The Fairfax County Police Department has launched a new webpage to help investigate cold cases in Fairfax County.
The platform houses case information spanning six decades in the hope that anyone with information will come forward to help resolve cases. Cold case detectives are asking the public to provide any information about the cases — no matter how small. The website currently provides a limited list of cases. More cases will be added as detectives comb through existing incidents.
“We are committing countless hours and all available resources to close these cases and provide long-awaited answers to victims’ families, and bring those who committed these awful crimes to justice,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, bureau commander of major crimes.
FCPD is seeking information on several local cold cases, which are included on the webpage. Cases are disaggregated by decade and include a description of the incident, a photo, and the date of the incident.
On January 1, 1996, Constance Hiner was found dead in her home on Woodstock Lane in Herndon. The 48-year-old woman was found with injuries to her upper body.
In Great Falls, Richard Brackeen, 53, was found shot to death in his home on River Park Drive. The incident happened on February 5, 1992.
In 1972, the body of 17-year-old Gwen Ann Ames was found on a walking path in the area of 11400 block of Waterview Cluster near Lake Anne. She had decided to walk home alone after attending a party with her friends and boyfriend.
See below on how to provide information about the cases:
Anyone with information regarding any of our cold cases is asked to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 8. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
The cold case squad was founded in 1995 and is housed under FCPD’s major crimes bureau. It investigates unresolved homicides and sex crimes in Fairfax County.
Photo via Bill Oxford/Unsplash
Reston Hospital Center ranked as the 14th best hospital in Virginia, according to rankings released by the U.S. News & World Report.
The hospital also ranked high in cardiology, heart surgery, and orthopedics.
Rankings are determined by analyzing data from 5,000 medical centers and survey responses from more than 30,000 physicians.
The University of Virginia Medical Center ranked as the best hospital in Virginia.
“We are committed to the care and improvement of human life,” said John Deardorff, President and CEO of Reston Hospital Center and HCA’s Northern Virginia market. “Our medical staff and care team live this mission and strive for excellence in everything we do. We are proud to receive this national recognition from U.S. News.”
The rankings were determined based on pre-COVID-19 metrics.
Reston Hospital Center is a 231-bed medical facility that is part of the HCA Virginia Health System.
Photo via Reston Hospital Center
Herndon Police Issues Warning about Unlocked Cars — Local police investigated reports of at least 10 vehicles that someone entered other than their owner. All vehicles were left unlocked. [Herndon Police Department]
Teachers’ Union Seeks Roles for All — The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers is asking Fairfax County Public Schools has a role for all staff including instructional assistants and bus drivers. [Fairfax County Federation of Teachers]
Arrest Made in Aggravated Assault Case — “Marian Jose Acuna Palma, 27, of Herndon, VA was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for the stabbing of a victim that is known to her. The victim went to Fair Oaks Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police. The incident happened on the 1000 block of Elden Street on July 21. [Herndon Police Department]
Atlanta Firm Acquires Reston Company — “Atlanta-based investment company Battle Investment Group has acquired Reston-based telecommunications company Oceus Networks, the company announced Tuesday.” [Virginia Business]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Continuing its series of virtual community meetings, Cornerstones will host a forum with several state officials next month.
The Reston-based nonprofit organization is organizing the event for Thursday, August 13 from 5:30-6:45 p.m. Sen. Janet Howell, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Del. Ken Plum, and Del. Ibraheem Samirah are expected to attend.
Topics of discussion include: rebuilding economic and social stability, distance learning and the digital divide, getting back to work and living wage economy, and equity and the opportunity divide.
Registration is open online. Log-in information will be sent to registered participants only.
Participants can submit their questions for consideration prior to the forum by emailing [email protected]. The deadline to submit questions is Friday, Aug. 7.
Photo via Cornerstones
Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk has released a new website that serves as a one-stop-shop for all previous and future law enforcement data public by Fairfax County.
Lusk, who is also the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s Public Safety Committee, said the project was launched in response to residents’ requests for clear and detailed data from the Fairfax County Police Department.
The website aggregates all public safety data into one location, including FCPD’s annual report, reports by the police auditor, arrest and traffic citation dates for 2019, and other resources.
“This is about accountability and transparency,” Lusk said in a video announcing the website.
The platform also includes a police reform matrix that tracks the progress of suggested reforms. This year, the board’s Public Safety Committee began pooling together a matrix of reforms. The status of each reform will be updated on the online document as information is available.
Lusk noted that the website will change in response to input and feedback from the community.
Photo via YouTube
A flash flood watch has been issued for today (Tuesday).
The watch will be in effect from 3 p.m. this afternoon into the 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s more from the alert:
* A SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT WILL INTERSECT A HOT AND HUMID AIR MASS RESULTING IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY RESULT IN RAPID RISES OF WATER ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS, AS WELL AS IN URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED
Guidance for County Students on College — Northern Virginia Community College is inviting parents of FCPS students and recent graduates for an informational session on navigating college options for high school graduates. The virtual meeting takes place via Zoom today at 6:30 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
County NAACP Chair Considers Run for Lt. Governor Seat — “Sean Perryman, president of the Fairfax County NAACP, is considering a bid for the Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2021. He announced Monday in a release the formation of an ‘exploratory committee.'” [Reston Patch]
Herndon Police Department Seeks Public Comment for Re-accreditation Process — The Herndon Police Department is being reassessed for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ accreditation award. Public comment is sought vi email and during phone-in sessions. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Organizers had hoped the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival would take place at a rescheduled date this year.
But today, the Greater Reston Arts Center announced that the festival will be canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this year. Organizers hope that the next festival will take place on its typical weekend — the third weekend in May. This year’s festival was rescheduled to September 11-13.
“This was a hard decision, knowing how deeply this impacts our artists (who we know value this opportunity, especially now), our audience (who may have appreciated the sense of normalcy the festival could provide), and ourselves (as a small arts non-profit with the festival accounting for over a third of our annual net income),” said Jaynelle Hazard, GRACE’s Executive Director and Curator.
GRACE noted that implementing phase three requirements — including 10 feet of distancing, a 1,000-person cap, and one-way flow of pedestrian traffic — seemed “impossible challenging for an open-air street festival of our magnitude.”
“Volunteer numbers are likely to decline (and our volunteers are essential to a well-run festival in the best of times), and artists who remained committed to the event had dropped in recent weeks. We carefully surveyed all options and held on as long as we could; however, we have reached the point where we cannot, confidently, safely or practically proceed. The safety of everyone involved is our top priority,” wrote Erica Harrison, Associate Curator and Festival Director.
Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to make an announcement on the status of phase three in Virginia during a press conference tomorrow.
Photo by Charlotte Geary
A Falls Church man was arrested earlier this month in connection with a peeping incident in Reston.
Officers from the Reston District Station arrested Amaya Alvarado, 34, in connection with multiple peeping incidents, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The incidents happened around 9:30 p.m. on the 2200 block of Lovedale Lane on July 21.
Alvarado was charged with four counts of peeping.
Photo via FCPD
Reston Association’s Board of Directors is improving gaps around financial decision-making due to its acceptance of a $1.3 million Paycheck Protection Program loan that it did not qualify for several months ago.
Some RA members criticized CEO Hank Lynch for pursuing the PPP loan in late March without consulting the Board of Directors in a formal meeting. RA President Julie Bitzer, board members, general counsel, and RA’s Principal Financial Officer were consulted prior to making the decision. The funds were returned on May 14 with no legal penalties or financial costs.
In a July 23 statement, Bitzer said the process indicated there is a “substantial gap in our governing instruments.”
“Specifically, formal controls on the manner in which RA may obtain unsecured loans do not exist,” she wrote in the board-authorized statement.
She also noted that staff and board officers made “assumptions and errors” in the rush to protect RA’s financial stability in response to COVID-19, adding that the majority of the board does not believe Lynch acted with ill intent or exceeded his authority.
In May, Reston Association declined to release information about the amount of the loan to Reston Now. The issue was first publicly raised during a May board meeting when Lynch briefed the board on why the loan was returned.
Nonetheless, RA passed several motions to close gaps in decision-making and improve overall coordination this month:
Move to direct the CEO to present to the FiscalCommittee all current unsecured loans previously entered into for their review and to direct the FiscalCommitteeto provide its review and recommendations on those loans to the Board at the September 2020 regular full Board meeting.
Move to direct that the BOD and CEO establish a periodic review of our business processes and controls to continue to refine our operations.
Move to instruct the Fiscal Committee and Board Governance Committee toreview and provide draft amendments to Staff’s draft revisions of Assessmentand Finance Resolution 10:Budget Amendments to clarify what constitutes amaterial change to the biennial budget that will require action by the Board ofDirectors. The BOD asks that it be presented Resolution 10 draft amendments on or before its November2020full BOD meeting for their consideration and action
In late June, the board also directed the CEO and staff to take no action on obtaining more loans — whether secured or unsecured — without board approval.
Bitzer also noted that Lynch’s decision to cancel summer programs qualified as a public health decision, not a budgetary decision. The decision was critiqued by some members who asserted that the change was a budget amendment, which only the board is authorized to complete.
“Few, if any, organizations were fully prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, and RestonAssociation was no exception. Organizations had to respond to the crisis, initially at least, with the resources they had on hand and then quickly assemble additional resources to deal with both obvious and also not-so-obvious potential challenges to the organization’s functioning and, for some, their very existence,” Bitzer wrote.
Photo via YouTube
Northam Considers Rolling Back Reopening — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has a warning for Virginians. He tweeted Saturday that he will be watching public health data as COVID-19 cases increase in the Commonwealth.” [FOX 5]
Quiet Opening for Apple Store in Reston Town Center — “The new, larger store has quietly opened for business, welcoming customers earlier this month. Usually, new Apple stores are accompanied by much hoopla and celebration. But not this time. In order to keep crowds down, the store just opened. Temperature taking, hand sanitizing, limited customers inside, and lines out front are all part of the new Apple store experience.” [The Burn]
Design Review Board Candidates Sought — Reston Association is seeking volunteers to serve on the board for two volunteer positions. The application is available online. [Reston Association]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Many election officers in the county fall in high-risk categories for COVID-19.
The Fairfax County Office of Election is seeking more election officers this year to assist voters on Election Day, which is on Nov. 3.
The county is the largest voting jurisdictions in the state, with 243 precincts nationwide. Officers must be registered voters.
Training for new officers will begin online in September. Compensation begins at $175.
The application is available online. The deadline is Oct. 10 and mandatory online training must be completed by Oct. 14.
More information is available on the county’s website.
Kimley-Horn, a planning and design consultant, has pitched two proposals for Lake Thoreau pool, a Reston Association amenity closed pending major improvements on the aging site.
The pool, which opened in 1981, is deteriorating. Previous structural engineering reports have flagged structural problems with the pool, including a sagging retaining wall and cracks in the pool shell and concrete deck.
Following community engagement sessions, Kimley-Horn pitched two concept plans for the renovation project. The first concept is similar to the current layout and design, but would incorporate features requested by residents at a Feb. 11 community meeting. Those priorities include: a hot tub or spa, lap lanes, zero-depth entry, outward views, shade and tree retention, and lake access.
The second concept plan would involve a complete redesign and creates less shade and tree retention.
Jeffrey Holzer, a landscape architect analyst with Kimley-Horn, said the company was amenable to pursuing a “simple and practical” design. Reston Association released an informational video about the project ahead of a community meeting next month.
The consultant is also exploring artistic opportunities like a pool mural, a pool floor mosaic, sculptural art along the building, deck or wall, or a sculptural water fountain.
Feedback and questions are due by August 7 to [email protected].
A final conceptual design, which would incorporate community feedback, will be created by August 25. Meetings with RA’s Board of Directors and Design Review Board are expected to continue between September and October.
A virtual community meeting is planned for August 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Image via Kimley-Horn
A Reminder about School-required Immunizations — Immunizations remain mandatory for school enrollment. The Fairfax County Health Department is offering nine additional community childhood vaccination clinics and has also expanded office hours. [Fairfax County Government]
Columbus Day Renamed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day — “The Fairfax County School Board has voted to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the previously approved 2020-21 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) school year calendar as well as the yet-to-be approved 2021-22 school year calendar. The 2021-22 calendar is scheduled to be adopted in September.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Herndon Company Operates New Satellite Technology — “HawkEye 360, a radio frequency (RF) data analytics company based in Herndon, operates a first-of-its-kind commercial satellite constellation to identify, process and geo-locate a broad set of RF signals especially for defense, security and intelligence missions. John Serafini, chief executive officer, spoke to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority about HawkEye 360, including the applications of its satellite technology operations, hiring projections, and why Fairfax County is a great place for the company’s headquarters.” [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
Transportation Service for Oakton, Vienna, Reston and Herndon Residents Returns — “The Board of Directors of Shepherd’s Center serving Oakton-Vienna-Reston-Herndon (SC) has announced that their face-to-face medical and companion transportation service are now being offered. Due to virus safety concerns for their clients and volunteers, SC had put that service temporarily on hold. If you are a current client and you live in Oakton, Vienna, Reston or Herndon, SC is available to, once again, provide this invaluable service for seniors.” [Shepherd’s Center]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County has surpassed 15,000 cases as of today (Thursday) as the trajectory of cases continues to remain stable in the county.
One of the most important measures of community transmission — charting confirmed cases by new cases per week — indicates that cases are not growing exponentially. For the last three weeks, the number of new cases has remained relatively stable.
The Virginia Department of Health reported 49 new cases today — a number that is in line with previous daily increases for the last week.
But it’s unclear how complete the data are. The number of total tests administered per week has remained stable since a reported high on the week of May 24. However, the number of positive tests remains low.
Racial disparities continue to remain prevalent in the county. The Hispanic community accounts for 60 percent of total confirmed cases where race is known, even though they comprise just 16 percent of the population.
In Northern Virginia, the number of weekly total cases reported hovers in the 500s, with slight increases reported since last month.
Overall, the state has reported 81,237 confirmed cases, 7,437 hospitalizations, and 2,054 total deaths.
The Fairfax County Health Department is encouraging residents to continue to practice social distancing and wear masks when in public. Cleaning supplies and children’s face coverings are also still needed.
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
