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By Valerie Cury After two unsuccessful attempts to annex the property into the Town of Purcellville—first by a previous owner and most recently by current applicant Chuck Kuhn, developer of the proposed Valley Commerce Center at 17110 Purcellville Road—the application is now before Loudoun County. The industrial development would total 986,000 square feet, down 288,892…
Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue Robert S. Wertz Jr. is accepting applications from charitable nonprofit organizations seeking an exemption from Loudoun County real and/or personal property taxes for the 2027 tax year. The deadline to apply for the exemption is Wednesday, April 1. Most charitable nonprofit organizations are not automatically exempt from local property…
By Valerie Cury Two bills currently in the Virginia General Assembly could reshape governance in Purcellville, potentially restricting council votes, suspending officials facing charges, and mandating costly studies—raising questions about local autonomy, transparency, and the balance of power between state and town. Purcellville Vice Mayor Ben Nett says he has been the target of a…
By Valerie Cury Purcellville Vice Mayor Carl Benjamin “Ben” Nett filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, Jan. 28, alleging that town officials and law enforcement leaders violated his constitutional rights and engaged in a coordinated campaign to remove him from his job as a police officer and undermine his political career. Nett is seeking approximately $42.4…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Jan. 24, that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the Commonwealth of Virginia to support response efforts following a severe winter storm prediction that began on Jan. 22 and is ongoing. The action, authorized by President Donald J. Trump, allows FEMA to coordinate all federal disaster…
Sponsored by the Loudoun County Public Library, the Loudoun County Public Library Short Story Contest invites teens and adults to curl up with their imaginations this winter and share an original, unpublished short story. Submissions will be accepted online through Sunday, Feb. 15, with winners celebrated at awards ceremonies on Saturday, May 9. Along the…
By Valerie Cury On Dec. 18, the County Planning Commission held a public hearing for Happy Paws K9, LLC, a dog kennel that has been operating in a Leesburg residential neighborhood, zoned Agricultural Rural-1 (AR-1), without the required zoning approvals. The applicants, Marcel and Beatriz Uttembergue, who live on a three-acre property on Oatlands Chase…
By Valerie Cury The divide in Purcellville is not between honest governance and corruption. It is between a majority fulfilling the will of the voters and a very well-connected political minority determined to reverse the outcome of an election. Purcellville is being portrayed as a town unraveling, plagued by misconduct and unprecedented corruption. Senator Russet…
For the second year in a row, the Virginia Military Institute Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team won the bronze medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol, the British Army’s premier patrolling event held Oct. 3-12 in the Brecon Beacons, a mountain range in Wales in the United Kingdom. Last year was the team’s first year to compete,…