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Top Local News

MWAA ripped in U.S. Department of Transportation IG report

Wed., May. 16 | 03:03 PM - MWAA in past years has had to answer questions relating to its internal operations, financial disclosures and bidding practices; this publicity has heightened of late considering the authority is in charge of overseeing construction of the approximately $5.5 billion Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which will bring Metro's Silver Line to the Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County.

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Pending Governor’s signature, commonwealth finally has a budget

Wed., May. 16 | 01:02 PM - Two months later than expected, the Virginia General Assembly has agreed on two-year spending plan for the commonwealth.

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Raspberry Falls well operational again

Wed., May. 16 | 10:05 AM - A well in Raspberry Falls shut down in August 2011 is back in service, Loudoun Water officials announced May 15.

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Stone Bridge named Top 10 school by U.S. News

Wed., May. 16 | 09:34 AM - With high state scores, performance average and advanced placement test scores, Stone Bridge High School was named the No. 10 best high school in the state of Virginia by U.S News and World Reports. This is the first year a Loudoun County Public School reached the top 10 for best high school in Virginia.

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Supervisors approve $7.9 million increase for schools

Tue., May. 15 | 07:21 PM - Loudoun County Public Schools will see an additional $7.9 million for its fiscal 2013 budget from the county's Board of Supervisors contingent on Gov. Bob McDonnell signing off on the two-year state budget approved by the General Assembly May 14.

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Delgaudio says Obama “assaulting” traditional marriage

Tue., May. 15 | 02:14 PM - Loudoun County Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling), in response to President Barack Obama's announcement in support of gay marriage, says the president's “evolution comment gives evolutionists” a bad name.

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Danny Hurdle, owner of Carolina Brothers Barbecue, often sees to it himself his pork and beef is smoked just right. Times-Mirror Photo/Trevor Baratko

A taste of Carolina in Loudoun

Tue., May. 15 | 09:04 AM - For barbecue aficionados, Danny Hurdle is deserving of celebrity status. Being a transient locale, Northern Virginia is dense with residents either from the Carolinas, or those who have passed through at various stints in their careers. Finding authentic Carolina barbecue can be a trying practice.

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Man charged in New Year’s Eve hotel robbery pleads guilty

Mon., May. 14 | 11:41 AM - An Alexandria man charged in connection with the December 2011 robbery of a hotel in Dulles pleaded guilty on May 11.

ABC busts retailers for selling alcohol, tobacco to minors

Mon., May. 14 | 10:16 AM - RICHMOND – Like other states, Virginia has strict age limits to buy cigarettes and alcohol. But young people often have little trouble purchasing those products: About one of every eight stores inspected by the state sells tobacco and booze to underage buyers.

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Virginia ignores marijuana reform proposals

Sun., May. 13 | 06:55 AM - RICHMOND – After months of an undercover investigation in 2008, a Yorktown County police officer finally had enough evidence to charge Brandon Gomez, then 18, with intent to distribute marijuana.

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Photo courtesy/ MC2 Confections
Merideth Cohrs crafting some of her chocolate clusters.

Chocolate may be the healthiest thing for mom

Sat., May. 12 | 07:28 AM - A box of chocolates is almost an inevitable gift on Mother's Day. If you're watching your health, one of the biggest concerns can be enjoying these sweet treats. Sue Ann Gleason, founder of Conscious Bites Nutrition and Merideth Cohrs, founder and artisan chocolatier of MC2 Confections (based in Leesburg) talk about this chocolate “dilemma."

Loudoun senators at odds over voter ID bills

Fri., May. 11 | 02:18 PM - Throwing himself in the middle of a contentious Republican vs. Democrat debate, State Sen. Richard Black (R-13) is urging Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell to sign politically-charged voter identification legislation from the 2012 session.

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A mother duck gets protective over her baby ducklings. Students can see the duck family through the windows surrounding Sterling Elementary’s courtyard. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Laura Peters

Sterling Elementary turns courtyard into duck nursery

Fri., May. 11 | 11:53 AM - Eyes peer out of the windows looking into Sterling Elementary School's courtyard. Chatter fills the hallways as the tiny feet of students come to a halt to behold the great gift of life - duck life that is.

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Morven Park construction rumors set to rest

Fri., May. 11 | 07:12 AM - Rumors have been circling over the demolition of one of Morven Park's main plots of land which could potentially damage 100-year-old trees by placing a huge concrete pad near public restroom facilities.

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Loudoun Valley renovations hit the dais

Thu., May. 10 | 11:01 AM - Loudoun County School Board can decide to play ball or take a time-out when it comes to artificial versus grass turf for Loudoun Valley High School.

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Premier data center operator breaks ground on another property

Thu., May. 10 | 08:00 AM - Digital Realty, the largest data center operator in Loudoun County is about to get even bigger.

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Dulles in preliminary plans to expand cargo hub

Thu., Apr. 26 | 01:00 PM - With easily over 400 acres of free space currently slated for the development of cargo facilities, Dulles Airport is looking to join the ranks of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta as major cargo hubs on the eastern seaboard.

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Towns gear up for council elections

Thu., Apr. 26 | 08:00 AM - Two weeks after a special election in Leesburg, voters in Loudoun's towns and villages will go to the polls on May 1 to select mayors and populate the town councils for Hamilton, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville and Round Hill.

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Leesburg goes to vote April 17

Thu., Apr. 5 | 08:00 AM - Special election to replace Ken Reid on Town Council will occur April 17.

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Music in Our Schools month

Wed., Mar. 28 | 09:00 AM - The month of March has officially been designated by the National Association for Music Education as Music in Our Schools Month - when music education becomes the focus of schools nationwide. This year’s theme is “Music Lasts a Lifetime.”

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with video

Lexmark purchases local data provider

Fri., Mar. 16 | 02:26 PM - Major printing and imaging mogul Lexmark International has acquired Ashburn-based Brainware for $148 million.

Sandy Spring CSA still ‘growing’

Sat., Feb. 18 | 12:00 PM - Since its inception in 2002, the Sandy Spring Community Supported Agriculture has offered high quality, organic produce to residents in the D.C. metro area.

Anti-rail group claims denied access to Metrorail forum

Wed., May. 9 | 04:29 PM - With the biggest financial decision for Loudoun County just around the corner, there was bound to be controversy stemming from the State of Rail to Loudoun meeting held May 9 at the Dulles International Airport Marriott.

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Teen dies in Evergreen Mill Road crash

Wed., May. 9 | 09:45 AM - Evergreen Mill Road near Watson Road outside of Leesburg was closed for more than four hours May 8 due to a crash that claimed one life.

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Leesburg Economic Development Commissioner Ara Bagdasarian presents the top 10 retail opportunities in Leesburg to developers, property owners and business owners May 2 at the Retail Opportunity Forum at Ida Lee Recreation Center. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Andrew Sharbel

Leesburg EDC looks to boost retail opportunities in the Town

Wed., May. 9 | 09:44 AM - In an effort to provide more business and retail opportunities in Leesburg, the Leesburg Economic Development Commission and Department of Economic Development partnered with the Town of Leesburg to hold a Retail Opportunity Forum May 2.

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Retirement funding needed by LCPS

Tue., May. 8 | 09:30 PM - Loudoun County Public Schools will need $3.5 million by June in order to fund retirement benefits. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors May 2 decided to put the School Board’s request for state funding on hold until Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signs the budget bill, set to happen in the middle of May.

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The Board of Supervisors-appointed Loudoun County Courthouse Grounds and Facilities Committee started off its meeting Tuesday with an executive session, one not listed on the May 8 agenda. Times-Mirror photo/Trevor Baratko

Locked doors at the Loudoun County courthouse grounds meeting

Tue., May. 8 | 04:58 PM - Loudoun citizens trying to attend the county's Courthouse Grounds and Facilities Committee meeting Tuesday needed the ability to pick locks in order to gain entry to the first half hour of the so-called public affair.

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UPDATE: Middleburg Fire Department claims $500,000 embezzled by former treasurer

Tue., May. 8 | 10:15 AM - A Middleburg attorney has confirmed that the late Paul Draisey, a well-known former radio personality in Loudoun County, was allegedly involved in an embezzlement scheme with the Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department that spanned at least three years.

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Still no details on county assessor’s leave

Tue., May. 8 | 09:21 AM - Loudoun County remains hush on any details regarding County Assessor Todd Kaufman's placement on paid leave in April.

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New Metro report shows Loudoun losing $25 billion in gross product by 2040 without rail

Mon., May. 7 | 01:50 PM - The cost of Metrorail's extension into Loudoun County in relation to the payoff are miniscule, and no one is making a defensible argument for the benefit not being there, Dr. Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis.

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Leesburg man charged in child cruelty case

Mon., May. 7 | 01:38 PM - A Leesburg man has been charged in a child abuse case that police say spanned nearly a year.

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Sterling woman to serve six years in murder-for-hire plot

Mon., May. 7 | 09:59 AM - A Sterling woman accused of hiring a hit man to kill her boyfriend's mistress was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday by a U.S. District Court judge.

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Virginia takes center stage in presidential campaign

Mon., May. 7 | 09:21 AM - President Barack Obama officially kicked off his re-election bid with a rally Saturday in Richmond, while presumptive Republican nominee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigned in northern and southeastern Virginia on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Obama kicks off campaign with VCU rally

Sun., May. 6 | 09:00 AM - RICHMOND – President Barack Obama kicked off his re-election bid Saturday with a rally at Virginia Commonwealth University, calling the campaign a “make-or-break moment” for the middle class.

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Photo courtesy/ Karen McCarthy
The third annual Loudoun Bluegrass Festival to be held May 12 will boast several Grammy-nominated artists. Profits from the festival to toward scholarships for disadvantaged Loudoun youth.

Grammy-nominated artists to headline Loudoun Bluegrass Festival

Sat., May. 5 | 08:00 AM - Grammy-nominated artists don’t just show up at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Loudoun County – at least not normally. As the Loudoun Bluegrass Festival readies to kick off on May 12 outside of Leesburg, though, the 3-year-old event is attracting some unexpected star power.

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Director of Perinatal Services for Inova Alfred Khoury and Cindy Andrejasich, director of Patient Care and Birth Navigator, show off a 3D sonogram on one of their new monitors during an open house for the new Antenatal Testing Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital April 26. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Andrew Sharbel

New antenatal facility opening doors for Loudoun at-risk moms

Fri., May. 4 | 03:00 PM - As patients of Inova Loudoun Hospital, high-risk mothers often used to have to be referred to the hospital's sister facility at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

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Supervisor Clarke predicts the future

Fri., May. 4 | 10:17 AM - Supervisor's newsletter blurb declares outcome of Belmont Ridge Road decision before official vote.

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Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny
Authorities investigate a crash May 2 on Route 7 east before the Dulles Greenway exit that has left on two people dead.

UPDATE: Two die in Leesburg car crash

Fri., May. 4 | 07:00 AM - The Leesburg Police Department is investigating a multiple vehicle crash that has claimed two lives. The crash shut down Route 7 and the Route 15 Bypass between King Street and the Dulles Greenway in Leesburg May 2 for more than five hours.

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York grabs hold of Thursday’s Metrorail debate

Fri., May. 4 | 06:55 AM - Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York (R-At Large) made one of his fiercest public pitches yet for extending Metrorail service into Loudoun County.

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Tardiness case pushed back yet again for Waterford parents

Thu., May. 3 | 01:06 PM - Mark and Amy Denicore were scheduled to appear in court May 3 for their much publicized tardiness case, but their case was postponed. According to Mark Denicore, the trial was put on hold because the prosecuting attorney was caught up in a hearing being held in Arlington.

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Charter schools under review by Loudoun School Board

Thu., May. 3 | 09:45 AM - Alternative learning and the freedom of choosing a school that fits each student may become a reality for Loudoun County students with the possible introduction of charter schools. With the new Loudoun County School Board, many believe that having the option of charter schools in the county could be beneficial for students.

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Wolf lobbies for full-time inspector general at Airports Authority

Wed., May. 2 | 05:55 PM - Virginia U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to create a permanent, full-time inspector general for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), the organization charged with overseeing Metrorail's Silver Line extension into Loudoun County.

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Martha Steward signs her newest cookbook for a young fan at Costco in Leesburg April 28. Times-Mirror Photo/William Burke

Martha Stewart visits Leesburg Costco

Wed., May. 2 | 12:10 PM - Leesburg had a celebrity visitor April 28 as famed entrepreneur, TV host and author Martha Stewart visited Costco for an autograph session for her latest book "Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasurable Dishes, From Coast to Coast."

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UPDATE: Supervisors defer OpenBand discussion until June

Wed., May. 2 | 12:05 PM - Following a relatively brief executive session Wednesday morning, the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to defer action on telecommunications firm OpenBand's application for a renewed franchise agreement.

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Plan for Northstar Boulevard returns to six lanes, Supervisors determine

Wed., May. 2 | 10:22 AM - On Wednesday the Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to the Countywide Transportation Plan, one that provides for an ultimate condition of six lanes in a 150-foot right-of-way for Northstar Boulevard from the Prince William County line to Braddock Road.

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Supervisors hesitant to grant LCPS additional $7.9 million

Wed., May. 2 | 08:55 AM - The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors postponed its decision Wednesday morning to grant Loudoun County Public Schools an additional $7.9 million in funding, money expected to be funneled from the state.

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Government

MWAA ripped in U.S. Department of Transportation IG report

Wed., May. 16 | 03:03 PM

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Pending Governor’s signature, commonwealth finally has a budget

Wed., May. 16 | 01:02 PM

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Raspberry Falls well operational again

Wed., May. 16 | 10:05 AM

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Supervisors approve $7.9 million increase for schools