Police Shoot Driver, Sky Garden Opens, Paralympians | 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 related to efforts to rename highways named after Confederate generals and other topics.

Gravestones Dumped Along Potomac To Be Repatriated With Remains

In their research, historians traced the headstones back to the Columbian Harmony Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground in Washington, D.C., that was dug up and relocated in 1960 to make way for commercial development, including where the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metro station currently stands.

High COVID-19 Community Spread Across All Of Virginia: CDC

Nearly all of Virginia is now experiencing the highest rate of spread of the coronavirus, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control.

• COVID Cases In Prince William County Reach 5-Month High
• Virginia COVID Dashboard Breaks Down Cases By Vaccination Status
• Coronavirus Death Of Child Under Age 10 Reported In NoVA

COVID Outbreak Causes Fredericksburg Middle School To Go Virtual

Walker-Grant Middle School is switching back to virtual learning immediately due to multiple COVID-19 outbreaks, according to the school. The Fredericksburg school will stick with virtual learning until at least Sept. 7.

Sky Garden At Capital One Center Open, Festival Planned

A sky garden called The Perch is open and will hold a grand opening in September as the newest part of the Capital One development in Tysons.

First Bloomie's Opens With Colada Shop At Mosaic District

Bloomie's, a new concept store from Bloomingdale's, opened its first location at the Mosaic District Thursday. Cuban café Colada Shop also opened Thursday inside Bloomie's.

Chemical Spill Near Manassas Sends Workers to Hospital: Report

Fifteen employees at a Northern Virginia recycling facility were hospitalized Friday morning after a chemical spill at the plant, according to reports.

DC Police Fatally Shoot Man Found Asleep In Car At Traffic Light

A Metropolitan Police Department officer shot and killed a man who was found asleep in a car with a gun at a traffic light on New York Avenue NE early Wednesday, according to D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee.

• DC Police Video Shows Officer Shooting At Man In Moving Vehicle

Capitol Officers Sue Trump, Far-Right Groups Over Jan. 6 Attack

Seven officers from the U.S. Capitol Police filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, his longtime adviser Roger Stone and members of far-right extremist groups, alleging they conspired to use violence on Jan. 6 to attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

• Capitol Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt Breaks Silence

5.8-Magnitude VA Earthquake Leaves Aftershocks 10 Years Later

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Virginia and D.C. in the early afternoon of Aug. 23, 2011, prompting people to flee from their office buildings across the region and wonder what had happened.

Mask, Vaccine Requirements Favored: Virginia Survey Results

As the school year begins for many school divisions, a majority of respondents in a Virginia Patch survey favor mask and vaccine requirements in schools.

• Vaccines Required For Employees At Sentara Medical Centers
• Vaccine Mandate Planned For City Of Falls Church Employees
• Alexandria's Birchmere Requires Vaccination Or Negative Test

5-Time Paralympian Joshua George Competes At Tokyo Games

Joshua George, a 37-year-old graduate of Herndon High School, will be competing as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Team.

• Arlington Paralympian Sydney Barta Competes At Tokyo Games

Afghan Refugees Get Helping Hand From Vienna Presbyterian

A Vienna church is among the local organizations helping refugees who are escaping Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country.

VA Man Gets 18 Months In Prison For Burning Cross In Front Yard

A Virginia man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after burning a cross in the front yard of an African American family in June 2020.

Fairfax Police Dog K9 Silas Dies After Multi-Year Cancer Battle

K9 Silas, who came to the Fairfax County Police Department in 2013 as a puppy with is brother K9 Bolt, died of cancer Saturday, according to a post on the department's Facebook page. After receiving a year of training, the brothers joined the force together as K9 officers.

Sick, Dying Bird Reports Down In Virginia, Bird Feeding Resumes

After reports of mysterious illness sickening or killing birds started coming in late May, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources says reports continue to decline. The state department recommends that bird feeding can resume with precautionary guidelines in the impacted areas of Virginia.

Kitten Rescued From Inside Van Engine By Animal Control Officers

Caroline Elpers, a deputy animal control officer with Arlington County, responded to a call from a woman on Aug. 15. The woman said she was walking her dog and she'd heard the mewing of a cat coming from the inside of a van parked on the street.

Proud Boys Leader Gets Jail Time For Burning BLM Church Banner

Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, was sentenced Monday to 155 days in jail for helping steal a Black Lives Matter flag from a church in Washington, D.C., in December and helping burn it, Reuters and others have reported.

2021 Fall Foliage Peak Map: When Leaves Are Best In Virginia

The autumnal equinox is still about a month away on the calendar, but it's not too early to start planning a fall leaf peering tour in Virginia using the 2021 Fall Foliage Prediction Map.

March On For Voting Rights In DC: Time, Location, More

Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the country Saturday to demand Congress do more to protect voting rights in the United States.

DC, Virginia Museums Celebrate Museum Day With Free Admission

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day is returning on Saturday, Sept. 18 to celebrate the reopening of museums across the country after long COVID-19-related closures by offering free admission to participating museums.