked with the county government. The caller said since the Ashburn resident had been such a good taxpayer in the past she was due a large sum of money. According to the victim the caller came across
as very excited and was very convincing. The woman realized the call was a potential scam when the caller asked for her bank account information to deposit the money.
In light of this incident the Sheriff's Office would like to remind
residents to never give your credit card, checking account or Social Security number to unknown callers. They are also asking any resident who believes they have been a victim of this scam or if they have received a similar phone call to contact the Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021.
<sh>Pet Food Recall
<bt>According to the county Animal Care and Control, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall for a brand of pet food that has been linked to the deaths of more than 20 dogs. The food that is being recalled is manufactured by Diamond Pet Food and is sold in several states including Virginia and Maryland.
The food has been found to contain a toxin called aflatoxin. The toxin is derived from a fungus that grows on corn products and it can cause severe liver damage in animals. Pet owners are urged to call their veterinarian immediately if they see any of these symptoms in their pets:
* Sluggishness
* Loss of appetite
* Jaundice Ñ yellow whites of the eyes, gums, belly
* Severe, persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea
* Fever
* Discolored urine
For more detailed information on the products affected by the recall, visit www.diamondpetrecall.net.
<sh>Car Thefts
<bt>The Sheriff's Office is investigating a series of auto thefts where cars have been stolen from the eastern end
of the county and are eventually abandoned in the Waterford area.
Shortly before 5 a.m., Monday, Jan. 9, Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of two vehicles possibly racing in the area of Old Waterford Road and Canter Lane. Upon arrival deputies discovered an abandoned 1995 Honda Civic and a 1998 Acura Integra that were heavily damaged. It was determined that both vehicles were taken during the overnight from the Sterling area but had not yet been reported as being stolen by their owners. The Honda was stolen from the area of Huntington Square and the
Acura was taken from the area of the Home Depot in Cascades.
A third vehicle, a 1994 Honda Civic, was located abandoned near the 40000 block of Hurley Lane, which is in the general vicinity of the two other vehicles. This vehicle was also taken from the area of the Home Depot in Cascades and had been burned. The car was also recovered prior to being reported stolen by its owner.
Investigators believe Monday's thefts are related to two auto thefts that occurred Dec. 28 when deputies responded to the area of Clarke's Gap Road around 6:30 a.m. for a report of an auto accident.
Upon arrival deputies found two abandoned Honda Civics. Both cars were later determined to have been stolen from the Sterling area during the overnight. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and were possibly racing in the area.
Anyone with information about either of these incidents is asked to contact Investigator E. Ankers of the Sheriff's Office Auto Theft Unit at 703-777-0475. To remain anonymous callers are asked to contact Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information provided leads to an arrest and indictment the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
<sh>Accidental Fire
<bt>The Loudoun County Department of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management's Fire Marshals Office has determined that the Jan. 10 fire that damaged an apartment at the William Waters House located at 22365 Enterprise St. in Sterling was accidental. The fire, which resulted in approximately $25,000 damage, started when a candle that was left unattended in a bedroom of a second-floor apartment ignited nearby combustibles.
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services received a call around
2:40 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10 for a structure fire at 22365 Enterprise St. Units arrived on the scene and discovered that a small fire in a second-floor apartment had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. The fire was contained to this apartment; however, several apartments on the ground floor were damaged by water. The residents were kept safe in another portion of the building while fire-rescue crews worked.
The resident of the apartment, who was displaced as a result of the fire, was not home when the fire started. The resident of the ground-floor apartment, who was also displaced due to water damage, has been temporarily relocated to another unit in the complex. There were no injuries as a result of this incident. The Loudoun County After the Fire Program was on hand to provide assistance.
<sh>Inappropriate Contact
<bt>A Round Hill man was charged Wednesday, Jan. 11, with
having inappropriate sexual contact with a 17-year-old female.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the suspct, 44, is alleged to have become involved with the teenage victim in October 2005. He was involved in youth sports in Loudoun County and came into contact with the victim through this program, according to the Sheriff's Office. A relationship developed between the two throughout the fall of 2005 and continued until the inappropriate contact was brought to the attention of law enforcement Dec. 27.
He turned himself over to authorities Wednesday evening and was charged with crimes against nature and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was released by a Loudoun magistrate on a $10,000 unsecured bond.