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Ghost Stories of Alexandria

Mysteries, phantoms, and Devil-Bats lurk through city streets.

With 267 years of history, Alexandria is a city fraught with supernatural hauntings.

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Supervisors to Vote on Civilian Review Panel Dec. 6.

Draft item discussed at Oct. 25 Public Safety Committee.

By its Dec. 6 meeting, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors should have the opportunity to vote on creating a Civilian Review Panel for police oversight, a first in Fairfax. The independent panel was one of the more controversial of the 142 recommendations from the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission created by board chairman Sharon Bulova in 2015. The civilian review panel would “review completed police internal administrative investigations of civilian complaints concerning allegations of abuse of authority and serious misconduct,” according to the draft action item.

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McLean High Named Crown Award Finalist

School receives one of the highest national honors in scholastic journalism.

McLean High School's "The Highlander" was named a national Crown Award finalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) -- one of the highest honors in scholastic journalism across the country for overall excellence. "My students don’t put as much effort as they do into the newsmagazine just for the awards they might win—they do it because they genuinely care about creating a high quality publication that will inform and entertain their readers, said Benedict.

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Vienna Partnership to Save Pets

Vienna Vintner and Wolf Trap Animal Rescue raising funds to build a rescue shelter and animal hospital in Merrifield.

A FUNdraiser was held on behalf of Wolf Trap Animal Rescue, a local vet-and-volunteer-run animal rescue team. Organized and coordinated by Jordan Rice, daughter of JDA custom home builder Dennis Rice, the fundraiser included appetizers donated by local restaurants and a diversity of high-quality wines donated by Vienna Vintner.

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Making STEM Fun for Children

Event offered opportunity to learn about STEM subjects.

A local educator used carrots and broccoli to teach girls about science and technology.

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Inbound Traffic

Looming noise mitigation and traffic overflow concerns haunt I-395 project.

The I-395 extension is here. As the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) gets closer to the project’s start in spring, 2017, outreach has started to the affected communities near the road and to the County Board.

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Advice from the Pros

Local private school admissions directors share wisdom they’d offer to their own children.

From interviews to essays to standardized tests to open houses, the season for submitting independent school applications is underway. For families vying for a spot at the area’s most elite schools, the process can be fraught with anxiety, stress and confusion as parents and students wade through the myriad academic options in the Washington, D.C., region.

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Discussing the Election with Children

Local educators offer suggestions for navigating a complicated political climate.

While Colleen K. Vesely has watched televised debates and political events with her children throughout this election season, an event during which the American Civil Rights movement was discussed stands out. It was a concept her 3-year-old daughter didn’t grasp, of course. But Vesely used the moment as opportunity to start guiding her children through this year’s election season.

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Shining A Light on the Arts of Herndon

An “Arts Crawl” around historic downtown was a perfect mid-point for Herndon Arts Week, an annual celebration that started its 2016 run with “Kids Day” at Frying Pan Park and ended appropriately with a performance by child prodigy pianist Jose Andre Montano at ArtSpace in the town.

Herndon: A Dreamy Tale of Love and Loss

Mystical drama ‘Eurydice’ coming to NextStop Theatre.

The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has fascinated audiences for centuries. But NextStop Theatre is producing a modern retelling told from the perspective of Eurydice. That gives it a different outlook. The play titled “Eurydice” is written by Sarah Ruhl.

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Navy’s Birthday Celebrated at Herndon High

Herndon High School Navy JROTC Cadets celebrated the Navy’s 241st Birthday with cake and camaraderie, but they also had a special surprise: Captain Fred Blakeman, the original Senior Naval Science Instructor, joined them for this special day. Captain Blakeman started the unit in 1983 and remained at Herndon for 17 years making the unit one of the best in Fairfax County.

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Herndon: Rising Eagle Scout Demonstrates Talent, Leadership and Philanthropic Spirit

More than 200 members of the community attended Xander Day’s Make A Difference Day Benefit Concert and Children’s Book Drive on Oct. 9 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Herndon.

Herndon/Reston: Innovate Conference Explores Prospects of ‘Individualized Medicine’

The 5th annual Innovate Conference presents “Intersections: Healthcare, Informatics and Personalized medicine” and introduces audiences to a nationally recognized cast of experts. Keith Crandall, PhD, the founding Director of the Computational Biology Institute at George Washington University, sets the stage and introduces opening keynoters Congresswoman Barbara Comstock and Governor Terry McAuliffe (invited), providing a look at Federal and state intersections with research in healthcare and informatics.

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Restonians ‘Embrace Change’

Annual Reston Home Tour features six diverse private homes, and a roam through BLVD, Reston’s newest luxury apartments.

A mild, sunny autumn day made wandering from one end of Reston to the other a decided pleasure, both for the ticket holders for the annual Reston Home Tour, and for the homeowners who generously put their digs on display. “Really,” said one gentleman volunteer at the stop at the five-story Beacon Heights Derrick/Lashlee townhouse along Lake Audubon.

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Reston: ‘Voices of Muslim Identity’ Take CenterStage

Reston Community Center presents “Beyond Sacred.”

Reston’s CenterStage is bringing a singular theater work called “Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity” to local audiences. The production will explore the diversity of experiences in America.