The Blue Ridge Leader

12/23/2025

Four occupants displaced after electrical fire in Sterling https://blueridgeleader.com/four-occupants-displaced-after-electrical-fire-in-sterling A house fire in the 500 block of N. Fillmore Avenue on Sunday evening, Dec. 21, left four occupants displaced and resulted in damages estimated at $270,336. The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire was accidental, due to an electrical event within a first-floor bedroom’s outlets.

12/23/2025

Middleburg to host 15 th Annual Winter Weekend Sale https://blueridgeleader.com/middleburg-to-host-15-th-annual-winter-weekend-sale The Town of Middleburg will host its 15 th Annual Winter Weekend Sale from Friday, Feb. 13 through Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, inviting residents and visitors to enjoy seasonal shopping, dining, and the charm of the historic village. The four-day event highlights Middleburg’s locally owned shops and restaurants, many of which will offer special promotions throughout the weekend. Visitors can browse for gifts, update their winter wardrobes, or discover unique items while supporting small businesses that are central to the town’s character.

12/23/2025

Tuscarora Mill Restaurant turns 40 https://blueridgeleader.com/tuscarora-mill-restaurant-turns-40 On a crisp December day in 1985, Kevin Malone opened the doors of Tuscarora Mill Restaurant in a restored nineteenth century grain mill along the banks of Catoctin Creek in Leesburg. It was Dec. 22, just days before Christmas, and the air carried the quiet anticipation of a town preparing to gather. That morning marked more than the opening of a restaurant.

12/23/2025

Remembering Donna Truslow Rogers https://blueridgeleader.com/remembering-donna-truslow-rogers Donna Truslow Rogers, 85, died on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at Hillbrook Farm in Hamilton, Virginia, following a stroke. Donna was born in Charleston, West Virginia, graduated from the Blue Ridge School, became a psychiatric nurse after graduating from the Washington Hospital Center and worked at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.

12/21/2025

Kaine & Banks introduce bill to eliminate tax on student loans https://blueridgeleader.com/kaine-banks-introduce-bill-to-eliminate-tax-on-student-loans On Dec. 17, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (D-VA) and U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Student Loan Tax Elimination Act, legislation to remove “origination fees” for federal student loans.

“Student loan debt is holding Virginia families and the overall economy back,” said Kaine. “It should be easier, not harder, for American students to afford to go to college if that is the right path for them.

12/21/2025

LCSO and Santa visits Inova pediatric patients https://blueridgeleader.com/lcso-and-santa-visits-inova-pediatric-patients The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office continued a cherished holiday tradition Wednesday, Dec. 17, es**rting Santa and Mrs. Claus to Inova Loudoun Hospital to spread cheer among pediatric patients. Shortly after 11:15 a.m., Santa arrived with a police es**rt, bringing smiles to hospital staff, families, and children as the festive procession made its way to the hospital entrance.

12/21/2025

County opens youth & parents survey to help young people thrive https://blueridgeleader.com/county-opens-youth-parents-survey-to-help-young-people-thrive The Loudoun County Advisory Commission on Youth has opened the annual Survey of Youth and Parents to gather information that will help county leaders make informed decisions about programs and services designed to support young people in our community. The survey is intended for middle-and high-school-aged students and their parents or guardians. It takes approximately ten minutes to complete and includes questions across four topic areas:

- Activities and interests

- Drug and alcohol use

- Mental health and stress management

- Online access and activity

All responses are anonymous.

12/16/2025

County ordinances amended related to tax requirements and exemptions https://blueridgeleader.com/county-ordinances-amended-related-to-tax-requirements-and-exemptions The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently approved several amendments to the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County regarding certain tax requirements and exemptions related to the transient occupancy tax, surviving spouses of armed forces members killed in the line of duty and
solar equipment. During the Board’s Dec. 10, public hearing, the Board approved the following two items:

Amending Chapter 878 – Transient Occupancy Tax

The Board amended Chapter 878 – Transient Occupancy Tax to exempt business owners who offer overnight stays only through online platforms from filing with the county monthly if they file an annual affidavit by Jan. 20 with the Commissioner of the Revenue. A change in state law by the General Assembly in 2025 permits this change.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently approved several amendments to the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County regarding certain tax requirements and exemptions related to the transient occupancy tax, surviving spouses of armed forces members killed in the line of duty andsolar equipment.

12/16/2025

The Battle of Purcellville https://blueridgeleader.com/the-battle-of-purcellville By Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett

After a two decade career in national security positions with the Secret Service, the CIA, and the Department of Defense, holding an active TS//SCI security clearance throughout, followed by a second career as a small town cop with the Purcellville Police Department—graduating first in class from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy in December 2022, receiving the Sheriff’s Meritorious Action Award in 2023, and being named Officer of the Year in 2024—I appreciate this opportunity to explain, after so much negative publicity, why I, after winning election to the Purcellville Town Council, was framed with eight sustained administrative charges, Brady listed, fired, indicted, and now decertified. Did I wake up one morning, take a crazy pill and suddenly decide to betray my own core values and lifetime of public service, or could it be that I am the victim of a weaponized police department working in conjunction with corrupt prosecutors, coordinating closely with opposition Town Council members, to violate my civil rights under color of law in retaliation for my political votes? I firmly assert the latter, which is why I initiated a meeting with the FBI and why I am urging the Department of Justice to initiate a civil rights investigation into the Purcellville Police Department and the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

12/12/2025

First Lady and Santa arrive by Osprey to celebrate Toys for Tots tradition https://blueridgeleader.com/first-lady-and-santa-arrive-by-osprey-to-celebrate-toys-for-tots-tradition By Valerie Cury

“This Christmas season, you, your friends, and your families should wish for the ultimate gift—love. After all, love travels further than Santa’s sleigh and America’s Ospreys,” said First Lady Melania Trump during a holiday visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico. Mrs.

12/12/2025

Subramanyam hosts dialogue on data centers and power lines https://blueridgeleader.com/subramanyam-hosts-dialogue-on-data-centers-and-power-lines By Valerie Cury

U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) hosted the first in a series of District Dialogues on Thursday, Dec. 4, addressing data centers, power infrastructure, and increasing utility costs in Northern Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. The event, held at Stone Hill Middle School in Ashburn, allowed residents to share their perspectives directly with the Congressman, local officials, and fellow community members.

“We all are responsible for figuring out how to solve some of the problems we’re facing,” Subramanyam said, opening the discussion.

12/09/2025

VSP investigating fatal crash on Greenway https://blueridgeleader.com/vsp-investigating-fatal-crash-on-greenway Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal single vehicle crash that occurred this evening, (Dec. 8, at approximately 4:47 p.m. on Rt. 267—Dulles Greenway near Exit 6 in Loudoun County.

A vehicle was heading eastbound on Rt. 267 when it lost control, went off of the right side of the Greenway, and rolled over multiple times. The driver, James E. Beach, 29, of Manassas, Va., was ejected and died at the scene.