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Fundraising and Connections Help Former Lieutenant Governor Emerge Victorious

Don Beyer edges out six competitors in crowded filed of candidates.

When asked about animals rights, former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer quotes author Peter Singer. He describes his wife as the "sine qua non" of his life. During his victory speech in the hotly contested Democratic primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), he quoted St. Augustine and Winston Churchill. He reads widely and has five policy proposals for every issue before Congress.

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Eat. Drink. Pay?

Fairfax County task force debates voters’ appetite for another meals tax referendum.

It has been 22 years since Fairfax County asked voters to approve a tax on restaurant meals, an issue that ignited protests, caused deep divisions among community leaders and threatened to melt down several political careers. The reverberations of that epic failure — what many consider the third rail of county politics — continue to echo in the ears of county politicians.

Fairfax County is Home to 10 Companies on 2014 Fortune 500 List

Ten Fairfax County-based companies, in industries ranging from defense and technology consulting to financial services and hospitality, hold spots in Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. The 2014 Fortune 500 is available online.

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Empire Strikes Back: Establishment Beats Tea Party at Republican Convention

Party insider Ed Gillespie seizes nomination at convention in Roanoke.

When conservative preacher E.W. Jackson took the stage at the Roanoke Civic Center to introduce Tea Party favorite Shak Hill at the Republican convention last weekend, hundreds of conservatives from across Virginia took to their feet. They waved placards.

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Poverty in the Classroom: Low-Income Students Scattered Through Northern Virginia

Where are the region's highest poverty schools?

When Carla Castro-Claure was approaching the age when she would soon attend Kindergarten, her mother became increasingly concerned about Hybla Valley Elementary School.

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Expanding Background Check for Childcare Providers

Elly Lafkin’s baby, Cami, died tragically two years ago in a home daycare center in Harrisonburg, Va. She and her family experienced firsthand the need for expanded legislation regarding Virginia’s current background check process for childcare providers.

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100 New Citizens Welcomed in Fairfax County

New citizens welcomed at Naturalization Ceremony of the Fairfax County Asian American History Project.

New American citizens started off their Memorial Day Weekend in a very patriotic way: celebrating their newfound American Citizenship through a naturalization ceremony.

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Countdown to World Police and Fire Games Begins

The event will bring 12,000 athletes from 70 countries to region in Summer 2015

Even though the opening ceremony is still a little over a year away, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe joined officials from Fairfax County last week to announce the countdown to the 2015 World Police and Fire Games.

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Residents Learn the Ins and Outs of Fairfax County

Supervisor Cook’s Neighborhood College Program helps citizens navigate County.

Braddock District residents came to Supervisor John Cook’s Neighborhood College Program for a variety of reasons, from wanting to be better leaders of their civic associations to looking to refresh their knowledge of local government, but all will be better informed and more able to navigate Fairfax County after graduating from the class.

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Seven in the Eighth: Epic Democratic Primary Heads Toward Final Days

Hotly contested race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8)

Ten names will be on the ballot June 10, although only seven candidates are still in the Democratic primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8).

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Sharing Burden of PTSD

Sharing Burden of PTSD

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Trained in Prison, Healing in N. Virginia

Healing power of dogs creates ties between prisoners, veterans, children with disabilities.

When I first started going inside prisons for paws4people.org, my job was three-fold: to capture, through photography, the connection between the dogs and their inmate trainers, to provide images that reflected the accomplishments of months of training and to document the moment that veterans, children and young adults were matched with their assistance dogs.

Major Construction and Lane Closures on I-95 This Summer

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced that drivers traveling on I-95 in Northern Virginia should prepare for more lane closures and traffic impacts this summer. While construction-related lane closures on I-95 will be restricted through the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, drivers will face continued closures of the existing HOV and regular lanes on I-395/95 during overnight hours and weekends, as well as on weekdays during non-rush hours, as crews advance Express Lanes construction. Construction of the nearly $1 billion 95 Express Lanes project is nearly 80 percent complete. The high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes project remains on-schedule to be substantially finished by late 2014 and open to traffic in early 2015.

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Distracted Driving Rising in Fairfax County, Interstate 95

Drivers are encouraged to avoid their phones

Although April was designated as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the issue continues to affect drivers in and around Fairfax County throughout the year. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, distracted driving resulted in 1,175 crashes in 2013. In the Lee district, Franconia Road and South Van Dorn Street was a top location for crashes involving distracted drivers.

Del. Filler-Corn Appointed to State Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) was appointed to the Virginia Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation in April. This Commission is comprised of members of the General Assembly to promote the Commonwealth’s interest between other states and the federal government. The Commission formulates proposals for cooperation between Virginia and other states as well as formulating proposals concerning interstate contracts and conferences. Additionally, the Commission monitors and makes recommendations concerning federal policies that are of concern to the Commonwealth.