Local Leads: 5/17/10

News you need to know

The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:

WATERFRONT FESTIVAL CANCELLED ... BUDGET WOES
Remember the Waterfront Festival? You know, that annual event that’s happened every year since 1981? The one that involves entertainment and fireworks the weekend before Father’s Day? The one you’re still saving your leftover beer tickets for? Well forget about it. The Red Cross has cancelled the Waterfront Festival this year, and it’s doubtful the festival will ever return. "We had to ask ourselves if putting on a party was the best use of our time and money," said Lissette Bishins, executive director of the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross. "We decided that responding to a fire in the middle of the night was a far better use of our resources." (Alexandria Gazette)

FBI RAIDS LOCAL HEALTH CARE COMPANY
One person was arrested after a search of a home health care business in Woodbridge earlier this month, authorities said Monday. Prince William County police and FBI agents searched First Call Home Health on Opitz Boulevard in Woodbridge on May 5, an FBI spokeswoman said. The search was related to a Medicaid fraud investigation, officials said. An employee, Yanick Pierre, was arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, according to court records. (Insidenova.com)

SUV TAX?
Fredericksburg resident Lou Silvey was surprised when she opened her personal property tax bill last week. For the first time she can remember, the value of her vehicle--a 2004 Cadillac SRX, a sport utility vehicle--increased over last year. Her tax bill went up nearly 55 percent. Some Virginia residents, especially SUV owners, find themselves in the unusual position of owning a vehicle that appreciated in value. The situation is rooted in the economic climate of two years ago. (Fredericksburg.com

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