Top 19: Remembering Spanish Train Wreck Victim, Suicide Suspected in Plane Crash, Arlington No. 1 for Successful, Single Women

Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and Washington. Here are some of the top stories from around the region from last week.

Police Link DJ Accused of Sex Crimes to Clarendon Assault: A 34-year-old man accused of multiple sex crimes in Fairfax County has been linked to a 2010 attack in Clarendon, the Arlington County Police Department announced Tuesday. Joseph Rivera, who previously lived in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria, was arrested in Las Vegas earlier this month on a series of Fairfax County charges and is awaiting extradition. Rivera faces charges of rape, aggravated sexual battery, animate object sexual penetration and two counts of unlawful filming in Fairfax County. He is accused of filming and photographing himself sexually assaulting several unconscious women over the course of the last few years.

Georgetown Mom Makes a Business of Creative Kids' Parties: Renee Footer is one of those Georgetown moms whose kids' birthday parties make every other parent wonder whether she ever sleeps. Petting zoo? Check. Iguanas? Check. A pirate AND Cinderella? Double check. From hand-made invitations to personalized party favor tutus and sandwiches shaped like little animals, Footer said she loved getting the details just right to make each party special.

Arlington Ranks No. 1 for Successful, Educated Single Women: What does success look like in Arlington? Chances are, just like the young woman you asked out the other night at Whitlow's. According to a new report from real estate brokerage Redfin, Arlington is the No. 1 place in the United States for single, educated and successful women.

Faculty, Students Remember Principal Cliff Hardison: Following the death of West Potomac High School Principal Cliff Hardison, friends and students took to Twitter and Facebook to honor the man who served as a leader for the school since 2009. When Assistant Superintendent Deborah Tyler wrote and sent a letter to inform families of Hardison's death Tuesday, a small group of current students and alumni went to the school to paint a rock in his honor. Along with colorful handprints, the rock now reads, "United for Mr. Hardison," "We Love You" and "Forever a Wolverine."

Fairfax Station Teen Breaks Four Swimming Records: Watch out Michael Phelps, because Brandon Fabian is at your heels. The 15-year-old Fairfax Station teen has broken four Colonial Swimming League records this summer and is working to shave a second from his freestyle time to make the U.S. National Team. “I usually listen to music before a meet. It helps get the tempo right for my swim,” said Fabian, who swims for the Barrington Blue Fins — and has since he was 7 years old. “I don't like to talk to people because it gets me out of that zone, and then I go as fast as I can. There's not that much that goes into it.”

Cuts Expected in Workhouse Budget Crunch: Difficult budget decisions appear imminent at the Workhouse Arts Center following a special meeting Thursday of the Lorton Arts Foundation Board, which manages the nonprofit arts center. The board made revisions to its current budget, approved the establishment of a reserve fund and gave CEO John Mason the power to take contingency action. A source familiar with the meeting said the board needs to make payments on a $52 million bond and the solution may effect staffing and services at the site.

Masked, Gun-Toting Men Rob Falls Church Post Office: A Falls Church post office was robbed by two men Thursday, one of whom displayed a gun during the robbery. Fairfax County police responded to the Seven Corners Post Office, 6375 Seven Corners Center, shortly after  11 a.m., according to a news release. Two men entered the post office; one jumped the counter and demanded money from a 55-year-old female employee. The second man displayed a handgun and stood near an exit inside the building. They got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Who Are McLean’s Top Donors in Virginia Governor’s Race?: The Virginia governor's race is one of the most-watched in the country, pitting former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe against conservative Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Which candidate is McLean backing? Election Day isn't until November, so we'll just have to wait and see. But in the money race? Here's how McLean breaks down.

Chantilly Getting Wawa at Dulles Discovery Center: Devoted fans of Wawa convenience stores will be delighted to hear that Chantilly will soon get its own, the only one in Fairfax County, according to the Washington Business Journal. The store will be located in the Peterson Cos.-owned Dulles Discovery retail complex, which is bordered by the Sully Historic Site and the Air and Space Museum. No word on the timeline but the Business Journal also notes that Peterson Cos. hopes to have the land rezoned in order to accommodate a yet-to-be named bank, a Chick-fil-A and a Primrose School.

Police Identify West End Alexandria Homicide Victim: Alexandria police have identified the victim of Wednesday evening’s shooting on North Armistead Street as Bradley Bostick. The death has been ruled a homicide following the results of an autopsy Thursday morning by the Northern Virginia Medical Examiner. Police responded to a report of shots fired around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Upon their arrival, Bostick was located with an apparent gunshot wound to his upper body. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Bostick was the father of three and grandfather of two.

Leesburg Council Passes Resolution Against Bi-County Parkway: The Leesburg Town Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to oppose the North-South Corridor and its components, despite firm requests — some have called them threats — from Loudoun Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York and Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard not to do so. The resolution opposes construction of the Bi-County Parkway — originally the Tri-County Parkway until it shifted west several years back — which is related to the North-South Corridor aimed at improving connectivity between Prince William County and Dulles International Airport and the surrounding area.

Ashburn Man Charged in Fatal North Carolina Crash: An Ashburn man has been charged in a North Carolina car crash that killed a couple, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Troy Bowman, 50, told the North Carolina Highway Patrol he had fallen asleep behind the wheel. He has been charged with reckless driving and two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, the Pilot reported.

Let Us Pray … and Woof! Dog Walk Church Service a Hit in Virginia: Things are getting a little hairy over at the Epiphany Lutheran Church of Mount Vernon. Last month, the Rev. Charles Oberkehr began what he calls a “dog walker’s worship,” allowing parishioners to bring their four-legged friends with them for an early-morning stroll where they can discuss faith and contemplate nature. “Every Sunday morning, we’d come back and we’d see there’s a whole host of people walking their dogs back and forth, and we decided to make it a worship service,” Oberkehr said.

Gainesville Native to Open for Jonas Brothers at Jiffy Lube Live: If there's a such thing as star quality, then Jordan Baird definitely has it. It’s apparent when the fresh-faced, blue-eyed 21-year-old walks in a room, and when he hits the stage — as he will on Monday when he opens for the Jonas Brothers at the Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater. It was also apparent when the Stonewall Jackson High School graduate was a finalist on “The Next,” the CW’s singing competition that aired last fall.

Minutes After Suicide Threat, Plane Crashes at Virginia Airport: One person died Monday in a single-engine plane crash at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. The crash occurred shortly after deputies responded to the airfield regarding a suicide threat phoned in to 911. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the small plane crashed about 6:30 p.m. at the airfield, which is just outside of Fredericksburg. Authorities believe the plane had one person on board, according to Capt. Jeff Pearce.

Mayor: Alexandria Has Made Progress in Race Relations, But Needs More: Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said he was working out at the YMCA on Monroe Avenue one morning shortly after George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin when he was approach by a friend. The friend wanted to discuss the shooting death of the Florida teen, Zimmerman’s trial and the racial tension spurred by the case — but said they just didn’t know how.That prevailing perplexity was enough for the city’s first black mayor to organize a forum with the local NAACP chapter and the Alexandria’s Human Rights Commission to discuss the case.

Del Ray's Norge Laundry Closes: Norge Coin-Operated Laundry and Dry Cleaning halted its self-serve laundry operations on Monday as it prepares to close to make way for a new Walgreens in the 1500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. Despite requests from Alexandria officials to take its business elsewhere in the city, Walgreens is getting ready to transform the entire retail strip at 1509 to 1517 Mount Vernon Ave. into a new store. An employee at the Laundromat said Norge’s owner was seeking a new location but had yet to find anything.

Two McDonald's in Herndon Robbed at Gunpoint, Prompting Police Pursuit: Three people are in custody after allegedly robbing two Herndon McDonald’s restaurants at gunpoint while wearing masks early Wednesday morning. When officers spotted the suspects in the area shortly after, a chase ensued. After the trio crashed their car and ran into the woods, helicopters and canine units helped officers locate and arrest them. It was later discovered that the three had also allegedly stolen the car they were driving and robbed a 7-Eleven in Sterling earlier that morning, assaulting the cashier in the process.

Three Victims of Spain Train Wreck Lived in Annandale, Attended Church in Fairfax: Patch learned late Thursday that the sole American killed in this week’s deadly train crash in Spain was an Annandale resident who was an active member of Saint Mary’s of Sorrows church in Fairfax. Ana Maria Cordoba was traveling with her husband and daughter to meet their son in Spain. Her husband and daughter, who were on the train with her, survived the crash and are in stable condition in a hospital. Cordoba, a 47-year-old Colombian immigrant, worked at the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, where colleagues remembered her Friday as a gentle and caring person.

Tysons Walmart to Open Aug. 14: The Walmart in Tysons Corner will open Aug. 14. A spokesman for Tysons West, the development that will house the store, confirmed the date with Patch on Thursday. The opening date is in line with the announced timeline to open the store by September 2013. The new location, which lies off of Westwood Center Drive and is near the new Spring Hill Metro station on the Silver Line, is still hiring.