People

Meeting Springfield Beauty Queens

Miss Greater Springfield Scholarship Program holds Pageant Workshop.

And the winner is…actually we won’t know who the winners of the next round will be until the Miss Virginia Pageant is held in Roanoke. Those coveted crowns will be handed out on June 30 at the Civic Center.

Candle Causes Lorton House Fire

Neighbor rescues family minutes before home collapses.

A neighbor rescued two women, one juvenile and a dog from a house fire Saturday, April 7, in Lorton, minutes before the home collapsed, according to officials with the Fairfax County Fire Department. The cause of the blaze was an unattended candle.

Paul VI Math Students Place First in Statewide Competition

Paul VI’s Senior Math League placed first in the state in a contest run by the Virginia Mathematics League, placing above local schools including Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, Marshall, McLean, West Springfield, Woodson, Fairfax, George Mason, Oakcrest, and Bishop O’Connell.

The Boss Never Says: ‘Stop Clowning Around’

From pharmacy technician to clown.

Clown alley of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has a vacancy. Across the entire United States, the odds of being chosen are 308 million to 1. Narrow it to Estill Springs, Tenn. and the odds become 2100 to 1. Chris Sullivan, pharmacy technician, beat both odds and is the newest and youngest clown in the alley.

Rollicking Musical Comes to Life

Paul VI presents ‘Hello, Dolly!’

The romance of 1880s New York will come to life on stage when Paul VI presents its Cappies play, “Hello Dolly!” It features a cast and crew of 70, plus a full orchestra. The curtain rises Friday-Saturday, April 20-21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, adults; $10, students and senior citizens; at the door or at www.paulvi.net.

Alexandria Woman Wins $250,000

Eckley Finn of Alexandria was with her husband when they discovered she’d won $250,000 in Mega Millions.

Local Man Charged: Online Solicitation

Arrested in statewide sting targeting child predators.

Anarug Sharma, 35, of Fairfax, was one of 20 people across Virginia arrested last week as a result of “Operation Phalanx” – an undercover operation targeting alleged child predators. It was a collaborative effort between Virginia's two Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces and the attorney general’s office.

Irene R. Jones Dies

Irene Reid Jones, 89 of Martinsville, Va., formerly of Warrenton, died on April 1, 2012, at Landmark Center, Stuart. She was born on Aug. 14, 1922 in Fauquier County, Va., a daughter of the late Eppa Clark Reid and Maude Lillian Moffett Reid; predeceased by her daughter, Delores M. Jones; five brothers and three sisters.

Richard Sandford Laurent Dies

Richard Sandford Laurent, 59, of Alexandria, died peacefully on April 7 at the Halquist Memorial Inpatient Center after a brief illness.

Ed Long Named County Executive

Long, former deputy county executive, begins April 25.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed Edward L. Long Jr. as county executive on Tuesday, April 10. Long, who will replace Anthony H. Griffin on April 25, has more than 34 years of experience with the county, and retired as deputy county executive and chief financial officer in May 2011.

Herrity Recovering Well from Open-Heart Surgery

“Famous sense of humor” intact, friends say.

After undergoing open-heart surgery last week, Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) is recovering well, and his “famous sense of humor is intact,” according to friends and family members.

Animal Rescue Recognition

Fairfax County Animal Shelter recognized for animal rescue and programs.

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter received accolades from the Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) for two programs and a large-scale animal rescue in 2010 - 2011.

Cook Announces Braddock Citizen Governance Conference

Conference scheduled May 5.

Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) announced plans for an all-day conference designed to turn residents into decision-makers who play a key role in determining the future of the Braddock district.

WWE at Arlington National Cemetery

WWE Executive Vice President of Creative Stephanie McMahon and WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston participated in a wreath-laying ceremony on March 22 at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After the ceremony, they were joined by WWE Superstar Mick Foley and WWE Divas The Bella Twins to pay a special visit to wounded military personnel at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Yorktown Student Qualifies for Junior Olympics

Christian "Chrissy" Thomas, a junior at Yorktown High School in Arlington, has qualified and received an invitation to shoot in the National Junior Olympic Rifle Championship to be held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 13-18. She will compete in the small bore category.

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