Some Virginia Run residents had a really baaaaaad night Friday. At least four sheep, maybe more, somehow got loose in the neighborhood, several Centreville Patch Facebook friends say. [Insert your own corny sheep joke here] The sheep first made their appearance in the neighborhood around 6 or 7 p.m. Friday night. Fairfax County animal control finally rounded them up sometime around 10 a.m. Saturday. The sheep don't belong to Cox Farms—but farmer Lucas Cox did go out to help animal control round them up, according to Aaron Cox. I'm not sure yet where they came from, but will update when I …
Have you ever wished your sports team would get more publicity? Ever wanted to share the good news about what your church, PTA, homeowners' association, school or nonprofit organization is doing? Or maybe you have a better idea on how government should work. If so, keep reading. Sign up to blog on Centreville Patch. Share your expertise and knowledge with the rest of your neighbors. Share sports scores, events hosted by your business or nonprofit, maybe even your take on what's in the news lately. See some of the things your neighbors are posting on Centreville Patch: Janet Greentree …
Check out some of the latest blogs on Centreville Patch and Chantilly Patch. Here's excerpts from a few. Time to think outside the box. Jean Janssen, of the Centreville Smart Markets farmer's market, writes about a new study published in Harvard Women's Health Watch, that shows consumption of red meat leads to earlier death rates. She writes: "What they do know is that red meat is high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and a form of iron that is not good for us. The story then suggests substituting chicken, nuts, and fish. Nowhere in the story is there any mention of grass-fed beef, which is …
Have you ever wished your sports team would get more publicity? Ever wanted to share the good news about what your PTA, homeowners' association or Or perhaps thought, "More people should know about the awesome work that nonprofit is doing"? If so, keep reading. Sign up to blog on Centreville Patch. Share your expertise and knowledge with the rest of your neighbors. Share sports scores, events hosted by your business or nonprofit, maybe even your take on what's in the news lately (Yes, you should post under your real name. If you own a business or run a nonprofit, it's ok to post under that…
Miss a story on Centreville Patch in July? Take a look at what our readers were talking about over the last month. July's most popular stories: 1. Obama to Speak at Centreville High School Saturday Without a doubt, the president's visit to CVHS in mid-July dominated the community discussion and news coverage this month. A number of the most popular articles posted on Patch in July were related to his visit. 2. Photos and Videos: President Obama Visits Northern Virginia 3. President Obama Campaigns at Centreville High 4. Dominion: Power Outages May Last All Week The dericho that swept …
Congratulations to the class of 2012! Over the past week, thousands of local young men and women have graduated from high school. Patch was present as Centreville, Mountain View Alternative and Westfield high schools celebrated. Here is a roundup of the full 2012 graduation coverage. Anyone who wishes to post a free announcement honoring their graduate may do so on Patch. Or, upload your photos or videos to the article directly. Just click the "upload photos and videos" button. Centreville High School: Photos: 2012 Commencement Ceremony 'Today Decides Tomorrow': Class of 2012 Celebrates …
Patch reader Tom Stovall took this video of a young Great Horned Owl near its nest outside Cub Run RECenter and shared it on Patch. The video clearly shows the young owl, which has grown tremendously over the past few weeks (the squeamish should be forewarned: he is eating something). Several weeks ago, Robert Baxter, a local bird watcher, sent in photos of the mother Great Horned Owl and her two babies near Cub Run. It appears that the second one has disappeared, while the first owl, shown here, continues to grow. The mother has left the nest and is occasionally spotted in the area. Many …
I recently started using Instagram, an app for my iPhone. For those unfamiliar with Instagram, it allows people to add effects to their pictures that essentially change an average or mediocre picture into something beautiful. While most pictures certainly couldn't be classified as great art, they are always more interesting than when I started out! I know that there have to be other people in Centreville who use Instagram; so I thought I'd start a gallery with a few of my own photos and see if anyone else has some they'd like to share. All Instagram photos should save automatically to the …
All business pages on Facebook are converting to the new Timeline at the end of the month, and Centreville Patch is no exception. The new Timeline cover photo is enormous, so we're looking for a photo that really captures Centreville. Please tell us which photo you like best—or upload your own to this gallery. We'll pick a photo based on what people have to say in the comments section. Note: we can't set a cover photo that has a logo on it. However, we will credit you for the picture and provide a link to your Facebook page, if you have one. If anyone is not familiar with Timeline, you can …
Want to declare your love to the whole world? Here's how: 1) Go to centreville.patch.com/search/announcements. Click "add an announcement." 2) Fill out all the relevant fields. Let everyone know how much you care about your Valentine, and why. 3) Add a picture of the two of you and press "post my announcement." That's it! Centreville Patch will feature your stories at the top of our home page throughout St. Valentine's Day. So visit www.centreville.patch.com on Feb. 14th to see if your Valentine's Day message is our top story!
These were the most-read stories on Centreville Patch during 2011: 1. Wolfe Appeal Granted, Conviction Vacated Ten years after the murder of Centreville's Daniel Robert Petrole Jr., the man convicted of ordering Petrole killed was released from death row. U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson vacated all of Wolfe's convictions, saying that the 2001 trial was filled with "hearsay and speculation." Jackson's decision followed the 2010 testimony of triggerman Owen Merton Barber IV, who said that Wolfe had nothing to do with the murder. Wolfe's journey isn't over yet; in December, he moved back to…
Centreville probably isn't the first place most people think of when it comes to holiday shopping. Fair Lakes, the Chantilly Target and both of the Walmarts in Fairfax will draw thousands from our area over the next few weeks. Still, there are a number of small businesses in our area that provide great services for our community. Centreville Patch would like to hear from you: which are your favorite? Are there any hidden gems that would make a great place to buy a Christmas gift? Post a comment below to tell your neighbors about your favorite local small business (and yes, owners are welcome…
While most of the feedback I receive is very positive, readers do sometimes have concerns about our coverage: mainly, when it comes to sports. Here's a few questions some people have asked this season. Ok, this may seem petty, but I have been asking myself why is it that Westfield High School always has the feature story about the football games, when they are not even located in Centreville? They are actually located at Chantilly! Even though the Wildcats don't need the publicity to be awesome, the Bulldogs should NOT be taking Centreville High School's rightful spot at the CENTREVILLE …
Happy birthday, Centreville Patch! One year ago today, our website launched with little fanfare. Since that time, we've grown and changed tremendously, and I can't help but want to acknowledge the occasion. Most of all, I want to say a word of thanks to the community. Our readers are what make this website great. You add events, you post announcements, you send in story tips and you move the discussion about current events. When I moved to Centreville last year from Fairfax, I didn't know the community that well, in all honesty. I had spent time in Centreville because my (now) fiance lived …
It's no secret that over the last few weeks, Centreville has seen a lot of clouds and rain. In fact, as of Sept. 21st, there were only four sunny days in the entire month, the Capital Weather Gang reported. Clouds might be overshadowing our area right now, but there's plenty of hidden beauty to enjoy. When I strolled through a local park recently, I took these photos. I hope you enjoy them and if you have any photos of your own that you'd like to share, I'd love to see them. Just click "add photos and videos" below the pictures.
Never forget. Today America remembers those who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Several of those who were killed were from Centreville and Clifton. For those who will never have the opportunity to meet them, we invite you to click on their biography and learn more. Pentagon: Col. Canfield Boone, USA, Clifton Capt. Jack D. Punches (retired U.S. Navy), Clifton Ltc. Karl W. Teepe (retired U.S. Army), Centreville American Airlines Flight 77: Stanley R. Hall, Centreville Information and photos provided by the Pentagon Memorial Fund. A full listing of Fairfax County residents is …
We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors …
When a sudden storm pounded Northern Virginia this afternoon, I was among many people caught in it while on the road. As I drove along Lawyers Road in Oakton, not far from the intersection of Hunter Mill Road, it quickly became apparent that I needed to get to higher ground. The road was flooding fast with huge puddles of water and a couple of times an enormous amount of water splashed onto the windshield. My small, aging car was just not going to be able to hold up. All of a sudden, I arrived at a section of the road that was completely covered in water. It looked about a foot deep, …
Over the course of the school year, Centreville Patch photographers have snapped literally thousands of photos from Centreville and Westfield High School games. As the school year comes to a close, now seems like a great time to highlight some of their best work. I chose these photos primarily based on aesthetic appeal, composition, difficulty of the shot and in some cases, the emotion conveyed. I also wanted to include photos from a range of sports and crucial season games. Some of the photos above include captions with my thoughts about the picture; others simply describe what was …
On June 6th, 1944, Allied troops stormed Normandy Beach and won a crucial victory for the United States. There is no need for us to recap the day's events, the significance of which have been passed down over generations. But on this 67th anniversary, a prayer seems like a fitting way to remember those lost on D-Day, and the thousands of veterans have since died, including many from Centreville. Below are excerpts from the prayer President Franklin Roosevelt read over the radio as he informed Americans of the day's events. For those who lived through that period in time, the excerpts posted …
