As the first significant winter weather of the season is forecasted to impact Loudoun County and our region, officials encourage members of the community to take steps to prepare for the effects of a forecasted winter weather event. 

Here are five things for every resident to know ahead of the storm:

1. Know the Forecast

• The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Loudoun through 1:00 p.m. Thursday, December 15, 2022. The forecast calls for freezing rain and the possibility of significant ice accumulation that could create dangerous travel conditions and the possibility of power outages. Get updated weather information from the National Weather Service at weather.gov/lwx, Facebook or Twitter. 

2. Know the Road Conditions 

• The Virginia Department of Transportation urges motorists to limit or delay their travel if road conditions warrant. Track VDOTs efforts and get real-time traffic information at 511virginia.org. Follow VDOT on Facebook and Twitter. Call VDOT for more information at 1-800-FOR-ROAD.
• If you have to travel on snow-covered roads, be sure to review driving safety and preparedness tips from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office before heading out on the road, including having an emergency kit in your vehicle.

 3. Know Who Maintains Your Street

• VDOT and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) maintain most roads in the county, which includes snow removal. 
• Loudoun County has an interactive online tool to help residents determine who is responsible for the maintenance of their roads. Learn more at loudoun.gov/roads. 

4. Know How to Be Prepared

• The possibility of significant icing could lead to tree damage and power outages. Loudoun County emergency management officials suggest that you take time to charge cell phones and other electronics ahead of the inclement weather. 
• Know How to Contact Your Utility Providers: If you need to report outages, make sure you have contact information for local utilities, which is posted at loudoun.gov/winter. 
• Make a Plan and Build an Emergency Kit: Everyone is encouraged to review their emergency plans and have an emergency supply kit with items such as flashlights and batteries, battery-operated radio, water, first aid supplies, canned food and can opener, medications, etc. Learn more about emergency preparedness at loudoun.gov/ready. 

5. Know How to Stay Informed

• Check loudoun.gov for timely information on county operations, including the status of county facilities.
• Follow Loudoun County Government on Facebook and Twitter.
• Sign up for Alert Loudoun to receive information alerts from the Loudoun County Government. 
• Find out about Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) operational status at lcps.org or via LCPS Facebook and Twitter.

Loudoun County will offer a third temporary trash drop-off service Saturday, December 17, 2022, for Loudoun residents who were customers of Haulin’ Trash.

At this time, the county has not scheduled any additional trash drop-off events as residents should have been able to procure new curbside trash service. In the event that a resident has not been able to procure new curbside trash service, the county’s landfill provides residential trash services six days per week. More information about the county’s landfill services is included below.

The county planned to host trash drop-off events over three weekends following the unexpected closure of Haulin’ Trash. The company previously announced it ended operations in northern Virginia on December 1, leaving hundreds of customers suddenly without service, including residents in the eastern part of Loudoun County.

When and Where to Drop Off Trash

On Saturday, December 17, 2022, residents may drop off household and yard waste at Park View High School, located at 400 W. Laurel Avenue in Sterling. The drop-off site will be located in a parking lot adjacent to the school’s ballfields. The drop-off site will be open 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

What is Accepted

The temporary drop-off site will accept regular household and yard waste. Bulk waste, such as furniture, electronics and other large items, will not be accepted. Commercial waste also will not be accepted.

Recyclable materials should continue to be dropped off at the existing Sterling Park Community Recycling Center, which is also located at Park View High School. Please note that trash is not accepted at recycling centers. More information about the county’s recycling centers is posted at loudoun.gov/recycle. 

Cost

Any former Loudoun customers of Haulin’ Trash who would like to drop off trash at the temporary site will be charged a fee of $7 for 10 bags of household and yard waste. Cash only will be accepted.

County Landfill

Residents may also choose to drop off waste and recyclables at the county’s landfill, located at 21101 Evergreen Mills Road in Leesburg. The landfill is open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. More information about the county’s landfill services is posted at loudoun.gov/landfill. 

Trash Service Providers

While Loudoun County has offered emergency relief for residents who are impacted by the abrupt closure of Haulin’ Trash, the county does not provide trash hauling services. Residents and homeowner associations are responsible for procuring curbside trash hauling services.

Information about trash service providers is posted on the county’s website at loudoun.gov/trashserviceproviders. 

• Read this news release in Spanish.

Be part of something great and learn more about all that Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) has to offer by participating in the next PRCS job fair on Monday, December 19, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The job fair will be held at the PRCS main office located at 742 Miller Drive, in Leesburg. 

There are numerous employment opportunities for summer and year-round jobs for both teens and adults. Interested candidates are encouraged to fill out an application prior to attending the job fair by visiting bit.ly/prcsjobfair. For more information, call 703-777-0343 or email PRCS. 

The job fair is an opportunity to receive assistance with applications and meet directly with PRCS staff for on-site interviews.

Whether you are looking for a seasonal part-time role or want to advance your career, PRCS provides training, competitive pay, and a supportive environment to meet your employment goals.

Have fun and make a difference with your PRCS! 

Northern Virginia’s hospitals are experiencing severe capacity shortages due to the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the seasonal flu, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Just as communities across the country have experienced, local emergency rooms continue to be inundated with sick patients, leading to longer wait times. This trend is expected to persist throughout the winter season, adding further strain to local care sites and health care workers.

The members of the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) are asking residents, particularly vulnerable populations such as young children and older adults, to continue to practice health safety and, if medical attention is needed, seek it from the most appropriate provider. 

Northern Virginia hospitals and health districts will continue to closely monitor respiratory illnesses in Northern Virginia and disease trends locally. While no one can predict the full effect of these diseases on the community, practicing preventive actions to the greatest extent possible will help protect the community from illness.

For More Information

For more information on health issues in Northern Virginia, visit staywellnova.com. To find a COVID-19 or flu vaccination location, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov, vaccines.gov or email the Loudoun County Health Department.

About NVERS

The Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) is a collaboration of the region’s health care and public safety systems and comprises 16 acute care hospitals and 29 counties, cities, and towns. NVERS coordinates a regional approach to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities.

Read the Full Press Release

Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of all U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers (39%, Christmas; 49%, New Year’s Day – NHTSA, 2020), a local nonprofit organization announced today that free safe rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area during the winter holidays beginning on December 16th.

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2022 Holiday SoberRide® program will be in operation nightly from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. from December 16, 2022 to January 1, 2023 as way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday period.

Each evening during this six-hour period, area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download Lyft to their phones, then enter a SoberRide® code in the app’s ‘Promo’ section to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. A separate Holiday SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 9:00 p.m. on December 16, 23 and 31 on www.SoberRide.com.

“Nearly half of all U.S. traffic fatalities during Christmas and New Year’s in 2020 involved drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s President.

SoberRide® is offered throughout Lyft’s Washington D.C. coverage area which includes all or parts of: the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s and towns therein plus the cities of Bowie, College Park, District Heights, Gaithersburg. Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Mount Ranier, New Carrollton, Rockville, Seat Pleasant and Takoma Park; and the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and towns therein plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Learn More

On Saturday, December 17, 2022, Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) will host its annual fee-waived pet adoption event, Home for the Holidays, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the Loudoun County Animal Shelter, 42225 Adoption Drive in Leesburg. Adoption fees will be waived for all available pets, which include cats, kittens, dogs, small pets and livestock. 

In an effort to help as many pets as possible, LCAS is transferring in dogs and cats from overcrowded and under-resourced partner shelters throughout the region before the event.

“Animal intake numbers at many of our partner shelters are higher than they have been in three years,” said Community Relations Manager Talia Czapski.” They are treading water to save lives and we want to help them. This holiday adoption event gives us the chance to offer hope and homes to animals in need.”

The event will be full of holiday cheer with goodie bags for adopters and more. Santa himself will even stop by for a visit! Prospective adopters can view available pets online. The standard adoption screening process still applies during this promotion; most adoptions can be completed on the same day.

All dogs, cats and rabbits adopted from LCAS are spayed or neutered and receive a microchip, which is registered to their adopter. Dogs and cats also receive age-appropriate vaccinations. 



For more information about Loudoun County Animal Services, visit loudoun.gov/animals.

Loudoun County’s grant application process for community nonprofit organizations is now open with the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 2024) Human Services Nonprofit Grant Application available at loudoun.gov/nonprofitgrants.

Nonprofits certified as 501(c)3 organizations that provide human services to Loudoun County residents in the areas of need identified and approved by the Board of Supervisors for FY 2024 are eligible to apply for funding. The areas of need are:

• Crisis Intervention and Diversion: Services provided to individuals and families in crisis to overcome immediate problems and reduce or prevent the need for more restrictive and expensive higher-level services.



• Improved Quality of Human Services: Services and opportunities provided to individuals, organizations and communities that enhance the quality, accessibility, accountability, and coordination of services provided by community organizations.

• Long-Term Support: Services that focus on assisting individuals who have continuing, long-term support needs to remain healthy, safe, and independent in the community.

• Prevention and Self-Sufficiency: Services focused on assisting individuals and families in becoming and/or remaining independent and stable, and providing tools, skills, strategies and resources to individuals and families.

Applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m., Thursday, December 22, 2022. The amount of funding for FY 2024 will be determined by the Board of Supervisors as part of the county’s adopted FY 2024 budget. In FY 2023, the budget for human services nonprofit grant funding was $1.8 million.

Learn More

During its December 6, 2022, meeting, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to study the county’s history of segregated schools and consider ways to reconcile the impact of that history on Loudoun alumni, faculty, staff, their descendants and the greater community.

The study is intended to produce recommendations for future actions that the county and the community may take to help the community healing that is needed as a result of the past operation of segregated schools in Loudoun County. The county plans to engage The Center for Race and Public Education in the South (CRPES) at the University of Virginia to help facilitate the two-phase, multi-year project. 

Background

The estimated cost of consultant services for both phases of the study will not exceed $250,000, as approved by the Board of Supervisors. The Board’s Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee is scheduled to consider actual funding for this project later this month. 

The approval of the schools segregation study project plan follows a September 2021 decision by the Board to study the harm caused by Loudoun County’s past discrimination against Black students and to seek out ways to rectify disparities.

The Board also approved in September 2021 a review of the forced sale of eight acres of property in 1940 by the County Wide League of Black PTAs, a group comprising the parent-teacher associations of all the Black schools in Loudoun County. The league raised funds to purchase land for a Black high school and had purchased property in Leesburg for $4,000. In December 1940, that property was conveyed to Loudoun County for the nominal sum of $1 for the purpose of building Douglass High School. The Board requested the identification of possible recommendations for addressing the injustice contained in that property transaction.

For More Information

• Review the project plan in the December 6, 2022, staff report (PDF).



• View video of the Board of Supervisors’ December 6, 2022, discussion and vote on the Study and Reconciliation for the Operation of Segregated Schools in Loudoun County initiative.

Read the Full Press Release

The Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services Area Agency on Aging is offering caregivers an opportunity for a day together while enjoying a theater experience to see the multiple Tony Award-nominated musical comedy, Something Rotten.

The Caregiver Theater Excursion will take place on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The group will travel to a dinner theater and enjoy the company of others with similar experiences in caring for aging individuals. Complimentary tickets include transportation, lunch, and a show. 

The excursion will leave from Floor & Decor, 950 Edwards Ferry Rd NE, Leesburg, VA 20176 at 8:30 a.m., stopping at the Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, VA 20165 at 9:00 a.m., and traveling to Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, MD. The group will return to the Senior Center at Cascades at 5:15 p.m. and Floor & Decor at 5:45 p.m.

To register for this free program, email the Area Agency on Aging or call 571-258-3490. Registration will close for this program on December 22.

For more information about the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, visit loudoun.gov/aaa or call 703-737-8036.