I-95 Shutdown Strands Drivers, WFT To Get New Name | Top News

Patch has 32 sites in communities in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Here are some of the top posts from the past week.

I-95 Shutdown: All Drivers Escape Road After 20+ Hours, Plows Out

Drivers rationed their gasoline, shared snacks and water, and finally escaped a 50-mile section of Interstate 95 in Virginia that was paralyzed for more than 20 hours by a snowstorm. Sen. Tim Kaine, former vice presidential candidate, was one of the many Virginians stuck in the mess as vehicles sat parked on icy traffic lanes.

• I-95 Southbound Shut Down For Crash Involving 6 Tractor-Trailers

Snowstorm Leads To Hundreds Of Crashes Across Virginia: Police

The Virginia State Police had responded to more than 2,000 calls for service as of 3:30 p.m. on Monday due to the treacherous conditions on the state's roads from the season's first snowstorm.

328K People In VA Without Electricity Due To Downed Power Lines

Monday's winter storm left much of Virginia blanketed in snow. During the storm, high winds and heavy snowfall knocked down utility poles and power lines, leaving many communities without power.

• 260K With No Power In VA, Outage Could Last 'Multiple Days'
• Power Outages Reported By NOVEC, Dominion In Stafford County
• Power Outages In Prince William County Affect Thousands
• Stafford Power Outages: 30,000 Without Power On Wednesday

Photos Show Aftermath Of Virginia Snowstorm's Effects On Roads

State officials said a combination of unusually heavy snowfall, plunging temperatures and a major traffic accident led to disastrous conditions along a stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia and other highways.

• Snow Hits Washington DC, Virginia With Icy Roads: Photos
• Winter Storm 2022: Herndon Readers Share Their Snow Photos
• Winter Storm 2022: Fairfax Readers Share Their Snow Photos
• Kingstowne: See Jan. 3 Winter Storm Photos, Snowfall Totals
• Greater Alexandria: See Jan. 3 Winter Storm Photos
• Burke: See Snow Photos From Jan. 3 Winter Storm
• Alexandria: See Jan. 3 Winter Storm Photos, Snowfall Totals
• McLean: See Jan. 3 Winter Storm Photos, Snowfall Totals
• Vienna: See Jan. 3 Snow Day Photos, Snowfall Estimate
• Winter Storm 2022: Arlington Readers Share Their Snow Photos

New Washington Football Team Name, Logo To Be Unveiled Feb. 2

The Washington Football Team is in the "homestretch" of its rebranding campaign, with plans to announce the team's new name and logo on Feb. 2, the team said Tuesday.

Nearly 1 In 3 COVID-19 Tests Coming Back Positive In Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health reported 15,456 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, nearly double the daily increase of 7,967 new cases reported Monday, as the omicron variant spreads rapidly among residents.

• Omicron Causing 'Deluge Of Hospitalizations' Across Virginia: UVA

2 More Victims Of 'Shopping Cart Killer' Identified by Police

The Fairfax County Police Department identified two badly decomposed bodies found in a large plastic container near a shopping cart on Dec. 15 in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County as a woman from Washington, D.C., and a woman from California, police officials said at a news conference Friday night.

Emergency Status Reactivated At Inova Due To Rising COVID Cases

Inova Health System, a network of hospitals in Northern Virginia, announced it reactivated emergency status as of 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3 due to rising COVID-19 cases and patient volumes.

New Year's Millionaire Raffle $1M Ticket Bought In Belle Haven

One lucky person who bought a Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle in Belle Haven is a $1 million winner, according to the Virginia Lottery.

$1M Lottery Ticket Found By UVA Student In Christmas Stocking

The a University of Virginia mathematics major from Oakton found a winning Virginia Lottery ticket in his Christmas stocking that turned out to be worth $1 million.

Proud Boys, Veterans Among VA, DC Accused Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters

Federal prosecutors have charged more than 40 people from Virginia and Washington, D.C., for their participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a day when supporters of former President Donald Trump hoped to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

• Insurrection Prompts Year Of Change For U.S. Capitol Police

Man In Crisis With Bow And Arrow Shot By Fairfax Police: Davis

A Fairfax County Police officer shot and injured a 51-year-old man who was pointing a bow and arrow at officers outside a Chantilly home Tuesday afternoon.

Blood Donations Sought At Inova As Winter Storm Strains Supply

Inova Blood Donor Services is facing a critically low blood supply due to Monday's winter storm, the health system shared.

3 Jurisdictions Team Up To Rescue Trapped Driver On GW Parkway

Rescue personnel from three local jurisdictions worked in tandem Monday night to rescue a person who had become trapped inside a car stuck on the embankment of the George Washington Parkway in Virginia.

Bomb Threats Force Lockdowns At Howard University, Other HBCUs

The Metropolitan Police Department notified officials at Howard University on Tuesday that someone had called in a bomb threat at the university in Northwest D.C. Other historical Black colleges and universities across the country received similar bomb threats.

Politics And Prose Becomes DC's First Unionized Bookstore

Employees at D.C.'s Politics and Prose bookstore won in their attempt to unionize and get recognized under a collective bargaining agreement, the bookstore and collective bargaining team announced Monday.

NoVa, DC 2022 Guide To Meteor Showers, Lunar Eclipses, Supermoons

One of the best meteor showers of the year — the Quadrantids — often will pass without notice because it's so cold outside during the after-midnight peak and only the truly hardy bundle up to see it.