More Virginia Drivers Hitting Deer | Patch PM

Stories to talk about this evening:

More Virginia Drivers Hitting Deer, Among Worst States in Nation

More drivers are hitting deer and other large animals on Virginia roadways. It's part of a national trend, but not one that state officials are taking lightly, with several programs studying deer and driver behavior to avoid accidents, injuries and deaths.

An estimated 1 in every 94 drivers in Virginia struck a large animal between July 2015 and June 2016 — that's an increase of 3.2 percent over the previous year. Overall, the U.S. saw a 3 percent increase in that same period. >>> Read more.

Hurricane Matthew: Northern Virginia Sending First Responders to Florida to Help

Fairfax County's Virginia Task Force 1 is preparing to deploy to Florida to help with any rescue operations needed related to Hurricane Matthew, Fire Chief Richard Bowers, Jr. announced Thursday. "We're taking all the resources we need for the next seven to 10 days," Bowers said in a video posted on the department's Twitter account. >>> Read more.

Man Starts Fire in Pentagon City Metro Station, Disappears Into the Mall: Police

• Police say he was burning "personal papers" on the station's platform.

GMU Students Furious Over Scalia Law School Opening, Plan Big Clarendon Protest

• Students, faculty and members of the community are protesting what they see as undue influence by private donors.

Police Warn Community of Virtual Kidnapping Schemes

• Here are tips provided by Leesburg Police on what to do if you ever receive a telephone call saying that a loved one has been kidnapped.

Patch PM shares a few of the day’s must-read items from our Va. and D.C. networks. The Patch community platform covers communities across the area.