Peak DC Cherry Blossom Bloom Dates 2017 | Patch PM

Stories to share this evening:

Cherry Blossom Festival Peak Bloom 2017: Here Are The Dates

Organizers of the National Cherry Blossom Festival have just released their peak bloom dates for this year's blossoms, and not surprisingly, they're going to be coming in early thanks to the ridiculously warm weather we've had lately. Festival organizers have pegged March 14 to 17 as the peak bloom dates, which is defined as when 70 percent or more of the cherry blossoms are open.>>>Read more.

$1 Million Prize May Go Unclaimed, Says Virginia Lottery

The deadline is fast approaching for the person who bought a $1 million lottery ticket to claim his or her prize, the Virginia Lottery says. The winning ticket in the Mega Millions drawing for Sept. 16, 2016, was bought at a convenience store in Chesapeake, in southeastern Virginia. But as of Tuesday, no one had come forward with the ticket to claim the prize, the state agency said.>>>Read more.

Developers are Targeting Reston National Golf Course Again, Local Group Claims

Two years ago, 49 protesters from Rescue Reston gathered in front of the offices of Northwestern Mutual to spell out the word "No" to demand they cease from trying to develop Reston National Golf Course. It took a lengthy and expensive legal battle to get Northwestern Mutual to give up on the 168-acre golf course, which didn't happen until last March. But Rescue Reston is once again sounding the alarm that the golf course is being advertised as a prime investment opportunity for residential development.>>>Read more.

More Virginia and DC headlines:

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• FBI Arrests Suspect Wanted For Kidnapping Georgetown Student
• Home Explosion Injures Worker in Manassas: Fire and Rescue
• Woman Raped Multiple Times by Acquaintance in Sterling: Police