Community Corner

Top 16: Watch Your Taxes, USS Arlington, Swanky Sushi, Infant's Body, Police Shootings

Top Virginia and DC news from around our Patches.

 

Patch has 31 community sites in Virginia and D.C. Here are some of the top stories from around the region over the past week.

16. Reston's Founder Celebrates 99th Birthday

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Robert E. Simon, who nearly 50 years ago had a vision that he could turn cow pastures near the new Dulles Airport into a thriving "new town," celebrated his 99th birthday on Wednesday. The nonagenarian still lives at Lake Anne Plaza, Reston's original Town Center, and is out on the town several nights a week. The community will have the chance to offer its best wishes to Simon at Founder's Day at noon on Saturday.

15. Police Investigating Fraudulent Tax Returns in Fairfax County

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While some are under the stress of a looming tax deadline less than a week away, some Fairfax County taxpayers are dealing with a different problem. More than 75 people have called Fairfax County Police complaining their identities have been stolen and false tax returns filed in their names. Lucy Caldwell, a county police spokeswoman, said taxpayers don’t realize they’re victims until they go to file their tax returns and are told that the IRS has already received and documented their returns. Victims are being told by the IRS to call their local police department, Caldwell said.

14. New Superintendent for Fairfax County Schools

A "strategic planner, a systems thinker, a stellar manager, and a highly effective communicator" is how the Fairfax County School Board described Karen Garza, the Texas superintendent leaders announced as their preferred candidate for superintendent Wednesday.Garza, who for the past four years has led the 30,000-student district of Lubbock, Texas, will assume the role pending final negotiations and a board site visit to the Lubbock Independent School District (ISD). She will become the system's first female superintendent as she takes the place of current Superintendent Jack Dale, who retires June 30.

13. Landmark Mall Redevelopment

More than 200 people crowded into the community room at Landmark Mall on Monday night to hear how the Howard Hughes Corp. plans to redevelop the central portion of the mall into seven blocks in an urban town center with retail, restaurants and residential space. Howard Hughes, Sears and Macy’s each own about a third of the mall and parking lots. The redevelopment plans would affect only what Howard Hughes owns, and Sears and Macy’s would become stand-alone stores connected by a pedestrian walkway through the street blocks. 

12. Biden in Arlington

Vice President Joe Biden visited Clarendon's Liberty Tavern on Wednesday. He was there filming a segment for MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show that was scheduled to air Thursday morning. "They told us they had a short list of restaurants in Arlington and Alexandria and Liberty Tavern was chosen," said Mark Fedorchak, who is an owner of the Liberty Tavern, Northside Social Coffee & Wine, and Lyon Hall restaurants in Clarendon. Biden had coffee and pastries from Northside Social during his visit, Fedorchak said.

11. Preparations Under Way for Upscale Sushi Bar in Del Ray

The folks behind Pork Barrel BBQ and Holy Cow will round out their restaurant trilogy in the 2300 block of Mount Vernon Avenue with an R-rated sushi bar. “Mango” Mike Anderson tells Patch he and his partners are installing furnishings and meeting regularly with a sushi consultant in preparing to open an 18-and-over sushi bar that will be advertised by a single, yet-to-be-determined Japanese character above the door.

10. Police: Woman Robbed by Teenager in Mount Vernon

A 44-year-old was retrieving her cell phone from her vehicle Monday when a juvenile brandished a knife and demanded her purse. The victim fled and was not injured. Several officers, the helicopter, and a K-9 team searched for the suspect. The 13-year-old suspect was located and charged with armed robbery.

9. Construction on Insight Huntington Metro Begins 

Construction has begun on the Insight Huntington Metro project located at North Kings Highway and School Street in Alexandria. 

8. Whole Foods Reopens After Resolving 'Imminent Health Hazard'

The Whole Foods in Glover Park, 2323 Wisconsin Ave. NW, was temporarily closed to customers Tuesday afternoon after a health inspector found the store to have "imminent health hazards." Several customers tweeted about the closure Tuesday around 1 p.m. including one with a photo of a notice posted today on the door by a DC Department of Health inspector. Katie Wolffe, the marketing team leader for the Glover Park Whole Foods, told Patch a health department inspector recorded their hot water temperature at 96 degrees when the appropriate level is 100 degrees.

7. More Development in Northern Virginia

Another massive development in Tysons Corner was given a go-ahead this week. During its regular meeting Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved CityLine Partners’ new Scotts Run South development project, which will bring 6.6 million square feet of mixed-use space across 17 buildings near the future McLean Metro Station. Scotts Run South will be more than 30 acres and include office, residential, retail and hotel space, replacing the majority of the existing West*Gate Office Park.

6. Annandale High School Teacher Charged with Assaulting Student 

An Annandale High School (AHS) teacher has been charged with assaulting an AHS student. The teacher was charged this week with one misdemeanor count of assault for a March 12 incident involving a student. Fairfax County Public Schools spokesman John Torre confirmed to Patch that the teacher, Anne Perry, 64, of Springfield, is a learning disabilities teacher at AHS. According to The A-Blast, the AHS student newspaper, Perry has been a teacher since 1990.The teacher will appear in court for a hearing on May 15.

5. Police Officers Responding to Possible Suicide Threat Shoot Man in Kingstowne

Fairfax County police officers responding to a call Tuesday afternoon shot a man in Kingstowne after an altercation. A 911 call came in at about 4 p.m. Tuesday about a possible suicide threat, according to Officer Don Gotthardt, public information officer for Fairfax County Police, who was on the scene Tuesday night at the 6600 block of Thurlton Drive in Kingstowne.

4. Latest on the Shooting Death of Marcellus 'Bull' Greene Sr.

Marcellus “Bull” Greene, Sr., a former semi-pro football player with the Prince William Monarchs, was killed in a drive-by shooting at the Q-Ball Cafe in the early morning of March 30, while working as a security guard at the Fredericksburg club. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting, but the primary suspect — Chauncey Cartier Lampkin (a.k.a. Fresh) — is still at large. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office has brought in the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force in a nationwide search for Lampkin, Capt. Jeff Pearce, sheriff's office spokesperson, said.

3. USS Arlington: Commissioning Brings Ship to Life [Photos] 

The USS Arlington was commissioned this month before an estimated 5,000 people and formally joined the Navy's fleet of warships. The ship is 684 feet long and weighs about 24,900 tons. It's designed to carry ground and some air vehicles close to shore in hostile situations. The ship is laden with reminders of the men and women who died at the Pentagon on 9/11 and the first responders who assisted that day.

Full Package:

  • USS Arlington: Crew Talks About What 'Arlington' Means to Them [Video]
  • USS Arlington Commissioned in Front of Thousands
  • USS Arlington: 'Don't Mess With Us' [Video]
  • USS Arlington: 'This is Awesome' [Photos]

2. Sheriff: Newborn in Pond for 'Days'

Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman revealed the newborn child found dead Sunday morning in a pond in CountrySide was white or Hispanic female that appeared to have been in the pond for a couple of days. There were no signs of trauma, Chapman said. While the medical examiner continues to perform a full examination, preliminary results indicated that the child had not eaten and did not have water in her lungs. The girl appears to have reached full term prior to birth, but its unclear whether she survived birth, Chapman said.

1. Prosecutor: Bashir 'Intentionally and Maliciously' Shot Officer Laboy

Witnesses during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Alexandria General District Court offered details into the case of the Alexandria police officer who was shot in the head.

Witnesses testifying in the shooting case of officer Peter Laboy outlined a sunny, normal day that turned Feb. 27 into a surreal nightmare, leaving the Alexandria officer critically injured and police on a high-speed chase into Fairfax County.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter opened the preliminary hearing Wednesday in Alexandria General District Court saying alleged shooter Kashif Bashir “intentionally and maliciously” shot Laboy in the head, leaving him injured and bleeding.

Past Tops:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here