Animal Control Officer Nabs Elusive Shih Tzu
Officer’s dogged pursuit saves sly pup from life on the streets.
Just 13 pounds of matted fur and fluff, “Biscuit,” a sly shih tzu, evaded capture in the Franconia area for nearly two years, porch-surfing and stealing cats’ food to survive.
Police Receive Alarming Number of Tax Fraud Reports
As annual tax returns are being calculated and submitted in a last-minute furor across the country, Fairfax County Police have received an alarming report of 75 to 100 cases of tax identification fraud in recent weeks. Detectives are warning residents of the scam and urge them to take precautions to prevent being victimized.
Robinson Students Commit to 26 Acts of Kindness
The number 26 is in honor of the 20 students and six staffers killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Even if only 10 percent of Robinson Secondary School’s almost four thousand students accept the Student Government Association (SGA)’s 26 Acts of Kindness Challenge during the month of April, that would still mean 10,400 random acts of kindness and courtesy added to the world. Not a bad achievement.
Burke Rotary, Library Foundation Partner to Provide Community Scholarships
Fairfax Library Foundation will be able to provide more scholarships to the community this year—thanks to the Rotary Club of Burke. The Burke Rotary, an affiliate of Rotary International since 1984, has contributed a $3,000 gift to fund additional undergraduate scholarships for the foundation’s scholarship program in 2013.
Theresa Marie Patchan “Terre” of Burke Dies
Theresa Marie Patchan “Terre” of Burke died Wednesday, April 3, unexpectedly at her home.
Robinson Boys’ Lax Beats Defending State Champ Langley
Sophomore Jasien leads Rams with three goals against Saxons.
Robinson boys' lacrosse coach Matt Curran doesn't want the Rams getting cocky after beating defending state champion Langley.
Housing Market: Strong, But Slowing
Sustained low interest rates and rising prices have energized the marketplace, but cuts to government expenditures will eventually cool things down.
A few weeks ago, George Mason University Professor Stephen Fuller, Ph.D, published an update of his July 17, 2012 report that projected imminent and hard-hitting economic effects from sequestration.
Letter: A Photo ID: Victory for Voters
The voters of Virginia won a great victory when Governor McDonnell signed SB 1256, which changes Virginia’s law to require a recent photo ID as the only acceptable identification for voting. Thus, a positive identification can now be made with a visual check to verify that the person coming to vote is actually who he claims to be.
Column: Paying More for Less
Poorer taxpayers are hit the hardest.
When it was first presented to the board, I described the county executive’s proposed FY 2014 budget as asking taxpayers to pay more for the same services, and asking county employees to work harder for the same pay. It’s clear that county taxpayers are hurt by this budget.
Hackathon to Promote Invention
24-hour computer science event to be held April 26-27.
The first time Mayank Jain heard of a hackathon was as a freshman at the University of Illinois. Having graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in June 2012, a tournament such as this, where students collaborated and created software projects within a short window of time, was what he was looking for from the field of computer sciences.
Happy Feet
West Springfield Dance Team wins fourth consecutive NDA National Championship.
Despite being three-time national champions, the West Springfield Dance Team coaches weren’t taking anything for granted going into the 2013 NDA Nationals competition. “We didn’t think we’d win Nationals,” said coach-choreographer Tara Perez. “We’re very critical of our routines and every year is a completely new place.”
West Springfield Wins State Championship for Drama
West Springfield High School won the state championship for drama last month at the Virginia High School League One-Act Competition Finals in Charlottesville. This is the first state drama title for West Springfield in 15 years. The theatre department presented “The Other Room,” by Ariadne Blayde, which tells the story of Austin, a high-functioning autistic teenager who tries to connect with a female classmate while battling the voices in his head.
Connolly’s Art Contest Deadline April 5
High school students residing in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District are encouraged to participate in Congressman Gerry Connolly’s annual Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery. Connolly is accepting artwork entries at his Annandale and Prince William District Offices until April 5.
Fairfax Adult Softball Continues to Support Special Olympics
Participants, family, friends and supporters of Fairfax Adult Softball, Inc. (FAS) united together on Jan. 27 for the 13th Annual Bowling Tournament to benefit Northern Virginia Special Olympics and Fairfax County Park Authority field improvements.
Protecting Both Gun Rights and Public Safety
It was an historic year in the Virginia General Assembly. We passed a once-in-a-generation transportation funding bill and laid the foundation for 400,000 thousand Virginians to gain health insurance through an expansion of Medicaid that will create nearly 30,000 new health care jobs.