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Key Middle Officer Honored
Rudy Coffield is the FCPS 2013 Distinguished School Resource Officer.
n full policeman’s regalia—bus driver hat and all—Master Police Officer (MPO) Rudy Coffield is an imposing figure. The meticulously assembled uniform commands respect: His gleaming badge, crackling radio and holstered firearm immediately convey an unwavering attention to detail, rule, law and purpose.
Lake Braddock Teacher, Burke Swim Coach Promotes Water Safety
Alexandria resident, Lake Braddock teacher Miriam Lynch helped organize a congressional hearing to increase awareness.
With the summer swimming season just about to kick off, the excitement of a freshly opened pool or beach may cause eagerly returning patrons to forget their number one priority as patrons: safety.
Principal Nardos King Leaves Mount Vernon High School
On her last day, Mount Vernon High School principal Nardos King went into school trying to act like it wasn’t anything different. But as she walked through the halls, she couldn’t help but reminisce over the 20 years of different jobs and professional growth she experienced in the building.
Fairfax County: Supervisors Approve 4-Cent Tax Rate Increase
The gap between the Fairfax County School Board and total county budgets is a formality away from being the smallest since before Jan. 7 when FCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza announced she wouldn’t be making any additional cuts in her $2.67 billion Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
Lorton: No Suspects Yet in Mason Neck Homicide
Police seeking help from community members.
Johan de Leede, 83, was shot several times in a home on the 6000 block of River Drive in Lorton, Fairfax County Police said in a release Friday afternoon on March 11. He died after being taken to an area hospital for his injuries.
Burke: Terra Centre Elementary School Renovation Nearly Completed
Molly Field, of Burke, is going on her 13th year as a Terra Centre Elementary School parent. Her third of three children will be in sixth grade there this fall. And though the educational experience hasn’t been lacking for her, friends have referred to the school as “The Shire,” a subtle dig at the mid-1970s design to be more efficient and environmentally friendly by using a green roof and sealing off many opportunities for natural light in favor of heating and cooling cost savings.
Springfield Native Competes on “America’s Next Top Model”
Justin Kim never planned to be a model. The 23-year-old Springfield native’s parents encouraged him to pursue law or medicine. While studying law and society at George Mason University, Kim thought he might find a career with an agency like the FBI or criminal courts.
Burke, Fairfax, Lorton and Springfield: Synchronized Swimmers Compete in North Carolina
Lake Braddock graduate and Springfield resident Connie Polnow has been doing synchronized swimming since she was 9 years old. Her teammate and rising West Springfield freshman Angie Borkowski has only been at it for a year. But together, they were among 29 members of the Northern Virginia Nereids squad who participated in the United States Synchronized Swimming Junior Olympics between June 29 and July 4.
Burke: Volunteers and County Workers Recognized at Best of Braddock Awards
Thanks to Jim Watkins, a striking statue of a barracuda emerging from the water now graces the Commonwealth Swim Club. Watkins and other volunteers, members of the club, have helped maintain and repair areas of the facility, including restoration of the storm runoff channel, new lighting and landscaping.
Teen Sex Trafficking Information Forum Held at West Springfield High School
Amy DiGiulian of Springfield came to the meeting for general information on human trafficking. “I had an overall concern,” said the mother of students at Robert E. Lee High School, Key Middle School and Garfield Elementary School.
Rising Hope Mission Church in Mount Vernon Hosts Nightly Shelters
At 7 p.m. doors to Rising Hope Mission Church open for guests to sign in. Promptly at 7:10, volunteers begin serving dinner. On a chilly, rainy, mid-December night, the volunteers from Aldersgate United Methodist Church prepare beef steak with gravy, beans and corn for about 20 homeless individuals.
‘Clawing Away For Information’ in Mount Vernon
Parents of Annie McCann pursue human trafficking as possible factor in her 2008 death.
For Mary Jane and Dan McCann, losing their 16-year-old daughter Annie was a personal catastrophe.
Fairfax County: Support for Police Auditor, Civilian Review Panel
Supervisors discuss independent oversight recommendations from Ad Hoc Commission.
Details of an independent auditor for Fairfax County police and a civilian panel to review cases of alleged FCPD abuse of authority or misconduct are still being hammered out. However there was general agreement among County Supervisors at the July 19 Public Safety Committee meeting that they are in favor of moving forward with the recommendations from the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission to create both entities for accountability.
Springfield Sharpshooter Bound for Rio
She’s not worried about hitting the bowl. Just striking the one-to-two-inch air rifle target from ten meters won’t win you a medal. It’s not even the middle ring, the size of a pencil eraser, that Springfield resident Ginny Thrasher is fixated on. It’s the dot in the center of that. Ten points.
South County Presents ‘Rock ’n’ Roll’
English teacher leads an all-senior cast and crew in Tom Stoppard play.
The South County High School senior thespians are rocking out ... to British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard. For the second year in a row, South County English teacher Dan Deiter is directing a cast and crew comprising exclusively fourth-year drama students.
Burke and Fairfax: Young Artist with Autism Shows Work at Our Daily Bread’s “Artful Living”
“HERE MY WORK IS YELLING AT THE STONE INSIDE THAT REFUSES TO LEAVE MY SOUL AND BODY IN PEACE.” Those are 16-year-old Fairfax resident Ben Breaux’s words that accompanied his mixed-media painting “The Kidney Stone” at the April 23 juried art contest and Our Daily Bread fundraiser “Artful Living.”
Fairfax County School Board Honors Retiring Leaders, Adopts Budget Review and Audit Plan
In their last meeting of the summer, Fairfax County School Board members began by remembering former superintendent Dr. Robert Spillane, who recently died, and recognizing outgoing members of the school system’s leadership team.
Protest Precedes Police Meeting at Fairfax County Government Center
Themed subcommittees announced at second police review commission meeting.
Increased Fairfax County Police presence was noticeable at the rear of the room after three masked men entered the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission.
Faces of Gum Springs, Alexandria
Residents reflect on their historic community.
Of the current residents of Gum Springs, several hundred are descendants of the original families who bought land and settled in one of northern Virginia’s oldest and historically black communities.
HOT Topic
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue invites the media for Hands-On Training.
Rob Schoenberger is pretty good with a 15-foot extendable camera. Its built-in microphone and powerful lights come in handy, paired with a Delsar seismic sensor device, when trying to locate people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building.