Governor Signs Voter ID Bills
McDonnell directs state to send every voter a new voter card before Election Day.
Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) signed watered-down versions of Virginia’s Republican-backed voter identification bills on Friday, adding the Commonwealth to the growing list of states adopting stricter voting standards.
Long & Foster Celebrates 15th Annual Community Service Day
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States, has announced that its Great Falls office will recognize the company’s annual Community Service Day on June 6 by collecting goods for the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston. Goods include gas, Target and Metro cards, pantry items and rain gear (coats, umbrellas…).
A Heart of Gold
Remembering Joe Cassella.
He slowly pushes the weight. Every fiber of his being aching and begging for relief. "Come on, donkey push it," commands the voice spotting him. "If you don’t believe it you can’t achieve it." The inspiration compels him through another set of reps. The words reverberate throughout the gym.
Preserving Great Falls History
Great Falls Historical Society honors Marjorie Lundegard.
Marjorie Lundegard is the recipient of the 2012 Jean Tibbetts History Award, presented at the Great Falls Historical Society’s Annual Tibbetts Award Luncheon and Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 20.
Opening Doors for People in Need
FACETS celebrates volunteers, donors at annual benefit breakfast.
Surrounded by nearly 350 business executives, politicians and community leaders in the chandeliered ballroom of the Waterford, Frank Somers - dressed in jeans, sneakers and a denim work shirt - looked a little out of place.
Week in Great Falls
Things happening in Great Falls.
Forestville Presents Musical
Last weekend, Forestville Elementary School performed the musical, "Wonka," about a children’s contest at a fantastical chocolate factory.
Searching for Great Falls’ Biggest Trees
Third annual Big Tree Hike features some of the largest trees in the state.
As part of a running group, Bob Vickers was familiar with the land along the Potomac River owned by the Potomac Conservatory. So when he heard about a contest looking for the biggest tree in Great Falls, he knew exactly where to look.
Game On
George Mason University students develop video games aimed at curtailing gang recruitment in Virginia.
Law enforcement officials now have two unlikely weapons in the fight against gang activity in Virginia: video games and college students.
Presidential Visit to Washington-Lee
President Barack Obama made his first visit to Washington-Lee High School on Friday, May 4.
Northern Virginia Bill Signing Puts Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence in Spotlight
A rare moment of bipartisanship between Republican governor and Democratic legislators.
Strangulation will be punished more aggressively to combat violence against women. Campus police will work with other police agencies to crack down on domestic violence of unmarried couples. And the telephone number for a human trafficking hotline will be placed in the restrooms at strip clubs across Virginia.
Great Falls Talks Turf
The Leo Santaballa turf-field debate continues.
In a Great Falls Land Use and Zoning Committee (LUZ) meeting in October of 2010, the Great Falls Lacrosse Association (GFLA) announced plans to install a synthetic turf-field at Leo Santaballa Park.
Seniors Group Plans First Events
Ecumenical Council members join with group, seek county charter.
The Great Falls Citizens Association’s Seniors Group hosted their meeting with new membership Wednesday, May 2, as group mainstays were joined by representatives from local churches and Fairfax County. The group, which was founded last year and has been seeking input from local residents, started planning their first event and laid out plans for a year’s worth of events, starting this September.
Volunteer Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years
New firehouse hosts anniversary celebration.
Milburn Sanders, 90, joined the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department (then known as the Forestville Fire Department) seven days after it opened on May 5, 1952. Seventy years later, he was part of the celebration at a new building, with generations of volunteer and career firefighters that came after him.
Great Falls Artist Earns Honorable Mention in Watercolor Exhibition
The Charles H. Taylor Art Center in Hampton, Va. is currently hosting the 33rd annual Virginia Watercolor Societies Exhibition. Juried and judged by N.C. artist, Dan Smith, with 494 entries by 175 artists across the state, the work of Great Falls artist, Betty Ganley, a painting capturing the "mood" of a misty morning in a Maine boatyard, was awarded an Honorable Mention and has been hailed by the judge as "a traditional boat composition, docked for repair … I found the virtuosity of the watercolor application remarkable."