Community Corner

Top 18: Coach Charged With Sexual Assault, Puppy Lighting Proposed, Bizarre Fatal Crash and Jimmy Buffett Busts Bridge Opening Plan

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

By Greg Hambrick

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

Coach Charged With Sexual Assault of Girl Under Age 13

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A well-known trainer who coached basketball teams across Northern Virginia has been arrested for alleged sexual encounters he had with one of his young female athletes — and authorities say she may not be the only victim. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office arrested the Reston man on Saturday and charged him with sexual assault and solicitation of child pornography.

Police: Mirror Used to Look Up Woman’s Dress at Walmart

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A Woodbridge man allegedly used a mirror to look up a woman's dress at Walmart and then made inappropriate gestures toward her, Prince William County Police said. The man is charged with obscene sexual display and disorderly conduct. The victim told police that she was shopping inside the store when she saw the man following her. He was pushing a cart that had a mirror on the bottom rack.

Jimmy Buffett Concert Delays Opening of Gainesville Bridge

The final steps in a multi-million dollar bridge project will just have to wait. Jimmy Buffett is coming to town. Plans to open the Gainesville Route 29 bridge have been altered  to make way for the "Margaritaville" singer's sold out concert at Bristow's Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater next weekend. Traffic was due to shift onto the new bridge by Aug. 17 but Virginia Department of Transportation officials decided to push it back by one week because of the expected concert traffic.

Police: Woman Jumps to Death in Ballston

Arlington police are investigating a suspected suicide in Ballston after a woman jumped from the rooftop of an apartment building Wednesday. The woman landed on a car and was pronounced dead when emergency responders arrived on the scene in the 4000 block of 9th Street North. A similar incident occurred in the same area in April 2011.

Simpson Dog Park May See the Light

Just in case you need it, here’s more evidence Alexandria has gone to the dogs. Alexandria’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities has filed an application for a special-use permit requesting lighting for the dog park within Simpson Stadium Park in Del Ray. While many areas of Simpson Stadium Park have lights, including the ball fields and a basketball court, the dog park itself is not directly lit in the evenings. The dog area receives substantial use throughout the year, including winter months when the sun sets earlier in the day.

Fairfax Man Killed in Crash into T-Mobile Store

A Fairfax man was killed on Sunday in a crash that is still baffling local police working to piece together the events that led up to it. Based on the initial investigation, it appears to authorities that the 29-year-old driver suddenly accelerated after stopping at a red light just east of the Fairfax Boulevard-Kamp Washington intersection, swerved across several lanes and up over the median, and finally crashed into the T-Mobile building on Fairfax Boulevard. The man was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead.

St. James Group Withdraws Proposal to Develop Hensley Park

The St. James Group announced Tuesday it is withdrawing its proposal to develop Joseph Hensley Park in Alexandria into a sports and entertainment complex. The proposed colossal sports complex included a multitude of amenities currently not available in the city, including an Olympic-sized indoor pool, ice-skating rinks, indoor golf facility and much more.

Airplane Crash: Suicide Threat, Frantic Phone Call, Fireball

A panicked call from a fiancée on July 22 alerted law enforcement to a potentially suicidal pilot preparing for take-off at Shannon Airport. She had apparently found a note and rushed to the airport. Edwin Gordon Hassle, 22, died in a crash within minutes of taking off in a flight school plane. Hassle was a licensed pilot and the only person in the plane when it reportedly flew high then dropped directly to the ground. Transcripts of the 9-1-1 call and the notes from Spotsylvania Sheriff's officers first on the scene at Shannon Airport were obtained by Patch through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Police Call Off Search of Lake Barcroft After 911 Call

Officers from Fairfax County Police and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue have called off a search at Lake Barcroft after a 911 call Monday night at about 6:30 p.m. reporting a person in distress in the water, a spokesman for police said Tuesday morning. Officers have left the area near Beachway Drive at the lake after an hours-long search that included officers exploring the lake by boat and canvassing the neighborhood to see if any neighbors knew of someone missing.

Yard-Hopping Burglars Hit at Least 8 Georgetown Garages

Georgetown was hit with burglaries to eight homes and garages over a five-day period last weekend, with six recorded incidents and at least two others reported by residents, but not reflected in police reports. MPD released additional information about several of the reported burglaries, including that nearly all instances involved burglars stealing items from unlocked garages. Police have increased their presence in the residential section of Georgetown.

DynCorp Moving Corporate HQ to Tysons

Government contractor DynCorp International is moving to Tysons and bringing 180 jobs with it. The Washington Post reports that DynCorp will relocate its corporate headquarters from Falls Church to Tysons, near the intersection of Route 123 and I-495. The new building was formerly occupied by Northrop Grumman and is owned by CityLine Partners, a major developer in Fairfax County’s long-term plan to turn Tysons into a walkable cityscape.

Costco Gives Preview Of Store Before Opening

Sales associates lined up at the entrance of the new Costco on Richmond Highway as Alexandria residents stopped by Wednesday to get a preview of the store. The 600-space parking lot quickly filled as residents visited to register for their Costco memberships and view the inside of the massive new addition to the Route 1 corridor. The store officially opened Thursday.

Herndon Hires New Economic Development Manager

The Town of Herndon has made it clear that it is working in a big way to attract more, bigger and better businesses to the town as part of its economic development strategy. This week, the Town announced that it has created a new staff position, Economic Development Manager, and that it had hired Dennis Holste Jr. to fill the position. The announcement came on the heels of a conversation that sparked up among Patch readers on that very subject, after Patch published an article that two major companies - Harris Corp. and Lockheed Martin - had signed leases just on the other side of the town’s border in the county area of Herndon.

Thai Food Opens in Annandale

A new Thai cuisine restaurant is now open in Annandale. The restaurant, called Thai Food, opened on July 9, according to an employee. Located at 7031-2A Little River Turnpike beside Food Corner Kabob, the restaurant specializes in exactly what its name implies: thai food.

Dave Grohl Spotted in Shirlington

A renowned music artist — and Northern Virginia product — was spotted in Shirlington recently. Dave Grohl, the former Nirvana drummer and frontman of Foo Fighters, was seen with his wife and daughters in Shirlington Aug. 1, according to the Washington Post.

Police Charge Chantilly Income Tax Preparer with Fraud

Fairfax County Police have arrested a Chantilly tax preparer with fraud, FCPD announced Wednesday. The woman was charged in an investigation involving fraudulent preparation and submission of income tax return documents. The suspect is the owner of T2 Advantage LLC, a tax preparation company.

Burke Students Awarded Scholarships

Two Burke natives were awarded scholarships from the Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation. The foundation awarded Timothy Tran with the Ben DeFelice Scholarship, which was established in 2005 to pay tribute to a former chairman of the board. Tran currently attends Princeton University. Nicholas Balenger was awarded the the Central Intelligence Retirees Association (CIRA) scholarship. Balenger will attend Virginia Tech.

The Nighthawks Perform at Lee District Park

The Nighthawks performed in the Lee District Nights summer concert series. A large crowd of Kingstowne and surrounding-area residents filled the small venue at Lee District Park on Wednesday evening to enjoy the music despite the dark clouds. Refreshments were served for residents and their furry family members.


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