The State of NoVa: Loudoun County


Posted at 05:10 AM ET, 04/09/2013

Ashburn to get new baseball-soccer stadium at intersection of Route 7 and Loudoun Co. Parkway
By Tom Jackman
Loudoun supervisors approve park for minor league baseball and soccer.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:10 AM ET, 04/09/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Ashburn, Loudoun County, Sports | Tags:  Loudoun stadium, Loudoun Hounds, Virginia Cavalry FC, Loudoun Board of Supervisors

Posted at 05:12 AM ET, 03/25/2013

Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington top the rankings as three healthiest counties in Virginia
By Tom Jackman
New national study considers many health factors, finds NoVa healthiest.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:12 AM ET, 03/25/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County | Tags:  Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, Virginia Department of Health, health rankings

Posted at 05:04 AM ET, 03/04/2013

Black Loudoun Civil War vets honored in new book, ”From Loudoun to Glory” by Kevin D. Grigsby
By Tom Jackman
Author Kevin D. Grigsby studies those who returned after war

By Tom Jackman  |  05:04 AM ET, 03/04/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Books | Tags:  From Loudoun to Glory, Kevin Grigsby, Vernon Peterson, Rock Hill Cemetery, Middleburg, Va.

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/19/2013

Loudoun baseball-soccer stadium faces first big test Tuesday, both sides rallying supporters
By Tom Jackman
Supporters of project and neighbors who oppose it both plan to be there

By Tom Jackman  |  06:00 AM ET, 02/19/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Ashburn, Sports, Development | Tags:  Loudoun Hounds, Virginia Cavalry, Ashburn stadium, No Stadium on 7, One Loudoun, Loudoun County, Ashburn, Va.

Posted at 05:07 AM ET, 02/15/2013

UPDATE: Loudoun girl, 10, delivers 240,000 letters to Macy’s to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation
By Tom Jackman
Gabriella Miller raises funds for 36 children to take trips

By Tom Jackman  |  05:07 AM ET, 02/15/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Leesburg, Loudoun County | Tags:  Gabriella Miller, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Macy's

Posted at 05:02 AM ET, 02/07/2013

New Loudoun pro soccer team to be called Virginia Cavalry FC
By Tom Jackman
To play in Ashburn in the NASL, now a minor league

By Tom Jackman  |  05:02 AM ET, 02/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Ashburn, Loudoun County, Sports | Tags:  Virginia Cavalry FC, Ashburn, Va., North American Soccer League, VIP Sports and Entertainment, Sporting Delgaudio

Posted at 05:19 AM ET, 01/25/2013

NoVa real estate back to booming? $600K houses in short supply, condos in high demand
By Tom Jackman
$7.2 million house in western Loudoun tops sales list

By Tom Jackman  |  05:19 AM ET, 01/25/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Prince William County, NoVa | Tags:  Northern Virginia real estate, Loudoun real estate, Upperville, Va., Michael Elias, Lisa A. Sturtevant

Posted at 05:08 AM ET, 01/18/2013

Firing Loudoun assessor Todd Kaufman — was it part of plan to reorganize assessment in Loudoun?
By Tom Jackman
After Todd Kaufman was ousted, revenue commissioner took the job

By Tom Jackman  |  05:08 AM ET, 01/18/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Government, Politics | Tags:  Loudoun County assessor, Todd Kaufman, Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue, Bob Wertz, Loudoun Board of Supervisors, Ralph Buona

Posted at 06:32 PM ET, 01/03/2013

Loudoun Board of Supervisors to Eugene Delgaudio: ‘No committees for you. Two years.’
By Tom Jackman
The four-term supervisor, under investigation, excluded by colleagues

By Tom Jackman  |  06:32 PM ET, 01/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Eugene Delgaudio, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Public Advocate of the United States

Posted at 05:15 AM ET, 12/31/2012

Loudoun deer hunters rank 3rd in Virginia in kills
By Tom Jackman
Fairfax set its all-time high in 2011, but only ranked 54th statewide

By Tom Jackman  |  05:15 AM ET, 12/31/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Fairfax County | Tags:  Deer hunting, Deer harvesting, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Lee Walker

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/28/2012

Plans for Loudoun-Prince William highway move forward; crossing to Md. under discussion
By Tom Jackman
Public meetings held, study of crossing into Maryland begins

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/28/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Prince William County, Traffic, Development | Tags:  Loudoun-Prince William Highway, Northern Virgnia North-South Corridor, Loudoun County, Prince Wiliam County, Ashburn, Dumfries

Posted at 01:10 AM ET, 12/01/2012

A baseball-soccer stadium suddenly shifts location in Loudoun, and neighbors in Ashburn are stunned
By Tom Jackman
A sudden move to One Loudoun portends trouble, residents say

By Tom Jackman  |  01:10 AM ET, 12/01/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Ashburn, Loudoun County, Development, Sports | Tags:  Loudoun Hounds, Loudoun stadium, One Loudoun, No Stadium On 7, VIP Sports and Entertainment, Miller & Smith, Kincora Village

Posted at 05:37 AM ET, 11/09/2012

Loudoun County to host NASL minor league soccer
By Tom Jackman
Unnamed franchise hopes to start at One Loudoun in 2014

By Tom Jackman  |  05:37 AM ET, 11/09/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Ashburn, Loudoun County, Sports | Tags:  Loudoun County NASL, NASL Virginia, One Loudoun, VIP Sports & Entertainment

Posted at 01:56 AM ET, 10/23/2012

Indoor cricket club opens in Sterling
By Tom Jackman
Now you can practice your googlys and beamers year-round.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:56 AM ET, 10/23/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Sterling, Loudoun County, Sports | Tags:  Indoor cricket, The Wicket Club, Fairfax Cricket Club, Neal Augenstein

Posted at 12:39 AM ET, 10/04/2012

Loudoun County, ground zero in Lyme disease debate, attracts Romney-Ryan offer of help
By Tom Jackman
The Republican candidate sides with those who say Lyme is a chronic illness.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:39 AM ET, 10/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Lyme disease, Mitt Romney, Loudoun County

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 09/06/2012

Dulles Greenway’s tolls inspire ‘Highway Robbery’ protest song by Angela Petry
By Tom Jackman
West Virginian Angela Petry expresses the agony of all who must pay $5.55 each way.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:10 PM ET, 09/06/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Traffic, Loudoun County | Tags:  Angela Petry, Dulles Greenway

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/04/2012

The Tri-County Parkway is looking like a done deal for Loudoun, Prince William counties
By Tom Jackman
The major north-south highway will skirt the western edge of the Manassas battlefield.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Traffic, Development, Manassas, Prince William County, Loudoun County | Tags:  Tri-County Parkway, Bi-County Parkway, Sean Connaughton, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Manassas battlefield

Posted at 07:22 PM ET, 09/03/2012

Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, moves to Loudoun County, enrolls at Patrick Henry College
By Tom Jackman
The home-schooled pageant winner from Nebraska says she knew at age 7 she wanted to study in Purcellville.

By Tom Jackman  |  07:22 PM ET, 09/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Purcellville, Loudoun County | Tags:  Teresa Scanlan, Patrick Henry College

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 08/10/2012

Loudoun County on verge of landing high-level minor league pro soccer franchise
By Tom Jackman
The NASL team will share a proposed stadium with the minor league baseball Hounds in the proposed Kincora development in Sterling.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 08/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Sterling, Sports, Development | Tags:  Loudoun soccer, NASL, Kincora Village Center

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 07/26/2012

Leesburg’s Tally Ho to reopen as live music venue
By Tom Jackman
Instead of closing Leesburg’s Tally Ho Theatre, the owner now says he’ll turn it into a live music hall.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:30 AM ET, 07/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Leesburg, Nightlife, Loudoun County, Music | Tags:  Tally Ho Theatre, Don Devine

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 07/26/2012

Loudoun’s Eugene Delgaudio sings against gays in the Boy Scouts
By Tom Jackman
A protest video shot before the Boy Scouts actually reinforced their ban on gay members.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 07/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Eugene Delgaudio, Boy Scouts of America

Posted at 11:08 AM ET, 07/06/2012

Why did Loudoun County fire Todd Kaufman?
By Tom Jackman
The former assessor says he had received no complaints, and glowing job reviews, before he was abruptly suspended and then fired.

By Tom Jackman  |  11:08 AM ET, 07/06/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County

Posted at 04:54 PM ET, 07/03/2012

Loudoun Supervisor Ken Reid explains his ‘Yes’ vote on extending the Metro Silver Line to Loudoun
By Tom Jackman
The former opponent of Dulles rail endorsed the Silver Line with the creation of a special tax district in Ashburn.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:54 PM ET, 07/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Metro | Tags:  Loudoun County, Ken Reid, Silver Line Metro

Posted at 05:04 AM ET, 06/15/2012

Loudoun-Prince William Highway is not the ‘Outer Beltway,’ but it’s a big, controversial road
By Tom Jackman
Both counties are planning for a major north-south roadway, though some say resources should be spent on east-west travel.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:04 AM ET, 06/15/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prince William County, Loudoun County, Development, Traffic | Tags:  Loudoun County, Prince William County, Loudoun-Prince William Highway

Posted at 12:56 PM ET, 05/30/2012

Ex-Loudoun County prosecutor Jim Fisher at center of police shooting case in Culpeper County
By Tom Jackman
Jim Fisher, now commonwealth’s attorney in Fauquier County, boldly has charged a police officer with murder.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:56 PM ET, 05/30/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Crime, Loudoun County | Tags:  Jim Fisher, Culpeper County, Daniel Harmon-Wright

Posted at 12:47 PM ET, 05/08/2012

Paul Draisey suspected of embezzling $500,000 from Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department
By Tom Jackman
The popular former WAGE radio personality was treasurer for the fire department before he committed suicide last month.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:47 PM ET, 05/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime, Firefighters | Tags:  Paul Draisey, Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department, embezzlement, theft

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/07/2012

New Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman makes fast progress after taking office
By Tom Jackman
The former DEA agent installs a new command team, moves quickly on consolidating jail, improving operations.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:30 AM ET, 05/07/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Police | Tags:  Mike Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 04/19/2012

Paul Draisey, ‘Voice of Loudoun County,’ dies at 55
By Tom Jackman
The renowned Loudoun personality worked for 36 years at WAGE 1200, which closed in 2009.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 04/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Media | Tags:  Paul Draisey, WAGE-AM 1200

Posted at 06:44 AM ET, 04/16/2012

Loudoun’s got live music, but no more Summer Musicfest
By Tom Jackman
Concerts in Leesburg, Purcellville and Berryville this season, but no more Travis Tritt at Belmont Country Club.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:44 AM ET, 04/16/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Music, Loudoun County, Leesburg, Purcellville | Tags:  Loudoun live music, Leesburg Acoustic on the Green, Buncearoo Purcellville, Loudoun Summer Musicfest

Posted at 12:23 PM ET, 04/10/2012

Loudoun public defender Lorie O’Donnell arrested for shoplifting
By Tom Jackman
Lorie O’Donnell, head of indigent defense in Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock counties, is accused of stealing one can of Red Bull.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:23 PM ET, 04/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 04/04/2012

Loudoun judge disbelieves BOE officials, but rules in their favor in costly FOIA case
By Tom Jackman
Judge Julia Cannon disbelieves board’s testimony, but says their actions were legal.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 04/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Courts | Tags:  Beverly Bradford, J. Scott Littner, Loudoun County Board of Equalization

Posted at 03:33 PM ET, 03/28/2012

Leesburg Today sold to Texas company, will continue to publish
By Caitlin Gibson
Leesburg Today announced this week that its parent company had sold its Northern Virginia publications to a Texas-based media acquisitions company.

By Caitlin Gibson  |  03:33 PM ET, 03/28/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County

Posted at 12:16 PM ET, 03/27/2012

Eugene Delgaudio responds to ‘hate group’ designation: ‘I have to take it lightly’
By Caitlin Gibson
Loudoun County supervisor said he was neither surprised nor alarmed by the addition of his conservative advocacy organization to a list of designated “hate groups.”

By Caitlin Gibson  |  12:16 PM ET, 03/27/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Sterling, Loudoun County

Posted at 04:29 PM ET, 03/26/2012

Loudoun Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio’s advocacy organization designated a ‘hate group’
By Caitlin Gibson
Loudoun County supervisor’s advocacy organization was recently added to a list of designated hate groups compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

By Caitlin Gibson  |  04:29 PM ET, 03/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Sterling

Posted at 03:13 PM ET, 03/21/2012

Loudoun launches campaign against Lyme disease
By Caitlin Gibson
Loudoun has one of the highest rates of Lyme infection in the United States, and the highest rate in Virginia.

By Caitlin Gibson  |  03:13 PM ET, 03/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Leesburg, Loudoun County

Posted at 11:09 AM ET, 03/08/2012

Loudoun’s Ari Dyckovsky, 18, blazing trail in quantum physics
By Tom Jackman
Ari Dyckovsky, 18, is a finalist today in the Intel Science Talent Search, for his work in quantum physics. What were you doing when you were 18?

By Tom Jackman  |  11:09 AM ET, 03/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools, Sterling | Tags:  Ari Dyckovsky

Posted at 12:04 PM ET, 03/05/2012

Loudoun FOIA fight drags on, side battles end
By Tom Jackman
Four days of costly hearings and still no ruling on whether the Board of Equalization broke freedom of information laws.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:04 PM ET, 03/05/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Courts | Tags:  Beverly Bradford, Scott Littner, Loudoun Board of Equalization

Posted at 10:20 AM ET, 01/26/2012

Loudoun FOIA battle expands into costly power struggle
By Tom Jackman
A reporter’s shot at an assessment appeal leads to a lawsuit county supervisors don’t want to pay for.

By Tom Jackman  |  10:20 AM ET, 01/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Loudoun Board of Equalization, Beverly Bradford, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2012

Loudoun rethinking courthouse holiday displays
By Caitlin Gibson
The county board is pondering public displays on the courthouse lawn after another season of controversy.

By Caitlin Gibson  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Leesburg | Tags:  Loudoun holiday displays, Virginia

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 01/17/2012

Fairfax rape case leads to national database upgrade
By Tom Jackman
The fingerprints of a man who had been previously deported weren’t in the database. Now old prints will be digitized.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:15 PM ET, 01/17/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Immigration, Fairfax County, Loudoun County | Tags:  Secure Communities, Frank Wolf, Virginia

Posted at 12:57 AM ET, 01/13/2012

Loudoun supervisor’s anti-gay campaign crashes the mainstream
By Tom Jackman
Gay rights groups are calling on Weekly Standard editor William Kristol to renounce an ad by Loudoun Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:57 AM ET, 01/13/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Eugene Delgaudio, Virginia

Posted at 12:13 PM ET, 12/21/2011

Purcellville high school principal resigns suddenly
By Tom Jackman
Loudoun news sites and blogs are buzzing about the sudden departure of Woodgrove High principal Ric Gauriloff.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:13 PM ET, 12/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Purcellville, Loudoun County, Loudoun County | Tags:  Ric Gauriloff, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/13/2011

Loudoun’s ‘Skeleton Santa’ dismantler speaks
By Tom Jackman
Mary Czarnecki knew she was offended, but she didn’t know that she would walk right up to the ‘Skeleton Santa’ on the grounds of the Loudoun County courthouse and take it down. Then, she did.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Leesburg | Tags:  Skeleton Santa, Mary Czarnecki, Virginia

Posted at 12:18 PM ET, 12/07/2011

Loudoun’s ‘Skeleton Santa’ renews annual drama (UPDATE: Video of Santa’s dismantling)
By Tom Jackman
If it’s Christmas, it must be time for someone to put up a provocative display on the grounds of the Loudoun County courthouse. Here’s a photo of the crucified Kringle for your consideration.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:18 PM ET, 12/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Leesburg | Tags:  Loudoun courthouse displays, Skeleton Santa, Virginia

Posted at 04:14 PM ET, 11/18/2011

Loudoun man: I killed my wife with a sledgehammer to put her out of her misery
By Tom Jackman
Steven Combs-Lafleur admits he struck his wife in the back of the head with a sledgehammer, but only after she was injured after he fell on her. A jury says murder one.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:14 PM ET, 11/18/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime, Courts | Tags:  Steven Combs-Lafleur, Catherine Combs-Lafleur, Virginia

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011

Loudoun teacher: I drank the night before school, not on a school day
By Tom Jackman
Radhakirishnan Sivaramapillai, middle school physics teacher, said he had a little the night before and he didn’t know what happened. He got arrested for being drunk in public, that’s what happened.

By Tom Jackman  |  02:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  Radhakirishnan Sivaramapillai, Virginia

Posted at 10:13 AM ET, 11/09/2011

Loudoun sheriff ousted; Fairfax sheriff hangs on
By Tom Jackman
Sheriff Steve Simpson, running as an independent, was swept under the Republican tide by former DEA Agent Mike Chapman, while Fairfax Sheriff Stan Barry won a fourth term handily.

By Tom Jackman  |  10:13 AM ET, 11/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Politics | Tags:  Mike Chapman, Steve Simpson, Stan Barry, Bill Cooper, Virginia

Posted at 04:01 PM ET, 10/31/2011

Loudoun GOP puts bullet hole in zombie Obama’s head
By Tom Jackman
An invitation to a Halloween parade in Leesburg features an image of President Obama as a zombie with a bullet hole in his forehead.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:01 PM ET, 10/31/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Loudoun County Republican Committee, Virginia

Posted at 05:45 PM ET, 10/07/2011

Loudoun candidate Speakman sends woman lewd photo
By Tom Jackman
Ronald Speakman, running for sheriff of Loudoun County, sent a photo of a man’s genitalia to a woman who was working for his campaign last week. He says it was intended as a joke. The woman didn’t take it that way.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:45 PM ET, 10/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Ronald Speakman, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 09/30/2011

NoVa Roller Derby launches Saturday in Loudoun
By Tom Jackman
It’s not your father’s roller derby, but it is full contact, its skaters have cool names like Debi Does Dulles and Loudoun Dirty, and they are dedicated to helping a different charity every month.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 09/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Sterling, Sports | Tags:  NoVa Roller Derby, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 09/27/2011

Loudoun, Fairfax remain top two wealthiest counties in America
By Tom Jackman
Newly released census figures show that Loudoun County, with a median household income of more than $119,000, remains the wealthiest county in the country, Fairfax County is second and Arlington County is fifth.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 09/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Fairfax County | Tags:  Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Virginia

Posted at 04:07 PM ET, 09/22/2011

Loudoun sheriff candidate Ron Speakman has eventful past
By Tom Jackman
When independent sheriff candidate Ron Speakman was a married, 27-year-old Leesburg police officer, he began an affair with a married woman who eventually shot him.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:07 PM ET, 09/22/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  Ron Speakman, Virginia

Posted at 04:30 AM ET, 09/13/2011

Nice guys finish...in the Loudoun jail? Leo Durocher arrested for murder
By Tom Jackman
The famed baseball manager, who is credited with coining the phrase “Nice guys finish last,” is not the same Leo Durocher who is now charged with a 2001 home invasion murder near Purcellville.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:30 AM ET, 09/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Leo Durocher, Virginia

Posted at 11:31 AM ET, 09/05/2011

Children in NoVa homeless shelters start school too
By Tom Jackman
As school starts in Northern Virginia, it’s a particularly hard time for kids who don’t have a home, either to start the day or return to at school day’s end. And space at local shelters for families is full.

By Tom Jackman  |  11:31 AM ET, 09/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  NoVa, Loudoun County | Tags:  Homelessness, Virginia

Posted at 03:52 PM ET, 09/01/2011

Doug Green, Potomac Falls grad, killed in Afghanistan
By Tom Jackman
Green was a popular actor and football player at Potomac Falls, and had been in the Army for four years.

By Tom Jackman  |  03:52 PM ET, 09/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Sterling, Loudoun County | Tags:  Douglas Green, Virginia

Posted at 12:38 PM ET, 09/01/2011

Ashburn becoming a hotbed of football QBs
By Tom Jackman
Three high school quarterbacks in a five-mile radius in Loudoun County are rated blue-chip prospects, further burnishing Loudoun’s status as a football powerhouse.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:38 PM ET, 09/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Ashburn, Sports, Loudoun County | Tags:  Ryan Burns, Connor Jessop, Trace McSorley, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 08/30/2011

Loudoun becoming The King of Data (Centers)
By Tom Jackman
A boom in computer companies locating their servers and data centers in Loudoun County, particularly Ashburn, is renewing the relevance of the Dulles Corridor after AOL’s rise and fall.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 08/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Development | Tags:  data centers: Virginia

Posted at 04:45 AM ET, 08/30/2011

How did Loudoun schools start early? Here’s how
By Tom Jackman
Virginia is stubbornly sticking to its No School Before Labor Day law, but Loudoun had accumulated so many snow days it got a waiver. Will Virginia ever extend its school year? Maybe.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:45 AM ET, 08/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  summer vacation, Virginia

Posted at 06:46 PM ET, 08/24/2011

In Loudoun, struggling with sudden, senseless tragedy
By Tom Jackman
William and Cynthia Bennett had no reason to think that a Sunday morning walk in Lansdowne would end with a brutal assault. No reasons have emerged. But the Bennett family is fighting on.

By Tom Jackman  |  06:46 PM ET, 08/24/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  William Bennett, Cynthia Bennett, Jaime Ayala, Virginia

Posted at 02:05 PM ET, 08/24/2011

Loudoun teen gets life sentence in Lansdowne murder
By Tom Jackman
Cynthia Bennett, who was brutally attacked along with her husband as they went on a morning walk in 2009, testifies at the sentencing hearing of one defendant.

By Tom Jackman  |  02:05 PM ET, 08/24/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Jaime Ayala, William Bennett, Cynthia Bennett, Virginia

Posted at 03:15 AM ET, 08/22/2011

Loudoun Valley High war vet stars in documentary
By Tom Jackman
Rob Jones, despite losing both of his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan, has quickly become a remarkable athlete and the subject of a new documentary.

By Tom Jackman  |  03:15 AM ET, 08/22/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Rob Jones, Ivan Kander, Virginia

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 07/21/2011

Loudoun has the most nuclear families in Virginia
By Tom Jackman
Northern Virginia leads the nation in the percentage of homes with conventional — mother-father-2.2 children — families, and Loudoun County is tops in all of Va.

By Tom Jackman  |  02:00 PM ET, 07/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, NoVa | Tags:  nuclear families, Virginia

Posted at 04:30 AM ET, 07/12/2011

Loudoun embezzler says ex-mistress blackmailed him
By Tom Jackman
Eun Tae Lee stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Loudoun-based charity. At his sentencing, he claimed he used the money to pay a former mistress, who threatened to reveal their affair to his wife.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:30 AM ET, 07/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Eun Tae Lee, Virginia

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 06/30/2011

Loudoun deputy prosecutor takes over in Fauquier
By Tom Jackman
Jim Fisher had already announced he was running for the commonwealth’s attorney’s job in Fauquier County, but when the incumbent resigned he was appointed to take the job in the interim.

By Tom Jackman  |  10:00 AM ET, 06/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Courts | Tags:  Jim Fisher, Virginia

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 06/28/2011

Loudoun has big water, sewage issues ahead
By Tom Jackman
Plenty of areas in America’s richest county, even the more recently developed communities, have serious problems with water quality or sewage service.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:30 AM ET, 06/28/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Loudoun County water, Virginia

Posted at 09:38 PM ET, 06/19/2011

Loudoun school principal eats stink bug tacos — and lives
By Tom Jackman
Hilllsboro Elementary School principal Dave Michener asked his students to read 20 minutes a night for the entire school year. They did, and he rewarded them by eating about the most disgusting thing you can imagine.

By Tom Jackman  |  09:38 PM ET, 06/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Schools | Tags:  Dave Michener, stink bug tacos, Virginia

Posted at 01:12 PM ET, 06/10/2011

In Aldie, a tragedy averted serves as a timely reminder
By Tom Jackman
No harm was done to the 1-year-old baby on the steaming Wednesday night, but it serves as a useful reminder: DON’T LEAVE YOUR KIDS IN THE HOT CAR.

By Tom Jackman  |  01:12 PM ET, 06/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  kids in hot cars, Virginia

Posted at 12:51 AM ET, 06/09/2011

Loudoun crime dropped 11 percent in 2010
By

By  |  12:51 AM ET, 06/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Loudoun County, Crime, Police

Posted at 04:23 PM ET, 06/02/2011

Linda Tribby, Loudoun’s Bernie Madoff, says she’s sorry
By Tom Jackman
Before being sentenced, Linda Speaks Tribby admits she stole $14 million from her bank clients.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:23 PM ET, 06/02/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Linda Tribby, Virginia

Posted at 04:25 AM ET, 05/25/2011

Traffic update: Loudoun pulling out of Metro? An Outer Beltway?
By Tom Jackman
Loudoun is considering pulling its funding from Metro, talk of The Outer Beltway is raising its head, and other new NoVa transportation news.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:25 AM ET, 05/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Traffic, Metro, Loudoun County, Prince William County | Tags:  Dulles Metro, Virginia

Posted at 04:55 AM ET, 05/10/2011

Loudoun chief deputy prosecutor now seeking top Fauquier job
By Tom Jackman
Jim Fisher, the chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney of Loudoun County for the past eight years, is running for the top prosecutor’s job in Fauquier County, which will make more work for Jim Plowman.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:55 AM ET, 05/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Jim Fisher, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 05/04/2011

Loudoun prosecutors again decline to seek death penalty
By Tom Jackman
It’s been 67 years since anyone got the death penalty in Loudoun County. A pending murder trial did have a capital murder charge, but prosecutors have now taken it off the table.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 05/04/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Loudoun death penalty, Robert Roy, Patrick Hornbaker, Virginia

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 04/29/2011

Loudoun man catches large scary snakehead fish
By Tom Jackman
Snakeheads, those scary fish with teeth, mean dispositions and the ability to survive and move out of the water, have now been found above Great Falls in the Potomac for the first time. Prepare to welcome our new overlords.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:00 AM ET, 04/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Snakeheads, Virginia

Posted at 05:31 AM ET, 04/22/2011

Loudoun’s ‘downtown’ launches as Metro creeps closer
By Tom Jackman
Though the Metro won’t be there for at least another five years, the Loudoun Station developers broke ground Wednesday on a massive town center-like development around the planned end of the Silver Line.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:31 AM ET, 04/22/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Loudoun Station, Virginia

Posted at 11:16 AM ET, 04/16/2011

Loudoun cemetery piece is a must read
By Tom Jackman

By Tom Jackman  |  11:16 AM ET, 04/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Vernon Peterson, Rock Hill Cemetery, Virginia

Posted at 05:42 AM ET, 04/13/2011

Loudoun sheriff’s deputy saves teen’s life
By Tom Jackman
A Loudoun County sheriff’s deputy who spotted a teenaged girl going into shock raced her to the hospital rather than wait for an ambulance, and authorities think that saved her life.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:42 AM ET, 04/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County | Tags:  Robert Heller, Loudoun County sheriff's office, Virginia

Posted at 07:00 PM ET, 04/12/2011

Dulles’ Air and Space Museum lands the Discovery
By Tom Jackman
The Air and Space Museum’s center at Dulles was the only logical place for the space shuttle Discovery to wind up.

By Tom Jackman  |  07:00 PM ET, 04/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Dulles International Airport, Loudoun County

Posted at 05:50 AM ET, 04/12/2011

Falls Church tops Forbes wealthiest counties list (??)
By Tom Jackman
Falls Church City somehow tops Forbes Magazine’s list of America’s Wealthiest Counties, though it’s not a county. NoVa dominates the list, with four of the Top 10.

By Tom Jackman  |  05:50 AM ET, 04/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Falls Church, Loudoun County | Tags:  Forbes wealthiest counties, Virginia

Posted at 10:40 PM ET, 04/10/2011

Loudoun County redistricts and renames its parts
By Tom Jackman
Loudoun County, America’s wealthiest county, nearly doubled in population in 10 years and so had to redraw its districts and rename some of them. Some arguments ensued.

By Tom Jackman  |  10:40 PM ET, 04/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Politics | Tags:  redistricting, Virginia, Jennie Dean

Posted at 12:25 PM ET, 04/05/2011

In Leesburg, the stripper, the guns and the podiatrist
By Tom Jackman
A Leesburg podiatrist, a stripper and a couple of guns made for a wild Sunday morning in the Lansdowne neighborhood.

By Tom Jackman  |  12:25 PM ET, 04/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Lansdowne, Crime, Loudoun County | Tags:  Loudoun County, Leesburg, Lansdowne, Crime, Virginia

Posted at 04:23 PM ET, 04/04/2011

Loudoun’s Bernie Madoff and her love shack
By Tom Jackman
Loudoun’s Linda Tribby swiped $14 million from some of her customers at Wachovia Bank. She had a good time spending it, and the feds still can’t find $8 million.

By Tom Jackman  |  04:23 PM ET, 04/04/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Loudoun County, Crime | Tags:  Linda Tribby, Love Shack, Virginia, Lovettsville