ROBBINS  |  A murdered Clarksville woman was discovered buried in a remote area near here Saturday after law enforcement personnel received a tip about her location Authorities located the body of 37-year-old Megan Brittany Raymond just one day after she was reported missing in Clarksville a military town on the Tennessee-Kentucky border northwest of Nashville Police in Clarksville launched their search for Raymond on Friday She had last been seen in Clarksville on Thursday and was reported missing the following day Scott County Sheriff Brian Keeton said that his office received a tip that Raymond’s body had been hidden on a wooded tract in the Goose Creek area of the Coal Hill community along the Scott-Morgan county line authorities recovered her body from a grave “She was exactly where they said that she would be,” Keeton said Sheriff’s Department deputies and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spent much of Saturday recovering the body from the grave The sheriff said it appears that Raymond was murdered in Clarksville and her body driven to Scott County has since been arrested in connection with her death the connection to Scott County — which is nearly 200 miles and a 3.5-hour drive from Clarksville — was that Dennis Raymond had an acquaintance from the military who lives in Scott County The recovery of Raymond’s body was one of four deaths that the Scott County Sheriff’s Department investigated or helped to investigate over the weekend the others involved a person who was found dead in the parking lot of the Sonic Drive-In in Oneida Friday night His department assisted Oneida Police Department with that incident a New River community resident discovered a deceased 61-year-old neighbor who had fallen into some brush alongside the roadway the Sheriff’s Department was called upon to investigate yet another death after a deceased man was discovered outside a building on his property Keeton said that three of the four bodies were sent for autopsies foul play does not appear to have been involved in any of the deaths with the exception of Raymond Contact the Independent Herald at newsroom@ihoneida.com the Independent Herald is the voice of Scott County and Big South Fork Country 2025 at 10:56 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A Prince William County location's 11 inches of snow was the highest Northern Virginia total from the Jan VA — As the region digs out from Monday's winter storm the National Weather Service has released preliminary snowfall totals Prince William County had the highest recorded measurement in the Northern Virginia region with some areas recording 10 or more inches The highest total was 11 inches in Independent Hill in mid-county north of Dumfries Road Another Independent Hill location closer to Manassas had a recorded 9.2 inches while Dumfries locations had 10 inches and 9.8 inches according to National Weather Service estimates Other Prince William County totals included 8.2 inches and 9.2 inches in Manassas Park and 7.4 inches in Woolsey the highest total recorded in Fairfax County was 10 inches in Newington the highest recorded totals were 9.1 inches and 8 inches Loudoun County's highest recorded total was 7.6 inches in Ashburn while Dulles International Airport had 5.1 inches the highest recorded total was 9.3 inches in eastern Falls Church while Reagan National Airport had 6.1 inches Snowfall totals come from the National Weather Service's trained spotters official National Weather Service employees or observers emergency management and other public sources Prince William County government offices and public schools remained closed Tuesday due to the winter storm impacts OmniRide has resumed service on local and express bus route while Virginia Railway Express is running on an S schedule Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Hill argues the lawsuit against her ‘is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks’ I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Lauryn Hill has responded to being sued by her Fugees co-founder Pras Michél for fraud and breach of contract over their failed 2023 world tour and canceled 2024 tour was scheduled to hit the road with the Fugees in November 2023 for the second half of their world tour before it was abruptly canceled by Hill due to “serious vocal strain.” They were due to perform a string of US dates this year before those were quietly axed as well. In a complaint filed on Tuesday (October 1) in the Southern District of New York by her Fugees bandmate Michél – and seen by Variety – he claimed the 2023 tour was supposed to be “a huge commercial success since most of shows for the entire arena size tour were sold out in advance.” Michél said he walked away empty-handed due to Hill’s “narcissistic tendencies,” “arrogance” and alleged mismanagement of the tour’s marketing and budget which he claimed was “so bloated with unnecessary and He also alleged the 2023 tour was a “veiled and devious attempt” for Hill “to make a big score for herself.” The suit further claims that “Hill’s arrogance was again demonstrated when she unilaterally rejected a $5m offer [to play Coachella].” “This baseless lawsuit by Pras is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks,” said Hill “It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of goodwill “Last year’s tour was put together to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill It was being planned whether the Fugees were involved or not “The tour was expanded to incorporate the Fugees because I found out that Pras was in trouble and would need money to aid his legal defense.” Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music If you sign up to this service we will earn commission This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent Hill continued: “Pras was given a $3M advance for the tour which he said he required to pay his legal fees Wyclef and Myself deferred our full advances to make sure he had what he needed and was able to go as the majority of the tour advance had gone to Pras An agreement was put in place to secure the repayment of the money he was advanced Pras has not paid back the money he was advanced and is currently in breach of this agreement.” Hill also claimed that Pras had previously thanked her for “saving his life.” The Fugees were formed in New Jersey in 1990 by Hill In 2023, Michél was found guilty of funneling money from the now-fugitive Malaysian financer Low Taek Jho through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. He later pushed for a new trial, claiming that his lawyer’s use of AI had tanked his case. govt and politics"},{"score":0.65091,"label":"/art and entertainment/shows and events"},{"score":0.648796,"label":"/law Citing Prince William County property records, BizJournal reports Amazon Data Services Inc bought the 91-acre assemblage at 14237 and 14209 Dumfries Road from Parsons Business Park LLC in late April for $218 million The publication notes the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved a rezoning proffer amendment in March that tees up the entire site for data center development The site also sits within the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District The property was rezoned to Planned Business District (PBD) in 2019 to develop as an industrial/business park with a variety of related uses Plaza Realty Management is also planning a 1 million sq ft data center development known as the Potomac Technology Park along Dumfries Road Recently, Prince William County's planning commission unanimously recommended the denial of an application to turn Colchester Industrial Park on Dumfries Road into a data center complex known as the Mid-County Industrial Park – Amazon recently filed for a proposed zoning text and map amendment to create an SDC-O Special Data Center Overlay District in Salem Township where it recently bought a nuclear-powered data center The overlay district would allow a controlled development of a data center campus through a master plan process – Amazon has broken ground on a data center in Mississippi Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia GLENMARY  |  Today, the old railroad town of Glenmary and the adjacent mining community of Coal Hill are largely memories. Gone are the days when this southern Scott County hub could boast as being one of the largest settlements in the entire region, thanks to the railroad and the rich deposits of coal just beneath the earth’s surface. There are still a number of people living in these communities, many of them with ties to the industrial center that Glenmary was in the 1890s. And the number of people living here is increasing, as the Coal Hill area finds a second-generation utilization as a quiet and peaceful residential community some 100 years after it bustled with activities related to mining and industry. But the area’s quiet and peaceful nature bely the rich history and tradition that this area espouses. There are a number of artifacts scattered about that help tell the story of Coal Hill’s heyday — the foremost of which are probably the brick-lined ovens that were used by the Glenmary Coal & Coke Co. Another is the community’s grave yard — the Coal Hill Cemetery. Almost all of the cemeteries in Scott County at least got their start as family burial grounds, though many grew to become community cemeteries. Coal Hill Cemetery is one of the few exceptions that truly began as a community cemetery. Dating back to about 1880, it contains the graves of several of the early immigrants to southern Scott County who helped provide labor for the burgeoning coal industry here. The Coal Hill Cemetery sits directly adjacent to the Archie Lewallen Cemetery. To the eye, they’re essentially one cemetery. For legal purposes, they’re two separate cemeteries, and the Sacred Ground series will profile the Lewallen Cemetery next week. The Heaps family plate on the gate of a wrought iron fence surrounding the family’s partition at Coal Hill Cemetery | Ben Garrett/IH A sign at the Coal Hill Cemetery states that the cemetery was established in 1883 The first burial there may have taken place three years earlier That’s the year that Elizabeth Heaps is believed to have died Her family is one of those with its own section of the cemetery was the man who opened the first mine at Coal Hill in 1878 Crook had sold his interest in the company to a group of businessmen from Lexington It’s not clear exactly when John and Elizabeth Heaps moved to Glenmary though it would have probably been in the 1870s An 1860 census found the Heaps family living in Pennsylvania which is probably where they wound up after migrating to the U.S they were still shown in Clinton County when the 1880 census was taken though John Heaps is believed to have opened the mine at Coal Hill by that time Also interesting: an obituary for one of the Heaps children — daughter Lettice who spent much of her adult life in Roane County — states that she was born in England in 1861.  While John Heaps had a headstone placed at his grave in the Coal Hill Cemetery when he died in 1888 She had a commercial flat stone that was placed later Because the stone is inscribed only with her name The public record does not include a death certificate to shed any additional light on the matter She was alive when the 1880 census was taken but is believed to have died soon thereafter The wrought iron fence enclosing the Heap family’s graves complete with the family’s name plate on the gate is identical to that of the Neathery family nearby and would suggest that both families were relatively well-off Also buried within the Heaps partition are Josephine “Josie” Heaps and Martin “Dock” Heaps Dock Heaps was one of the children of John and Elizabeth Heaps both Dock and Josie have flat commercial stones that were placed after their deaths Sarah Ann Heaps (1868-1960) is buried at Coal Hill Cemetery She married James Toomey (1864-1921) and several members of their family are buried alongside them at Coal Hill Just a few dozen feet from the Heaps partition at Coal Hill Cemetery is the identical Neathery partition Murtle Neathery is believed to have been the second person buried at Coal Hill and was the daughter of James Alvis Neathery (1854-1917) and Leann Burchett (1855-1894) Both of her parents are also buried at Coal Hill While Coal Hill’s Neathery family were not immigrants from England they were involved in the early mining operations at Coal Hill Records suggest that they followed the Heaps family from Kentucky which is where James Alvis’s parents the Neathery family was not listed as living in Scott County when the 1880 census was taken James Alvis and Leann were listed in Monticello These census records suggest that both of these early families moved to Glenmary shortly after 1880 — sometime between when census enumerators made their rounds in 1880 and when baby Murtle Neathery died in 1883 It would not be surprising to learn that the first mine at Coal Hill did indeed begin production in 1878 and that John Heaps returned to Kentucky for his wife and children sometime thereafter James and Leann Neathery had at least five children besides Eddy The rest were born after the family moved to Glenmary: Sallie Kendrick in 1882 Eddy — his real name was William Edward — and Charlie were both buried at Coal Hill but is believed to have been buried at Coal Hill.) Charlie also had two children buried at Coal Hill Roy Alvis died just 20 days after his first birthday in 1891 Ann Nettie was three years old when she died the day after Christmas in 1895 She was buried at Coal Hill when she died in 1917 She had two children from an earlier marriage who were buried at Coal Hill in 1907 and 1919 Another early burial at Coal Hill occurred in May 1883, when 20-year-old Crist Durr was buried there. At least, that’s how the historian Robert Bailey inventoried the grave when he transcribed the cemetery in 1994. More recently, Tim West transcribed it as Crist Dupp but acknowledged that it could be Durp. Indeed, the headstone is hard to read. The stone indicates that Crist Durr (or Dupp, as the case may be) was born in Chapon, Penn., which might have been a misspelling of Champion, Penn. No additional information is available, and he appears to have no family members buried at Coal Hill, suggesting that he was one of those who moved to the community to work in the mining industry. A three-week-old baby, Minnie Toomey, was buried at the cemetery in 1888. This was likely the child of James and Sarah Ann Toomey, and a grandchild of John and Elizabeth Heaps, but the inscription on the stone is worn and impossible to read. The Toomey family graves at Coal Hill Cemetery | Ben Garrett/IH James and Sarah Ann lost several children at young ages While it isn’t clear that Minnie Toomey was their baby Several other members of the Toomey family are also buried at the cemetery beginning with 29-year-old Dennis Toomey in 1896 A Toomey family showed up in the 1880 census as living in Morgan County Margaret Toomey (1827-1907) is buried at Coal Hill Cemetery Her headstone indicates that she was born in Ireland There is some confusion because a separate Margaret Toomey — also married to a John Toomey, also born in Ireland, and also born in 1827 — is buried at Potter Cemetery in Huntsville. However, the Margaret Toomey buried in Huntsville died in 1918. The Margaret Toomey buried at Coal Hill died in 1907. It seems obvious that the James and Dennis Toomey buried at Coal Hill are brothers, and that the Margaret Toomey buried there was their mother. How that ties into the very similar Margaret Toomey purported to be buried at Potter Cemetery in Huntsville isn’t yet clear. Also buried at Coal Hill is Charley Toomey, who was another of the children of James and Sarah Ann Toomey and died in 1922 at the age of 35.  There was also a William Toomey, born in 1900, who married Sarah Welch. They had an infant son buried at the cemetery in 1924. Their daughter, Georgia Helen Toomey Piercy, was buried at the cemetery in 2015. Another family that moved to Coal Hill for work was the Milson family. Henry James Milson (1859-1900) was originally from Pennsylvania, the son of an immigrant from Wales, John Milsom, who died during the Civil War from a disease he contracted while held as a prisoner in a Rebel camp. Henry James Milson’s connection to Coal Hill was through John Heaps — the man who opened the first mine there. Henry James married Jane Ann “Jennie” Davison, who was the daughter of John Davison and Jane Heaps. Jane Heaps was a sister to John Heaps, making Jennie Davison the niece of John Heaps. Henry and Jennie Milson had a one-year-old son, Johnny, who was buried at Coal Hill in 1886. Jennie and her siblings also had a half-brother, Martin Tomlison, who was buried at Coal Hill in 1895. Jennie Milsom was buried at the cemetery in 1893, and Henry James was buried there in 1900. The most elaborate headstone at Coal Hill Cemetery is that of William Parker who was a brother to Scott County Judge (and first school superintendent) J.C with a couple of new burials occurring there each year The most recent burials were Oscar Taubert and Roberta “Lynn” Huckeby in 2023 Oscar Taubert was an HVAC installer from Robbins Other recent burials at the cemetery have included Lucille Huckeby in 2022 COAL HILL CEMETERY GPS Coordinates: 36.30769, -84.61159 First Burial: ~1880 Last Burial: 2023 Eunice Henry Gary K. Huckeby This story is part of the Scott County Cemetery Project. Contact the Independent Herald at newsroom@ihoneida.com. Follow us on Twitter, @indherald. Founded in 1976, the Independent Herald is the voice of Scott County and Big South Fork Country. @2025 Independent Herald. A division of Liberty Press Inc. Sainz currently sits fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with five podium finishes this season Damon Hill believes the signing of Carlos Sainz for 2025 means that Williams have now got the “perfect combination” as they look to improve on their recent form Sainz, 29, found himself surplus to requirements at Ferrari after they signed Lewis Hamilton, and will join up with Alex Albon at the Oxfordshire-based team. “The dynamic, how it would work with Alex. That is also really important, putting two people together who work together in a team like Williams at the stage they are now, you need those guys to work together,”said Hill. “I think they are a perfect combination. I can see these two, they’re both pretty grown-up individuals and competitive and hard workers. I think they’ll complement each other brilliantly.” “He’s got gravitas, Carlos,” Hill added. “And I think that’s what people sense about him. He’s a hard worker, as well. I know him and his dad quite well and they are serious people. They’re not people who take Formula One as a kind of a jolly. Carlos works at it and he delivers. Williams team boss James Vowles said he was “surprised” that neither Mercedes nor Red Bull wanted Sainz next season because he rates him as “one of the top four drivers - if not at times the number two driver on the grid”. “Look at every team he has been in. They have improved significantly - and I get why,” he said. “After spending the last nine months talking to him at least weekly, what I’ve realised is he is a performance machine. “He will do everything in his power to transform himself and the team around him. And that’s powerful. That’s worth more than what he can drive the car at.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"GettyImages-2162802769.jpg","description":"BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 20: 4th placed qualifier Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari is interviewed after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 20, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)","caption":"Carlos Sainz will leave Ferrari for Williams Carlos Sainz will leave Ferrari for Williams claims Damon Hill","description":"Sainz currently sits fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with five podium finishes this season Already have an account? Log in here By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Already have an account? Log in here By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy Policy or sign up for a new account to continue reading We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content Please purchase a subscription to continue reading Your current subscription does not provide access to this content Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening The story trail is tucked behind Independent Hill Library in Manassas The Independent Hill Library story trail is the first in Prince William County Two more are planned at Chinn Park Library in Lake Ridge and at the Haymarket-Gainesville Library The author’s kids and friends gather around a stop on the story trail behind Independent Hill Library outside Manassas The 1-mile trail is adjacent to Hellwig Park “I don’t see a trail,” the 8-year-old chimed in We saw no sign of a story trail— and there was no sign announcing that one existed “Let’s ask a librarian inside,” I suggested Apparently up the somewhat large hill adjacent to the Independent Hill Library parking lot thankful that the toddler was in a stroller and that I’d worn sneakers that morning to scale the gravel path “Follow the story through 16 stations around the one-mile loop so come back soon to experience a new story.” One mile was a little longer than I had anticipated for a story so we took a quick peek and vowed to come back when we had the middle child with us totaling eight children and three ambitious moms the older kids took turns reading to the preschoolers and racing to each station “The Pout-Pout Fish Cleans Up the Ocean,” along the mostly shaded trail and we visited the library’s pollinator garden when we were finished While eating snacks at the library’s outdoor pavilion we vowed to return in the fall when the next book is featured the Hellwig Memorial Park Loop Trail also offers several fitness stations designed for adults and is accessible from the nearby playground and the park’s soccer fields “This would be such a good trail to use when the girls have games,” said Bristow mom The Independence Hill Library’s story trail is the first permanent story trail in Prince William County The project was a collaborative effort between Prince William Public Libraries; Prince William County’s Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism; and Keep Prince William Beautiful “It is a fun twist to the traditional story time one that engages children and adults alike while encouraging movement and exercise,” says Kristen Burnham Prince William Public Libraries’ coordinator for programming and events The stations throughout the loop were created and installed by Boy Scout Troop 35 of Dumfries the project took one year and nine months to complete … due to a big delay caused by COVID,” said Aidan Black the physical stage of the project was completed by 10 to 20 scouts in three working days total.”  “It was a lot of physical work to carry concrete wood and tools along the mile-long loop,” he added as I had to earn over $2,000 in yard work and donations.” Naval Academy and hopes to study aerospace engineering This project was the first of its kind for Troop 35 “The best part was seeing it all come together Prince William Public Libraries has since been awarded a grant from Sentara Healthcare to further improve community spaces literacy and wellbeing through story trails The grant will fund the new story trails at the Chinn Park Library in Lake Ridge and the Haymarket-Gainesville Library a Prince William Public Libraries spokeswoman Installation of the new trails is expected to start this fall Reach Sondra Anzalone at news@fauquier.com Stay up-to-date on the best stories about life in Prince William County with The JAM - Your News In Just A Minute newsletter Digital and Print Subscription memberships available The future of Prince William Times now depends on community support Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight now slated for redevelopment that could include data centers is located along Dumfries Road near the Prince William County landfill The Independent Hill residential area and Prince William Forest Park are located on the other side of Dumfries Road A plan that could bring 80-foot-tall data centers to the middle of the Prince William County — further southeast than ever before — got off to a bumpy start this week when the Prince William Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend against zoning changes for the area known as Parsons Farm What that ultimately will mean for the development slated for 91 acres at Dumfries Road near the county landfill The Prince William County Board of Supervisors has ignored the planning commission’s recommendations in the past data centers still can be built on the Parsons’ property – though not as tall and possibly not as many 234 across from Independent Hill and Prince William Forest Park it has been home to “Parsons Farm,” a nursery and gardening center known for its large piles of mulch and other materials out front which ran into the early morning hours Thursday attracted only five residents from the area to speak to the project But they were vehement in their opposition to having 80-foot-tall windowless data centers some of which are known to emit a buzzing sound across the road from the Independent Hill area claiming they had worked with the Parsons family during an earlier rezoning of the property to help design a commercial and retail center there “We engaged in good faith negotiations for years and reached a compromise with Parsons,” said Ashley McWilliams who lives across Dumfries Road from Parsons Farm “And now they are seeking to renegotiate for things that we had explicitly opposed in 2019 I am loathe to have Independent Hill turn into the dystopian nightmare that Loudoun County’s stretch of Route 28 is.” who lives in a historic neighborhood across the street on Walton Drive said she was sure the noise from data centers would affect her health “Those who profit from data centers do not live near them a lawyer representing the Parsons family and its developer said the property might not even have data centers The changes he was seeking would just make the property more marketable one of the developers in the Prince William Digital Gateway project The property was rezoned in late 2019 to prepare it for commercial or industrial development and the property passed on to his children The Parsons family had tried to attract a buyer but lost out on getting a county building and a manufacturing plant They felt the restrictions they had agreed to in 2019 – no buildings higher than 45 feet and a segment facing Dumfries Road zoned differently from the rest – hindered its sale “The limits placed on it in 2019 effectively rendered it undevelopable,” Looney said in 2023 the Parsons filed to change the restrictions oddly-shaped segment of the property to be zoned industrial like the others and they asked for an easing of height restrictions — to 80 feet for data centers and 60 feet for other buildings The planning commission rejected that request and commissioners questioned Looney’s argument that the owners did not know whether data centers would be built on the property They peppered Looney with questions about data center noise power needs and screening of buildings from its neighbors “Everyone knows it’s a data center proposal,” said Planning Commissioner Chris Carroll Carroll was recently appointed to the commission at the request of Brentsville Supervisor Tom Gordy He noted that the county had in 2021 created a “small area plan” for Independent Hill a large park and a scattering of businesses stray segment of the county’s “Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District,” encompasses the Parsons property citizens who helped design the plan were thinking residential “While it was obviously available for data the plan was to have that be more like the business park setting where you could work With planned trails from the nearby Prince William Forest Park to other nearby parks and playing fields “it was really marketed as the gateway to the outdoors.” Carroll said his problems with the project included its proximity to homes and Charles J its lack of screening and buffering from neighbors He objected to adding even more data centers to Va raising concerns about their spread father eastward Maps drawn by Gainesville Planning Commissioner John Lyver show Prince William’s new data center alley in the space between Prince William Parkway and Linton Hall Road and from Gainesville to the Manassas airport This project would launch a new collection of data centers seven miles to the south decried the idea of developing another data center corridor near the semi-rural and largely residential Independent Hill area “I'm amazed that this board…thinks data centers and mid-county make any sense,” she said during citizens’ time She said data centers would harm historic resources water and air quality and degrade the beauty of the area “Parsons’ 90 acres should be developed to enhance our area with needed affordable housing and parks to improve neighboring children's lives,” Kenyon-Page said a former NASA engineer and activist who lives in Gainesville and has worked to oppose large data center developments in western Prince William County homed on what he considered lacking information in the plan Lyver asked whether an electrical substation would be needed for the possible data centers and where it would go He also asked if the transmission lines along Dumfries Road would be enough to power the development Looney said since they didn’t know who would be buying the property and what it would be used for Other commissioners also wanted more specifics They asked where the buildings would be and whether a road would cross an area of wetlands on the property But Looney said that was not yet known and argued the developer is not yet required to submit a site plan Prince William County planning staff manager David McGettigan reminded the commission they were considering only a narrow request to change zoning and building heights After a motion to delay the vote failed 4-3 a vote to deny the application passed with Scheufler and Planning Commission Chairman Juan McPhail voting no No date has been set for the supervisors to consider the project Reach Peter Cary at news@fauquier.com A move to expand data centers into the mid-county area has been dealt a blow by the Prince William County Planning Commission More Amazon data centers are likely coming to the mid-county area as a company affiliated with the tech giant recently paid $53.5 million — a… Email notifications are only sent once a day An artist's rendering of the 190-home and shopping center development proposed for the Independent Hill area near Va The layout of the mixed-use development proposed for the Independent Hill area near Va A total of 190 single-family homes and a shopping center are being proposed for the area A new mixed-use development of 190 single-family homes and a shopping center is being proposed for the Independent Hill area both Coles District supervisor and some area residents are expressing reservations about the plan’s size and density which has yet to be reviewed by either the Prince William County Planning Commission or the Board of County Supervisors The rezoning application has been in the works since 2019 and initially included 205 homes – a mix of 140 single-family and 65 townhomes The latest iteration was unveiled to residents for the first time on Wednesday during a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Supervisor Yesli Vega The development would be encompassed by the proposed “Independent Hill Small Area Plan” – a blueprint for future development for about 565 acres in the mid-county area stretching from the landfill to the edge of Prince William Forest Park along the Va It’s one of several “small area plans” still being reviewed for parts of the county is proposing the residential project in conjunction with the future “Parsons Business Park,” which is planned for 90 acres now occupied in part by Parsons Farm fill dirt and landscaping supplies from its outlet on Va which will also include a new Sheetz gas station The proposed residential development would be on the west side of Va 234 – across from Parsons Farm – and would stretch from the Prince William County school division’s Edward L Kelly Leadership Center to Independent Hill Drive and Bristow Road Elm Street Development Vice President Joe Jacobs said the 60-acre site would include 190 single-family homes on lots of about one-quarter acre some of which would be pipe-stem-style lots The latter would include a 30,000-square-foot office building space for stores and restaurants and a 10,000-square-foot day care center The shopping center would be located at the corner of Independent Hill Drive and Va It developed the nearby Ashland subdivision in the late 1990s and early 2000s Jacobs said the new development would also include a few “pocket parks,” including one with a gazebo The retail center would be designed with the pandemic in mind and would include a large outdoor plaza “We’re all learning to live with COVID as we need to do,” he said “What we’d like to do is create an outdoor eating plaza.” The development would include a path from the Kelly Leadership Center to the shopping center Walking paths or sidewalks would also connect the Va which would be across from the new subdivision along Bristow Road The homes would be likely be priced in the mid-$600,000 range based on the current prices for new single-family homes in Prince William County and assuming a 5% annual appreciation rate which would require that the county board approve the project by early next year the homes wouldn’t be ready until about 2023 The entire development would likely take 10 years to build out In 2019, the Prince William County School Board signaled its opposition to the first iteration of the project – which proposed 134 single-family and 65 townhomes – because it would generate an estimated 126 schoolchildren for area schools that are already near or overcapacity Benton Middle was at 98% capacity with 1,434 students was 733 students overcapacity with an enrollment of 2,786 Using the school division’s generation factors the subdivision would generate about the same number of students with the proposed 190 homes The school board generally opposes all new developments that would further overcrowd local schools Jacobsen noted that a new high school – the 14th – is already being planned to open in the next several years although the school board has yet to secure a site Independent Hill residents attending the town hall expressed reservations about everything from the planned density of the development to whether the commercial space would be filled One resident talked about the odor that sometimes emanates from the landfill and the impact that might have on both home sales and the commercial area “I’m concerned the [landfill] smell wouldn’t support the businesses I don’t think the smell will support the [home] values in the community either.” Some residents asked if Jacobs would consider fewer homes built on larger lots He said the proposed number–190— is needed to pay for the estimated $5 million in infrastructure improvements his company is pledging including laying 2 miles of sewer line to both the mixed-use development and Parsons Business Park and adding turn lanes from Va 234 to the business park and Independent Hill Drive Regarding the effect of COVID-19 on commercial developments Jacobs said the company is confident the demand for what he called “neighborhood retail” will remain is envisioned to provide office space for dentists or doctors or other professionals “We believe people will still need places to buy their groceries and places to shop and will still want to eat at restaurants,” he said Vega said the new proposal is an improvement from the possible 620 new homes called for in the original Independent Hill Small Area Plan maybe a thousand angry residents come out if someone had come forward with up to 620 mixed-use housing units for this area which is what staff originally proposed,” Vega said in a Thursday email Even the [county staff’s] revised plan of up to 270 is too high considering the rural character of the surrounding area and the major problem with overcrowding just down the road at Colgan High School.” Vega said she thought that 190 units “with ample buffering and without access from Bristow Road” was a good “middle ground.” she said her work with the developer will likely continue “I heard from many of my constituents last night that even 190 might be a bit high I much prefer this plan to what county government has proposed and I know my constituents would prefer 190 over 270 or 620 but we may still have a little bit of work to do on it,” Vega wrote It’s not yet known when the rezoning application will go before either the planning commission or the board of supervisors Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@fauquier.com A controversial plan to pave the way for a future mixed-used development in an agriculturally zoned area along Va Prince William Forest Park officials are raising concerns about a controversial plan to allow new office and industrial development near the b… The Prince William Board of County Supervisors during a recent meeting in the board chambers at the James J Areas of Prince William County designated for small area plans This diagram shows how the Independent Hill Small Area Plan changes the underlying land use designations in the area The pink-lined area in the southern node is where 41 acres is now designated for industrial uses about 120 acres adjacent to Prince William Forest Park is designated for "parks and open space."  An aerial view of the area included in the Independent Hill Small Area Plan The Prince William Board of County Supervisors has approved a controversial plan paving the way for new development around Independent Hill that would allow up to 200 new homes a shopping center and significantly more acreage for industrial uses The plan also carves about 40 acres from the existing “rural crescent” that could become a new data center party-line vote with all five Democrats voting in favor and the board’s three Republicans voting against it The debate over the proposal was marred by arguments between Democratic and Republican board members and was nearly scuttled after two Republican supervisors – Yesli Vega R-Brentsville – abruptly left the meeting at 1 a.m in what appeared to be an attempt to break the meeting’s quorum and delay the vote were participating in the meeting virtually it left only four Democratic supervisors to vote in-person The board was forced to take a recess so Angry could drive from his Neabsco office to the board chambers to create the quorum needed for a vote While Angry was driving to the board meeting Vega and Lawson returned to the board chambers Vega said she left the meeting because she became frustrated by Democratic board members support for the proposal “I needed step out because I needed to cool down,” Vega said Vega had attempted to amend the plan by omitting 41 acres that would be extracted from the county's rural area But the idea was voted down in a 5-3 party-line vote She then tried to amend the proposal to divide the plan into two separate segments – one with only the area of the plan in the Coles District and the other with the only the parts of the plan in the Potomac District But that idea was also voted down in a 5-3 party-line vote “I would be with this plan if there wasn’t the threat of a data center” in the rural area known as the “Independent Hill Small Area Plan,” is a blueprint for future development for about 544 acres in the mid-county area stretching from the county landfill to the edge of Prince William Forest Park along the Va It’s one of several “small area plans” already approved or in the works for parts of the county The county planning commission recommended the board deny the Independent Hill plan on 5-3 vote in December The most controversial aspect of the plan would allow 41 acres of a 160-acre parcel of land in the county’s designated rural area to be rezoned for “public facility/office,” a designation that could allow for a new data center or office uses The plan designates the remaining 120 acres of the parcel as “parks and open space” that would act as a buffer between the 41-acre “public facility/office” area and Prince William Forest Park Under the county’s current rural area zoning rules the entire 160-acre parcel could be sold and subdivided into 16 10-acre residential lots with septic systems The board’s three Republicans and about two dozen advocates of existing rural area zoning rules spoke during citizens’ comment time to adamantly oppose removing any land from the rural area for development and voiced opposition to any plan for a data center so close to the park The approval marks the second time in just a few months that the supervisors have removed land from the rural crescent by altering zoning rules in the area “Putting a data center or other industrial uses next to Prince William Forest Park jeopardizes the forest,” said Kim Hosen executive director of the nonprofit Prince William Conservation Alliance also known as the “rural crescent,” makes up about 52% of the county’s total land mass and includes Prince William Forest Park Marine Corps Base Quantico and Manassas National Battlefield Park In the areas that permit residential building only single-family homes can be built and only on 10-acre lots Connections to public sewer are also generally prohibited Chris Alfred, acting Superintendent for Prince William Forest Park, said the park did have some concerns about any development being considered near the park including the impacts of stormwater runoff on the headwaters of Quantico Creek and the threat of invasive plant species But Alfred also said the park “sees the benefits” of nearby residential development with easy access to the park for county residents Some supervisors said during the meeting that the owners of the 160-acre parcel in the rural area had approached them with plans to eventually site a data center on the property The land is bisected by a high voltage transmission line but is outside the county’s data center overlay district Data centers require a large amount of electricity Any plan for a data center would still require a board-approved rezoning and special use permit while the board approved the small area plan it does not guarantee a data center will be built “There will be other opportunities for community input,” said Supervisor Andrea Bailey It could also open the door to expanding Va 234 from four lanes to six lanes in the area of the proposed plan Prince William County planning Director Parag Agrawal said the plan has the potential to create a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use community in the Independent Hill area near employment centers such as the Kelly Leadership Center the Prince William County landfill and Colgan High School The plan calls for the creation of 3.6 miles of new trails that could potentially connect the development with Prince William Forest Park and Colgan High School Agrawal said the plan would also result in increased economic development in the county by allowing for potential new commercial uses along the Va The board’s five Democrats and more than a dozen county residents spoke in support of the plan including for its potential economic benefits Democratic supervisors have been pushing for increased data center uses commercial and “mixed-use projects” that combine residential and commercial development in the county to increase the county’s commercial tax base Some have said that increasing the commercial tax base will allow the board to better fund the county school system and possibly reduce the county’s residential tax rate “We have to look out for our constituents in terms of taxes,” Bailey said during the meeting and some who live in the “rural crescent,” said the county could benefit from the added tax revenues that could come from development in the Independent Hill area including from siting data centers in the rural area “Progress happens,” said Gainesville District resident John Brower “I think the county could use the revenue.” Reach Daniel Berti at dberti@fauquier.com  A piece of rural land near the Prince William County Public Schools headquarters could be carved up and turned into new homes – Republicans from across Prince William County gathered at Fox Chase Manor for their annual black-tie Lincoln Reagan Dinner drawing a record crowd and laying out their strategy ahead of the 2025 election cycle – A bank tenant inside a newly completed data center in Manassas has triggered a sweeping local tax exemption upending financial expectations and leaving city officials blindsided – The April 2025 meeting of the Manassas City School Board opened with inspiring highlights from Osbourn High School Kevin Quesada and Communications Director Almeta Radford recognized two student achievement programs that reflect the school division’s growing emphasis on career readiness and technical skills Villagio Hospitality Group announced that the 10-acre entertainment campus in Manassas is now officially NOVA LIVE and Networking — Calling middle and high school students for FREE Educational Summer Programming LLT STEMpower Camp at Marymount University Read More Submit your own Community Post here Inspired by local physicians who were among the nation’s first to adopt the concierge medicine model Northern Virginia is now a hub for its surging popularity These leading physicians are redefining the patient experience with same-day appointments MD’s change to concierge medicine enabled focused attention for each individual and the launch of his innovative diet program for those with type 2 diabetes “The goal is to promote enough weight loss to reach an acceptable A1C of 6% with no medication,” he explains “Achieving that can take several months of very close follow up MD considers his patients quite literally as family “I believe there’s nothing more honorable than helping patients when they’re sick and I care for them exactly as I would my loved ones.” Whether for a specialist referral “My patients know I’m always just a phone call away.” Read More Hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) since 2012 this highly-anticipated gathering is the nation’s leading gathering focused on empowering individuals with science-based education support and practical tools for managing weight and improving health This unique Convention truly has something Participate in the 33rd Annual Van Metre 5K Run—a race that goes further than 3.1 miles where every stride you take supports Children’s National Hospital The Van Metre 5K Run donates 100% of proceeds to Children’s National Hospital and has Prince William Forest Park officials are raising concerns about a controversial plan to allow new office and industrial development near the border of the 14,000-acre park that could have potential environmental impacts called the Independent Hill Small Area Plan would amend the county’s comprehensive plan to allow for more than 100 new homes in the area along with new business and industrial zonings along the Va The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the plan this coming Tuesday, March 16, after a public hearing. The Prince William County Planning Commission recommended denying the Independent Hill Small Area Plan on 5-3 vote in December The plan paves the way for 41 acres of agricultural land in the county’s designated rural area also known as the “rural crescent,” near the border of the park to eventually be rezoned for “public facility/office.” The designation could allow for a new data center The plan would also designate another 120 acres of rural area at the edge of Prince William Forest Park as protected parks and open space Prince William Forest Park Superintendent Tanya Gossett raised concerns in December that the impacts of development in the rural area adjacent to the park could introduce invasive plant species to the park or create increased stormwater runoff with impacts to the headwaters of nearby Quantico Creek “We are concerned … about what this plan may signify in terms of land use and land disturbance within the rural area and the park’s congressionally-authorized boundary,” Gossett said in a December letter to the Prince William County Planning Commission Prince William Forest Park is the largest protected natural area in the Metropolitan Washington region Gossett said an analysis of 39 national parks in the eastern United States found that Prince William Forest Park “ranked the second-most pristine forest thanks to the minimal presence of exotic plants.” Gossett said the plan could “open the door” to long-term development impacts to the rural area and the ecological resources of Prince William Forest Park the park could face significant and cumulative development impacts in the future,” Gossett wrote The park’s recreational uses generate about $25 million per year in local economic output and attract nearly 400,000 visitors annually Arlington-based Plaza Realty Management owns the 160-acre rural area parcel that is part of the Independent Hill small area plan The area's current zoning allows only for residential uses at a ratio of one home per 10 acres The small area plan would change the zoning to allow for no new homes but would rather designate 41 acres of “public facility or office” use and the remaining 120 areas for "parks and open space." The "public facility or office" designation would allow for office buildings government facilities or a data center to be built on the land which would have to be approved by the county board in a separate process whose district includes part of the small area plan had not responded to questions as of Friday morning about whether she would support a data center in the Independent Hill area that borders Prince William Forest Park The Independent Hill Small Area Plan has faced headwinds from local conservation and civic groups since it was introduced in 2019 including from the Prince William Conservation Alliance and the Piedmont Environmental Council Both are adamantly opposed to allowing any new development types within the county’s rural crescent or at the border of the county’s national parks Complaints about the plan have primarily been focused on the residential and commercial density the plan would allow in the area which is a historically rural enclave with low-density residential development as well as the removal of land from the county’s rural crescent for potential development The rural area was created in 1998 as a tool to limit suburban sprawl Development in the area is limited to only one single-family home per 10 acres and requires that homes use septic systems instead of the public sewer line The area makes up about 117,000 acres of the county Reach Daniel Berti at dberti@fauquier.com A controversial plan to pave the way for a future mixed-used development in an agriculturall… A new mixed-use development of 190 single-family homes and a shopping center is being propos… The new indoor soccer field house will be built at George Hellwig Memorial Park at Independent Hill which is located in the Manassas area of Prince William County the Northern Virginia Soccer Club will open Prince William County’s first indoor soccer field house next year at Independent Hill The nonprofit recreational soccer club plans to build a $1.5 million soccer field house at George Hellwig Memorial Park in partnership with the Prince William County Department of Parks and Recreation As part of a plan the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved last year the club will pay for the facility’s construction while the county will allow it to be built on public parkland and will be responsible for most of its maintenance the Northern Virginia Soccer Club will have priority access meaning it will use about 80% of the facility’s time with the remaining 20% open to other community organizations The soccer club has more than 500 teams and about 5,000 players “It will serve the community at large,” said Seth Hendler-Voss director of Prince William County Parks and Recreation It will also benefit local soccer teams by allowing them to train indoors Northern Virginia Soccer Club’s executive director but asking your kids to play in 35-degree weather isn't exactly the best training facility to have,” he said “I think it's a very valuable commodity that would help all the players that are within our club and within Prince William County to continue to develop their skills.”  metal field house is planned to be about 35,000 square feet and will include an indoor soccer field as well as office space The soccer club and the county parks department have worked together in the past and are currently working to convert two fields at the park from grass to turf The field house will be an extension of that partnership “The department is managing the field conversion and NVSC will be managing the construction of the field house,” Hendler-Voss said Gregory said he expects the project is about a year to a year and a half away from completion The fields at Hellwig Park will most likely be converted next winter the whole front of Hellwig Park will be transformed between the field conversions and the field house over the next few years,” he said “It'll be a completely different experience for visitors and competitors.”   both the soccer club and the parks department could see the potential for more indoor field houses in the county and we'll see around the clock use without a doubt,” Hendler-Voss said it's the first of other projects that we'll be able to develop over time Our master plan calls for indoor facilities like this and we'd like to be able to meet the needs of our community.”   Reach Isabella Sherk at news@fauquier.com  If you’ve ever driven on Virginia Route 234 past the Prince William County landfill you may not have realized the area surrounding the highway has a name — but a glance at the nearby water tower or public library reads Independent Hill During a public hearing Tuesday, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors is expected to back a long-term plan to transform the currently nondescript area: A 544-acre plot bisected by Va Prince William Forest Park and the county landfill along its perimeter The Board envisions using the land for “a vibrant pedestrian-friendly village and employment center,” to be located near the Edward Kelly Leadership Center which serves as the administrative headquarters of the Prince William County public school system the county’s planning commission recommended the supervisors reject the plan Among the concerns were that the development was inconsistent with the semirural character of the surrounding area and that additional housing in an area that lacks sufficient mass transit would increase both vehicle traffic and greenhouse gas emissions planners said the development would be an environmental impediment to the nearby Prince William Forest Park But in a staff report to be presented at Tuesday’s public hearing the board is expected to argue the plan provides an alternative vision of what the area could be based on “the community-expressed desire for vibrant eating and shopping establishments.” The report said the project would allow people to live work and recreate in the Independent Hill area: “The design provides for an increase in the number of internal trips reduces the number of external trips of the residents and serves the existing 3,300 jobs in the plan area.” It would include a recreational bicycle and pedestrian loop to connect the business and residential zones with surrounding parks and include a buffer area along Dumfries Road Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997 He says he looks forward to coming to work every day even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area Husband and wife duo Jerry Paul and Melissa Tinsley (pictured above) aspire to redefine independent senior living In 2020 the couple opened Oak Hill Village a continuing care retirement community consisting of 12 stand-alone craftsman-style homes Jerry has been involved in senior care for as long as he can remember He was raised among senior folks from a very young age because his grandmother was in the nursing home industry “I was pushing a food cart at 8 years old,” he said I’ve always had this affinity for seniors.” Opening Oak Hill Village fulfilled a dream for Jerry as the program’s CEO offering a smooth transition from independent living to assisted living Jerry began his journey in 2000 by opening Oak Landing Assisted Living Melissa came on board in 2013 as CFO when they opened Oak Landing Specialty Care All three facilities are located on the same campus at 410 Decatur Avenue in Attalla “The whole purpose of Oak Hill Village is to offer something the Etowah County area does not have to offer senior citizens,” Jerry said safe and with autonomy where you do not have to share a wall with somebody and this is something I’ve prayed about for many years God opened the door for me on the property.” The Tinsleys first encountered the unique format of independent living on a trip to Central Florida “I loved the style of homes and the quaintness of the village (in Florida),” Jerry said “I thought it was a really progressive idea there’s nothing resembling it in our tri-county area The idea we brought from Florida offers craftsman-style homes a den and a full-service kitchen with stainless steel appliances granite countertops throughout and pocket doors that eliminate door swing to provide more room “The den and kitchen have 12-foot ceilings and each house has a washer and dryer All primary bedrooms have a walk-in closet with shelves and a shoe rack and each bathroom has a step-in shower with safety bars and a built-in seat including all repairs and weekly lawn maintenance visits every other Thursday should [residents] need to see him Other amenities include access to the clubhouse that has a theater a large kitchen for group gatherings and church services.” “The development is in the shape of a semi-circle to promote that sense of community and inclusion,” Melissa said “You can come out of your house and see your community We also have staff that live there and operates the clubhouse.” Jerry was proud to say the Village has been blessed to have Bobby and Martha Bryant as the property managers who check on residents daily and are always there to help with any problems “One of the most attractive things about Oak Hill Village is we are family owned “It gives us the ability to make decisions then and there versus a large corporate structure where decisions are often made states away.” When the time comes that residents need more assistance and it is just not safe to live independently they have the option to be first in line for the next available apartment next door at Oak Landing Assisted Living “That is the whole point in step-level senior care,” Jerry said “The concept may be new to most people because it is not something we sit around and talk about until we are faced with those decisions within our own household It makes for an easier transition from independent living to assisted living on the same familiar campus “Melissa and I make ourselves available to all families whether they live on campus or not It can be a very lonely place not to have someone to bounce questions off of when a family is faced with these types of decisions.” Residents will find them on the property daily to answer questions or give advice with over 23 years of experience to draw from “I believe we can all relate to the old adage Emma Kirkemier contributed to this article Download and view the most recent E-Edition by clicking here 05-02-25 E-Edition Go behind the headlines: From the economy and healthcare to politics and the environment - and so much more - On Point talks with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most Sharon Hill Borough has released its independent report into last year’s police shooting — and many of the most important details are being withheld File photo: The Justice for Fanta Bility silent march in Sharon Hill Fanta Bility was an 8-year-old girl who was shot and killed outside of a football game at Academy Park High School on Aug The defense is challenging whether the Delaware District Attorney’s Office produced enough evidence at the preliminary hearing to allow the case to go forward WHYY News reached out to borough solicitor Courtney Richardson for an explanation and she pointed to the active criminal case and the civil suit as the reason for the redaction the details of the investigation and recommendations contained in the report will not be released Litigation and attorney-client privilege prevents further disclosure,” Richardson said The investigators found the police department to largely be cooperative during the process the timeliness in receipt of some information was delayed at times and the availability of certain individuals who were requested for interviews was not permitted based on their involvement in the pending criminal grand jury investigation and preliminary hearing,” the report said A lot of what is available in the report is already public knowledge It provides a statement of facts about the Academy Park High School shooting using details from the preliminary hearing transcript of the three officers who have already been charged the police heard shots and saw a car approaching from the direction of the noise They fired their weapons in response near a crowd The occupants in the car were not connected with the shots being fired a block away The action came two days after the Delaware County DA filed charges in the August shooting death of the 8-year-old and the wounding of three others the report laid out several mentions of appropriate and inappropriate uses of force in Sharon Hill Police Department materials The department’s Code of Conduct said that an officer “will never employ unnecessary force or violence and will use such force in the discharge of their duty as is reasonable in all circumstances.” Several directives for Sharon Hill police officers prohibit officers from discharging their weapons at or from moving vehicles “except as the ultimate measure of self-defense or defense of another when the suspect is employing deadly force by means other than the vehicle.” Police Directive 40 said that the use of force must always be reasonable and non-negligent the officer must consider the accuracy of his information that life or great bodily injury is threatened; whether the use of deadly force is a last resort; [and] the danger to innocent bystanders,” the report said The directive goes on to prohibit Sharon Hill officers from firing weapons when an innocent person could be injured “It is not the purpose of the Investigation to render a conclusion about the liability or culpability of any party under a criminal or civil law standard of proof the purpose of the Investigation was to assess the comprehensiveness of the Department’s existing policies,” the report said Former Sharon Hill police officers Devon Smith and Sean Dolan currently face 12 criminal counts each of manslaughter and reckless endangerment Lawyers for the three former police officers made a motion Monday to have the manslaughter charges dismissed Both sides are currently submitting written arguments to the courts and the next hearing is scheduled for Sept Never miss a moment with the WHYY Listen App and dive into podcasts from both local and national sources WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. Delaware County lawmakers sent a letter to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday asking him to “leave no stone unturned in holding” Crozer Health’s owner accountable Michelle Zajko’s denial was part of a 20-page handwritten “Open Letter to the World” her attorney provided to The Associated Press on Tuesday Chester Township police were notified on January 14 of a suspected child abuse case at Chester Community Charter School Kenny Cooper is WHYY’s suburban reporter covering Chester and Delaware counties Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY A fire at home in the 6800 block of Stillbrooke Road just off Route 234 in Prince William County [Photo: Prince William fire and rescue]This Christmas Eve two people are out of their house after a fire Prince William County fire and rescue crews went to the 6800 block of Stillbrooke Road and found fire in the rear of a house at 5:56 p.m. Plaza Realty Management-backed development in the works Developers are proposing another large-scale data center development in Prince William County First reported by InsideNoVa developers last month submitted plans to rezone a site located at 14854 Dumfries Road in Independent Hill - to the west of Dale City and to the east of the Northern Virginia county -- to allow for a 1 million sq ft data center development As part of the proposed project are requesting permission to rezone 1.7 acres from A-1 - Agriculture in order to develop the property with office or data center uses The company is also filing for a special use permit to allow a data center and a substation outside of the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District Plaza Realty owns the land and plans to develop up to 1.16 million sq ft of data center space on the site The company said the facility could come online by 2025 The site is close to Prince William Forest Park “Dumfries Road (Route 234) is currently a 4-lane divided highway and comprehensively planned to add additional lanes the area is a commercial corridor connecting Route 1 and Interstate 95 to the commercial areas of mid-County and Independent Hill On the other side of Route 234 is the County bus facility the proposed data center and/or office uses are a compatible use with the surrounding areas,” it said in the filing Prince William County is seeing a large number of new developments being proposed The study into whether PWC should expand its data center overlay district is still ongoing The proposed PW Digital Gateway could see thousands of acres of land rezoned and developed into a huge data center campus which could support more than 27.6 million square feet of data centers has caused controversy with local who doesn’t want PWC to reach the same level of data center density as neighboring Loudoun County Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia You've probably noticed it steadily taking shape colorful storefronts popping up along Peach Street The shopping district — between 26th and 24th streets in particular — is gaining more and more of an identity It even picked a name for itself: Independence Hill Aside from the vaguely patriotic feelings it may or may not conjure up around the Fourth of July Made up of a multitude of self-owned small businesses that extend past those two blocks the name could also be thought of homophonically (albeit clunkily) as an "independent's hill." "It's nice to be around other businesses, especially eclectic businesses" said Emily George, owner of Pointe Foure Vintage Boutique. She confessed that "because we all have our own small businesses it's really hard to get together and try to get meetings going." Nieratko sees "lots of new store owners with fresh ideas coming into the neighborhood, promoting the neighborhood as a destination." She's also quick to note the snapshot of the district coming into focus, citing that "the creativity and individuality of each store has given the neighborhood a pulse of its own." One time when that larger picture is clear is during the monthly Flagship Flea markets. The entire area pulls together, inviting other vendors and creates a unique open-air marketplace every second Saturday of the month, the next one taking place July 14. "We have a great family in the area and are ready to keep stepping the game forward and onward," asserted Steele. "The Independence Hill area is really striving to be the hip local spot to hang with friends, do some shopping, and become the safe little spot that you can plan a fun day trip around while meeting some friends or making some new ones," he continued. "In the next few years, we see the Independence Hill neighborhood being a staple in the city where many can come and get away from their normal shopping experience," Sean Johnson predicted. "We're trying to rebuild this city. Let's look to the future. The past is fine, there's nothing wrong with it, but let's not live in the past," Freeman excitedly proclaimed. "Let's look into the future, and for Erie, I think the future is independence." Nick Warren can be reached at nwarren@eriereader.com Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill was accused of tampering with the jury during the high-profile double murder trial of convicted killer and disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh A South Carolina court clerk has announced her resignation after being plagued by accusations of jury tampering during Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile double murder trial In what marks her first public appearance since the bombshell allegations were made by the convicted killer’s legal team last year, Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill addressed reporters in front of the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on Monday morning. Flanked by her attorney Justin Bamberg, she confirmed she will not run for reelection, adding that she is quitting her role effective immediately. “I will now be able to focus on being a wife, mother and grandmother to my two grandboys,” she said. “And will be spending time with the people who mean the most to me.” Her attorney insisted that the announcement “today is not in response to any new development in the state investigations” into the court clerk – instead claiming that her resignation is about allowing other candidates to run. “When we run for elected office, we run publicly, our lives become public, so it’s only fitting, and I respect Ms Hill very much, that the conclusion of her service happens publicly,” he added. Mr Bamberg refused to address the state investigation against her when pressed by reporters at the courthouse. The court clerk is currently under investigation by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for allegations of abusing her government position for financial and personal gain, by tampering with the jury at Murdaugh’s trial in order to help sell copies of her upcoming book. SLED is the same state agency that led the investigation into the murders of Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul in 2021. Ms Hill has served as Colleton County clerk of court since she was elected in 2020 and was the clerk during what became known as the Lowcountry’s “trial of the century”. When the jury returned its verdict in the case, it was Ms Hill who read out his conviction on all charges to the court. Following the six-week long trial in early 2023, she went on to write a book about it. Then, in September, Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion demanding a new trial claiming that Ms Hill had tampered with jurors, and had swayed the panel to reach a guilty verdict to help sell copies of her book. During Murdaugh’s retrial hearing in January, retired South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal denied the request for a new trial. But, despite dismissing Murdaugh’s request, the judge said that Ms Hill was “not completely credible” as a witness. “I find that the clerk of court was not completely credible as a witness. Miss Hill was attracted by the siren call of celebrity,” Judge Toal said. The judge acknowledged that Ms Hill had a conflict of interest but said that the “fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court” were not sufficient to grant a new trial. During cross-examination in the hearing, Murdaugh’s attorney Dick Harpoolitan read an excerpt from Ms Hill’s book where she wrote that while visiting Murdaugh’s estate with jurors she had locked eyes with them with the “unspoken understanding” that Murdaugh was guilty. Mr Harpoolitan also asked if she “made up” facts because she was motivated by financial gain. Ms Hill testified under oath she had taken some “poetic licence”, but never told jurors that she thought Murdaugh was guilty. She also admitted that she made around $100,000 in book sales, and apologised for plagiarising reporting from a BBC reporter in her book. “I’m very sorry and I have apologised,” she said. In December 2023, sales were halted on the book she co-authored with Neil Gordon entitled Behind the Doors of Justice: the Murdaugh Murders, due to revelations that Ms Hill plagiarised a portion of the book without Mr Gordon’s knowledge. Mr Gordon said he discovered she had taken passages from a draft of a BBC article. “When I confronted Becky about this, she admitted she plagiarised the passage due to deadline pressures,” he said in a statement. “As a veteran journalist myself, I cannot excuse her behavior, nor can I condone it.” Because the book was self-published in July, it was the authors’ decision to halt sales, Mr Gordon told The Independent at the time. Ms Hill has denied all of the allegations levelled against her in a September motion. In a sworn statement, the state branded the allegations as “a sweeping conspiratorial theory” and said that “not every inappropriate comment made by a member of court staff to a juror rises to the level of constitutional error”. One of the most damning accusations levelled by Murdaugh’s attorneys against her centred around the dismissal of juror number 785, just hours before jury deliberations began. According to Murdaugh’s attorneys, Ms Hill “invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty”. Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw the murder trial, removed the female juror from the panel for allegedly discussing the case with at least three other people outside of the court. The woman then prompted some light-hearted – and widely-reported – relief when she asked to pick up her “dozen eggs” from the jury room before she left. According to the motion, Ms Hill had gone to Judge Newman on 27 February – the day after Murdaugh testified – claiming that she had seen a post in the local Facebook group “Walterboro Word of Mouth” from juror 785’s former husband, Tim Stone. The post purportedly claimed that the juror was drinking with her ex-husband and, when she became drunk, she expressed her views on whether Murdaugh was innocent or guilty. A follow-up post from an account called Timothy Stone apologised for the post saying that he was driven by “Satan”. In a court filing, Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed that the Mr Stone behind the Facebook posts was actually a random Georgia man who was ranting about his wife’s aunt – and has no connection to the case. Murdaugh’s attorneys had claimed that – based on these allegations – he should be granted a new murder trial. At the retrial hearing, Judge Toal called the jurors to the stand one by one and questioned them about potential comments that may have tainted their verdict. A female juror, identified only as juror Z by Judge Toal, said that Ms Hill had told some of the jurors to “watch [Murdaugh] closely. “To me, it felt like ... she made it feel like he was already guilty,” juror Z said. Other jurors who were questioned denied hearing inappropriate remarks made by Ms Hill, or being influenced by her comments. Juror E said that he heard Ms Hill say “watch [Murdaugh’s] body language”, but claimed that this did not affect his decision. “I’m very, very reluctant to turn this hearing about juror contact into a wholesale exploration about every piece of conduct by the clerk alleged to have been improper on its own, indicative of her characteristics or personality, or anything of that nature,” Toal said at the time, and later adding, “This is not the trial of Ms. Hill.” Following his conviction, Murdaugh continues to insist that he did not murder his wife and son in 2021. While he was sentenced to life on those charges, he is also serving 27 years after admitting he stole $12m from his law firm and from clients in wrongful death and serious injury lawsuits. Murdaugh promised not to appeal that sentence as part of his plea deal. govt and politics","score":0.910574},{"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/homicide","score":0.90906},{"label":"/law govt and politics/government","score":0.665047},{"label":"/society/crime/property crime/fraud","score":0.586778},{"label":"/society/crime/sexual offense/rape","score":0.579385},{"label":"/family and parenting/children","score":0.56993},{"label":"/law Award-winning independent filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos’s first film was a powerful documentary about the profound and complicated feelings of loss caused by the deaths of American men in the Vietnam War The film aired on Independent Lens and won the 2004 Emmy for Best Documentary as well as the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Los Angeles Film Festival Tragos participated in a year-long engagement campaign reaching thousands of veterans and their families Tragos is developing both narrative and documentary films through her production company Dinky Pictures The stories that fascinate Tragos are personal and intimate that make connections that hold universal truths Tragos’s work has received support from the Sundance Institute She is a Film Independent Documentary Lab and Sundance Lab alumnae participating as both a director and a producer Tragos was one of six filmmakers invited to participate in Sundance’s Women Filmmakers Initiative recently completed post-production on his fiction narrative debut One & Two a dark fairy tale following two kids with unusual abilities Moving fluidly between directing and cinematography in early 2014 he shot Hannah Fidell’s 6 Years He was tapped as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film of 2013,” and also served as cinematographer on films such as You’re Next (directed by Adam Wingard) Dedicated in Memory of Elizabeth Ann Jewell This program was produced by Dinky Pictures which is solely responsible for its content Help bring programs like Independent Lens to your PBS station Web Design by Gravitate has released an updated independently certified resource statement for its 100%-owned Ocean Hill gas field in permit EP 495 in the onshore North Perth basin in Western Australia Perth-based resource consultant RISC Advisory has confirmed a 2C contingent resource of 300 petajoules (PJ) of gas for Cadda and Cattamarra formations at Ocean Hill field The estimate was reached after incorporating results and transferring subsurface knowledge from the successful exploration and appraisal campaign at Strike’s Walyering gas field in permit EP 447 to the south RISC increased net 1C contingent resource by more than 700% from the last report in 2013 to 185 PJ and estimates net 3C gas contingent resources totaling about 464 PJ Strike said that Ocean Hill is another example of a Catamarra and Cadda gas discovery in which the discovery well was placed at the crest of a large four-way dip closed anticline without understanding the hydrocarbon migration pathways or reservoir distribution of the play Ocean Hill-1 found a 761-m gas-charged section of Cadda and Cattamarra at 3,007-3,838 m but it had ineffective reservoir pressure that flowed a small quantity of low-impurity gas from several intervals when tested 6 months later RISC applied a reprocessed version of 2D seismic data at Ocean Hill with a more advanced structural interpretation and corresponding depth conversion It also used the results of the Walyering 3D survey and the drilling of Walyering-5 and -6 wells RISC estimates that the gas stream at Ocean Hill has an energy content of 1.2 PJ/bcf and that the low-impurity gas will require minimal processing Strike’s next move is to run a 3D survey campaign with subsequent appraisal drilling to target additional tranches of low-cost gas that can be brought to market by 2025 The field is only 6 km from a pipeline compressor station on the Dampier-Bunbury gas trunkline Attention, eBay shoppers. You can buy a bobblehead of Rich Hill, the Dodgers' Game 6 starter, for $59.99. Unfortunately, No. 44 is not in Dodger Blue because the club hasn't gotten around to imbobblizing him just yet. He is in Duck Orange, wearing the No. 32 he was given when he showed up to pitch two games for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League in August of 2015. Here's everything you need to know about Houston's win over L.A. "I had no idea he was coming," says Kevin Baez, the former Mets infielder who's been managing the Ducks for seven years. "But when I saw him pitch, I knew he wasn't going to be with us for very long." At the time, Hill was a 35-year-old left-hander with mileage and injury issues, a onetime overhand starter who had become a side-arming reliever who had become an afterthought. He had 197 games in the majors but also a 4.72 ERA, and he had just opted out of his minor league contract with the Nationals -- his eighth big-league team. But Red Sox scouts still loved his curveball. To stay in pitching shape until they could find a place for him, he signed with the Ducks. "If you're really passionate about something, if you really enjoy what you're doing, you'll play anywhere," Hill says now. "I'm not 100% sure when I'll retire... I'll probably be pitching until I'm 70, like Bill Lee." In this case, anywhere turned out to be Bethpage Ballpark on Long Island. The most distinguishing feature was the co-owner who attended every home game: Bud Harrelson, a contemporary of Lee and the shortstop for the 1969 Miracle Mets. The least distinguishing feature was the bucket in the tunnel between the locker room and the clubhouse. As Hill remembers, "You see a lemonade-filled bucket and ask, 'What's that?'" "Ohhh, please don't write about that," Baez says. (Sorry.) "It just so happens that the bathroom was upstairs in the clubhouse building, and some of the guys couldn't wait." Baez's first impression of Hill was far more auspicious. "Very classy guy, not a big league ego at all. As nice as can be ... until he took the mound. I could tell right away how competitive he was. He'd strike out his mother if he had to. And his stuff was great." After that month in Boston, Hill signed with the A's, who traded him to the Dodgers, who gave him a three-year deal and will give him the ball tonight to try to stave off the end of a season -- a season that began with the Ducks giving away a Rich Hill bobblehead on their Opening Day. Watching Game 6 from a neighbor's house in Oakdale, Long Island, will be Hill's one-time, two-game manager. "They're having a Halloween party," Baez says. "I hope I can get my kids settled down after trick-or-treating. I want to be able to tell them that the Dodger pitcher on the mound used to play for me." He can tell them one of the great stories in baseball, a fairy tale about a Duck who became a swan. After 30 years as the ‘Cheech and Chong of hip-hop’, rappers B-Real and Sen Dog talk to Kevin E G Perry about calling time on traditional record releases Some would say they’ve earned the right to be hyper-critical Blending funk and hard rock-inflected rap with incendiary lyrics about the horrors of gang violence and the benefits of marijuana the three-piece are one of the biggest hip-hop bands of all time selling more than 20 million albums since they formed in 1988 immediately established them as musicians with a message They were one of the first hip-hop groups to rap in Spanish slang celebrating their Cuban and Mexican heritage and their vocal advocacy for marijuana helped make the case for legalisation in California The rap/rock crossover that was to follow in the late Nineties can also be squarely placed at their feet you can blame Cypress Hill for Limp Bizkit B-Real – born Louis Freese – was driven by a passion to tell the truth about what it was like to come of age in Los Angeles in the late Eighties But his musical career almost didn’t happen B-Real was shot in a gang-related drive-by in south LA A hollow-point .22 caliber bullet ricocheted off a wall and punctured his lung almost as lucky to survive being taken to the now-closed Martin Luther King Jr Community Hospital known as “Killer King” after a series of stories about preventable deaths due to poor patient care With members from the rival Bloods and Crips gangs both treated there After doctors cleared the blood from his lung the bullet fragments still lodged in his body a graphic novel memoir of Cypress Hill’s early days he makes his escape from the hospital by being placed inside a body bag he tells me that part at least was poetic licence it just wasn’t in a body bag,” he says with a laugh Having celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut last year, Cypress Hill this week release their 10th album, Back In Black, a collaboration with Detroit-born rapper and producer Black Milk. There will be one more after that, a last hurrah that will see B-Real and fellow rapper Sen Dog reunite with original Cypress Hill producer DJ Muggs. The weed probably didn’t hurt. Cypress Hill have always been enthusiastic proselytisers for cannabis, and soon realised that it could help set them apart from other hip-hop acts. “We read High Times magazine,” recalls B-Real. “We weren’t like all the other Los Angeles gangsta rap groups out there. Our sensibility and the way we went about s*** was slightly different. Muggs was like: ‘We could be the Cheech and Chong of hip-hop!’ and it went from there.” {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/in_arts-entertainment/in_music/image/gallery_mpu_sb","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Cypress Hill in 2022","description":"Cypress Hill in 2022: Percussionist Eric Bobo, B-Real and Sen Dog","caption":"Cypress Hill in 2022: Percussionist Eric Bobo, B-Real and Sen Dog Cypress Hill in 2022: Percussionist Eric Bobo, B-Real and Sen Dog rappers B-Real and Sen Dog talk to Kevin E G Perry about calling time on traditional record releases now a main thoroughfare in the mid-county area post office and the Hoadly “Hellcats” baseball team The Cole family store is believed to have been located near where Samsky’s market operates now on Va The Canova area took its name from a post office established in 1890 reflects the Independent Hill community name Was Hoadly Road named for George Hoadly (1826-1902) Although we know where most of the names of early settlements and towns in Prince William came from Some communities took their name from the local post office; other post offices were named for the existing community Here’s some of what we know for sure and not for sure Independent Hill is one example where the source of the name isn’t known for sure One guess is that it got the name because folks there were independent-minded Another is the oft-told tale of a store owner named Hill who would close his store at various times and go fishing Folks would say “there goes independent Hill,” and the name stuck there never was a Hill’s Store in Independent Hill and that leads us to the origination of a name not of a settlement but of a district The Coles Store in Independent Hill (the Woodyards and the Lucks’ also had stores there) was likely located on the foundation of the building just to the left of today’s Samsky’s Market as you’re standing in front of it The Cole family was quite prominent in the Independent Hill area the general store mentioned previously and a blacksmith shop One of the members of the Cole family was on the committee that chose the names of the new districts Prince William was divided into shortly after the Civil War Unlike the other districts that were named after places like Neabsco Creek and the towns of Occoquan and Dumfries Cole suggested that a district be named after his own family The end result was the Coles Magisterial District that we have today I guess it pays to have a seat at the table Hoadly was a community extending along old Davis Ford Road (now Prince William Parkway) roughly from Greatbridge Road northwest to Bacon Race Road and extending west on Hoadly Road Hoadly is another example where there’s no known origination of the name we do have some recently unearthed information that sheds light on the situation thanks to local historian Donald Wilson and the Ruth E Lloyd Information Center at the Bull Run Regional Library Wilson’s recent research turned up someone of national celebrity who was in the news in the same time frame that the Hoadly post office was established and could be its namesake George Hoadly of Ohio was in the news because he was one of the nominees for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1884 when the naming of the Hoadly post office was under consideration The name “Normandy” was suggested on the original application but was rejected -- probably due to duplication elsewhere Davis because it wasn’t duplicated anywhere else and Davis may have also looked on George Hoadly’s politics with favor so it would be no surprise if politics entered into this decision The Hoadly Post Office name was preceded briefly in the 1850s by the “Maple Valley Post Office” in the same area The name almost changed again in 1900 when postmaster Dennis Delaney asked for the Hoadly post office to be moved a half mile west on the same road and to be renamed “Delaney Post Office.” That proposal was rejected and Hoadly remained the post office’s name Although Hoadly contained only 30 inhabitants the post office district served 300 to 500 people the Hoadly post office was discontinued when the last postmaster The name Agnewville in the current Lake Ridge area along Minnieville Road  is another mystery Local folks wanted the post office to be named Lynn after a local family Agnewville was also known as Chinntown; whose name we know comes from the Chinn family But the Agnewville name doesn’t seem to be related to anything or anyone in the area there aren’t even any tall tales about the name If any readers out there have any information on Agnewville please let me know so we can solve this mystery The Woodbridge name originally came from an elegant 600-foot-long truss bridge over the Occoquan River near where the current U.S who owned the Occoquan Plantation that he renamed Woodbridge Plantation after the bridge The Woodbridge community and post office also took their names from the bridge The bridge washed away in a storm about 11 years after it was built and today Woodbridge extends from the Potomac River as far west as Hoadly Road in mid-county The Canova Post Office was named in 1890 by the first and only postmaster from the post office’s list of names that were easily spelled 234 (now Canova Drive) about 1.5 miles north of Hoadly Road but the community name remained due to the efforts of later storeowner James Russell Jr. who put the name on his storefront and persuaded the highway department to erect a “Canova” sign Whether the post office created the community served as a gathering place and hub of activity for a community Some of the names are all that’s left of the community that existed but finding out what we can about who and what preceded us makes us richer as a county Martin Jeter is a resident of the mid-county area who has lived in Prince William since 1983. He is the president of the Mid County Civic Association (midcopw.net) and can be reached at sanmar02@aol.com “Crossroads and Corners,” by Eugene Scheel was one sources he used for this article Starbucks is reportedly closing down its “independent” Capitol Hill coffee shop the coffee shop’s customers have been informed that it will close at the end of April after a decade in business It’s unclear if it will be converted into a regular Starbucks or whether the coffee giant will depart the space altogether; Capitol Hill suggests that the latter might be more likely due to a possible ten-year lease on the location Starbucks confirmed to Eater that Roy Street will close April 28 with employees being offered the chance to transfer to Starbucks locations in Seattle As part of Starbucks standard course of business we continually evaluate our business to ensure a healthy store portfolio we’ve made the difficult decision to close the store on Roy Street the gimmicks were more subtle: for example a lavender cream cortado instead of a unicorn frappuccino) and the company never tried to deny that it was behind this and other locations it hid in plain sight and asks the company to keep the “community hub” open It currently has a grand total of 39 signatures SMYRNA — The Stewarts Creek High zone will add 1,500 homes off Almaville and Independent Hill roads within 15 years the Smyrna Town Council decided Tuesday night "I have full faith and confidence in this project," Councilman Tim Morrell said prior to the unanimous vote to approve rezoning for the 689.5-acre Lyndwood subdivision that will be built about three miles southwest from the existing Smyrna boundary at Morton Lane near the Stewarts Creek High with around 2,000 students The Stewarts Creek campus also includes a middle school and elementary school that were each built to serve around 1,000 children The Town Council during a public hearing prior to the vote listened to three neighbors in the Stonewood subdivision speak in support of the Drapac Group's subdivision Rutherford County Commissioner Joe Gourley A Morton Lane resident who represents the area in question Department of Agriculture reports on soils to learn that 74 percent of the rezoned land has no access to ground water "Nothing will seep through it," Gourley said that says there is going to have to be a lot of blasting." Gourley also said he's worried about a pipeline being exposed to blasting authorized by the developers "One of my concerns is the suitability of the property," Gourley said They are going to have to blast a lot of rock away and they are going to have to haul a lot of dirt in to make use of that property." Morrell countered that the subdivision will be a quality development with walking trails underground utilities and other plans that far "outweigh what Commissioner Gourley" mentioned The neighbors from Stonewood who spoke said they were pleased with how the developers and the town worked with the neighbors in crafting the plans "I think it worked out to our favor," neighbor Mark Sanders said "The whole process has been great," fellow neighbor Bobby Smith added win situation," neighbor Shawn McClung said The development plan has conditions to protect the neighbors: no street connections to Stonewood or Woodcliff drives; a 50-foot-wide no-disturb buffer of trees and vegetation around the approved subdivision; underground utilities; and proposed road improvements such as turn lanes off Almaville and Independent Hill roads based on a traffic study said Smyrna Planning Director Kevin Rigsby adding that traffic signals may also be added once enough houses are built About 300 of the homes would be attached housing such as townhouses or zero lot-line residences and the other 1,200 would be single-family homes Smyrna Vice Mayor Marc Adkins noted that it will take 18 months to two years for the developers to get started and then take "12 to 15 years" to complete The town is pursuing orderly development within Smyrna's urban growth boundary in following the state's annexation law at the request of the property owners "We are kind of working with what we were dealt," Adkins said Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed said she sees the subdivision as being a positive thing in the Almaville community she noted how the subdivision will be near where commercial development is expected on Almaville Road Earlier today Pastor Dave Bruskas of Mars Hill Church announced that the Mars Hill Church organization will be disbanding with hopes of establishing 13 locally managed Bruskas said that the existing Mars Hill Church organization will be “dissolved” along with the church’s business affairs They hope to be finished with the dismantling by January 1st of 2015 “Following much prayer and lengthy discussion with Mars Hill’s leadership the board of Mars Hill has concluded that rather than remaining a centralized multi-site church with video-led teaching distributed to multiple locations the best future for each of our existing local churches is for them to become autonomous self-governed entities,” said Bruskas have already begun work on establishing many of the details to enact this plan.” Bruskas reported that “(a)ll central staff will be compensated for their work and then released from their employment.” If funds remain after squaring up the organization’s business affairs assets will be gifted as “seed money” to the newly established independent churches and the future viability of each of these new local churches rest solely on all of us continuing to be faithful in supporting Jesus’ mission through our attendance and continued giving.” Bruskas advised the current congregation members that though the churches are acting independently they are still on the same mission: “Mars Hill is a people on a mission with Jesus and that singular focus continues as these newly independent churches are launched They were also advised to “(g)ive generously as your gifts in November and December of this year will make a critically important difference in our desire for 13 churches being healthy and sustainable from launch-day and thereafter.” Pastor Scott Harris is the current Lead Pastor at the Ballard location As to whether he will be assuming the lead for an independent church has not been announced and I'm not sure if he has yet,” said Justin Dean will depend on the new church pastors and that each church will no longer use the Mars Hill name “We are determining our leadership team going forward and I will be part of it," wrote Harris to the Ballard News-Tribune As to the ownership status of the Ballard location it was already in transition before today’s announcement On October 20, the BNT reported that Mars Hill Church property was put on the real estate market (www.tinyurl.com/omssznb). The Ballard location is located at Northwest Leary Way and 15th Avenue Northwest. Mars Hill purchased the building back in 2003 for $4.8 million. They listed the 39,000 square foot facility for $8 million according to Colliers International, a real estate brokerage. In the announcement about the property sale, Harris told the Ballard congregation that the church would not be closing. “I want to assure you that Mars Hill Ballard will continue to have church in this building, whether we sell it or not. This is our home, and we have no intentions on going anywhere. …If we were planning on closing Ballard or moving, we would tell you, and I assure you that is not the case,” wrote Harris on the Mars Hill website. © 2022 Robinson Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. SMYRNA — Smyrna eventually could spend about $5.2 million on start-up police and firefighting services to protect a proposal for 1,500 homes off Almaville Road, an official reported Thursday. The Smyrna Town Council will consider approving the rezoning request after a public hearing during a meeting scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Feb. 9 at Town Hall, 315 S. Lowry St. The Drapac Group seeks rezoning of 689.5 acres for the proposed Lyndwood subdivision at Almaville and Independent Hill roads, about three miles southwest of the existing town boundary at Morton Lane and about 1.5 miles from state Route 840, Planning Director Kevin Rigsby said. Smyrna Vice Mayor Marc Adkins and Councilman Tim Morrell both said the large subdivision will take a long time to complete in a fast-growing town that reached a U.S. Census estimated population of 45,274 in 2014. "That will take 12 to 15 years," said Adkins, who is a real estate professional. To provide public-safety services for the proposed subdivision, the town would spend an estimated $3 million on a building to serve as both a fire station and police substation, said Rigsby, the town's planning director. The town would also spend $1 million on the needed equipment that would be based at the building, he said. The firefighters and police officers would serve the broader area of the town there and not just the subdivision, Rigsby added. The town's first-year start-up costs to add five police officers when counting pay, benefits and equipment would be $453,000, Rigsby said. The start-up costs for the added firefighters would be $792,000. Town Manager Harry Gill Jr. said he hopes the developers will be willing to donate land for the building for the firefighters and police. To help pay for the added services, the town would be able to collect impact fees of $1.17 million for roads and $341,000 for public safety for the development, Rigsby said. Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed noted that the proposed subdivision is near where commercial development should be occurring around state Route 840's exit to Almaville Road, which is part of state Route 102. The proposed subdivision is also about a mile from the Almaville community on the west side of Rutherford County. Prior to the issue coming to the Town Council, the Smyrna Planning Commission in a 6-1 vote recommended the rezoning and annexation with only Chairman Ed Davenport opposing, Rigsby said. The council during a recent meeting also voted in favor of the proposed rezoning for the subdivision in the first of two-required readings for approval. If approved after the second reading Feb. 9, the rezoning would be official 30 days later, Rigsby said. The mayor also said that she appreciates how the developers held a meeting with neighbors to work "together on issues." The Planning Commission recommendation includes conditions that requires underground utilities, no street connections to Stonewood or Woodcliff drives, and a 50-foot-wide no-disturb buffer of trees and vegetation around much of the subdivision, Rigsby aded. The recommendation also calls for the developer to complete proposed road improvements such as turn lanes off Almaville and Independent Hill roads based on a traffic study, said Rigsby, adding that traffic signals may also be added once enough houses are built. About 300 of the homes would be attached housing, such as townhouses or zero lot-line residences, and the other 1,200 would be single-family homes, Rigsby said. Scott Broden at 615-278-5158. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden. The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the rezoning and annexation request for 1,500 homes on Almaville and Independent Hill roads during a meeting scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Feb. 9 at Town Hall, 315 S. Lowry St. Exclusive: Man describes beatings and forced sedation at Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit we had our heads rammed into doors…I was one of the lucky ones because I wasn’t raped Alan* was 11 years old when he was taken into Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit in St Albans – a place where he was meant to be cared for alongside other vulnerable children running away from the children’s homes and care centres social services shifted him between Hill End was supposed to treat teenagers with psychiatric illnesses but by the time Alan arrived it had become what he called a “dumping ground” for children for whom the NHS and local authorities had run out of other ideas “Nobody had anything diagnosed by any doctor as psychiatric problems,” he told The Independent “It was the last option for us – we were all children The fate of those children is now the subject of a police investigation spanning almost 30 years from 1969 to when the Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit closed in 1995 Detectives are appealing for former patients to come forward as they probe allegations of sexual and physical abuse Alan says his own horrific experience is just one of “thousands” of similar accounts from survivors who have found each other online and had some of their cases taken on by a high-profile legal firm He was at Hill End for six weeks but the ordeal has stayed with him for life “It’s one of those things you try to put at the back of your mind but it’s something I’ve thought about every day since,” said Alan The abuse started on his first night at the hospital after he tried to hug his mother goodbye as she left “The next thing I remember was being dragged by three men into what looked like a police cell…and I was then having a needle shoved inside me to be put to sleep,” he said The problem was the things they’d sedate you for - if you were talking to another one of the children and a member of staff couldn’t quite hear what you said that was enough for them to be ‘concerned’ enough that you’d need sedating.” Alan said attempts to talk about the abuse with other children was met with “serious consequences” and that staff brutally enforced strict rules about what could be discussed arguing that patients could be distressed or planning an escape whose account has been mirrored by dozens of other survivors held in Hill End at different times said young patients deemed to be misbehaving were locked in the “cell” ordered to drink a liquid sedative and then forcibly injected if they refused He said he saw one child appear to go into cardiac arrest on the hospital floor after being given too much of medication to sedate him “They got his heart restarted and just dumped him back into bed,” Alan said “There was probably never any record whatsoever.” As well as the sedation and physical abuse that accompanied it survivors have reported being raped and sexually abused by hospital staff – frequently while being sedated or during strip searches Alan said they would take place two or three times a day with boys and girls being left completely naked sometimes on the pretence of checking for items they could harm themselves with “I was one of the lucky ones because I wasn’t actually raped but I know of other people who say they were while they had been sedated,” he added The treatment the hospital supposedly provided appears to have been ineffective at best Alan was told his behaviour would be assessed but never underwent any tests or saw a result “It was like a religious cult,” he recalled “All day long you’d all sit in a big waiting area with music playing at the background and then get called to meetings five or six times a day where you’d have to sit in circles and meditate and has found from subsequent records checks that serious concerns were raised by a senior social services worker that he was not admitted under the “correct procedures” But he never heard from social services on Hill End again The medication he was given does not appear on any records given to GPs and police have told Alan and other victims the hospital’s own documents were destroyed in an arson attack at an undisclosed off-site facility Hertfordshire Constabulary have now set up a dedicated investigation to probe the claims but Alan says he first reported his abuse two years ago and that officers had the chance to stop the horrors underway at Hill End decades before he made a break for freedom when staff made a door unlocked after attempting to sedate him “It used to take 45 minutes to fall asleep so I managed to get out door and climbed out a window - I knew I needed to get away.” Alan said Staff called police but found the boy in nearby woods before officers arrived locked in the cell and I remember hearing the police outside the door and I remember hearing the policeman say to the staff ‘can you unlock the door And the staff said ‘no we we’re not allowed to unlock the door he’s very violent and you could be injured’ “I told them that if their officers had been more forceful we could have had this out there a long time ago.” Alan came across an online blog where other Hill End survivors have shared their experiences and collaborated to take their case to a legal firm solicitors representing 14 claimants held at the unit in the 70s 80s and 90s had a meeting with police and Operation Meadow was launched on 9 November a Leigh Day partner representing the former Hill End residents said the allegations received were “truly shocking” “Those that have approached us are desperate to get some form of justice for the abuse they feel they suffered as children,” she added “We hope that the launch of this police investigation will result in former residents finally getting the justice they deserve and will hold to account anyone found to have abused residents.” Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) said Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit was run by a “legacy organisation” “The unit is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by Hertfordshire Police who we are working closely with,” said Dr Jane Padmore the trust’s executive director of quality and safety it would not be appropriate for HPFT to comment at this time.” Hertfordshire Constabulary said it was investigating an undisclosed number of reports of physical and sexual assaults at Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit “All these reports will be investigated fully and we would encourage anyone to report to Herts police now if they have not done so recently,” a spokesperson said We have specialist officers who are trained in dealing with these offences “This is a complex and on-going investigation and it would be inappropriate to go into details about specific details of incidents and the nature of the reports.” It comes after sexual abuse was uncovered at several hospitals and local authority care units Current and former cases are being investigated by the ongoing Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse It is taking evidence on “the extent to which institutions have failed to protect children from sexual abuse” in councils religious groups and other public services If you would like to share your experience in confidence, please contact lizzie.dearden@independent.co.uk