n LOUDOUN
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VOL. 7, NO. 25
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Pg. 27 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
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MAY 12, 2022
New COVID Surge Hitting Loudoun LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
shipyards attacked U.S. merchant ships, resulted in a $15.5 settlement from Great Britain. That case was the first to establish the principle of international arbitration. Leesburg’s Thomas Balch Library was dedicated by his sons, Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch, who had do-
Following a national trend, the rate of COVID-19 cases in Loudoun is climbing. This week, the daily average of new daily cases neared 150 and the average positivity rate of PCR tests surpassed 15%, both the highest since February. The surge is attributed to a highly transmissible strain of the Omicron variant and fewer people wearing masks and distancing from others. County leaders are urging residents to assess their risks and take precautions as necessary. “We are beginning to see an increase in the impact of the ongoing transmission of the virus in our region, so I encourage everyone to understand your risk level,” Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend said in an alert issued Tuesday. “While healthy, fully vaccinated and boosted individuals have a lower risk associated with the upward tick in COVID-19 activity at this time, some members of our community may be more severely impacted by this trend, and those more vulnerable residents should take added precautions.” Meanwhile Inova Loudoun Hospital President Susan Carroll said the hospital has seen a slight uptick
BALCH CENTENNIAL continues on page 39
COVID SURGE continues on page 39
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
A portrait of Thomas Balch stands in a display case at his namesake Thomas Balch Library, which will celebrate its centennial on Friday, May 13.
Centennial Celebration:
Balch Library Turns 100 BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Leesburg’s history and genealogical library is turning the big 100, and town and library leaders kicked off the celebration last week. The Thomas Balch Library will officially turn 100 on Friday, May 13. The library is named for Leesburg
native Thomas Balch, who was born in 1821, the son of Judge Lewis P. Balch. According to the Friends of Thomas Balch Library, he would go on to become a noted attorney in his own right and a keen student of history. He also made some history—his work on a diplomatic dispute between the U.S. and Great Britain arising from the Civil War, during which Confederate Navy ships built in British
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