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n LEESBURG
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n PUBLIC SAFETY
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n OBITUARIES
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n PUBLIC NOTICES
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FEBRUARY 13, 2020
Tornado Rips Destructive Path Through Leesburg For many Leesburg residents on Friday, the morning routine of getting off to school and work was disrupted by roaring winds, the crash of breaking glass and the uprooting of their backyard trees. The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF0 tornado, with winds topping out at 85 miles per hour, ripped through the center of town at about 7:20 a.m. Feb. 7. It cut a 3.3-mile path from the Greenway Farm neighborhood northeast through Potomac Crossing. The tornado had a maximum width of 250 yards. While the storm was gone within Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
At a home on Lounsbury Court in Leesburg’s Woodberry neighborhood, winds from last week’s tornado ripped off siding and broke off a large backyard tree.
TORNADO continues on page 46
Greenway Oversight Bill Dies; Tolls Battle Moves to SCC BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
For a fifth year, the General Assembly has declined to pass a bill to strengthen state oversight of tolls on the Dulles Greenway. Del. Suhas Subramanyam’s (D-87) House Bill 523, the latest attempt in a years-long effort to rein in the Greenway’s annual toll increases, has gotten stuck in committee. On Jan. 30, the House Com-
mittee on Labor and Commerce narrowly failed to report the bill. “I was furious about that,” said Del. Wendy W. Gooditis (D-10), Loudoun’s only local representation on the committee who also co-patroned the bill and argued and voted to report it. “We better bloody well take care of that next year, and I think we will, but we have to wait now.” County Attorney Leo Rogers and Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Grafton DeButts had also
traveled to Richmond to argue for the bill. The bill briefly showed signs of life again last week, when on a motion by committee Vice Chairman Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. (D-48), of Arlington, the committee voted to reconsider the bill. But rather than go to a vote, Subramanyam said Thursday, the bill will now go by for the year. “I’ll keep fighting to protect commuters from rising tolls,” Subramanyam said. “This is an ongoing conversation with
all the stakeholders and the rest of the Loudoun delegation, and I am optimistic we will find a solution soon.” Del. Dave A. LaRock (R-33), who this year also introduced a bill to add oversight to the Greenway, which was folded into Subramanyam’s bill, published a statement excoriating fellow General Assembly members. He said the bill failed because “other members of the legislature GREENWAY continues on page 46
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