The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
LABOR DAY WEEKEND, MORE DELAYS
The Maryland Transportation Authority is warning of "significant delays" at the Bay Bridge this Labor Day weekend as travelers grasp for a last few precious hours of summer beach time. The authority is predicting that 366,000 vehicles will traverse the bridge between today and Monday. By a simple count, that would make the bridge the third-busiest of Maryland's toll facilities this weekend. The authority is projecting that the Fort McHenry Tunnel will carry 473,000 vehicles this weekend - edging out the 467,000 on the toll road stretch of Interstate 95 northeast of Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun)
DAY-CARE CENTERS FLU PREPS
Day-care centers and other facilities responsible for young children should make sure their employees get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and the swine flu, in order to keep as many facilities open as possible during the upcoming flu season, federal health officials said Friday. Parents and other caregivers should also watch their children closely for any signs of the flu and keep youngsters home if they are sick, making sure they do not return until they have not have a fever for at least 24 hours, officials said. (Washington Post)
VIRGINIA TECH STUDENTS MURDERED
Virginia Tech is offering a $10,000 reward for information in last week's off-campus slayings of two students. The reward offer, posted yesterday on the university's Web site, is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for killing Heidi Childs and David Meltzer. The two were found Aug. 26 at the Caldwell Fields camping area of Montgomery County, a short drive from the Blacksburg campus. (Richmond Times Dispatch)
GOOD POLICE WORK NABS BANK ROBBERS
An alert off-duty Fredericksburg detective helped solve two recent area bank robberies, police said. Mellville Jovan Buckner, 26, of Fredericksburg and Shanelle Carissa Monique Lewis, 19, of Woodbridge were arrested Wednesday. Both are charged with numerous offenses in connection with an Aug. 20 robbery at the Virginia Credit Union in Fredericksburg and the Monday heist at the PNC Bank on Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. (Free Lance-Star)
ENROLLMENT INCREASE AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES
A convergence of economic factors has caused a surge in the student population of Northern Virginia Community College over the past few semesters. “Enrollment has been increasing since last fall,” said Robert Templin, president of the community college. (Fairfax Times)
700 PERCENT PARKING FEE INCREASE
A 700 percent increase in their parking fee is on the minds of students across the county as they get ready to head back to school Sept. 8, and some say they won't be able to pay $200 for the privilege of parking their car at school. "Personally, I am appalled by the amount of money they are expecting us to pay to park at our school," said Anita Dipietro, a senior at Heritage High School in Leesburg. "My parents refuse to pay for it; therefore, if I wish to drive, I will have to pay for it myself. I think it's a ridiculous amount of money to ask for." (Loudoun Times-Mirror)
