Faifax Dispatches: Grandma Accused Of Throwing Toddler From Walkway At Tysons

Fairfax County was saddened this week by the death of Meghan Jandrositz, a Centreville 20-year-old.

Though the Hollin Meadows Elementary School children garden program has received nationwide recognition and even a visit from First Lady Michelle Obama, next school year that program is at risk of being shut down because of funding issues. Supporters of the program are trying to raise $170,000 by the end of the year to keep the program running.

Friends, family and community members in Centreville gathered last weekend for a candlelight vigil in honor of , a 20-year-old girl who died in a car crash recently. The driver of the other car was speeding and under the influence of PCP, according to Prince William County police. Another man, David Vernon Richardson, of Warrenton, died in the back seat, while Jandrositz's boyfriend was rushed to the hospital with severe burns.

The grandmother accused of killing her 2-year-old granddaughter when she allegedly threw her over a Tysons Corner Center walkway earlier this week may have a history of mental illness, her attorney says. Deputy Public Defender Dawn Butorac says 50-year-old Carmela Dela Rosa's defense is exploring the grandmother's mental health as they prepare for a Jan. 4 preliminary hearing. Dela Rosa is being held in lieu of bail. The granddaughter, Angelyn Ogdoc of Falls Church, died early Tuesday morning as a result of injuries from the six-story fall.


The winter sports season began at South County Secondary School without much fanfare. Budget constraints compelled the Fairfax County School Board to remove funding for winter cheerleading. At least one parent thinks the decision was short-sighted and will be one that has ramifications in years to come.

There are many more hungry mouths to feed this year at food pantries like Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church. Donations are also slower than in years past. Rising Hope's food pantry feeds more than 300 people a week and about 5,000 each year.  Most of the food is privately donated or brought in from other churches.

One week after Fort Hunt Patch and other media organizations that West Potomac High School had adopted new grading guidelines that favored giving students an incomplete instead of an F and decreasing the consequences for students who had cheated, Principal Cliff Hardison has reversed his controversial policies.

VDOT Implements New Snow Removal Process
The Virginia Department of Transportation was scheduled to present the first of four meetings in the Dranesville district Wednesday evening to explain the updated processes, policies and snow removal planned for the upcoming winter season. No one from the public attended the meeting but Herndon Patch got the information, which will be shared at two more upcoming public meetings.

Walkable Annandale
Annandale will become a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use urban village in a few years, according to a new form-based plan developed by Fairfax County officials in the revitalization office. The plan is the first of its kind for the county.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season has officially begun.  While it's easy to get caught up in the preparations for family gatherings and holiday events, don't forget to remember your four-legged friends.  Fort Hunt Patch columnist and professional dog walker Jennifer Hammond offers a few tips about how to make the holidays an enjoyable experience for your pets too.

Fairfax City police urge elderly residents to hang up if someone calls claiming to be a granddaughter in need of money to get out of jail.

Clifton ES judge hands parents setback
Judge Dennis J. Smith ruled on Wednesday that the Fairfax County School Board did not violate the "arbitrary and capricious" standard of Virginia law when it voted to close Clifton Elementary School. The circuit court decision was a major setback for the Clifton parents who are seeking an injunction to save their community's school.  

BRAC traffic, parking discussed
Fairfax County held its first community meeting regarding the BRAC-133 Mark Center in Alexandria and the effect it will have on Fairfax County residents. The meeting, hosted by Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova, specifically addressed the traffic and parking concerns of county residents who live near the Mark Center and surrounding neighborhoods.

CIA museum director talks about 'Clandestine Women'
The impact of women spies throughout history was the subject of a talk at the Reston Regional Library. Women performed crucial tasks throughout the short history of the OSS and the continuing history of the CIA.