UVA Announces Death of First Year Student

Message Sent from University of Virginia Dean Allen Groves:

To the University Community:

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the death of first-year student John Paul Popovich, who died at his home in Sterling, Virginia, on Friday, December 18. According to his family, John Paul passed away in his sleep of what are believed to be natural causes.

Prior to coming to the University, JP—as he was known to his many friends—was active in his community and as a student at Dominion High School in Loudoun County. He swam competitively with SNOW Swimming and served as captain of his team. Last February, he set the Virginia state record in the 200 individual medley (IM) and was subsequently named to the Dominion Titans' Wall of Fame for his accomplishments. JP also worked as a lifeguard, served as a volunteer with Special Olympics, tutored others in math and economics, and volunteered for his local Congressional campaign.

http://www.nbc29.com/story/30805466/uva-announces-death-of-first-year-student

P-Falls to get Turf playing fields

....Loudoun's Board of Supervisors approved allocating $1.6 million in county fund balance to Potomac Falls High School. The bulk of the funds, $1.25 million, will go toward a new turf field for athletics.



Loudoun Board of Supervisors allocates $1.25 million for turf field at Potomac Falls | LoudounTimes.com

Holly Carlton named Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year

....the award helped cap a high school career that began with her being cut from the club volleyball team. After sprouting nine inches over the course of last three years to her current height of 6-5, Carlton evolved into one of the area’s most dominant and versatile players




https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/recruiting-insider/wp/2015/12/09/potomac-falls-setter-holly-carlton-megan-mctigue-of-holy-cross-and-st-johns-senior-jeanne-westney-named-gatorade-volleyball-players-of-the-year/

‘A freaking bear’: Redskins’ Ryan Kerrigan meets his match at Lansdowne Resort | LoudounTimes.com

‘A freaking bear’: Redskins’ Ryan Kerrigan meets his match at Lansdowne Resort | LoudounTimes.com

Potomac Falls Lacrosse beats undefeated Tuscorara

After 4 straight losses to the Huskies the Panthers take charge.

see full details here:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/girls-lacrosse-sydney-knego-and-potomac-falls-knock-off-tuscarora/2015/04/30/6481032c-ecfe-11e4-8666-a1d756d0218e_story.html

Potomac Falls High School Track Team places well at Wolverine Classic Track Invitational

Both the girls team and boys team took a respectable 3rd place out of 16 schools at the Wolverins Classic Track Invitational held at Woodgrove High School, April 17, 2015 in Purcellville Virginia.  A win in the 3200 meter relay led the Potomac Falls girls in scoring.  Ayveri Lane, Natalie Clemm, Kelly Mogensen, Deirdre Gilmore finished with a time of 10:07.36

For complete details, see:  http://www.loudountimes.com/sports/article/Briar_Woods_runs_girls_title_Wolverine_Classic_Track_Invitational274

Calvary Temple’s contentious history | LoudounTimes.com

Calvary Temple’s contentious history | LoudounTimes.com



In December 1982, eight people were charged with kidnapping two Calvary Temple women 

Threats of blackmail against Sterling’s Calvary congregants investigated

The blackmail Troxell refers to came from head Calvary pastor Starr Scott's son, Starr Scott II. 

In a post on former congregants Facebook page, where they continue to plan protests, Scott II wrote: 

“I have DIRT on everyone! Both sides. Protesters included! I was trying to stay neutral in the matter but if my name is gonna start being thrown around then everyone else's texts, videos, emails, backgrounds, etc. will go public! You don't want to piss me off.” 

UPDATE: Community protests Sterling’s Calvary Temple church amid allegations of sexual abuse | LoudounTimes.com

UPDATE: Community protests Sterling’s Calvary Temple church amid allegations of sexual abuse | LoudounTimes.com



Families who all say they had experienced some type of abuse at the hands of the Pentecostal church's leaders – whether it was physical, sexual or emotional – found they had a safe haven with each other. 

Some had not seen each other in decades. Others had been communicating via social media about their experiences for years, but together they found a camaraderie: expose the public to practices they say have gone on for years behind Calvary Temple's closed doors. 

Broken trust

...For 19 years we laughed, cried, served and prayed together at Calvary Temple. We were married there. Two new babies. Friends. Family. Community. Then our spiritual journey took a different path.

In 2007 the leadership got wind of our plans to leave. During a worship service we were summoned to a pastor’s backroom office for an hour long interrogation. “Get your things and go.” Nineteen years, just like that. A few tearful goodbyes and phone calls. Within 24 hours every relationship was obliterated.

EDITORIAL: When law enforcement is more than a matter of faith | LoudounTimes.com

EDITORIAL: When law enforcement is more than a matter of faith | LoudounTimes.com



...former members of Calvary Temple returned to the church they once called home. Rather than driving their vehicles into the half-empty church lot off of Tripleseven Road in Sterling, they parked their vehicles on the side of the road, gathered across the street from the church and waved signs protesting tactics by church leaders that, they said, resulted in the sexual and physical abuse of minors, kidnapping, brainwashing, coercion, divorce and the break-up of families.

Loudoun deputies ask public for information about alleged Calvary Temple sexual assault | LoudounTimes.com

Loudoun deputies ask public for information about alleged Calvary Temple sexual assault | LoudounTimes.com



The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office on Thursday ask anyone with any information regarding an ongoing investigation into a sexual assault allegation at Sterling's Calvary Temple church to contact detectives. 



Detectives from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Sex Crimes Unit are asking anyone who has any information regarding this investigation to call the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475.

Spiritual warfare at Sterling’s Calvary Temple church | LoudounTimes.com

Spiritual warfare at Sterling’s Calvary Temple church | LoudounTimes.com

Jason Jolly’s last-second floater lifts Stone Bridge over Potomac Falls, 62-60.

Jolly’s high-arcing floater gave the Bulldogs a 62-60 victory in Ashburn, their 18th consecutive win, and a regular season Virginia Conference 14 championship. It was the kind of game-winning shot aspiring athletes dream of while counting down the clock out loud to themselves.

see:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/jason-jollys-last-second-shot-leads-stone-bridge-past-potomac-falls/2015/02/09/facb5098-ac95-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html

Conference 14: Potomac Falls claims fourth boys’ title in four years

Conference 14: Potomac Falls claims fourth boys’ title in four years

Virginia Man Arrested in Murder-For-Hire Plot Tied to Christian Identity and KKK Groups | Hatewatch

A man just arrested in Virginia on murder-for-hire charges has ties to racist Christian Identity and KKK groups that hosted a “whites only” gathering and cross burning in 2012 in Alabama, a television station reports.



see more here:



Virginia Man Arrested in Murder-For-Hire Plot Tied to Christian Identity and KKK Groups | Hatewatch

Conference 14: Potomac Falls claims fourth boys’ title in four years

In his first meet of his high school swimming career, Potomac Falls’ William Lin knew he had joined a special team. Led by a dedicated class of seniors and bolstered by nearly 20 new freshmen including Lin, the Panthers won their season opener over Loudoun County by more than 100 points. Four years later, those freshman, now seniors have led the No. 12 Potomac Falls boys to four straight conference titles, including Friday night’s dominating performance in the Conference 14 championship at Claude Moore.



see rest of the article here:



Conference 14: Potomac Falls claims fourth boys’ title in four years

SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES AMENDED BUDGET PROPOSAL

The Loudoun County School Board approved an amended Superintendent’s Proposed Fiscal Year Operating 2016 Budget on Thursday, January 29th, during a meeting at the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Administrative Offices in Ashburn.

The amended budget totals $982,144,727. This is $1,254,926 more than proposed by Superintendent Dr. Eric Williams.

The proposed budget was adopted after the School Board approved 10 motions that altered Williams’ proposed budget. These motions included:

1. A reduction of the average high school class size by one student led to the addition of 41 full-time-equivalent positions at a cost of $3,690,000.
2. Fully restoring summer school with offsetting anticipated revenues. The superintendent will provide a framework to the School Board that specifies the nature of the restoration, maximizes student participation, captures available state funding and adjusts for continued utilization of Virtual Loudoun. This added $1.2 million to the proposed budget.
3. Funding full-day kindergarten classes at schools with space available and a projected at-risk kindergarten student population of eight or more students, including those served through a regional program. Maximum class sizes of both 15 students per teacher and 25 students per teacher plus teaching assistant should be used when calculating which schools qualify for a full-day kindergarten program. (This removed 14 full-time-equivalent employees from the proposed budget for a savings of $965,762).
4. Restoring 14 eliminated middle school library assistants at a cost of $661,688.
5. A transition specialist position to assist special education students was added at a cost of $119,000.
6. The allocation of salary increases to LCPS employees already at the top of all pay scales in the form of a one-time increase representing 1 percent of their annual salary. This can be done with no fiscal impact.
7. Providing funds to construct a playground for Meadowland Elementary at a cost of $50,000.
8. Modifying the allocation of differentiated staffing standards to reassign full-time-equivalent positions from Heritage and Potomac Falls high schools to Park View High School. This has no fiscal impact on the budget.
9. Adding plan design changes to the LCPS health insurance program to reduce premium increases from 15 percent to 10 percent (for a cost savings of $2.6 million). This motion was amended to add a $150 to $300 deductible for the point of service (POS) plan and reducing the premium increase from 10 percent to 9 percent (for a cost savings of $450,000).
10. Reducing class size contingency positions from 40 to 35 full-time-equivalent positions for a savings of $450,000.

01/30/15/wbb

Two charged with attempted murder in Lansdowne | LoudounTimes.com

Two men are charged with attempted murder after deputies said they shot multiple times at a man and woman while they sat in their car in Lansdowne on Monday.

Javier K. Todd, 19, of Leesburg, and Timothy R. Vaughn, 20, of Ashburn, are charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and shooting into a vehicle.

Both men remain held on no bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

see full details here:

Two charged with attempted murder in Lansdowne | LoudounTimes.com

Proposal would let Dominion hike electric bills | LoudounTimes.com

Dominion Virginia Power would be allowed to avoid state regulation for eight years while having the ability to raise consumers’ electric bills, if the General Assembly passes a bill before the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor.

Proposal would let Dominion hike electric bills | LoudounTimes.com

Broad Run High swimmers take District Title

Broad Run High School’s girls’ swimming team wrapped up its second consecutive Potomac District title with a victory against Potomac Falls on Jan. 17

Loudoun County sports news -- Loudoun Times-Mirror

Cascades, Lowes Island residents say their location affects their ability to receive quick help from first responders | WJLA.com

Cascades, Lowes Island residents say their location affects their ability to receive quick help from first responders | WJLA.com

Police Investigating Robbery in Cascades | Ashburn, VA Patch

The suspect was described as a black male, about 6 feet tall with a slender build. He was wearing a black mask (similar to a balaclava), a dark-colored jacket and dark jeans, the Loudoun police reported. 



Police Investigating Robbery in Cascades | Ashburn, VA Patch

Cascades residents robbed at gunpoint in home | LoudounTimes.com

An unknown man with a gun robbed two Cascades residents Monday in an home invasion style heist, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. 

The man went into the home in the 11300 block of Stonehouse Place about 8 p.m., brandished a firearm and demanded money. 

The man and woman at the home told the gunman they had no money, so instead he took jewelry and a watch the two were wearing before fleeing on foot toward the Fairfax County line. 



Cascades residents robbed at gunpoint in home | LoudounTimes.com

Police investigating home invasion style robbery in Cascades

Police are investigating a home invasion style robbery at a home in the Cascades area on Monday night, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

Police say an unknown male entered a home in the 11300 block of Stonehouse Place around 8 p.m. and brandished a firearm.

see the rest here:  http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/virginia/2015/01/20/police-investigating-home-invasion-style-robbery-in-cascades/22078293/

Welding equipment sparks 3-alarm fire at Amazon site in Loudoun County | WJLA.com

Welding equipment sparks 3-alarm fire at Amazon site in Loudoun County | WJLA.com


Loudoun County firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze Friday morning in a large, under-construction building that is planned to be a new Amazon data center.

Loudoun County Public Schools 2016 budget: A first look | LoudounTimes.com

Loudoun County Public Schools 2016 budget: A first look | LoudounTimes.com

Loudoun County Public School Superintendent Dr. Eric Williams on Jan. 8 proposed a budget worth $981 million for fiscal 2016.

That's $68.9 million more than the LCPS current budget for 2015.

Part of that $68.9 million is LCPS staff's assumption that Loudoun's Board of Supervisors will give them $59.7 million from the general fund.

Sheriff's Office investigates armed robbery in Loudoun County

On January 10th at about 2 p.m. an unknown suspected entered the Hill Tom Market, displayed a firearm and demanded cash, the sheriff's office said.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/virginia/2015/01/10/sheriffs-office-investigates-armed-robbery-loudoun-county/21576795/

Thanks, Winter: No Mid-Term Exams in Loudoun County | Ashburn, VA Patch

Thanks, Winter: No Mid-Term Exams in Loudoun County | Ashburn, VA Patch