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Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny
Rev. John Mosimann talks about plans for the new church building of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg Feb. 9.

St. John’s new church set to be a worship haven

Wed., Feb. 22 | 03:00 PM - The new St. John the Apostle Catholic Church breaks tradition to make a statement to Leesburg residents, said the Rev. John Mosimann.

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Personhood Bill seen as threat to fertility efforts

Wed., Feb. 22 | 12:50 PM - RICHMOND — Fertility experts say Virginia's Personhood Bill threatens more than just abortion access — it could eliminate the practice of in-vitro fertilization.

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Loudoun to weigh tax rate versus program cuts

Wed., Feb. 22 | 08:00 AM - Loudoun County residents will have their first chance to comment on the county administrator's proposed fiscal 2013 budget Feb. 22 at one of four planned budget public hearings. Two hearings are slated for Feb. 22 in the Board of Supervisor's chambers at the government center, one at 3:30 p.m. and a second at 6:30 p.m.

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Economist: Loudoun’s ‘richest in the nation’ designation an overstatement

Tue., Feb. 21 | 05:35 PM - For what it's worth, one of the brightest feathers in Loudoun's cap is its continual designation as the 'richest county in the nation.'

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Carpathia, Equinix and Digital Realty announce ‘data vault’ project

Tue., Feb. 21 | 04:15 PM - Carpathia Hosting, Equinix and Digital Realty Trust announced a joint venture Feb. 21 to construct a 64,000 square-foot data vault in Dulles to support industry-specific solutions for healthcare companies and federal agencies.

Lovettsville couple seriously injured in crash on Berlin Pike

Tue., Feb. 21 | 12:29 PM - Robert and Carol Danner, long-time Lovettsville residents, were seriously injured in a head-on crash on Feb. 19 on Route 287 (Berlin Pike) near Red Bud Lane.

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Metrorail Phase Two deserves more funding, Herring says

Tue., Feb. 21 | 07:45 AM - State Sen. Mark Herring, a Democrat, continues to lobby for increased state funding in the Rail to Dulles Phase Two project.

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Man suing ex-deputy, surveillance tape reveals incident

Mon., Feb. 20 | 01:44 PM - A man claiming he was assaulted by a former Sheriff's Office deputy is set to sue.

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with video

Photos by Rebekah Pizana
MC2 Confections won People’s Choice Best Tasting Dessert for her gorgeously crafted chocolates.

Chocolates Galore and More! gala celebrates its silver anniversary

Mon., Feb. 20 | 12:30 PM - Six judges and sold-out seats help sponsor YMCA Loudoun County's Building Bridges campaign

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Arlington man dies in crash after deer plows through windshield

Mon., Feb. 20 | 12:07 PM - An airborne deer crashed through a car windshield on Feb. 18, taking a man's life.

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House Votes to Redefine ‘Triggerman’ Rule

Mon., Feb. 20 | 11:19 AM - RICHMOND – The Virginia House of Delegates has advanced a bill that would make a broader range of criminals eligible for the death penalty.

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Make sure to pack plenty of extra clothes for your child for while they’re away at camp – they’re sure to get dirty. Photo Courtesy/Marine Science Consortium Camps

All ready to go — packing for camp

Mon., Feb. 20 | 08:00 AM - If your child is setting off for camp, you may be overwhelmed at all the items he’ll need while he’s away. While many camps provide a camping list, it’s still tough to predict what will be used and what will just get in the way.

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VA budget battle may boil down to transportation

Sun., Feb. 19 | 12:00 PM - RICHMOND — Virginia’s crumbling roads will force lawmakers into “uncharted territory” this spring, as they divvy up taxpayer dollars to develop a budget, a political science professor predicted Wednesday.

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Bills would outlaw new designer drugs

Sun., Feb. 19 | 08:30 AM - RICHMOND – Legislators and medical experts are concerned about the rising use of synthetic drugs known as “bath salts,” which cause a cocaine-like high – and in rare instances can cause death.

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Some camps can be more rustic than others. Discuss how much you child wants to rough it before choosing a camp. Photo Courtesy/Marine Science Consortium Camps

Happy Camper

Sun., Feb. 19 | 08:00 AM - Choosing the right camp for your kids

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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.

Biz owners: VA politicos need to focus on state’s economy

Sat., Feb. 18 | 12:00 PM - RICHMOND — As Virginia lawmakers scrambled to pass more than 200 bills before the Feb. 14 crossover deadline, some protesting workers said elected officials are not doing enough to help the state's economy.

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Oatlands names director of programming and education

Sat., Feb. 18 | 08:00 AM - Oatlands Plantation and National Trust Historic Site has hired a new director of programming and education.

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Pastor Elton Wilson of Mount Zion Baptist Church of St. Louis in Middleburg stands at the altar where he has preached for eight years and as pastors have done before him since 1929, when this church building was constructed. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny

Living the dream

Sat., Feb. 18 | 08:00 AM - From Northwest D.C. to western Loudoun.

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Belfort named retailer of the year

Fri., Feb. 17 | 04:00 PM - The National Home Furnishings Association has named Belfort Furniture in Dulles as Retailer of the Year for 2012.

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Loudoun Supervisors, Leesburg Council talk public access

Fri., Feb. 17 | 12:00 PM - Leesburg Town Council and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will continue researching whether it's worthwhile to form something of a public access cooperative, the two groups agreed Feb. 13 during a joint meeting at Leesburg Town Hall.

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Supervisors drop senior e-comment program

Fri., Feb. 17 | 08:00 AM - After citing a lack of necessity and it being a drain on county resources – namely, staff time – the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to discontinue an “e-comment” service for senior citizens.

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House OK’s overhaul of teacher contracts

Thu., Feb. 16 | 04:46 PM - RICHMOND – After undergoing a dramatic edit last week in committee, a bill to fundamentally change how teachers are hired and evaluated passed the House on a 55-43 vote Monday.

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Voters in November likely to see eminent domain amendment

Thu., Feb. 16 | 09:52 AM - A proposal for an amendment to the commonwealth constitution that would restrict governments' eminent domain authority was narrowly passed in the state Senate this week.

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Instructor Andy Livingston helps one of his students by showing her the capabilities of email at a recent class at Purcellville’s Carver Senior Center. Times-Mirror Photo/Andrew Sharbel

‘Baby boomers’ schooled in technology

Thu., Feb. 16 | 09:08 AM - Purcellville's Carver Center for seniors has launched 10-week class for adults aged 50 and over called Technology for Baby Boomers.

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with video

Guest Opinion: Balancing Access To Contraception And Religious Liberty

Fri., Feb. 10 | 06:05 AM - Former Virginia governor Tim Kaine provides his opinion on the recent controversy surrounding access to birth control and religious organizations.

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UPDATE: School Board makes more budget cuts

Wed., Feb. 15 | 04:05 PM - The Loudoun County School Board made three motions to cut more into their fiscal 2013 budget during a Feb. 14 meeting after much dismay from board members and school staff. The meeting heated up so much that Tom Reed (At-Large) left the boardroom before the meeting adjourned.

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Eastern Loudoun Station halts crime

Wed., Feb. 15 | 02:39 PM - For the past decade, parts of Sterling have tarnished an otherwise low crime rate in Loudoun County. According to information from the Sheriff's Office, approximately one-third of the county's crime in the last 10 years occurred in the area currently patrolled by deputies with the Eastern Loudoun Station.

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Voices unite to save elementary foreign language programs

Wed., Feb. 15 | 12:03 AM - The Loudoun County School Board boardroom was scattered with red clothing Feb. 15, not out of love for Valentine’s Day, but instead in protest of the proposed cuts in the fiscal 2013 budget adopted Feb. 7.

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Leesburg dives into town budget

Tue., Feb. 14 | 09:36 PM - Leesburg Town Manager John Wells outlined his proposed fiscal 2013 budget to the Leesburg Town Council Feb. 13, which included a real estate tax of 19.5 cents and a proposed total budget of $88.8 million.

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National Conference Center site to be finalized Feb. 17

Tue., Feb. 14 | 08:52 PM - Despite strong opposition from the public Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors appeared poised to move forward with a new high school near the National Conference Center in Lansdowne.

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Combs-LaFleur estate awarded $15 million in wrongful death lawsuit

Tue., Feb. 14 | 03:44 PM - The estate of Catherine "Cacey" Combs-LaFleur, a Leesburg woman killed by her husband in September 2010, received $15 million on Feb. 13 following a daylong wrongful death trial in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

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Guns and coffee: Starbucks again an open carry policy battleground

Tue., Feb. 14 | 12:59 PM - Starbucks is being boycotted today for its gun policy. The company is also selling a truckload of coffee.

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Wolf, a ‘Prisoner of Conscience’

Tue., Feb. 14 | 08:38 AM - Congressman Frank Wolf, in his 16th term, details his human rights work and travels in a new memoir.

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Atari sentenced to two years, nine months in prison

Mon., Feb. 13 | 11:28 AM - Diane H. Frederick Atari, the Ashburn woman and former realtor accused in a $50 million mortgage and credit scam, will spend more than two years in prison.

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VA tries to outlaw unauthorized GPS tracking

Mon., Feb. 13 | 09:00 AM - RICHMOND — As technology advances and Virginia scrambles to keep pace, health-care professionals at AD Williams Memorial Clinic here are worried lawmakers will get tangled in family medical decisions.

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with video

Times-Mirror Photo/Elizabeth Dodd
William Krice, 9, of Lovettsville, concentrates on his Lego creation he named “The Awesome Doom Battle Destroying Car of Justice” at the seventh annual Lego Mania event by Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services Feb. 9 at the Lovettsville Community Center.

LEGO Mania

Sun., Feb. 12 | 11:14 AM - LEGO builders competed in the seventh annual LEGO Mania event by Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services Feb. 9 at the Lovettsville Community Center.

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Volunteer fire departments soon may bill insurers

Sun., Feb. 12 | 09:00 AM - RICHMOND – Two bills moving through the General Assembly would authorize volunteer fire departments to charge homeowners’ insurance policies after responding to fire-related emergencies.

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Alicia Green gets a kiss from Samson, one of her two dogs, outside of her mother’s Purcellville home Feb. 3. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny

‘I don’t see color’

Sat., Feb. 11 | 08:30 AM - Kind-faced yet discernibly strong, Alicia Green readily addressed the patches of racial tension endured in her Northern Virginia, millennial upbringing.

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Felon crashes vehicle, faces DUI and firearm charges

Fri., Feb. 10 | 03:42 PM - A Leesburg convicted felon faces DUI and firearm charges after a car crash on Thursday afternoon.

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Leesburg accountant sentenced to more than five years for fraud scheme

Fri., Feb. 10 | 02:39 PM - James C. Cilenti, a 47-year-old Leesburg accountant, was sentenced to 64 months in prison for his part in a fraud scheme to obtain $500,000 in life insurance proceeds.

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GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney in Reston Feb. 10. Photos by Shamus Ian Fatzinger

Romney: A case for free enterprise, innovation

Fri., Feb. 10 | 02:15 PM - What makes the U.S. the most powerful nation in the world? Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says it's innovation.

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Proposal could pay for chaplains’ tuition

Fri., Feb. 10 | 12:00 PM - RICHMOND – Like other members of the National Guard, chaplains enter war zones and risk death on the battlefield. But at least two characteristics set these men and women apart from other members of their units.

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Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny
Sherry Rose, owner of Purcellville Florist, stands behind some of her Valentine’s Day arrangements at her shop Feb. 3. Preparations for their busiest time of the year begin weeks in advance.

For florists, Valentine’s Day means long hours and prep work

Fri., Feb. 10 | 09:00 AM - On Feb. 14, the sounds of continuous ringing phones will be heard throughout Loudoun County. Armies of delivery trucks will circle towns and neighborhoods, making stops at homes and offices, surprising lucky ladies with bragging rights for their desks. And, forgetful boyfriends and husbands will bombard florists with last-minute requests. The key to surviving the madness, says Purcellville Florist owner Sherry Rose, a 47-year veteran of the industry, is preparation and a well-stocked fridge of roses.

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Future of Morven Park Equestrian Center more clear following public meetings

Fri., Feb. 10 | 09:00 AM - 'Destined for multi-use' say horse supporters

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Virginia House passes bill eliminating post-Labor Day school opening

Thu., Feb. 9 | 03:00 PM - House Bill 1063, which would allow local school boards to set the school calendar and the opening of the school year, passed 76-23 in the House of Delegates on Feb. 2. The bill is awaiting debate in the state Senate.

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Loudoun chamber spearheading Metrorail advocacy

Thu., Feb. 9 | 01:14 PM - Playing the role of “Rail to Dulles” lobbyist, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is leading the charge to encourage Loudoun's business community to voice support for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

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‘Castle doctrine’ moving through state legal system

Thu., Feb. 9 | 10:45 AM - Two bills that stress firearm defense in the home are rifling through Virginia's legal system following votes last week.

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Kaine, Democratic candidate for Senate, campaigning in Northern Virginia

Wed., Feb. 8 | 01:25 PM - Gov. Tim Kaine, on the campaign trail through the region, touches on the federal budget, education and his relationship with President Obama.

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Police target methamphetamine

Wed., Feb. 8 | 12:13 PM - Commonwealth police and pharmaceutical distributors are fighting for the passage of a bill aimed to curb the production and spread of methamphetamine by monitoring non-prescription drug sales electronically.

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Capital Improvement Project presented to board

Wed., Feb. 8 | 11:48 AM - Superintendent Dr. Edgar Hatrick presented his Capital Improvement Project for fiscal 2013-2018 to the Loudoun County School Board during their Feb. 7 meeting resulting in projects totaling $565.6 million - significantly less from 2011’s $920 million presented.

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School board adopts fiscal 2013 operating budget

Wed., Feb. 8 | 01:28 AM - Cuts by School Board potentially includes 35 jobs from FLES program, phase one of full-day kindergarten, among others.

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Loudoun County Administrator proposes ‘zero tax increase’ budget

Tue., Feb. 7 | 07:15 PM - The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 7 heard County Administrator Tim Hemstreet's budget proposal for fiscal 2013, a plan that calls for no tax increases on the “average homeowner.”

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