Fairfax County: Board of Supervisors Accepts Final Report from Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission
Civilian Oversight Board Proposed, Debated
Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission chairman Michael Hershman was clear about what his group was, and was not tasked to do.
Mount Vernon: In Stitches Needlework Celebrates 20 Years
Alexandria resident Ellen Meyer has been keeping customers “In Stitches” at her specialty needlepoint store for 20 years. The owner celebrated her shop’s anniversary on Sept. 5, with grilled hot dogs, cake, balloons and a gold work demonstration from award-winning needlewoman Deborah Wilson.
Mount Vernon: Gandee Touts Business Background for Supervisor Seat
Holly Dougherty, executive director of the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, said Jane Gandee is the reason that organization became involved with helping the homeless along Richmond Highway.
Mount Vernon: Storck Emphasizes School Board Experience in Supervisor Race
Christine Morin of Lorton remembers when South County Secondary School opened in 2005. She found out Fairfax County said they had no plans to build a South County middle school, as the system had previously promised, which was a reason Morin and her family moved to Laurel Hill from Burke.
Mount Vernon: Hyland Hospitalized After Meeting
Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital after experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath during the Board of Supervisors Oct. 20 meeting, Fairfax County spokesperson Tony Castrilli said.
Fairfax Station: First Decoding Dyslexia 5K Held at Burke Lake
Raising awareness, advocating for more services in schools
When Fairfax resident Calvin Rizek was in first grade, he remembers not being able to read along with the class, but “just flipping pages, like everyone else.”
Fairfax County: Sexual Violence Task Force Presents Recommendations
A Fairfax County task force established in March to review the state of sexual violence education and awareness presented a set of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors at their Sept. 29 meeting.
Fairfax: March Escapee from Inova Hospital Sentenced
Arlington man Wossen Assaye, 43, led law enforcement officials from several jurisdictions on a man hunt for hours on March 31, 2015, after escaping from custody at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Fairfax County: School Board To Discuss Delay for Presidential Primary
To alleviate congestion and chaos at 165 of the 196 Fairfax County schools and centers that double as polling places, the Fairfax County Board of Elections requested the School Board look at delaying school two hours on March 1, 2016 for the presidential primary.
Fairfax County: Police Commission Calls for Auditor, Civilian Review Board
Unanimous recommendations head to supervisors in wake of John Geer shooting, transparency missteps.
After six months of meetings, the Ad Hoc commission created by Board of Supervisors chairman Sharon Bulova to review police practices has concluded its primary work. Chair of the commission’s Independent Oversight and Investigations subcommittee Jack Johnson presented that group’s final recommendations to the full commission on Oct. 8.
Candidates Speak at Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast on Oct. 8
Candidates speak at the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast on Oct. 8
Mount Vernon: Special Single Malt Unveiled At George Washington’s Distillery
General George Washington and his Scottish farm manager James Anderson reflected on Anderson’s suggestion to add whiskey distillation to the plantation milling business.
Mount Vernon Brief: Shooting Death Under Investigation
A community member reported hearing a gunshot and a man lying in the road around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, Oct. 4, Fairfax County Police said.
Mount Vernon: Fighting Hunger Firsthand
Woodley Hills Food 4 Thought helps families with food insecurity.
Dina Koch and Sara Boehm of the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria want to teach her children when they see a problem, they should step in, reach out and fix it.
Lee District Candidates Meet at John Marshall Library
League of Women Voters hosts forum.
They may not be old enough to vote, but twin sisters Madelyn and Miranda Khoury paid as much attention to the presentations as anyone in the audience at an Oct. 5 Meet the Candidates event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Fairfax.
Fairfax County: Candidates Meet on Fairfax Public Access
Clerk, Sheriff and Soil & Water incumbents and challengers answer questions.
Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid wasted no time in bringing up the in-custody death of Natasha McKenna during her opening remarks. Kincaid said the loss of life, which occurred in February following an incident where a team of Sheriff’s deputies was attempting to transport McKenna to Alexandria police and deployed a taser on her four times, continues to weigh heavily on her.
Mount Vernon: Expanding Fort Belvoir Elementary
When Fort Belvoir Elementary School opens in 2016, an expanded campus will provide a base institution for all school-aged children of Fort Belvoir families. The expansion includes 20 general education classrooms, bringing the population capacity to 1,594 students, according to a release from Fairfax County Public Schools.
146 Fairfax County Schools Energy Star-Certified
New Auditor General also appointed at Sept. 24 meeting
In the last year and a half, Fairfax County Public Schools have been able to reduce the energy consumption in their buildings by 15 percent. That cut down resulted in savings of $4.5 million, according to a release Sept. 25 by the school system.
Fairfax County: West Nile Cases Even with Five-Year Average
There have been just three documented cases of West Nile Virus in Fairfax County so far in 2015, equaling the previous five-year average, according to Fairfax County Health Department public safety information officer John Silcox.
Principal Nardos King Leaves Mount Vernon High School
On her last day, Mount Vernon High School principal Nardos King went into school trying to act like it wasn’t anything different. But as she walked through the halls, she couldn’t help but reminisce over the 20 years of different jobs and professional growth she experienced in the building.
Mount Vernon: Crowd Fills Candidate Forum
Without an incumbent running for Mount Vernon District supervisor, the candidates meet and greet event at the Sherwood Regional Library was understandably crowded. Republican Jane Gandee is running against Democratic primary winner Dan Storck to replace longtime supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), who announced he would not seek re-election last year.
Mount Vernon: Local Man Charged in Shooting Death
Freddy A. Bonilla Rodriguez of Alexandria was charged with second-degree murder in a Hybla Valley shooting that occurred Sept. 21.
Fairfax County NAACP hosts 70th Freedom Fund Awards
‘Your Vote, Your Power’
J.E.B. Stuart High School seniors Anna Rowan, Cassie Marcotty, Marley Finley, Abby Conde and Lidia Amanuel were bothered by the Confederate legacy of their school. Inspired by a history class with teacher Keith Bropst on the Massive Resistance anti-segregation policy, the girls set out to change Stuart’s name, mascot and colors.
Fairfax NAACP To Host Rally Seeking ‘Justice for Natasha McKenna’
Fairfax County NCAAP president Shirley Ginwright announced a rally will be held Sept. 27 to demand justice for Natasha McKenna, a 37-year-old woman with mental illness who died in February after she had been held in the Adult Detention Center.
Fairfax County: ‘Reports and Tears Are Not Enough’
Protesters demonstrate for Natasha McKenna, social justice and improved mental health services at ad hoc police review commission public hearing.
Cayce Utley of Centreville said Natasha McKenna, the 37-year-old African American woman with mental illness who died in the Sheriff’s Office custody in February, must be “more than just a mistake, more than an accident. Black women aren’t your ‘Oops,’ they aren’t your teachable moments.”
Fairfax County School Board Reflects on First Day of Later Start Times
James Madison High School senior Ben Press provided firsthand testimony for the positive effect of new later start times for Fairfax County high school students. “Your investment in our health paid off, as can be seen in the better-rested faces of thousands of high school students across the county,” said Press, addressing the Fairfax County School Board in his new role as student representative at their Sept. 10 meeting.
Fairfax County: Garza Tours on the First Day of School
Though she visited several schools on the first day of the new year, Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent only received one welcome banner. That was from the articulate student leaders at Mantua Elementary School, who told her “sense of community” and “great teachers who encourage creativity” were among their favorite things about the school.
Mount Vernon: No Criminal Charges In McKenna Death
Tasers did not directly cause Natasha McKenna’s death, nor are any of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office deputies involved with the case being charged with a crime. Those are the positions announced Tuesday, Sept. 8 by Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh.
Mount Vernon Neighborhood Outlook: Commercial, Residential Projects Reshape Area
“Embark Richmond Highway” to meet Sept. 21.
Baywood Hotels is planning to break ground this fall on a 92-room hotel in the Woodlawn area.
Mount Vernon: Picnic with the President
Mount Vernon Neighborhood Friends raising money to upgrade fire suppression.
Lorne Campbell was told the historic property he bought on Robertson Boulevard was once part of an area where George Washington liked to have his pigs graze.
Fairfax County: Policy Changes Recommended on Mental Health and Crisis Intervention
About half of the inmates in the Fairfax County Jail have a mental health illness or substance abuse disorders. The Mental Health and Crisis Intervention Team subcommittee of the Fairfax County Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission included this information from County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid in the introduction to its list of policy change recommendations to the full commission on Aug. 17.
Fairfax County: Former Police Officer Charged with John Geer Murder
Adam Torres indicted by special grand jury.
Adam Torres has been charged with murdering John Geer. Though Torres shot the unarmed man once in the chest nearly two years ago, the then-Fairfax County Police officer remained on the department’s payroll until being terminated July 31, 2015.
Mount Vernon Brief: Suspect Arrested For Homicide
Fairfax County police have arrested 19-year-old Michael Norman Powell of Alexandria and charged him with second-degree murder in the death of Khalid Aboumalik, 42.
Mount Vernon Brief: Neighborhood Resource Fair Returns Sept. 12
From animal control and code compliance to stormwater management and community revitalization, Lee District community members will have a chance to get a variety of county service questions answered — all in one place.
Mount Vernon: Questions Pursued after Encounter with Police
Iraq war veteran calls Internal Affairs commander’s statements “victim blaming.”
Alex Horton waited patiently for his chance to speak. Meanwhile the Use of Force subcommittee of the Fairfax County ad hoc commission to review police policies and procedures waded through the results of a survey to determine the content and language of policy change recommendations it will eventually bring to the full commission.
Mount Vernon: Use of Force Subcommittee To Pilot Case Review Process
The Aug. 12 Use of Force subcommittee meeting began with a discussion of the Fairfax County Chief of Police Edwin Roessler’s public release of brief summaries of every officer-involved shooting going back to 2005.
Mount Vernon: Bennett Joins Former Opponent Storck’s Supervisor Campaign
She didn’t beat him and now she’s joining him.
Mount Vernon: Police Identify Homicide Victim
One day after Fairfax County Police reported finding the victim of an apparent homicide in Huntington Park, they identified the dead middle-aged man as Khalid Aboumalik, 42, with no permanent address in Fairfax County.
Mount Vernon: Rights Restored
Secretary of the Commonwealth visits Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Fifteen years ago, a local man made a mistake. He was working in the automotive industry and accepted a gift of socks, ties, suits and gloves. The merchandise turned out to be stolen and valued at over $200, the minimum for a felony charge in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Lorton and Mount Vernon: Bennett Joins Former Opponent Storck’s Supervisor Campaign
She didn’t beat him and now she’s joining him. Nearly two months since Dan Storck won the Democratic primary election for Mount Vernon District supervisor, his campaign announced former opposing candidate Candice Bennett has joined up as the Storck team’s director of communications.
Fairfax County Seeks Partner to Develop Training Center Property
Deadline for offers on the surplus land is Sept. 1.
Potential buyers have until September to make their offers to purchase the roughly 80 acres of property along Braddock Road where the Northern Virginia Training Center currently sits.
Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission Subcommittees Report
“It is well past time for the Fairfax County Police Department to start providing timely, honest and effective communications with everything it does.” When former director of Fairfax County public affairs Merni Fitzgerald delivered the final report and recommendations of the communications subcommittee of the Fairfax County ad hoc commission to review police practices, commissioner Joseph Cammarata responded immediately to those words in report’s introduction.
Fairfax: Special Grand Jury Begins Hearing Testimony in John Geer Case
Since shooting John Geer dead in the doorway of his Springfield home on Aug. 29, 2013, PFC Adam Torres of the Fairfax County Police Department has remained at work, albeit out of the field, but undisciplined by police and unprosecuted for any criminal wrongdoing.
Fairfax County School Board Honors Retiring Leaders, Adopts Budget Review and Audit Plan
In their last meeting of the summer, Fairfax County School Board members began by remembering former superintendent Dr. Robert Spillane, who recently died, and recognizing outgoing members of the school system’s leadership team.
Mount Vernon: Not Willing To Wait
Elected officials and candidates discuss Bus Rapid Transit and Metro expansion timetables.
Waiting at least 11 years for implementing a Bus Rapid Transit system along the Route 1 corridor and 25 years to extend the Metrorail Yellow Line to Hybla Valley is too much time.
Mount Vernon: Human Remains Discovered In Mount Vernon Area Woods
A man walking in the woods near Woodlawn Park discovered decomposing human remains and contacted police.
Baptist Youth Campers Repair Lorton Homes
Jeff Moten started the week with 31 teenagers on his lawn. Baptist youth from around Virginia arrived at his Lorton property around 9 a.m. on Monday, July 13. By 10, they had cleared much of the natural overgrowth in his front and back yards, begun stripping his home’s roof and removing debris from a rear room where the floor had collapsed.
Fairfax County Police Release Updated In-Car Video Program Guidelines
In a January 2015 informational video, Fairfax County Police said around 600 of the department’s cruisers, spread across all eight law enforcement districts, were equipped with in-car video recording devices.
Mount Vernon: Police Chief Provides Timeline on McKenna’s Death
Report sent to Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Natasha McKenna died while in the custody of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Department on Feb. 8, 2015.
Mount Vernon: Free Meals During Summer
Virginia First Lady and NFL Player highlight Summer Food Service Program for Children.
Visiting with children at Hollin Meadows Elementary School, Dorothy McAuliffe playfully reminded them that as First Lady of Virginia, she’s not, in fact, Michelle Obama. Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s (D) wife was joined at the Mount Vernon-area school by San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith to meet with the children and hand out free lunches as part of the Summer Food Service Program.