Local Leads: 8/12/09

News you need to know

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

WINE TASTINGS AT THE MONTGOMERY FAIR
Keen on vino? Bring extra cash to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, which will boast its first wine-tasting exhibit, said Martin Svrcek, executive director of the nonprofit Montgomery County Agricultural Center, which hosts the annual fair. Grape-growing is an important agricultural trend in Maryland, he said. And the county's first vineyard and winery, a family-owned operation in the Agricultural Reserve, will be showing folks how their work is done. (Gazette)

JUDGE FLATTENS TIRE

A Charles County judge is under investigation for allegedly letting the air out of the tire of a car belonging to a woman who works as a part-time cleaning worker at the courthouse, according to the car owner and sources familiar with the incident.  Two county sheriff's jail officers said they saw Circuit Court Judge Robert C. Nalley letting the air out of the back right tire of a 2004 Toyota Corolla parked just outside the La Plata courthouse about 3:45 p.m. Monday, according to the two sources.  (Washington Post)

VIRGINIA HOME SALES
A double-digit increase in home sales and a rise in median - if not average - sales prices across Northern Virginia provide new glimmers of hope for those seeking a rebound in the local real estate market. Home sales in July totaled 2,053 across Northern Virginia, up 10.6 percent from a year before, according to figures reported by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., the area’s multiple-listing service. The report covers home sales across Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church. The total sales volume for the month was $946 million, up 5 percent from a year before. (Sun Gazette)

MAN ALLEGEDLY SETS WIFE ON FIRE
A Culpeper man who allegedly sprayed a flammable liquid on his wife and then set her on fire remains at large. The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help locating 45-year-old James Edward Anderson of Gallows Court, who faces several felony charges. Shortly after 8 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to the intersection of Alanthus Road and James Madison Highway at Brandy Station, where they found Anderson's 37-year-old wife suffering from burns to her neck and right hand. According to Sgt. Vern Fox, Anderson's wife was driving when her husband, sitting in the passenger seat, allegedly sprayed her with a flammable liquid. She stopped the car and attempted to get out. As she was exiting the car, Anderson allegedly struck a match and threw it at his wife, causing her to catch fire. (Free Lance-Star)

FUTURE VRE EXPRESS?
Virginia will apply for $72 million in federal stimulus money this month to build a third set of rails between Prince William and Stafford counties. The state is expected to file for the money Aug. 24, and if approved, it will go to fund a third set of train tracks between Powell's Creek in Dumfries and the Widewater area of Stafford County. The project is part of the state's comprehensive vision to bring high-speed rail to the Northern Virginia from Petersburg, and in part will pave the way for Virginia Railway Express to start running express trains on their Fredericksburg line. (Insidenova.com)

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