This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page MD) –The Maryland Department of State Police is eager to engage with communities across Maryland for National Night Out an annual event designed to strengthen bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve and protect National Night Out has been celebrated on the first Tuesday of August Troopers from all 23 Maryland State Police barracks and police officers will be in communities connecting with residents Festivities at National Night Out sites are family-friendly and may include food Maryland State Police will participate at the following locations: For details, contact your local barrack Maryland State Police look forward to meeting the community CONTACT: Office of Media Communications, msp.media@maryland.gov (410) 653-4200 | (800) 525-5555 | (410) 486-0677 (TDD) it was confirmed the person intentionally shot themselves with a gun rented at The Machine Gun Nest The incident would mark the third self-inflicted shooting at The Machine Gun Nest since its opening Someone died after a self-inflicted gunshot wound It happened in Frederick County around 5:27pm According to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office the incident occurred at The Machine Gun Nest (7910 Reichs Ford Road) Authorities say there is no active threat to the community Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates Airports across the DMV region bore the brunt of the first major winter storm of 2025 leading the nation in flight cancellations as travelers faced widespread disruptions Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport The body was found near BWI Marshall Airport More than 17,000 flights were delayed nationwide on Monday as fierce winter weather left thousands of plans in disarray The hardest-hit airports? Reagan National, Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), and Washington Dulles, according to FlightAware Reagan National topped the charts with 256 canceled flights—63% of its schedule—and 18 delays with 109 cancellations each and over 35 delays No other airport nationwide reported more than 100 cancellations by noon Monday The chaos wasn’t limited to outgoing flights Reagan National also led the nation in incoming cancellations with 204 arrivals—more than half of its scheduled flights—scrapped Complete details about canceled or delayed flights rom FlightAware can do so here Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group — Five students and a staff member at Ballenger Creek Middle School were taken to the hospital Friday after an unknown irritant was somehow released inside the building with students and staff being allowed back in by 11:30am seven other students and a staff member were treated on scene for minor symptoms The Frederick County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into who is responsible for unleashing the irritant The incident comes one day after another student was charged for allegedly threatening to make mustard gas at Urbana High School Last December, two children from Ballenger Creek Middle were charged for allegedly copycatting a TikTok challenge that urged students to threaten mass shootings at schools across the nation If anyone has information about this latest case call 301-600-1046 and reference case #22-023646 providing direct access into Washington D.C and three-bedroom units ranging from 750 to 1,150 square feet in size Each unit is equipped with its own private balcony or patio area "The Reserve at Ballenger Creek presented an opportunity to buy a well-maintained asset in a strong market where we can continue growing our presence," said David Nelson Hamilton Zanze's managing director of acquisitions and amenity base are aligned with our vision and we will continue looking for opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic." Select units feature vaulted ceilings and new carpeting as well as open kitchen layouts with maple cabinetry Community amenities include a clubhouse with free Wi-Fi The Reserve at Ballenger Creek is set apart by its additional unique community amenities including a car care center and dog park.  HZ acquired the property with plans to renovate units with quartz countertops and carpentry across the eight total buildings will be updated and a package locker system will be installed and regional employers have been successful in attracting and retaining its millennial population Amazon announced the construction of a new corporate headquarter in Arlington comprising 2.1 million square feet and expected to accommodate 25,000 employees The Reserve is located near several large employers To learn more about the Reserve at Ballenger Creek, please visit www.ballengercreekapts.com MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Marshall (504) 644-7335[email protected] https://hamiltonzanze.com Do not sell or share my personal information: Ballenger Creek preserve to offer public trails A new regional non-profit organization has purchased land in Fluvanna County to create a nature preserve with public trails Tadpole Land & Trail Conservancy (TL&TC) has purchased 73 acres along Ballenger Creek and is in the process of creating Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve The preserve will include three-quarters of a mile of frontage on Ballenger Creek beautiful cliffs covered with mountain laurel and a variety of native trees and wildflowers The land will be protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement granted to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation Local residents donated the majority of the funds for the land acquisition The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation has also approved a grant for partial purchase of the conservation easement on Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve TL&TC is currently raising funds for this project and future preserves and trails in Central and Southside Virginia and has until June 30 to match a $100,000 matching gift challenge from a donor TL&TC was created by local residents in March of 2021 to meet the need for a land-holding conservation organization in Central Virginia and Southside Virginia While several organizations hold conservation easements few hold land outright for conservation purposes particularly if the land is not close to Richmond or Charlottesville TL&TC will partner with landowners to preserve their land and legacy in perpetuity The goal of the organization is to preserve the natural beauty and ecosystem of the land and to open the properties to public access by establishing trail or water access the Virginia Outdoors Foundation agreed to hold a conservation easement on the land that will provide for public access as well as stream and open-space protection “There is definitely a need for an organization like TL&TC in Central Virginia,” said Sherry Buttrick assistant director of the easement division of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation “A number of organizations hold conservation easements but few are willing to own land outright for the long term for conservation purposes.” TL&TC plans to accept donations of land in Central and Southside Virginia and create more nature preserves with public trails It believes that communities would benefit from public trails in every neighborhood and that there is a need for a conservation organization that is willing to own nature preserves in Central and Southside Virginia In addition to the Ballenger Creek property TL&TC has had discussions with other landowners who would like for their land to be conserved and valued as a nature preserve “Fluvanna already has wonderful public trails at Pleasant Grove and The Scheier Natural Area,” said Haden Parrish “TL&TC’s vision is that Fluvanna and other parts of Central Virginia will become communities that are rich with preserved areas and public trails in many neighborhoods.” there are an average of 2 miles of public footpaths per square mile,” said Alyson Sappington an area the size of Fluvanna would have over 700 miles of public trails.” Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve will display interpretive signs about plants The Preserve will protect two cemeteries on the property one of which appears to be a cemetery for enslaved people An 1863 map showed three small cabins next to the location of the cemetery which might have been dwellings for enslaved people  “Environmental conservation and historic preservation often go hand-in-hand as is illustrated in this instance,” said Tricia Johnson director of the Fluvanna Historical Society “TL&TC’s desire to conserve the natural space also serves to preserve the cemeteries located there with the addition of appropriate historical interpretive signage will give visitors the chance to learn about the lives lived in that space – both free and enslaved.” Around half of the land in Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve has mature oaks and other hardwood trees The other half is growing back in hardwoods following timber harvesting This area also will lend itself to the interpretation of early successional habitat TL&TC also hopes to create and maintain a small native meadow as a bird and pollinator habitat TL&TC welcomes donations of land in Central Virginia and Southside Virginia and is excited to partner with landowners committed to maintaining access to green spaces for future generations of Virginians TL&TC is also seeking financial donations to buy additional ecologically vulnerable land near Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve and to fund a parking lot for trail visitors The organization also needs volunteers who would like to help with trail construction “We live in a beautiful place,” said Dr who helped organize the donation campaign for the land purchase “As Central Virginia becomes more suburban we will value any land that we are able to preserve today in its natural state.” National Trails Day is in June and an anonymous donor has offered to match all gifts to Tadpole Land & Trail Conservancy between now and June 30 The funds will go toward Ballenger Creek Nature Preserve and future preserves and trails in Central and Southside Virginia Donations may be sent to Tadpole Land & Trail Conservancy please contact Haden Parrish at tadpoleltc@gmail.com — A 13-year-old Frederick County teen has confessed to creating a fake Instagram identity and generating false school threats against Ballenger Creek Middle School (BCMS) this week He admitted to Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) detectives the he created the account and that it was done as a “joke.” The juvenile denied having any plans to shoot anyone and stated he saw the TikTok challenge and created the false account and posts Detectives received a consent to search his room and did not find any weapons RELATED: How school districts across Maryland are reacting to national TikTok threat The investigation is still ongoing and charges are forthcoming but will include at minimum threats of a mass attack and patrol teams worked relentlessly to track down this threat,” said Lt “Through the use of technology and working with social media providers we quickly identified the user and immediately made contact Officials say that although this threat has been investigated there will still be an increased police presence at BCMS and throughout the Frederick County school system on Friday The FCSO will exhaust all efforts by bringing in additional deputies and detectives to patrol schools throughout the county expect an increase of mobile unit patrol checks of all Frederick County schools If you have any information that can assist FCSO in identifying the individual(s) other school threats are coming from, please call 301-600-1046. You can also report this anonymously by emailing FCSOtips@frederickcountymd.gov — Tykerria Dawson is being remembered as a happy and other relatives spoke Monday evening about Tykerria confirming she was the 17-year-old girl found dead along Pike Branch Creek in the Farmbrook neighborhood in Ballenger Creek Her death is being investigated as a homicide by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Ballenger Creek Middle School was evacuated earlier today after an unknown irritant was released inside the school according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office was updated to reflect that the school has now reopened “There is currently a situation going on at Ballenger Creek Middle School and the school is evacuated All children are being held at the school right now and parents are not allowed near the school Parents and friends of students need to convene at Ballenger Creek Park until the reunification plan starts with their children More information will be coming out as it becomes available.” UPDATE 1– An unknown irritant was released in the school and Frederick County (MD) Fire & Rescue has cleared the school to be safe at this time Children will be released back into school within the next hour Any parent wishing to pick up their children will be updated by Frederick County Public Schools on a reunification plan UPDATE 2– Ballenger Creek Middle School is now open back up and parents can follow the reunification plan pushed out by Frederick County Public Schools Information and photo courtesy of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office FREDERICK — A shooting incident led to six schools being put on lock out in Frederick Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 5700 block of Charstone Court in the Farmbrook Community of Ballenger Creek for reports of shots fired deputies were able to arrest three suspects Deputies say there were no injuries from the shots fired but there is possible property damage The Frederick Police Department is assisting with the crime scene investigation As the deputies were searching for the two suspects Those schools include Ballenger Creek Elementary and Middle Tuscarora Elementary and Tuscarora High School If you have any information that could help with this investigation contact the FCSO tip line at 301-600-4131 and reference case # 21-026236 (7News) — TheFrederick County Sheriff’s Office on Friday announced thata 13-year-old studentconfessed to creating a fake Instagram and making false school threats against Ballenger Creek Middle School This comes afterschool districts across the United States warned of possible threats being made on Friday as part of an apparent challenge going viral on TikTok RELATED |'We are aware of this': DMV officials respond to TikTok-based school shooting threat The sheriff's office said the teen tolddetectives that he created the account as a “joke.” They sayhe denied having any plans to shoot anyone and stated he saw the TikTok challenge and created the false account and posts Detectives searched the teen's room and did not find any weapons RELATED |Schools across US respond to vague shooting threat circulating on TikTok Officials say that although the threat was investigated there will be an increased police presence at all Frederick County schools on Friday They askanyone with information about other school threats to call 301-600-1046 You can also report anonymously by emailing FCSOtips@frederickcountymd.gov UPDATE: Ashlea Nicole Luecke and her son Cooper Scott Luecke have been found safe ORIGINAL STORY: The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing mother and her 2-year-old son and Cooper Scott Luecke were last seen around 3 pm on March 22 in the 5000 block of Merganser Court in the Ballenger Creek area Ashlea is approximately 5 feet-5 inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes She has heart and spades tattoos on her wrists Ashlea was last seen wearing a short sleeve blue and orange Texas Longhorns basketball shirt She may be driving a silver 2017 Toyota RAV4 Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jennifer Skelley at 301-600-4017 or the tip line at 301-600-4131 and reference case #’s 21-025973 and 21-025994 Bedford, Texas-based Urban Air Adventure Park is the latest indoor activity center to expand in the D.C Urban Air has opened almost 170 locations across the country and in Europe since it was founded in 2011 The Frederick location will open this fall at Washington Property Company’s Ballenger Creek Plaza shopping center and signed Urban Air after getting a zoning amendment from Frederick County for indoor entertainment use Urban Air’s parks include indoor skydiving It is particularly popular for children’s birthday parties and corporate events with a third area location planned for Laurel It’s the latest indoor activity park to expand in the Washington area Rockville-based ZavaZone is opening its third area location this year at Potomac Mills Los Angeles-based Sky Zone trampoline park opened its newest area location in Sterling in 2018 It has other locations in Gaithersburg and Manassas Here is a promotional video for Urban Air Adventure Park: Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016 This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area (7News) — The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office says another middle school student has been charged after allegedly making threats against Ballenger Creek Middle School (BCMS) Last week,school districts across the United States warned of possible threats being made on Friday 17 as part of an apparent challenge going viral on TikTok RELATED | 'We are aware of this': DMV officials respond to TikTok-based school shooting threat As a result,Frederick County Sheriff’s Office says theyinvestigated 15 school threats Detectives say they continued their investigation into additional BCMS threats received last week and on Dec they identified and criminally charged a 12-year-old Frederick County girl RELATED | 13-year-old Frederick Co. student admits to making TikTok challenge threat against school Officials say the girl also admitted to creating a fake Instagram account and making threats against BCMS They say the threats included naming individual students within the school told deputies she did this as a “joke” in response to another social media post she saw threatening the school Deputies said the girl was charged with threat of mass violence misuse of electronic mail and disorderly conduct or obstruction of school activities Anyone with information about other school threats can call deputies at 301-600-1046 Ty'kerria Dawson of Hagerstown had just graduated from high school when she was killed Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors