Hypermilers have hit the streets of Northern Virginia...

And as Jessica Forres reports... these fuel concious motorists are
testing how far they can go on a single tank of gas.



Tom Rolewicz... driving a Fusion Hybrid... turns onto the George
Washington Parkway and switches off the air conditioning. It's a
technique motorists can use to save fuel.

IN TRAFFIC IT CAN KNOCK YOUR FUEL ECONOMY DOWN BY TWENTY, TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.

Rolewicz works for Ford Motor Company. He's one of six eco-drivers
taking part in the Ford Fusion Hybrid 1-thousand Mile Challenge. Jay
Ward is a spokesperson for the company. He says they chose Washington
for the weather, terrain...and politics.

WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW.
CLEARLY PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY HERE IS THAT WE'RE DOING OUR
BIT AND WE'RE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO BRIGN EXCITING NEW CARS TO
THE MARKET.

The challenge, Ward says, will end when the car runs out of gas.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

National and local education leaders toured a local high school to show support for school modernization provisions in the economic stimulus package.

Jessica Forres reports....



Students…inside a classroom…are complaining to the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, about the poor conditions at Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School.

NAT:] IT'S 96 DEGREES IN THIS ROOM ALL DAY

Temperatures in the classroom are their biggest complaint. Paul Stetkluh is a sophomore. He says his teachers often switch rooms...

WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY HARD ON US BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUR TEACHERS ALL THE TIME OR GET TO THEM AT LUNCH WHEN WE NEED TO.

Inside the school's library, Secretary Duncan says he's urging Congress to fund school construction and renovation projects in the stimulus package. The provisions were passed in the House but not in the Senate...

RIGHT NOW THERE'S ZERO DOLLARS IN THE SENATE BILL. THAT TO ME IS STAGGERING. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT WE DON'T SEE THE HUGE STIMULATIVE IMPACT OF PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK NOW WITH TREMENDOUS UNMET NEED BEYOND 20 BILLION DOLLARS AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WE CAN DO TO CREATE FACILITIES OUR STUDENTS.

Through Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers there are shovel-ready projects in Virginia and nationwide that could benefit...

THIS BUILDING IS ONE THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT BUT ALL ACROSS VIRGINIA YOU WOULD HAVE THAT SAME SORT OF SITUATION AND WE WOULD BE PUTTING THE MONEY IN THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED

Two new high schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_____________________________________________________


National and local education leaders are asking Congress to add school construction projects in the economic stimulus package.

Jessica Forres reports…they toured a local high school to show their support....

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is taking a tour of Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School. He stops to talk with some students inside a classroom.

[NAT:]

He is using the occasion to talk about education provisions in the economic stimulus package. The provisions, which include 20 billion dollars for school construction and renovation projects, were passed in the House but not in the Senate.

SO AS THIS DISCUSSION GOES INTO CONFERENCE WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT CONFERENCE IS OF STAGGERING IMPORTANCE. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT OUR LEADERSHIP HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS.

The students at Wakefield certainly do. Principal Doris Jackson says the school is scheduled to be renovated in 2013.

WELL THE BUILDING HAS OUTLIVED IT'S USEFULNESS. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND IT IS TRULY A 1950, 1960's SCHOOL.

But Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers…says the 20 billion will be dispersed to school districts with shovel-ready projects.

WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AN ABILITY TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS AS SOON AS ANY MONEY WOULD FLOW WITHOUT ANY DELAY IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND IT PUTS PEOPLE IN JOBS IMMEDIATELY.

Wakefield and Yorktown High Schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Local residents often move to remote suburbs for affordable homes… But as Jessica Forres reports the cost of commuting to work may offset those savings...



Peter Haas...with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology... demonstrates how to use an online calculator that lets local residents compare their transportation and housing costs when planning where to live. He computes the cost of living in DC's Takoma Park and Frederick, Maryland.

YOU CAN SEE DOWN HERE, WHERE WE SHOW YOU THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY OUT THERE. ZERO BUSES OR TRAINS IN WALKING DISTANCE

The online calculator is part of a report released by Haas's organization, the Urban Land Institute and the Center for Housing Policy. It measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas within the Washington region. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.

THE FURTHER YOU MOVE FROM YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, THE HOUSING COST SAVINGS ARE LESS THAN THE TRANSPORTATION COST INCREASES IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR TRANSPORTATION COSTS KEEP GOING UP, YOUR HOUSING COST GO DOWN, BUT AT SOME POINT YOUR NOT COMING OUT AHEAD BECAUSE YOUR SPENDING MORE ON TRANSPORTATION THAN YOUR SAVING ON HOUSING.

The report says region-wide households spend an average of 23-thousand on housing and 13-thousand on transportation annually…
Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news


______


Those who live in outer Washington suburbs pay more on average for housing and transportation than those in inner suburbs.

Jessica Forres has the story...

The median household income is 78-thousand dollars in the D-C region. Though that number seems high, so is the cost of renting or owning a home. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.

He says residents who move to remote suburbs for affordable homes often save less if they live 15 miles or more away from their jobs. That's because of transporation costs.

THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT'S ONLY FACED BY THE POOR ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS FACED PEOPLE AT THE MEDIAN INCOME LEVEL, 78-THOUSAND DOLLARS, THIS IS A PROBLEM WE ALL FACE.

A report released by Lubell's group, the Urban Land Istitute and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas in the region. Virginia's outer suburbs such as Clark and Fauquier Counties are in the study.

THE HOUSEHOLDS SPEND ON AVERAGE ABOUT 19-THOUSAND 778 DOLLARS PER YEAR ON HOUSING COSTS. THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AS THEY SPEND IN CENTRAL JURISDICTIONS LIKE WASHINGTON, DC BUT THEY SPEND MORE THAN 6-THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE ON THEIR TRANSPORATION COSTS.

Peter Haas with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology…says local residents can now estimate their transportation costs when planning where to live. His group created an online calculator.

YOU CAN DECIDE WELL THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ON TRANSPORTATION. IS IT WORTH OR NOT WORTH IT TO ME

The report says about 60 percent of households have either high housing or transportation costs, or both.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Virginia is reporting a widespread outbreak of the flu across the state and is urging residents to get vaccinated.

Jessica Forres reports…



Laura Ann Nicolai, an epidemiologist with the State's Department of Health…says a flu outbreak is not unusual this time of year...

INCREASED ACTIVITY OCCURS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY BUT WE CAN SEE THAT ACTIVITY IN A RANGE OF TIMES BETWEEN DECEMBER, EVEN AS LATE AS MAY.

The outbreak is expected to continue for six to eight weeks. Nicolai says it's not too late for people to get flu shots...

THE FLU VACCINE IS MATCHING UP VERY WELL WITH THE CIRCULATING STRAINS OF FLU VIRUSES THAT ARE GOING AROUND SO IT'S OFFERING VERY GOOD PROTECTION.

Curtis Allen...a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control...says annually about 1/3 of the US population is vaccinated. ..

I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED BUT WE'RE NOT NEARLY AT THE LEVEL WE SHOULD BE.

One reason, he explains, is short-term memory...

IF THEY HAVEN'T HAD INFLUENZA IN A FEW YEARS. THEY PROBABLY SAY WELL I DON'T NEED IT. BUT I GUARANTEE IF THEY HAD INFLUNZA LAST YEAR THEY ARE PROBABLY BEING VACCINATED THIS YEAR.

When we asked some residents in Arlington, Virginia whether or not they've been vaccinated, most of them said no. We caught up with local resident Brian King....

-IF YOU'RE HEALTHY AND YOU WORK OUT THERE'S NO NEED FOR A FLU SHOT
-HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE FLU
-NO

The flu causes 36-thousand deaths and more than 2-hundred thousand hospitalizations each year in the U.S.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some community members are urging Fairfax County Public Schools to change the grading scale . They say it puts students at a disadvantage when applying to college.

Jessica Forres reports...


Kenzie McDonald attends San Diego State University in California.

I WAS LOOKING TO GO TO A UC SCHOOL BUT I ENDED UP GOING TO A STATE SCHOOL BECAUSE I ENDED UP HAVING A 3.5 WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

She blames the six point grading scale at Oakton High School in Vienna. When she transferred there from the Montgomery County school system in Maryland, her G-P-A dropped from a 3.66 to a 3.25...

THEY CHANGED IT I KNOW IF I HAD A HIGH B THEN THEY COULD CHANGE IT TO A C-PLUS.

Catherine Lorenze is with Fairgrade, a local group that supports a 10 point grading scale where an A requires a percentage of 90 to 1-hundred instead of 94 to 1-hundred.

She says Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairgrade conducted reasearch on how the current grading system impacts students applying to college....

THEY DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE ON THIS ABNORMAL SIX POINT SCALE. THEY COMPARE OUR KIDS TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHETHER THEY'RE ON A 10 POINT SCALE OR A NUMERIC SCALE.

Paul Regnier, a spokesperson for FCPS, says the County's Superintendent, Jack Dale, supports adding weights to advanced courses but disagrees with changing the grading scale....

THE READING OF THE REPORT INDICATED THAT THE GRADING SCALE AND THE WEIGHTING DOES NOT REALLY CLEARLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ADMISSIONS TO SELECTIVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Fairgrade's Lorenze says community members are also urging Loudoun County Public Schools to change their grading scale from seven to ten points.

Fairfax County School Board members will take up the issue tonight.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

__________________________________________________

Hundreds of parents and students in Virginia are asking the Fairfax County School system to change its grading system.

Jessica Forres listened last night as many of them voiced their concerns at a school board meeting....

Inside a packed auditorium at Luther Jackson Middle School, Emily Goodnight addresses the school board...

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE MY PAINFUL AND FRUSTRATING STORY IN AN EFFORT TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE COUNTY'S GRADING POLICY ON ME.

She says her 3 point 3 Grade Point Average… would have been 3 point.5 if the county had weighted her Honors classes and used a ten point grading scale rather a six point one....

NO MATTER HOW MANY LETTERS MY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR WRITES ON MY BEHALF EXPLAINING FAIRFAX COUNTY'S GRADING SCALE IT IS UNCLEAR IF I WILL ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS.

Hundreds of frustrated parents and students wearing white shirts stand during her speech.

Marcy Newberger...with a local group called FairGrade..helped organize the protest against the policy that requires a grade of 94 to 100 to warrant an "A"...

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SOLIDARITY.

Much of the anger has been focused on Jack Dale...the School Superintendent...who supports weighting advanced courses but opposes changing the district's grading scale...

I THINK OUR SCALE ARTICULATES HIGH EXPECTATIONS, HIGH STANDARDS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND IF IT'S WORKING WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHY WOULD WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT. IF WE DID WANT TO CHANGE OUR GRADING SCALE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY OKAY WHAT IS THE BEST.

The school board is expected to vote on the superintendent's recommendation at the end of this month.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Christmas may be over but retailers are still trying to lure shoppers with sales and deep discounts.

But as Jessica Forres found out this morning, many shoppers are staying home...



A handful of shoppers are waiting for the stores to open inside Montgomery mall in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sheryl Prieto, sipping a hot, mocha coffee, sits at a table with her aunt Gloria Rose and mother Elizabeth Waaler… Shopping the day after Christmas is their family tradition…But this year they are disappointed, not by the deals, but by the crowds...

WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME DEALS BUT I WAS JUST SAYING, IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING I LIKE THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AND THERE'S NO HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AROUND.
- AND THE PARKING LOT WAS SO EMPTY.

Across the Potomac River at Tyson's Corner Center in McClean, Virginia... a similar scene.
Donald Donoho and his daughter Carla Watkins arrived at 6:45am.

THE MALL WASN'T OPEN AND ONLY MACY'S WAS OPEN, THERE WAS NO CROWD EVERYBODY'S SHOPPED OUT.

Joel Bines with Alex Partners, a global consulting firm, says this holiday season, grocery retailers and stores, such as Target and Walmart held up fairly well. .

BUT ONCE YOU START MOVING INTO SPECIALTY CATEGORIES, DEPARTMENT STORES, LUXURY STORES, JEWELRY STORES, TOY STORES. IT MEANS IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT 2009 FOR THEM FINANCIALLY AND UNLESS THE RETAILERS ARE IN A VERY STRONG POSITION IN 2009, THEYA RE GOING TO HAVE REAL LIQUIDITY CHALLENGES.

He says.. overall this has been the worst shopping season for retailers in 35 or 40 years.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Drunk driving numbers are down throughout the Washington region.
But as Jessica Forres reports this holiday season...police aren't letting down their guard.



At Fairfax County's police training facility, Officer John Lamper hands me so-called "drunk driving goggles." He says they are meant to simulate driving with a blood alcohol content level of point 17. That's the equivalent of about six beers in under an hour.

YOU ARE GOING TO PUT THE GOGGLES ON AND DRIVE THAT CAR AND I'M GOING TO BE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T RUN OFF THE ROAD HIT ANYTHING.

[IGNITION]

SERPENTINE BETWEEN THE CONES DOWN THERE, CAN YOU SEE THEM
- UH UH, OOPS (THUMP< THUMP)
-JUST KEEP GOING, JUST KEEP GOING.
-I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE A VERY GOOD DRUNK DRIVER.

Law enforcement officials say drunk driving incidents are on the decline. alcohol related fatalities decreased two and a half percent from the year before.

Kurt Ericson is with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program credits an increase in checkpoints and DUI patrols, especially during the holiday season. Every 45 minutes someone is arrested for drunk driving in the Washington region.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

"Going to church" is taking on a new meaning for a growing number of congregatins in the U.S. and across the Washington region.

As Jessica Forres reports, one of these so-called "theater churches" is located in Alexandria, Virginia...

CHURCHES1-FORRESmp3'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

[NAT: HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST]

At some churches, Sunday morning service opens with a hymn played on a pipe organ….but not at DC Metro Church...where a rock band provides the music.

John De Veny, who used to attend what he calls a traditional church, likes the change...

THE HYMNS ARE QUITE OLD. I STARTED LOOKING AT THE DATES OF THEM, SOME ARE FROM 1100, 1200, 1800 AND I WAS LIKE IT'S GOT TO BE BETTER THAN THIS.

He found his new church at the Potomac Yard Regal 16 multiplex in Alexandria, where David Stine is the Pastor...

THE MOVIE THEATER JUST LENDS ITSELF SO WELL TO BEING A VERY REAL, RELEVANT AND ENJOYABLE ENVIRONMENT ALREADY AND PEOPLE DON'T FEEL THREATENED BY A STEEPLE OR A CHURCH BUILDING.

"Theater churches" are growing in popularity. Stines' DC Metro Church, which opened a year ago with 70 members…now hosts 250 on any given Sunday...

WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL CHURCHES DO THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND REALLY JUST KIND OF A POST MODERN PUSH TOWARDS MAKING CHURCH AN APPROACHABLE PLACE ONCE AGAIN.

There are approximately 180 "theater churches" now operating nationwide.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

________________________________________________

Finding "God" inside a local movie theater is becoming a nationwide trend and as Jessica Forres reports, several local congregations are part of the movement...

CHURCHES2-FORRESmp3'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

At the Potomac Yard Regal 16 in Arlington, Virginia, approximately 250 worshipers are watching a scene from the movie Braveheart…in which William Wallace inspires his army to fight against the English....

[ NAT: JUST ONE CHANCE, TO COME BACK HERE TO TELL OUR ENEMIES THAT THEY MAY TAKE OUR LIVES BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM]

The movie clip is part of David Stine's sermon. He's the pastor at DC Metro Church...

[IS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THIS FREEDOM IN RELATIONSHIP AND NOT ONLY IN RELATIONSHIP BUT IN OUR OWN LIVES]

A growing number of churches hold their services inside movie theaters. Pastor Stine says it's part a post-modern push to make church "approachable" again....

WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT PEOPLE WHO USED TO GO TO CHURCH NO LONGER GO TO CHURCH AND THE SECOND REASON THAT CHURCH BECAME WEIRD AND THAT CHURCH BECAME BORING. AND SO WE ARE COMBATTING BOTH THOSE THINGS BY HAVING CHURCH IN A MOVIE THEATER.

Pastor Stine says his service attracts mostly young families and adults. People such as Andrea Clarke...

IT'S PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I GREW UP IN A TRADITIONAL, BLACK SORT OF METHODIST CHURCH. BUT I FEEL LIKE IT INCORPORATES A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE FROM CATHOLIC BACKGROUNS, OBVIOUSLY PROTESTANT EPISCOPALIAN.

National CineMedia, which works with :theater churches" says 180 of them now operate in the U.S.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News.

A Latino advocacy group says some hispanic voters in Prince William County may have been intimidated by the heavy police presence at one polling site.

Jessica Forres reports...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

Two police cruisers flashing their emergency lights are parked at the entrance of Occoquan Elementary School in Woodbridge.

Gabriela Lemus is with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. She says her group has been monitoring the site all day.

FIRST IT STARTED OFF WITH ONE SHERIFF THEN WE HAD THREE THEN THERE WERE SIX. NOW THERE ARE FOUR.

The police presence, she says, could be seen by some Latino voters as intimidating.

I THINK IT DOES KIND OF INTIMIDATE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF SORT OF THE ANTI-ATTITUDES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND HERE. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUES ON CRIMINAL IMMIGRANTS BUT IT REFLECTS ON THE WHOLE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

Glendell Hill, the County's Sheriff, says no more than three officers were present at the location….and they were there to direct traffic.

YOU KNOW WE WERE NOT THERE TO INTERFERE WITH VOTERS JUST TO MAKE SURE THE CITIZENS GOT IN AND OUT SAFELY.

Lemus says her group is considering filing a complaint to the State Board of Elections.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 NEWS

In Virginia, some local cab drivers will provide free transportation to voters tomorrow.

Jessica Forres talked with one driver who is volunteering his time…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

[NAT: LET ME HAVE YOUR NUMBER INCASE703- 915]

Mulugeta Yimer, a taxi driver for Union Cooperative Cab, is writing down Tameka McClure's phone number. She's a passenger who says she can't vote on Election Day.

I MOVED FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND I CAN'T VOTE BECAUSE I TRIED TO REGISTER HERE AND I WAS TOLD I'D GET MY INFORMATION AND I'VE NEVER GOTTEN IT.

Yimer is a volunteer for a voter outreach group called Virginia New Majority.

I WISH IF I KNOW HER BEFORE BECAUSE WE WORK WITH A CERTAIN DIFFERENT GROUP SO WE CAN DO THAT MAILING FOR HER IN PERSON.

His group is working with 24 Union cab drivers who will give voters free rides to the polls tomorrow.

I BELIEVE TO HELP PEOPLE. THE AMERICAN COUNTRY DID A LOT OF THINGS FOR US FOR US REFUGEES.

He is orginially from Ethiopia and now a U.S. Citizen...being able to vote is a dream come true.

YOU'RE SCARED TO VOTE, YOU'RE SCARED TO RAISE YOUR VOICE. IN THE UNITED STATES YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING TO THE PRESIDENT YOU'RE STILL ALIVE. THIS IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY AND IT'S BUILT ON IMMIGRANTS.

He says voters can call Union Cab on Tuesday for free rides.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

______________________________________________

In Northern Virginia, some taxi drivers are volunteering their time to help voters get to the polls on Election Day.

Jessica Forres reports….

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

Driving a mini-van, Mulugeta Yimer, a taxi driver, picks up a passenger at Braddock Metro Station in Alexandria.

[NAT: CAN YOU TAKE ME TO REGAL THEATER-YA]

His meter is on today, but on Tuesday he will turn it off. He and 23 cab drivers with Union Cooperative Cab will provide free transportation to voters on Election Day.

FIRST OF ALL IT'S A CIVIC DUTY, NUMBER TWO WHEN WE COME TO THIS COUNTRY THIS IS A FREEDOM FOR US TO HELP FOR ELECTION SO WE ARE HELPING THE PEOPLE HERE.

Yimer says he's orginally from Ethiopia and now a U.S. citizen.

By giving people free rides to the polls, he says, he can help them take part in the democratic process.

IN MY COUNTRY YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE IF YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE THEY ARE GOING TO ARREST YOU BECAUSE THE SAME PEOPLE WANT TO GET ELECTED EVERY YEAR YOU CANNOT CHANGE..IN THIS IS COUNTRY YOU HAVE FULL FREEDOM TO CHANGE THE PRESIDENT, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR WHOEVER.

He says voters in need of transportation should call Union Cab.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

In Fairfax County, Virginia the Office of Elections has been asked to closely monitor satellite voting sites after someone defaced an absentee voting sign.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

Nearly twenty people are waiting in line to vote at the Franconia Government Center…a satellite voting site where someone deliberately changed the hours for in-person absentee voting.

At the Center, Antoinette Glover, a resident, waits with her son.

I THINK THAT'S HORRIBLE AND I HOPE THEY CHANGED IT BACK AND PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE REAL HOURS ARE.

Jeff McCay is the Supervisor for that district.

SOMEBODAY HAD TAKEN A BLACK MAGIC MARKER AND JUST TRANSFORMED THE ONE INTO A FOUR AND A VERY SIMPLE MOVE CONFUSED A LOT OF PEOPLE AND SENT OUT A VERY WRONG MESSAGE.

He thinks it was an effort to suppress voting.

THE STORIES ARE ALREADY OUT THERE THAT IN FAIRFAX COUNTY WE ARE HAVING RECORD HIGH NUMBERS OF PEOPLE VOTE AND THERE ARE SOME FOLKS OUT THERE WHO BELIEVE IF LESS PEOPLE VOTE THEY WILL FAIR BETTER IN THE ELECTION.

The Board of Supervisors voted last week to ask the Office of Elections to closely monitor every sign at each of the seven satellite voting sites.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News


______________________________________________________________
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has voted to ask the Office of Elections to closely monitor informational signs about voting hours.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 FM

The Board of Supervisors is asking election officers to examine signs at each of the seven satellite voting sites after someone tampered with one at Franconia Government Center.

Jeff McCay is the supervisor for that District. He says someone neatly changed the one into a four.

IT READ ABSENTEE VOTING WAS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM FOUR TO EIGHT PM.

He says it's the responsibility of election judges to make sure people are getting accurate information.

THERE'S SO MUCH EMOTION ATTACHED TO THIS ELECTION THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE ILL-CONCEIVED OR THAT ARE BEYOND PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND THE ELECTION JUDGE SHOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY EACH DAY WHEN THEY OPEN THE POLLS AND CLOSE THE POLLS THAT THE RIGHT INFORMATION IS POSTED.

The hours for in-person absentee voting are from 1 to 8pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

As Barack Obama and John McCain race to the finish line, some local residents are hitting the streets and working the phones to campaign for the presidential candidate they support.

Jessica Forres met up with some volunteers from both campaigns in Northern Virginia.

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

[NAT: knock, knock..good morning. My name is Jan Jacobs and I'm a volunteer in the neighborhood for the barack obama campaign.]

Jacobs is canvassing a neighborhood near her house in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Mary Fry is working the phones at MCCain's campaign office in Arlington.

[HELLO MY NAME IS MARY AND I'M CALLING FROM THE JOHN MCCAIN CAMPAIGN]Both volunteers are similar... They spend their free time campaiging for the presidential candidates they support. But their differences become apparent when they explain why they got involved.

Jacobs started knocking on doors in June.

WELL I'M DIONG THIS MAINLY BECAUSE I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN. MY SON WAS IN IRAQ THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND I'M READY TO SEE AN END TO THIS WAR.

And Fry says she's made at least a thousand phone calls since March.

I CAME ORIGINALLY IN MARCH BECAUSE I FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN. I'M VERY MUCH A PRO-LIFE PERSON. AND HIS PRO-LIFE STAND WAS VERY CLEAR AND I WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT MINE.

Jacobs and Fry say they will campaign up until election day on November fourth.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

______________________________________________________________

As Election Day approaches, Jessica Forres reports that both presidential campaigns are seeing more people in Virginia stepping up to volunteer.

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

[HELLO MY NAME IS MARY AND I'M CALLING FROM THE JOHN MCCAIN CAMPAIGN]

Mary Fry is making phone calls at McCain's campaign office in Arlington. She's been helping out since March.

WELL THERE WAS A PHONE FOR EVERY PERSON BUT THERE WERE ONLY THREE PHONES WHEN I FIRST STARTED AND SO EACH TIME I CAME THERE WERE MORE TABLES AND MORE PHONES.

Now…there are more than 50 volunteers making phone calls in the same room as Fry.

Jan Jacobs is also volunteer, but for Barack Obama's campaign. She is canvassing a neighborhood in Woodbridge.

[NAT: KNOCK, KNOCK]
I'M LOOKING FOR JESSE IS THAT YOU
-SPEAKING

She says there are more volunteers now compared to when she first started knocking on doors.

WE HAVE A LOT MORE CANVASSERS NOW THAN WE HAD IN JULY AND IN JULY I WAS DOING IT ALL BY MYSELF. I WOULD GO FROM DIFFERENT PLACES ALONE.

In Virginia, there are more than 14-thousand volunteer working in each presidential campaign.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

In Virginia, Fairfax County's Elections Office is urging residents...who haven't received their voter registration card... to call and verify they are in the system.

Jessica Forres reports...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Vickie Hull is with the Office of Elections. She is registering residents to vote.

GO AHEAD AND FILL IT OUT WITH SOCIAL SECURITY, ADDRESS

Once the application is completed, she stuffs it into an envelope.

AS THE ENVELOPES GET FULL WE TAKE THEM UP TO THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE AND AS THEY'RE RECEIVED THEY GET PROCESSED.

The Registrar's office is two stories up from where Hull is registering voters. That's where the General Regisrar..Rokey Suleman's office is.

He says about 70,000 voters registered in the County this year...more than half of those are new voters.

IT'S THE MOST WE'VE BASICALLY SEEN IN FAIRFAX COUNTY.

With thousands of applications to process, it can be poblematic.

WE HAVE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THEY'VE REGISTERED TO VOTE AT CERTAIN PLACES AND WE DON'T HAVE THEIR REGISTRATION IN THE SYSTEM YET. THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT'S NOT HERE.

He urges people who haven't received their voter registration card in the mail to call the elections office.

IF YOU'RE NOT SURE AND YOU'RE NOT IN THE SYSTEM, BETTER TO REGISTER TWICE THAN HOPE THAT YOU'RE IN THE STACK AND FIND OUT THAT YOU'RE NOT.

Today is the voter registration deadline for residents in Virginia and the District.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

__________________________________________________

In Virginia, Fairfax County's Office of Elections has been scrambling to register voters before the deadline.

Jessica Forres talked to residents as they registered to vote on Saturday.

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

[ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? YES]

In Fairfax County, procrastination is not the only reason why more than a hundred residents waited just two days before the deadline to register to vote.

Marvin Cabrera says he didn't have a choice.

I JUST BECAME A CITIZEN TWO DAYS AGO.

And Karen Griner

WE ACTUALLY MOVED FAIRLY RECENTLY AND JUST CHANGED OUR DMV.

On Satruday, Fairfax County's Elections Office extended its hours to give residents like Cabrera and Griner more time to register. Rokey Suleman is the General Registrar.

PEOPLE HAVE BUSY LIVES AND FAIRFAX COUNTY IS A VERY POPULOUS PLACE AND SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO GET AROUND SO WE WANTED TO EXTEND OUR HOURS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

The deadline for voter registration in Virginia and the District is today. In Maryland, the dealine is October 14th.

Jessica Forres WAMU

Some residents in Loudoun County, Virginia are blaming illegal immigration for the recent increase in violent crime in the community of Sterling Park.

As Jessica Forres reports, they voiced those concerns at a neighborhood meeting last night ....

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

County Sheriff Steve Simpson stands in front of more than 2-hundred
people at Park View High School where he's asking residents for help...

TO WHAT DEGREE YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS LOOK AT AS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES AND PEOPLE
GETTING INVOLVED AND PEOPLE CALLING IN INCIDENTS THAT WE SEE OR YOU
SEE THAT LOOK SUSPICIOUS.

But his words prompt a very different kind of reaction......

[WELL I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT WE NEED, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO]

As the discussion continues, it becomes clear that some residents blame illegal immigrants for what's happening in Sterling Park....

[WE DIDN'T HAVE A GANG PROBLEM A YEAR AGO…THAT'S RIGHT…BUT THE SHERIFF
DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM SAYING HE WASN'T GOING TO GO AFTER ILLEGALS. SIR
PLEASE.. THOSE ARE THE REAL ISSUES THAT THIS MAN IS SPEAKING ABOUT.
YOU'RE UP HERE GIVING US A BUNCH OF FLUFF]

The Sheriff's Office doesn't record whether a crime was committed by an illegal immigrant and when we reached Simpson by phone today to address the allegations...he said there's more to it than simply pointing a finger at a particular group...

AS WE HAVE FOUND OUT IN DEALING WITH OUR GANG MEMBERS AND DEALING WITH THE CRIME ELEMENT THAT WE DO HAVE, THEY'RE NOT ILLEGAL, SOME ARE YES AND SOME ARE NOT MOST ARE NOT.

Four of the nine members of the county board of supervisors attended the meeting and the full board has previously discussed whether illegal immigration is responsible for the recent uptick in crime.

But Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio says he and others who want local laws
addressing illegal immigration don't have the votes needed to make them happen.

Jessica Forres WAMU

In Virginia, the Loudoun County's Sheriff Office has called an emergency community meeting to discuss a recent rash of violence in Sterling Park.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 1 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO!

Marty Pastrana lives down the street from where a 17-year old woman and 18-year old man were shot on September 13.

EVERY YEAR MORE AND MORE THINGS ARE HAPPENING OVER HERE IN THIS AREA.

That same night..a couple streets over...a young man was found with a knife-wound. His blood still stains the street. One resident...prefers to remain anonymous.

WE WERE REALLY SHOCKED AS I SAID THE NEIGHBORS THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG THAT I PROBABLY WAS SICK BECAUSE THE AMBULANCE WAS RIGHT THERE.

Five days later three young men were wounded in a drive by shooting near the other crime scenes. Chelsea Brucksheen, a college student, lives in the cul-de-sac where it happened.

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST VIOLENT CRIME THAT WE'VE HAD. THERE'S BEEN LIKE VANDALISM AND STUFF ALL THROUGHOUT, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST SERIOUS THING THAT'S HAPPENED.

The spurt of violence last week and an overall increase in crime throughout the county has Steve Simpson, Loudoun County's Sherriff worried…

WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TYPE OF VIOLENT CRIME WHETHER IT'S A RASH DEPENDING ON HOW THEY GO AND IF DOES TURN OUT TO BE GANG RELATE IT COULD BE THAT IT COULD LEAD TO MORE PROBLEMS.

Tonight there will a cummunity meeting about the recent events. It will be held at Park View High School at 6:30 p.m.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_______________________________________________

In Virginia, the Loudoun County Sherriff's Office is reaching out to the community to talk about the recent acts of violence happening in Sterling.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 2 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO!

Last week, nearly five young people were either shot or stabbed in the neighborhood of Sterling Park…one of the oldest residential communities built in Loudoun County.

Steve Simpson is Loudoun County's Sheriff. He says changing demographics, an increase in population and a bad economy may explain the recent crime wave.

THERE'S A LOT MORE FOLKS MOVING INTO THE COUNTY WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FURTHER SERVICES TRYING TO GET INTO THESE COMMUNITIES IN SOME CASES WHERE THESE FOLKS ARE VICTIMIZED BY THEIR OWN BASICALLY AND THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE IN OUR SYSTEM.

One resident…she prefers to remain anonymous…lives on North Amelia Street….where a 25 year old man was found with a knife-wound…His blood still stains the street.

THE AMBULANCE WAS RIGHT THERE. THE AREA HAS BEEN VERY SAFE, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER THAT I KNOW OF.

The community meeting is tonight at 6:30 at Park View High School.

Local power companies have sent more than 500 workers to help restore electricity to parts of Texas devastated by Hurricane Ike.

Jessica Forres reports….

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Foresters, mechanics and supervisors working for Pepco Holdings will assist with restoring power in southeast Texas…where millions of people are still without electrcity.

Robert Dobkin, a spokesperson, says more than 1-hundred workers...driving repair trucks...left on Saturday.

IT'S A BIG UNDERTAKING. I MEAN DRIVING DOWN IN TRUCKS LIKE THAT IT'S NOT LIKE DRIVING IN YOUR CAR AT HIGH SPEEDS THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT SLOW AND STEADY. I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG THEY PLAN TO BE ON THE ROAD BUT IT WILL TAKE AWHILE.

The workers, he says, plan to stay about two weeks…but that may change…

ALL THESE GUYS HAVE VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS TO BE AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES,THEIR FAMILIES. IT COULD BE EVEN LONGER WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE HOW IT GOES BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE AREA AS FAR AS THE ELECTRICITY GRID IS PRETTY DEVESTATED.

Virginia's Dominion power has sent nearly 500 workers to Texas.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Nearly 50 children are spending their summer trying to get healthy in Alexandria, Virginia.

An organization called Children of Chernobyl... sends children to Alexandria from areas in Belarus -- contaminated by the 1986 nuclear reactor explosion.

I caught up with a few of them at a local swimming pool.

Listen to story 1

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