WOODBRIDGE, Va. – There’s been another coyote sighting in Prince William County, this time at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge.

The hospital confirms an animal, believed to be a coyote, was spotted running through the parking lot about 11 a.m. The animal was then seen headed toward a wooded area and then disappeared and was not seen again.

A Prince William Animal Control Officer who was later called to the hospital learned the animal was seen lying on a mulch bed and then again toward the back of the building, said Prince William police spokesman Mark Merriman.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center spokeswoman Corianne Pafford said a vendor making a delivery to the hospital first noticed the animal and took photos of it which were handed over the animal control officer.

The coyote sighting comes after the Prince William Health District office last week issued a warning about  a coyote that was spotted in the Buckhall section of the county, just outside Manassas.

Merriman said the construction happening at the Sentara campus could have disturbed the animal’s habit. Coyotes are territorial and will prey on small dogs and cats if left unattended, according to the Prince William Health District office.

DALE CITY, Va. – The Prince William Ice Center was evacuated this afternoon due to a report of an ammonia leak.

The center at 5180 Dale Boulevard was cleared of all occupants about 3 p.m. Fire and rescue crews were expected to be on the scene for several hours investigating the leak, according to initial information.

Ammonia is used in the ice making process at the center. At room temperature, ammonia can be a poisonous gas.

We’ll bring you more as we have it.

DALE CITY, Va – A 30 year old man was beaten in the face and hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Police have issued an arrest warrant for suspect.

Here’s the latest from Prince William police;

Malicious Wounding – On July 25th at 12:50AM, officers responded to the 14400 block of Fontaine Ct in Woodbridge (22193) to investigate an assault. The investigation revealed that the victim, a 30 year old man of Woodbridge, was assaulted by the accused, a known acquaintance, while in front of a residence in the above area. A witness reported seeing the accused on top of the victim, striking him repeatedly to the face. The accused fled on foot prior to police arriving in the area. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Following the investigation, officers obtained a warrant against the accused.

Wanted: [Photo from May 2011]

Antonio Carlos LANE, 22, of 14402 Fontaine Ct in Woodbridge

Described as a black male, 6’0”, 170lbs with a thin build, short curly black hair, brown eyes, and an unshaven face

Wanted for malicious wounding

TRIANGLE, Va. – Investigators are looking into a suspicious fire that broke out at a home in Triangle, just off Fuller Heights Road.

Fire crews were called to 19201 Cardinal Heights Road late Saturday morning and found a fire burning in a bedroom of the house, said Prince William fire and rescue Battalion Chief Curtis Brodie. The blaze was doused quickly and no injuries were reported.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire but are not ready to release any specific details in the case, said Brodie.

A total of four adults were displaced from the home after the fire. No charges have been filed.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – A 17-year-old male is charged with attempted murder tonight after a fire broke out in Woodbridge.

Here’s the latest from Prince William Fire and Rescue Department:

On Sunday, July 27th at approximately 4:30 a.m., fire and rescue units responded to a reported structure fire located at 13700 block of Marbury Lane in Woodbridge.

Upon arrival, fire and rescue units found a working fire on the first floor of the home. Firefighters entered the home and quickly extinguish the fire. Firefighters checked for extension; no further extension was found.

The occupants, 4 adults, safely evacuated the home without injury and were assisted by the Red Cross.

A juvenile sustained minor injuries; treated and released.

The Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office quickly determined that the incident was an arson-related fire. In a joint investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office and detectives from Prince William County Police Violent Crimes Bureau a suspect was developed and identified.

A 17 year old male juvenile of Woodbridge was arrested without incident and charged with 4 counts of attempted murder, 1 count of arson of an occupied dwelling and 1 count of manufacturing an explosive device/materials or fire bomb.

He is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – The drive home for some on Old Bridge Road in the Lake Ridge and Occoquan areas will be slow tonight.

Fire and rescue crews were called to the scene of a house fire at the Colonial Port Mobile Home Park at the intersection of Occoquan and Devils Reach Road. Police were also called to the area to help control traffic and, according to initial reports, have some roads in the area blocked off.

The scene of the fire is near Old Bridge and Occoquan road, which serves as a busy commuter route for drivers exiting Interstate 95 making their way back into the Lake Ridge section of Prince William County.

It’s not clear at this time what sparked the blaze or if anyone was injured. We’ll have more as we get it.

DALE CITY, Va. – Police say a customer at a bank in Dale City was robbed this afternoon.

Here’s the latest from Prince William police:

*INCIDENT: Woodbridge | Strong Armed Robbery, 4100 block of Dale Blvd. Customer leaving the Bank of America was robbed of their wallet. No injuries reported. Suspect fled on foot. K-9 is on scene.

Suspect: Light skinned black male, 6’3″, 180lbs wearing tan pans and a white tank-top.

UPDATE: A police helicopter from Fairfax County is now searching for a suspect in what was described as a foot pursuit in the area of the Sharon Baucom Dale City Recreation Center on Minnieville Road.

Police are pursuing a wanted person and the e chase is not related to the mugging at the nearby Bank of America that occurred just moments before the helicopter search began, a police spokesman said.

Officials are focusing their search on an area near a water tower near power lines.

Dale City native Christina Epperson spotted a tornado on the way to work on Sunday.

She was on her way to her emergency room nursing job at a hospital in Johnson City, Tenn. when she spotted the funnel cloud. Epperson says she was driving on Interstate 26 between Gray and Kingsport, Tenn. when she spotted the tornado, and then took shelter underneath a highway overpass.

She shared her experience with us in her own words:

I had a mini heart attack and then decided it would be best to stop under the overpass with all the other cars collecting there. Then when people began evacuating their families out of the vehicles and up the steep concrete to the narrow top under the roadway, I followed them. Figured they are the locals and maybe they know more about this stuff than I do.

After about 5 mins of panicking, I saw cars were still driving and decided to take my chances. Didn’t want to be late to work! A few hundred yards down the road, there were trees snapped in half.

My coworker who lives in the same area apparently was smarter than me and waited until the danger had passed to get on the road to work. She said there was debris and cars turned the wrong way where I had passed through just a few minutes before.

I guess I’ve had enough excitement for one day…and I can now confirm to my parents that they were correct in thinking I didn’t know what I was talking about when I said I wanted to be a storm chaser after watching “Twister” 7 times in the movie theater.

I’m probably being super overdramatic about this experience, but it sure felt pretty super dramatic to me. LOL (PS: I still highly enjoyed the beautiful storm clouds and lightning on my way to work…)

TV station WJHL reports a tornado did damage homes in the region. The storms dropped baseball-sized hail in portions of western Tennessee and southwest Virginia, according to the TV station.

Updated: The photo was taken by Epperson’s co-worker who also spotted the same twister.

Dollar Tree will purchase Family Dollar in an effort to diversify it’s product offering and customer base.

The Chesapeake, Va. – based retail chain said the acquisition would produce annual sales of more than $18 billion in more than 13,000 stores across the U.S. The cash and stock transaction is worth $8.5 billion, according to the Associated Press.

Here’s a statement from Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser:

“This is a transformational opportunity,” stated Bob Sasser, Dollar Tree’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the acquisition of Family Dollar Stores, Dollar Tree will become a leading discount retailer in North America, with over 13,000 stores in 48 states and five Canadian Provinces, sales of over $18 billion, and more than 145,000 associates on our team. We will continue to operate under the Dollar Tree, Deals, and Dollar Tree Canada brands, and when this transaction is complete, we will operate under the Family Dollar brand as well. Throughout our history, we have strived continuously to evolve and improve our business. This acquisition, which enhances our footprint and diversifies our company, will enable us to build on that progression, and importantly, positions Dollar Tree for accelerated growth. By offering both fixed-price and multi-price point formats and an even broader, more compelling merchandise assortment, we will be able to provide even greater value and choice to a wider array of customers.

Dollar Tree has a long record of consistent, profitable growth, strong financial performance, prudent capital management, and outstanding total shareholder returns. The acquisition of Family Dollar is consistent with our vision to be the leader in value retailing.”

Dollar Tree brands itself as the leading fixed price retailer in the nation, selling everything in its stores for under $1, with its stores in suburban areas targeting middle income residents. Family Dollar sells a mixture of groceries and home goods at various prices, and has stores in lower income areas in urban and rural locations, according to a press release.

The acquisition is expected to be complete early next year. Afterward, the company will have more than 145,000 associates.

The company plans to use cash from the acquisition to pay down debt, grow its presence in existing markets, and expand to new markets.

Dollar Tree has multiple locations in the region. Family  Dollar has four stores in Woodbridge, three in Manassas, and one in North Stafford.

MANASSAS, Va. – City Hall in Manassas now has a new name.

Residents alongside city leaders Sunday night dedicated the government center in honor of former Mayor Marvin Gillum. A new plaque with Gillum’s name was unveiled Sunday night under Harris Pavilion in Downtown Manassas.

Gillum was famous for coning the phrase “community for a lifetime” when describing his hometown. City officials say a formal request for the name change was made back in January and was unanimously approved by the city.

Here’s more background on Gillum as provided by city officials:

Mayor Gillum was born in Manassas and graduated from Osbourn High School in 1940.  He served as Mayor of the City from 1996 to 2004.  Prior to that he served as a school board member for more than 15 years. 

Mayor Gillum was a community leader and served on numerous boards and committees including: the ManassasRotary Club; the Prince William Health System Foundation; the Manassas Historical Commission; the Manassas Education Foundation; Historic Manassas, Inc.; Manassas baseball little league; the American Red cross; SERVE; George Mason University (Prince William Campus) and many others.