The nonprofit responsible for historic preservation at Mount Vernon collected a state-level honor last week.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association received the first of six 2024 Spirit of Virginia awards from Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin on Friday (March 15).
“It is fitting that during Women’s History Month we celebrate the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association’s centuries-old commitment to preserving one of our Commonwealth’s most historic homes,” Suzanne Youngkin said in a press release.
The Spirit of Virginia awards recognize people and organizations nominated by the governor’s cabinet secretaries and then selected by the first lady and governor. The criteria, per the first lady’s website, requires that honorees be service-oriented, pioneering, innovative and industrious, reinvigorating, imaginative, and transformative (in other words, have “spirit”).
The MVLA, which has owned the Mount Vernon estate since 1858, is a privately-funded organization that preserves, maintains and restores George Washington’s mansion, along with the surrounding grounds.
“We are honored to be the first recipient of the 2024 Spirit of Virginia Award,” Margaret Hartman Nichols, 23rd regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, said in the press release. “The Association’s legacy of stewardship began with our trailblazing founder, Ann Pamela Cunningham, and has continued for the last 166 years uninterrupted. It is fitting that the home of the man who was first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen was rescued by the women who were first in preservation.”
The MVLA isn’t the first local organization to get this recognition from the governor’s mansion.
Last year, Fairfax City’s Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates (9639 Fairfax Blvd) made the list for its work with young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One of 2022’s awards went to Vienna’s Jill’s House (9011 Leesburg Pike), a Christian non-profit that offers one-to-two day overnight respite care to kids, teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities.
(Updated at 12:50 p.m. on 3/12/2024) Fairfax County was the site of three different fatal pedestrian crashes yesterday (Sunday), two of them occurring just minutes apart in the same proximity on the Capital Beltway (I-495).
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers responded first at 3:39 a.m. to a crash on the westbound I-495 shoulder, east of the exit to Telegraph Road at the Alexandria border.
“At this stage of the investigation, it appears an individual was on the shoulder changing a tire on a vehicle when the individual was struck by a truck,” the VSP said.
The person changing their tire died at the scene, while the truck driver was taken to a hospital for treatment. Charges in the crash “are pending,” police said in an update just before 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Then, at 3:53 a.m., police came across a woman lying in the eastbound lanes of I-495 near the Telegraph Road exit. Calls to police indicated that the woman got hit by two vehicles, according to scanner traffic on OpenMHz.
“A 2005 Honda Accord, heading eastbound in the right center lane on I-495, was unable to avoid striking a female pedestrian who had stepped into traffic,” the VSP said in an update on Tuesday (March 12). “The Accord was then struck by a 2021 Acura RDX, and the Accord then struck the jersey wall. A 2023 Nissan Rogue then struck the RDX.”
The woman, Vanessa Schwartz, 35, of Alexandria, died at the scene of the crash, which remains under investigation. A spokesperson emphasized that the two crashes “are not related.”
Police seek driver in fatal hit-and-run
Separately, Fairfax County police detectives are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash in Mount Vernon that allegedly involved the driver of a stolen vehicle.
Around 12:17 a.m., officers spotted a black 2015 Hyundai Sonata on Buckman Road near Russell Road that had been reported stolen overnight on Saturday (March 9) from the 7900 block of Sausalito Place, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“The driver of a stolen Sonata sped away at the sight of the police. Officers did not pursue,” the FCPD said.
An officer saw the sedan “traveling at a high rate of speed” north on Janna Lee Avenue about 15 minutes later.
“The driver sideswiped an occupied vehicle near Tamarind Street,” police said. “Officers followed the direction the driver was traveling and located the stolen vehicle crashed into a dumpster and unoccupied.”
A man later identified as James Johnson, 63, of Hybla Valley was found in the grass nearby after he had apparently been hit by a vehicle. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
According to the FCPD, its Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives believe the driver of the stolen Hyundai hit Johnson while he was walking on Janna Lee Avenue before crashing into the dumpster. The driver wasn’t located, and the police department doesn’t have a description “at this time.”
The crash remains under investigation.
There have now been five pedestrian deaths in Fairfax County this year, including two fatal crashes on Richmond Highway in February.
Image via Google Maps
A Mount Vernon man has been convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Brandon Wims outside the Old Mill Gardens apartments in 2022.
A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury returned a guilty verdict last night (Monday) against Kyjuan Trott-McLean, 44, convicting him of murder and a charge of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today.
“The extremely random nature of this crime is truly heartbreaking,” Descano said. “While one never fully heals from the loss of a loved one, especially in such an unexpected act of violence, I hope that this conviction can help provide solace to Mr. Wims’ family and the rest of our community.”
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Trott-McLean shot Wims, a 31-year-old resident of Rockville, Maryland, in the 5800 block of St. Gregory Lane on Oct. 2, 2022 during an argument with his wife, an acquaintance of Wims:
Trott-McLean’s wife, Kezia Leckey, was an acquaintance of Wims, and the two met up that night, along with another friend of Leckey’s, Sapphire Lawrence. The three were sitting in Lawrence’s car talking at the time of the shooting.
At trial, prosecutors proved that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between Trott-McLean and Leckey. As Trott-McLean stood next to the vehicle and argued with Leckey, he stepped back from the vehicle, produced a 9mm firearm, and fired, striking Wims three times and grazing Leckey. He continued to fire as Lawrence, in the driver’s seat, sped off.
Lawrence drove Wims to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. At the time, Fairfax County police said he was transferred to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Trott-McLean fled the scene and was able to evade law enforcement for nearly two months. Shortly after an $11,000 reward was offered for information, he was arrested in the 3800 block of Colonial Avenue in Mount Vernon on Dec. 1, 2022 after a brief police pursuit.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 3. Trott-McLean faces a maximum sentence of 43 years in prison.
Photo via Google Maps
With cooler temperatures returning after an unseasonably warm Friday (Jan. 26), a nonprofit headquartered in Reston is putting out a call for winter clothes to distribute to homeless adults throughout Northern Virginia.
An operator of wellness centers that assist people experiencing challenges with mental illness, substance use and homelessness, the Recovery Program Solutions of Virginia (RPSV) launched a winter gear clothing drive earlier this month that will continue until the end of the season.
The organization is seeking new or gently used coats, gloves, wool or thermal socks, scarves, hats, hand warmers and mylar blankets — all items that it says are “urgently” needed by its clients. The drive will also accept first aid and personal hygiene items, tarps, waterproof tents, sleeping bags, and waterproof rolling backpacks, according to a press release.
Donations can be dropped off at RPSV’s five recovery centers:
- Arlington Peers Helping Peers in Recovery (3219 Columbia Pike, Suite 101)
- The Consumer Wellness Center in Annandale (7611 Little River Turnpike, Suite E100)
- Merrifield Peer Resource Center (8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Suite 1-105)
- Reston Wellness Center (1850 Cameron Glen Drive, Suite 200)
- The South County Recovery and Drop-In Center in Mount Vernon (8794-S Sacramento Drive)
Founded in 2011, RPSV serves Fairfax County, Falls Church, Alexandria and Arlington. Staffed by people who are in recovery, the nonprofit offers peer-run support groups, access to treatment, employment assistance, referrals to housing and financial assistance, and other services.
(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Two people died in separate house fires over the weekend, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.
The first fire occurred in the 3800 block of Kings Hill Court in Mount Vernon around 5:58 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 20).
Summoned by a neighbor who saw a fire from the back of a two-story single-family house, firefighters arrived to see the blaze making its way from the first floor up to the second floor, according to an FCFRD press release.
After “quickly” extinguishing the fire, firefighters found a man described as elderly inside the house. He was taken with life-threatening injuries to a hospital, where he later died, the department said.
“The cause of death is pending an autopsy and toxicology report from the medical examiner,” the department said in a news release today (Monday). “There were no firefighter injuries.”
Investigators determined that the house had smoke alarms, but it’s unclear if they were triggered by the fire, which started in the living room.
The exact cause of the fire hasn’t yet been determined, according to the fire department. Some residents of the house who weren’t home at the time of the fire have been displaced.
The FCFRD estimates that the fire resulted in approximately $475,500 in property damages.
Just before 6pm this evening units from #FCFRD responded to a house fire in the 3800 blk of Kings Hill Ct. Crews arrived with fire showing. The fire is out. During fire attack crews located and rescued one occupant. The occupant has been transported to a nearby hospital. pic.twitter.com/vlh7Nr9VET
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 21, 2024
Later that evening, the fire department responded at approximately 11:23 p.m. to another fire at a two-story, single-family house, this time in the 8200 block of Mockingbird Drive in Annandale’s Wakefield neighborhood.
According to the FCFRD, arriving crews saw “heavy fire” visible from the house’s roof. A woman was found inside and taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
As in the Mount Vernon fire, no firefighter injuries were reported, and the woman’s cause of death will be officially determined by an autopsy and toxicology report from the medical examiner.
“The fire was called in by a neighbor who reported seeing flames from the roof of the home,” the FCFRD said. “The origin of the fire was within the attic space of the structure. The cause has been attributed to a fault within the electrical lighting branch circuit related to the second-floor bathroom.”
The Wakefield fire produced approximately $639,913 in damages, the fire department reported.
These are the first fatal fire incidents of 2024, but on Dec. 11, a man was found dead in a McLean house where a two-alarm fire broke out.
Units are on the scene of a house fire in the 8200 blk of Mockingbird Dr. Crews arrived with fire through the roof. The fire is out. During fire attack crews located and rescued one occupant. The occupant has been transported to a nearby hospital. Fire investigators are on scene. pic.twitter.com/dB9fOBhu5L
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 21, 2024
A 58-year-old tax preparer from Mount Vernon was sentenced to 18 months in prison last week for filing fake tax returns for his “unsuspecting” clients, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lawrence Appiah-Osei pleaded guilty in June to operating the scheme from 2017 to 2020 from his Mount Vernon home, defrauding the U.S. government of more than $1.4 million, according to a release published Friday (Nov. 3) by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Appiah-Osei started his tax preparation business, New Look Enterprise, in 2016, and the following year “executed a scheme to fraudulently inflate the tax refunds of his clients,” the release said.
“Appiah-Osei falsely claimed that his clients operated businesses that lost thousands of dollars each year,” prosecutors said in the release. “These fraudulent losses drove down the clients’ taxable income and increased the clients’ tax refunds.”
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation division estimated the tax loss to be nearly $1.5 million, according to court records.
Image via Google Maps
The annual Tour de Mount Vernon will return to the area on Saturday, Oct 21.
Beginning at 8 a.m., the eighth annual community bicycling event encourages riders to take in the closed George Washington Memorial Parkway alongside views of the Potomac River.
The event is organized by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. While more information on the exact route remains to be released, it will include a mix of paved roads, paved trails and some challenging sections. Two options — a long ride of 40 miles and a short ride of 20 miles — will be offered.
Early registration is open until Sept. 1, with tickets costing $30 per rider. A ticket includes event socks, a day pass to George Washington’s estate, one free day pass to Woodland and Pope-Leighey House and a $5 donation to the Fairfax Alliance for Better Cycling (FABB).
Registration from Sept. 2 through Oct. 21 rises to $35 per ride. All of the above perks apply, except there’s no guarantee that the socks will still be available.
Fairfax County is seeking volunteers for the event. While teens between the ages of 15 and 17 are welcome, they must be accompanied by an adult. Helmets and a liability waiver are also required.
The event is sponsored by several organizations, including FABB, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and Celebrate Fairfax.
The eighth annual Tour de Mount Vernon is dedicated to Dave Evans, a father, husband, softball coach, and United Community and Good Shepherd Housing treasurer and board member who inspired the event. He was also the owner and operator of the award-winning business La Prima Catering.
Earlier this year, the county dedicated a ball field to Evans at Walt Whitman Middle School in Hybla Valley.
Rain, rain, it’s not going away just yet.
Another storm has emerged in the D.C. area, once again bringing the potential for flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for southeastern Fairfax County, from Springfield to Mount Vernon and Lorton, until 7:30 p.m.
Excessive runoff may be particularly an issue in areas notably affected by thunderstorms yesterday (Monday) afternoon, when 2 to 4 inches of rain fell in the Springfield and Route 1 areas within the space of an hour.
“Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area,” the NWS said at 4:32 p.m. “Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 3 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area.”
Flash Flood Warning including Springfield VA, West Springfield VA and Woodlawn VA until 7:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/MF9OwDjcsc
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 15, 2023
In Fairfax County, yesterday’s storms mainly resulted in power outages, but they had a deadly impact in D.C., where rapidly rising waters killed 10 dogs at a local canine day care.
A Flood Watch has also been issued until 8 p.m.
The full alert is below.
* Flash Flood Warning for…Southeastern Fairfax County in northern Virginia…
* Until 730 PM EDT.
* At 432 PM EDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 3 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD…Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE…Radar and automated gauges.
IMPACT…Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include…
Alexandria… Springfield…Fort Hunt… Groveton…Huntington… Fort Belvoir…Burke… Lincolnia…Lorton… Franconia…Hybla Valley… Newington…I395 and I495 Interchange…West Springfield…Mount Vernon… North Springfield…Hayfield… Mason Neck…Jefferson Manor…
FLASH FLOOD…RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE…1-3 INCHES IN 1 HOUR
Updated at 4:45 p.m. — The Tornado Warning was terminated early at 4:33 p.m., but Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood warnings remain in effect until around 5 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., respectively.
Updated at 4:25 p.m. — A Tornado Warning has also been issued until 4:45 p.m.
“At 418 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Franconia, or over Springfield, moving northeast at 25 mph,” the National Weather Service said.
Updated at 4:20 p.m. — The Flash Flood Warning has been expanded to include the Tysons area, Vienna and Annandale.
Earlier: This afternoon’s rush-hour commute will be a wet one.
A thunderstorm has reached Fairfax County, and it could bring some flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency has issued a Flash Flood Warning specifically for the southern half of the county and the Fairfax City area. The alert will be in effect until 8 p.m.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the NWS said. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Basement flooding can occur quickly and create a life-threatening situation. If you are in a basement, or a residence below street level, move to a higher floor immediately.”
[8/14/23 3:57P M] Fairfax County is currently in a FLASH FLOOD WARNING until 8:00 PM EDT. pic.twitter.com/jN2YCPJtLB
— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) August 14, 2023
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is also in effect until 4:30 p.m., affecting the Fort Belvoir, Mount Vernon and Lorton areas.
According to the NWS, radar showed “a severe thunderstorm” moving northeast at 20 mph from Quantico at 4:02 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible.
“Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall,” the agency warns. “This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.”
The full Flash Flood Warning is below:
* Flash Flood Warning for…Southern Fairfax County in northern Virginia…Prince William County in northern Virginia…The City of Fairfax in northern Virginia…
* Until 800 PM EDT.
* At 353 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain developing across the warned area. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash
flooding is expected to begin shortly.HAZARD…Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE…Radar.
IMPACT…Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include…
Centreville…Dale City… Annandale…Springfield… Fairfax…Fort Hunt… Groveton…Huntington… Mantua…Fort Belvoir… Woodbridge…Quantico… Lake Ridge…Burke… Oakton…Lincolnia… Montclair…
Lorton… Franconia…This includes the following Flood Prone Roads:
Woodburn Road at Accotink Creek…Fairfax Boulevard at Oak Street…Fairfax Boulevard at University Drive…Pickett Rd at Accotink Creek near Old Pickett Rd… Mine Road and Cameron Street…
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) The long-fought activism of one local resident has culminated in the Fairfax County Police Department changing its approach to publicly identifying where crimes occur.
Arlington-based blogger Dave Statter announced on Wednesday, July 12 that Police Chief Kevin Davis has committed to having FCPD public information officers and social media channels use community names, rather than postal addresses, in public safety announcements, clearing up decades of confusion.
A crash in the Fort Belvoir area, for instance, will no longer be described as happening in Alexandria, when the city’s limits are almost 10 miles away.
(1) NEW: My battle of 40 years is over. 2 weeks ago @ChiefKDavis committed to having @FairfaxCountyPD stop using phrases like "Alexandria/Falls Church section of Fairfax County". Instead, they'll use community names within the county. As you can see it has already begun. (more) pic.twitter.com/wCy4tTeTHP
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) July 12, 2023
Known for his coverage of fire, EMS and police issues on Twitter and his blog, Statter argues that relying on postal addresses when informing the public of crime and safety incidents leads news outlets to share “imprecise” reports that associate murders or robberies in the wrong jurisdiction.
He says this issue is most relevant in Falls Church and Alexandria, two independent cities that share often unclear boundaries with Fairfax County.
The frequent conflation of the two cities with Fairfax County stems from the U.S. Postal Service providing a large swath of Fairfax County residents with Falls Church and Alexandria addresses, Statter claims. These addresses are provided to news outlets by PIOs when pinpointing the location of a crime, giving “people the impression that more crime was occurring in Alexandria [and Falls Church] than what was actually occurring,” Statter told FFXnow.
“The postal service created these artificial boundaries that don’t align with the real political boundaries that are on the map,” Statter said. “And you will often find a national story that says something that occurred in a town somewhere, but it really didn’t occur in that town — it was outside that town in a different jurisdiction. So it’s a problem that people have ignored for many years. I’m trying not to let them ignore it.”
The “general confusion” around city and county limits has also left many residents scratching their heads over where they really live and generated constant citizen inquiries to local governing bodies, Falls Church Communication Director Susan Finarelli says.
“People try to pay taxes to the city of Falls Church when, in fact, they live in Fairfax County,” Finarelli said. “…It is something that City of Falls Church government employees deal with all the time. I even copy and paste a statement of, ‘Oh, thank you so much for your email. Your address is actually in the Fairfax County part of Falls Church. Here’s how you can contact Fairfax County for that service.'”
To remedy this issue, which he says is not only endemic to Northern Virginia but the entire country, Statter has spent 41 long years advocating for PIOs and news outlets to instead use community and neighborhood names, such as Bailey’s Crossroads or Mount Vernon. Read More