Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Cutting Pollution for Our Health
Ella Kissi-Debrah had severe asthma, frequently visiting the ER with cardiac and respiratory arrest.
Opinion: Editorial: Merry Christmas
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The pages of the Connection (including the Alexandria Gazette Packet, the Mount Vernon Gazette, the Potomac Almanac and the Centre View) are usually full of holiday spirit, beginning before Thanksgiving.

Appealing Bad Rulings
Lawmakers to consider expanding appeals court, providing new oversight to judges.
Virginia is the only state in the country that does not guarantee a right to appeal, allowing circuit court judges to make decisions with little oversight or scrutiny. Critics have been calling for reform ever since the Court of Appeals was first created in 1985. The Supreme Court of Virginia recommended an appeal of right as a "long term goal" in 2018. Now, Gov. Ralph Northam says he wants lawmakers to add four judges and support staff "to ensure the court can hear more appeals cases in a timely manner under an increasing workload."
Opinion: Column: Three Strikes...
...and now I'm out – of the Handel's Messiah sweepstakes.

Virginia Master Naturalist Program Graduates Spring Class
The 2020 Spring class of Virginia Master Naturalists (VMN) graduated, finally, in a Zoom ceremony on Dec. 14.

A Holiday Season Reimagined
The pandemic leads to altered and new traditions.
When schools adjourn for winter break, the anticipation of a COVID-19 pandemic holiday season will become a reality.
McLean, Langley High Communities Weigh in on Boundary Adjustment
Capacity relief sought with eyes on Langley High School
Fairfax County Public Schools presented three possible options and a no change option for capacity relief at McLean High School during a virtual community meeting held Mon., Dec. 7.
Great Falls Woman Dies in Two-Car Crash
A woman has died as a result of injuries from a crash that occurred Sunday, Dec. 7, around 11 a.m. at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Towlston Road.

December is Puppy Mill Awareness Month
Breeding license is no indicator of quality
Third article in a series.

Great Falls Girl Scouts Win Gold Award
Five Girl Scouts from Troop 1991 in Great Falls earn the highest recognition in scouting
The Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital recently acknowledged the power and dedication shared by an elite group of young women who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award in the 2020 Annual Yearbook.
A Fresh Outlook: Looking Ahead with Optimism in Great Falls
I’m thankful to have witnessed many examples (big and small) of this spirit.
As we close the chapter on 2020, many may feel tattered and beaten down as they look to 2021.

Absurd Leverage
Lawmakers to reconsider mandatory minimum for assaulting law enforcement
Earlier this year, lawmakers rejected a bill that would have ditched the mandatory minimum sentence for assaulting a law-enforcement officer. Now the General Assembly is about to consider the issue again.

What Does It Cost to Buy a Dog?
Virginia observes Puppy Mill Awareness Month
Second article in series.

A Look Inside the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting Dec. 1, 2020
Highlights of discussion and actions that impact all who live, work and play in the diverse county
Dec. 1 marked the final Fairfax County Full Board of Supervisors Meeting with Public Comment of 2020.

National Park Foundation Hero Award for Sen. Warner
Award for his efforts to pass the Great American Outdoors Act
Monday, Dec. 7, at an outdoor and socially-distanced ceremony at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) was awarded the National Park Foundation’s Hero Award by Foundation President, Will Shafroth.