News

A 10-foot-tall man on stilts, a panda bear, and even Santa Claus walked down Washington Street in Haymarket Saturday afternoon

Haymarket Food Pantry plans benefit

Gainesville designer makes Habitat news

An 18-year-old man will face manslaughter charges in connection with an April vehicle crash in Haymarket, Va., that left two teens dead. Christopher Suarez was initially charged with misdemeanor reckless driving for an April 20 crash that killed Kendra Tucker and Savanna Kidane Mouratidis, both 15. Two other teens, also passengers, were injured in the crash. Suarez was also injured in the crash. Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert said the case is still being investigated but prosecutors will now pursue felony charges because plea negotiations broke down. Suarez and the other teens from Battlefield High School were on spring break and traveling on the dark, windy road at midnight. The 2005 Dodge Magnum they were in struck a deer, spun out and careened into a tree.

Police allege that illegal fireworks and other items found in Erika Nikole Gregory’s  were components used to build pipe bombs.

Haymarket Quilters present quilt to Town Hall

A 19-year-old woman was charged with having the materials to build a pipe bomb, police said. Erika Nikole Gregory, 19, of the 15100 block of Stepping Stone Drive in Haymarket, was charged with possession of explosive material and possession of illegal fireworks. On September 9, at 3:14 p.m., police responded to a call to investigate explosive materials at the Stepping Stone Drive address. The homeowner had discovered fireworks and other materials that he thought could be used to build an explosive device in Gregory's room. The homeowner and Gregory are related. The Prince William County Police, Fire Marshal's Office and the Virginia State Police EOD confirmed the materials in question were the component parts to build pipe bombs. Investigators obtained and executed search warrants at the residence of the accused and her vehicle. No other materials were found. Gregory's court date and bond information were not immediately known.  

Haymarket teen charged on pipe-bomb suspicions

Haymarket's Camp Snyder hosts Scouts for summer fun

Want to know why there's a flash flood warning for much of northern Virginia right now? Take a gander at the above radar map from the local NWS office. It shows the immense precipitation payload that the swollen sky has dropped on D.C. since Monday. The rain amounts in some of the 'burbs to the south have exceeded 12 inches. With that kind of moisture bomb, the ground can't absorb much more water and the streams are choked and ready to bust from their confinements. You can almost imagine that structures stand empty in the southern lands and the roads are gone, replaced by a sylvan waterworld echoing with the gentle lapping of waves. Slosh, slosh. Actually, that's not far from the truth. Consider these photos of watery mayhem around D.C. By this time during an average September, D.C. would have gotten just three-quarters of an inch of rain. But the weather station at Reagan National has measured an astounding 5.24 inches of rain since Sept. 1. There is a lot of H2O out there right now. The Associated Press is reporting that floods have taken one life in Pasadena, Md., a 49-year-old man who was "retrieved from water behind homes in the 400 block of Riverside Drive." For numbers nuts, here is a comprehensive list of what counties received how much rainfall since yesterday, courtesy of the NWS. Look at that 9.4 inches in Baltimore!PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1118 AM EDT THU SEP 08 2011 THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE PAST 11 HOURS FOR THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND MEDIA FOR THESE REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/BALTIMORE ********************STORM TOTAL RAINFALL******************** LOCATION / STORM TOTAL RAINFALL (inches) / TIME & DATE / COMMENTS MARYLAND ...ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY... 1 N BALT-WASH INTL A 6.67 1054 AM 9/08 ASOS ...BALTIMORE COUNTY... PARKVILLE 9.40 700 AM 9/08 ...BALTIMORE CITY... PIMLICO 4.33 822 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...CARROLL COUNTY... 2 E LINEBORO 8.07 104 AM 9/08 ...FREDERICK COUNTY... 2 NW NEW MARKET 1.90 1108 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...MONTGOMERY COUNTY... 2 W GARRETT PARK 8.50 846 AM 9/08 PUBLIC 1 SE GLEN ECHO 5.70 725 AM 9/08 NWS EMPLOYEE CLARKSBURG 5.40 930 AM 9/08 BROADCAST MEDIA ...PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY... 3 SE MARLTON 6.20 215 AM 9/08 ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... 1 WSW CAVETOWN 3.83 844 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER VIRGINIA ...ARLINGTON COUNTY... 1 S REAGAN NATIONAL 5.08 1052 AM 9/08 ASOS ...CITY OF ALEXANDRIA... 1 ESE ALEXANDRIA 4.09 1110 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...LOUDOUN COUNTY... 1 NNE DULLES INTERNA 4.17 1054 AM 9/08 ASOS **********************24 HOUR RAINFALL********************** LOCATION / STORM TOTAL RAINFALL (inches) / TIME & DATE / COMMENTS MARYLAND ...ALLEGANY COUNTY... 1 SSE CRESAPTOWN-BEL 0.01 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY... 2 NNE CROFTON 7.00 615 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 SSW SOUTH GATE 6.76 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 E LAUREL 5.89 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE HERALD HARBOR 5.30 730 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 E SEVERN 5.16 730 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ESE GREEN HAVEN 4.74 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ENE SEVERNA PARK 4.38 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SE PASADENA 4.20 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W SEVERN 4.12 500 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 ESE PASADENA 3.29 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ENE DEALE 2.65 239 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...BALTIMORE COUNTY... 2 WNW CATONSVILLE 7.87 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SW JACKSONVILLE 7.21 830 AM 9/08 COCORAHS NE REISTERSTOWN 6.64 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 NE JACKSONVILLE 5.74 630 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 ENE TOWSON 4.80 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 WNW BALDWIN 4.60 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SW LONG GREEN 4.30 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 ENE CATONSVILLE 4.29 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SW TOWSON 3.74 635 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ESE WHITE MARSH 3.22 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NNE ROSEDALE 3.09 739 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER 1 E KINGSVILLE 2.92 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...CALVERT COUNTY... 6 E MARLTON 4.67 730 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SW CHESAPEAKE BEAC 2.82 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...CARROLL COUNTY... 2 E LINEBORO 5.74 903 AM 9/08 CO-OP OBSERVER 2 SE ELDERSBURG 3.91 705 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 W WESTMINSTER 3.06 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NE TANEYTOWN 3.00 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 4 NE TANEYTOWN 2.95 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NW SYKESVILLE 2.58 900 AM 9/08 COCORAHS SE MOUNT AIRY 2.08 630 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...CHARLES COUNTY... 4 SSE WALDORF 8.71 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 E WALDORF 7.83 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 S WALDORF 6.91 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 WNW LA PLATA 6.13 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W WALDORF 5.84 417 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...FREDERICK COUNTY... 7 ENE FREDERICK 1.73 930 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 4 SSW FREDERICK 1.20 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SSE THURMONT 0.99 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NW FREDERICK 0.91 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...HARFORD COUNTY... 1 N JARRETTSVILLE 3.84 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W BEL AIR 3.12 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NNE KINGSVILLE 2.92 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...HOWARD COUNTY... 2 N ELLICOTT CITY 8.49 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 N SAVAGE 7.93 740 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER 1 WSW ELLICOTT CITY 7.70 750 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W ELKRIDGE 6.78 500 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 N COLUMBIA 6.54 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ESE NORTH LAUREL 6.20 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NW COLUMBIA 5.24 730 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W COLUMBIA 5.18 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 SE SYKESVILLE 2.65 1000 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SSE SYKESVILLE 2.31 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...MONTGOMERY COUNTY... 5 NE GAITHERSBURG 3.10 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 WNW BETHESDA 3.09 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 ESE NORBECK 2.98 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 ESE ROSSMOOR 2.95 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NNW TAKOMA PARK 2.88 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 NNE WHEATON-GLENMO 2.77 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W COLESVILLE 2.74 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 7 N SILVER SPRING 2.56 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 NE GAITHERSBURG 2.55 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 NW WHITE OAK 2.45 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 N SILVER SPRING 2.43 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE WHEATON-GLENMON 2.32 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W ROCKVILLE 2.09 100 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 3 SW GAITHERSBURG 2.03 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS SE POOLESVILLE 1.05 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY... 2 NNE BOWIE 7.09 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE COLLEGE PARK 4.76 900 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ESE CAMP SPRINGS 4.64 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 S LAUREL 4.63 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 7 ESE BRANDYWINE 4.58 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SE SUITLAND 4.57 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SE FOREST HEIGHTS 4.53 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 W FORESTVILLE 4.30 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 W OXON HILL 3.74 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...ST. MARYS COUNTY... 4 ENE CHARLOTTE HALL 3.61 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NNW COLTONS POINT 2.20 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE LEONARDTOWN 1.75 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS SSE TALL TIMBERS 0.92 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 4 E HOLLYWOOD 0.90 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 N RIDGE 0.52 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS SW PARK HALL 0.34 810 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... 3 NNE SMITHSBURG 0.45 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ESE WILLIAMSPORT 0.19 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS VIRGINIA ...CITY OF ALEXANDRIA... 1 ESE ALEXANDRIA 2.15 1111 AM 9/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...CLARKE COUNTY... ESE BERRYVILLE 0.11 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NNW BERRYVILLE 0.06 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...CULPEPER COUNTY... 3 N RIXEYVILLE 0.07 440 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 N RIXEYVILLE 0.05 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 NNE RIXEYVILLE 0.05 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...FAIRFAX COUNTY... 2 SSE MCLEAN 3.94 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 SSE FRANCONIA 3.90 900 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 5 S ALEXANDRIA 3.55 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SE MCLEAN 3.32 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE BURKE 3.07 715 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 NE LORTON 2.92 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 S MCLEAN 2.56 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 S MANTUA 2.25 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 W VIENNA 2.18 715 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 W FAIRFAX 1.85 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 4 W FAIRFAX 1.35 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...FAUQUIER COUNTY... 4 ENE REMINGTON 0.28 515 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 NNE REMINGTON 0.26 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 4 SE WARRENTON 0.26 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 S WARRENTON 0.25 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 SSE WARRENTON 0.24 745 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...FREDERICK COUNTY... 5 NE WINCHESTER 0.04 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 9 NW WINCHESTER 0.03 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS SE MIDDLETOWN 0.02 800 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...GREENE COUNTY... 2 WNW STANARDSVILLE 0.02 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...LOUDOUN COUNTY... 8 N LEESBURG 0.91 630 AM 9/08 COCORAHS MIDDLEBURG 0.30 726 AM 9/08 CO-OP OBSERVER 3 WSW ROUND HILL 0.19 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...ORANGE COUNTY... 1 NW BARBOURSVILLE 0.02 930 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY... 1 SSW WOODBRIDGE 3.08 635 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 6 NW WOODBRIDGE 2.57 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 SE GAINESVILLE 1.03 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY... 2 ENE ROCK MILLS 0.02 758 AM 9/08 CO-OP OBSERVER ...SHENANDOAH COUNTY... 4 N STRASBURG 0.02 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY... 5 SSW FREDERICKSBURG 1.56 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...STAFFORD COUNTY... 2 NNW STAFFORD 2.03 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...WARREN COUNTY... 3 NNE FRONT ROYAL 0.03 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS WEST VIRGINIA ...BERKELEY COUNTY... 2 NW FALLING WATERS 0.20 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 1 WNW BUNKER HILL 0.08 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...HAMPSHIRE COUNTY... 2 SE SLANESVILLE 0.02 700 AM 9/08 COCORAHS 2 ESE SPRINGFIELD 0.02 656 AM 9/08 COCORAHS ...MINERAL COUNTY... SHORT GAP 0.24 727 AM 9/08 CO-OP OBSERVER ...PENDLETON COUNTY... 3 NE FORT SEYBERT 0.02 600 AM 9/08 COCORAHS

A woman and 8-year-old child were killed in a head-on collision near Warrenton Saturday morning on Vint Hill Road (Route 215), about 100 yards east of Route 652, next to Vint Hill Farms Park. Sharon Rose, 54, of Manassas Park, was driving westbound in a 2005 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on Vint Hill Road at about 8:20 a.m. when it crossed the center line and crashed head on into an eastbound 2003 Toyota Avalon, according to Virginia State Police spokesperson Sergeant F. Les Tyler. The Avalon was driven by Eric Henry Mathews, 45, of Haymarket. Two passengers in the Avalon, Lori Ann Mathews, 46, and Reign Lewis Spencer, 8, both of Haymarket, died in the accident. Both drivers, Sharon Rose and Eric Mathews, were flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital where they are in unknown condition. Sgt. Tyler says it doesn’t appear that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash. All drivers and passengers were wearing their seatbelts. The crash was investigated by Virginia State Police Trooper D.J. Mabie and the Virginia State Police Accident Reconstruction Team. Units from the Virginia State Police, Fauquier County Sheriff, Fauquier County Fire and Rescue, and Prince William County Fire and Rescue responded to the accident. The intersection of Route 215 and Route 652 is just inside Fauquier County near the border with Prince William County.

A federal law enforcement agent was arrested and charged with attacking a medic and police officer Monday in Prince William County. At 12:13 a.m., police officers responded to the 12600 block of Tide View Court in Bristow, Va., to help emergency personnel with a disorderly person, according to a release from Prince William County police. When officers arrived, they determined a woman--Julie Laabs, 41, of Alexandria--had attempted to choke one of the medics who had originally responded to the house for a person who had been injured during a fall, the release said. As officers tried to restrain Laabs, she kicked at one, hitting her in the chin. Laabs was arrested and charged with assault and battery of a firefighter, assault and batter of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. Laabs is a federal law enforcement agent. Court and bond information were not immediately available.  

School bus schedule for Gainesville Middle School.

On Tuesday evening, Peter Candland emerged “a little tougher, a little bloodier” but ultimately victorious in the Gainesville Republican primary.

Black Tops Stirrup, FitzSimmonds; Candland Claims Gainesville Nod From GOP

Today is primary day for the Gainesville, Brentsville and Coles magisterial districts in Prince William County.

Police are looking for Woodbridge resident Elin Daniel Reyes after they said he and two other men stole a Haymarket man’s car and fraudulently used two credit cards left in the car.

Update 7:08pm Storms continue to move into western Fairfax County from Prince William. Flash Flood Warnings remain until 8:45pm in Fairfax and Montgomery Counties. If you are in the D.C. metro, I would stay inside over the next hour or so until these storms end as there is still dangerous lightning across the area. Large hail came down in Laurel tonight, as seen in this screenshot from a video sent in by Kate Gage.

Hail is coming down in Laurel (Photo: Kate Gage)

Update 6:52pm Two severe storms continue to track through Anne Arundel county towards the Chesapeake Bay. The main player for the D.C. area over the next 30 minutes to an hour will be the storm over Haymarket and Gainesville which has grown but has not become severe yet. Heavy rain and small hail will be possible. Update 6:45pm Severe T-Storm Warning for Fairfax has expired. Another storm has developed in Prince William County over Gainesville and Haymarket. These storms are drifting to the east back over western Fairfax County. Update 6:38pm The worst of the severe weather is heading toward Laurel and will be there in about 10 minutes. This will also affect I-95 and BW Parkway as it moves east towards Howard and Anne Arunel counties. There is another heavy thunderstorm moving towards Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville along I-270.  Here's Doppler. Update: 6:32pm Severe T-Storm Warning for Montgomery, Prince Georges and Howard Counties until 7pm. Large hail and damaging winds are possible in this storm as it moves over Columbia Pike and towards I-95 and the BW Parkway. More storms have developed over Poolesville and Darnestown in Montgomery and hail was reported in these storms. They are moving to the northeast towards I-270. Update: 6:04pm Over an inch of rain has been recorded in Reston on our WeatherBug Network and there are over 125 lightning strikes in the past hour in the storm over Fairfax County. This storm will continue to move to the east-northeast into southern Montgomery, Arlington, and the District.  Update: 5:58pm A new Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 6:45pm for Loudoun, Fairfax, Montgomery and the District. Heavy rain is also likely and a Flash Flood Warning remains in effect until 8:45pm for the same area. Update 5:43pm Here are some rainfall totals across the region: BWI Thurgood Marshall - 1.4", Potomac, MD - 0.64", Fairfax, VA - 0.6", Bethesda, MD - 0.4" A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Fairfax County and southern Montgomery County until 6pm. See the warning here. There is also a Flash Flood Warning until 8:45pm for the same areas. Here is that warning. Update 5:33pm A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Fairfax, Montgomery, Arlington and D.C. until 6pm tonight. Hail has been reported in this storm as well as winds up to 30 m.p.h. and a half inch of rain at Providence ES on our WeatherBug Network. It will continue to move east along I-66.  Check Doppler for the latest position. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Anne Arundel County until 6pm and that storm is headed north of Annapolis into the Bay over the next 30 mintues to an hour.

Police have identified a Haymarket man found near the Merchants Mill neighborhood of Lake Ridge Friday night after he apparently committed suicide, police said.

 Editor’s note: With the Prince William Board of County Supervisors primaries around the corner, the News & Messenger is doing a series of question and answer sessions for the three contested magisterial districts: Coles, Gainesville and Brentsville.