Virginia
Northern Virginia Housing Expo In Manassas Offers Resources For Homebuyers, Renters
MANASSAS, VA — With affordable housing being a regional concern in Northern Virginia, the localities will team up to offer resources at an expo in Manassas.
The 14th annual Northern Virginia Housing Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at Charles Colgan High School, 13833 Dumfries Road in Manassas. The free expo is geared toward renters and homebuyers looking for an affordable home in Northern Virginia.
“This type of event brings together many housing industry experts in one location to provide and answer questions citizens may have about housing,” said Joan Duckett, Prince William County’s director of housing and community development. “This event is held on a Saturday to allow people the opportunity to attend individual workshops based on many housing topics, all of which are important.”
The event will draw participation from Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties; cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Manassas Park; Virginia Housing; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s District of Columbia/National Capital Area Office; Northern Virginia Association of Realtors; and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Attendees will be able to participate in workshops, an exhibit hall and one-on-one financial coaching sessions. Workshops include The ABCs of Credit Scores, Household Budgeting in Expensive Times, Getting Ready to Rent or Buy, First-Time Buyer and Rental Assistance Programs, Housing Discrimination – Understanding Fair Housing Laws, Senior Housing Topics, Neighborhood Housing Rehabilitation Program and Reverse Mortgages.
There will also be exhibitors for apartment rentals, government assistance programs, mortgage information and assistance, home-buying opportunities, and lenders. Lenders will have information on loan programs and how to qualify.
The one-on-one coaching sessions will help attendees find which housing choices are the best fit. Attendees may schedule the sessions ahead of time, and Spanish-speaking counselors can be requested.
Virginia
Record blue catfish caught on Ohio River in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W. Va. (KDKA) — A woman caught a blue catfish that was more than 4 feet long and weighed over 64 pounds, breaking West Virginia’s state length record.
Kimberly Feltner of Madison, Indiana, reeled in the massive catch on the Ohio River last month, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said. She caught it at the R.C. Byrd Pool using cut mooneye bait.
Coming in at 50.82, the catch surpassed the previous record length of 50.7 inches, set in 2022. It didn’t beat the weight record though. Feltner’s blue catfish weighed 64.15 pounds, falling short of the 69.45 pound record.
“With record-breaking catch after record-breaking catch, it’s no surprise that West Virginia’s world-class fishing continues to attract anglers from all over,” Gov. Jim Justice said in a news release. “I want to congratulate Kimberly Feltner on this amazing catch. It’s yet another example of why folks love coming to West Virginia to fish.”
West Virginia has reported nine record-breaking catches so far this year. In one case, an angler broke the black crappie length record but it was short-lived because his fishing buddy quickly caught an even bigger one the same day.
“Anglers have broken West Virginia’s blue catfish record multiple times over the last few years, which is a testament to the successful management efforts we’ve implemented,” WVDNR director Brett McMillion said in a press release. “We’re excited to see what other records might be broken as resident and non-resident anglers continue to hear about our waters consistently producing trophy fish.”
Virginia
Animals rescued from Helene come to Virginia – The River 95.3
While first responders are working to save lives in the recovery from Helene additional teams are working to rescue animals from the Carolinas.
Nearly 100 animals were delivered to Homeward Trails in Delaplaine and Fairfax station October 1 according to Northern Virginia Magazine.
The coordinated rescue effort involves teams in the Carolinas preparing the pets for transport to Richmond and volunteer drivers ready to take them to Northern Virginia.
The challenge lies in logistics in an area with no cell service or internet with flooded roads and the needs of local shelters according to WTOP.
Shelters were already taxed to the limit that coupled with a natural disaster creates and even harder problem.
Volunteers and more importantly foster homes are needed to help with these animals along with supplies.
If you can help at all contact Homeward Trails to support them in anyway you can.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Virginia
Northern Virginia's most dangerous streets revealed: new study
ARLINGTON, Va. – A new report is highlighting some of Northern Virginia’s most dangerous streets in an effort to raise awareness about traffic safety for both pedestrians and drivers.
One of the streets identified in the report is Wilson Blvd, where pedestrians often face “close calls.” Earlier in the day, residents of other areas listed in the survey shared their thoughts on the situation.
“I play chicken here,” said Parker Canada, who lives in Ballston. “You have to lean out and walk to make sure no car is coming.”
Another Arlington resident added, “I’m kind of looking at the driver, trying to make eye contact to make sure they see me.”
Pedestrians in the Virginia Square neighborhood also expressed concerns, saying they use extra caution when crossing the street. North Quincy Street was identified as one of Arlington’s most dangerous areas for “near misses” involving pedestrians, according to a survey by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets.
“We’re trying to capture real-time information about where danger still exists,” said Mike Doyle, founder of Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets. “We take this information to the transportation and street design people, the police, and use it in our advocacy with politicians.”
The survey collected data from Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax between January 2023 and June 2024. It found that the top three locations for near-miss crashes involving speeding or failure to yield were Beulah Street in Fairfax, Wilson Blvd in Arlington, and Mt. Vernon in Alexandria.
Other areas like Columbia Pike and Duke Street didn’t make the list due to challenges in getting underserved communities to participate in the survey, which Doyle says is crucial for preventing crashes. He pointed out that Richmond Hwy South is a known “crash zone.”
Last week, FOX 5 covered a fatal hit-and-run on Richmond Highway near Woodlawn Trail, which left one man dead. While local transportation departments are working to improve traffic safety by reducing speed limits, Doyle emphasized that a community-wide effort is needed.
“Slow it down, be a little courteous, and we can save lives,” Doyle said.
Canada agreed, urging drivers to be more attentive. “Stay off the phone, look out for pedestrians, especially at night,” he said.
Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets divided the summary report into three regions:
Check out the Near Miss and Dangerous Locations Dashboard here.
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