Community Corner

Teen's Death Investigated, Body in Lake, Amazon News and Cutest, Saddest Picture Ever

Top news of the week from our Patches around Virginia and Washington.

Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and Washington. Here are some of the top stories from around the region from last week.

Fairfax Police Investigating 'Potential Criminality' in Death of McLean Teen

Fairfax County police are investigating any “potential criminality” in the death of a McLean teenager Emylee Lonczak. She was found dead Aug. 23 in Vienna, about four miles away from her home. She had been reported as a run away two days earlier. She would have started her junior year at McLean High School this week.

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Man Found Dead in Lake Thoreau

Fairfax County Police helicopters, ground patrol and dive team were called to Reston’s Lake Thoreau Aug. 23 when a man’s body was located floating in the lake. Police recovered the body, which was later identified as Roy Cooley, 91, of Reston. Cooley had been reported missing by his family early that day. The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death.

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The Saddest, Most Adorable Photo You'll See All Day

Dexter is only three months old, but his leg is fractured in four places after the tiny pup was thrown off an apartment balcony last Thursday. The Prince William Humane Society could use some donations to offset the cost of his $2,600 surgery. He's now wearing a cast as he recovers. Animal control is working to identify a suspect.

Amazon Web Services Celebrates Grand Opening of Herndon Headquarters

The much-anticipated grand opening celebration for Amazon Web Services’ new headquarters in Herndon took place Aug. 26. Amazon’s cloud computing division brought with it 500 new jobs to the area. Many of those positions are still vacant.

Hunting, Birth Control Proposed to Decrease Deer Population in Manassas Battlefield Park

National Park officials are considering birth control or hunting for controlling the seemingly out-of-control deer population atManassas Battlefield National Park in Prince William and Fairfax counties. Park officials estimate there are 156 deer per square mile of the eight-mile park, according to Washington Post reports. Deer often carry diseases, and local residents report the deer are nibbling away at their gardens.

Report: Redevelopment Plans Would Demolish 'Deep Throat' Parking Garage

Most of the time, the demolition of a parking garage isn'tmajor news. But the garage at 1401 Wilson Blvd is the placeWashington Post reporter Bob Woodward met with “Deep Throat,” his source during the Watergate investigation.Monday Properties wants to demolish the building and garage at 1400 Wilson Blvd and another at 1400 Key Blvd to make way for a pair of new skyscrapers, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Roadwork on Route 7 Causes Delays in Tyson's Corner

Commuters can expect delays along Route 7 in Tyson’s Corner between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road due to construction work, which will continue into September. Crews are completing paving and restoration work for the east and westbound lanes that run parallel to the new Silver Line for the Dulles Metrorail Project.

Oakton Residents Form Group Opposing Proposed Girl Scout Facility

Oakton residents are at odds with the local Girl Scouts over a proposed 6,000-square-foot warehouse the organization wants to build in the neighborhood. The Washington Post reports that the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital has approached Fairfax County officials about building a storage facility on its 68-acre Camp Crowell in Oakton. The proposed facility has riled neighbors concerned over an “Industrialized Oakton” and a subsequent decrease in property values.

Alexandria Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to D.C. to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor

William G. VanSant, 51, of Alexandria pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession of child pornography and traveling the interstate to D.C. to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, according to a recent news release from the FBI.

What's the Big, Blinking Sign on the George Washington Memorial Parkway?

Northbound drivers of the George Washington Memorial Parkway have probably noticed a newly installed big, blinking sign. Parkway officials, in consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, temporarily have installed a flashing beacon warning system at the trail crosswalk of the northbound lanes of the parkway just prior to Arlington Memorial Bridge, one mile north of I-395.

Panda-Cam: National Zoo's Giant Panda Has New Itty-Bitty Baby Panda

The Smithsonian National Zoo's female giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth Aug. 23 to an apparently healthy cub, but just a day later the mother's second birth was stillborn. Mei Xiang went into labor late in the afternoon, which the Zoo announced in a tweet sent around 4:15 p.m.: "Watch the panda cams now! Mei's water broke a short time ago and she's having contractions. She may give birth in a few hours#cubwatch."

Help Rename This Fairfax City Restaurant, And You Could Win $500 in Free Food

Fairfax City restaurant “The Food” has all-new management and a revamped menu on the way, and you could help select the new name. The staff of The Food narrowed it down to their top three choices. From now through the 15th, locals can log on to the restaurant’s website and vote. If you have a valid email address, you will be sent a 10-percent-off coupon after you vote. Three lucky winners will win big. At random, two runners-up will each get $50 gift cards, and the grand prize winner will get a $500 gift card they can spend little by little on free food for a whole year.

Council Gives Full Support to Suns', Diamond Nation Proposal

Fredericksburg City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move forward with the Baseball Negotiating Team'srecommendations. Under the proposal released by the City Manager last week, Hagerstown Suns ownership, in partnership with Diamond Nation, will invest an estimated $29 million to purchase property in Fredericksburg, then design and construct a multi-use stadium with at least 4,750 fixed seats.  

Mount Vernon Man Dead After Townhouse Fire

A local man is dead after a fire at his townhouse home in the Villages of Mount Vernon. Clifford Johns, 54, of Venoy Court, was taken to INOVA Mount Vernon hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Fire officials are still investigating the cause and manner of his death.

Eight Prince William County Businesses Among America’s Fastest-Growing

Inc. Magazine has ranked eight Prince William County-based businesses as among the fastest-growing in the country. The magazine recently released its annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing businesses.

Alexandria School Board Votes to Release Superintendent

The School Board of Alexandria City Public Schools voted Thursday evening to release Superintendent Morton Sherman from the remainder of his contract per his request for an early retirement. The contract would have ended June 30, 2015. The board voted to pay 39 percent of the remaining contract months or $222,261 plus earned paid leave time valued at $59,246.


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