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Fatal House Explosion, Dead Bear, Secret Tunnel: Top VA News Of 2024

Top VA News: Data center lawsuit, football team dispute, plane lands on road, hijacked yacht, voter roll removal, arena and casino pushes.

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Firefighter Trevor Brown with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company died in a home explosion in Loudoun County that injured 13 other people.
Firefighter Trevor Brown with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company died in a home explosion in Loudoun County that injured 13 other people. (Emily Leayman/Patch)

VIRGINIA — From discussion about developing a casino to a home explosion and an au pair linked to a double murder, there were plenty of Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg stories readers were following in 2024.

Patch is taking a look back at the region's top news in 2024. In development news, a proposal to relocate the Washington Capitals and Wizards arena failed, and legislation to allow a new casino is being pushed to the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session.

There were two major home explosions in Northern Virginia this year. One in Loudoun County killed a volunteer firefighter and injured over a dozen over people. Another explosion in Prince William County caused no resident injuries, and several pets were found safe in the following days.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Some of the other top police and fire stories were the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and her husband's trial, a dead bear illegally dumped in a bag, plane landing on a parkway, a couple's presumed deaths after their yacht was hijacked, dog deaths at a pet hotel, shootings at gyms, and an 11-vehicle crash with a tractor-trailer hitting a condo building.

In school news, the Hayfield football team controversy led it to withdraw from the playoffs, Virginia's cell phone-free education guidelines were finalized, a school temporarily closed due to lead exposure, the Supreme Court ruled against a top school's new admissions policy, school fights led a high school to move to virtual learning, and a school bomb threat was made on TikTok.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In political news, officials are monitoring reports of drone activity, the Supreme Court made a ruling in favor of Virginia's removals from voter rolls and a group is fighting a major data center approval.

See more of the top stories of 2024 below. Be sure to find your local Patch town and subscribe to receive more news in 2025.

Naresh Bhatt Charged With Murder In Missing Wife Case

Naresh Bhatt, who already faced a charge of concealing a dead body in the disappearance of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, has now been charged with murder. Authorities have not found the missing Manassas Park mother, but her husband was arrested on Aug. 22 after authorities said they presumed she is dead.

Loudoun County House Explosion: Firefighter Dead, 13 Injured

A Loudoun County firefighter has died and 11 were injured along with two residents during a house explosion in Sterling.

Au Pair Misleads Police On Bodycam Video After 2 Slayings: Prosecutor

Video shot by police bodycams as they entered a Herndon home — where a man was lured there on a pretext to be blamed for a wife's killing and was himself fatally shot — has been released by Fairfax County Police.

Home Explodes In Prince William County After Gas Leak

A home exploded in the Haymarket area of Prince William County, causing no injuries. The explosion was related to a gas leak.

Drone Sightings Increase In VA: How To Report To Police

Virginia authorities are investigating a spike in mysterious drone sightings in the Commonwealth as similar activity continues across the eastern United States.

Hayfield Withdraws From Football Playoffs Amid Recruiting Scandal

Hayfield Secondary School has withdrawn its football team from the playoffs after text messages came to light that the school’s athletic director was engaging in a scheme to recruit players from outside the school district, according to reports.

Potomac Yard Arena Proposal Not Advancing, Arena To Stay In D.C.

The proposal to bring an arena and entertainment district to Alexandria's Potomac Yard is officially dead, according to the city of Alexandria. The Washington Capitals and Wizards team owner indicated that the arena will in Washington, D.C.

Tysons Casino Referendum Bill Awaits 2025 VA General Assembly

The Tysons casino referendum bill that was held over to the 2025 session of the Virginia General Assembly will die on Monday, but that doesn’t mean the bill in some form or other won’t reappear in January.

VA Can Remove Some Voters From Rolls, Supreme Court Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Virginia election officials may continue to remove suspected non-citizens from state voter rolls, reversing a lower court's decision claiming the effort violated federal law.

Insanity Pleas Accepted For Man Who Attacked Connolly Staffers: Report

A 50-year-old Chantilly man pleaded not guilty for reasons of insanity four times in court on Monday in connection with the May 15, 2023 attack on U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly's office in Fairfax City, according to news reports.

VA Couple Killed On Hijacked Yacht Leads To Murder Charges

After a Virginia couple was presumed dead when their yacht was hijacked in the Caribbean waters, three people have been charged with murder.

Dead Bear Illegally Dumped After Being Struck By Vehicle On I-66

Workers for a company contracted with the Virginia Department of Transportation were found to be responsible for illegally dumping the dead bear found inside a plastic bag on the Custis Memorial Trail in Arlington, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

6 VA Prisoners Among 37 Biden Spares From Federal Death Row

President Joe Biden spared the lives of all but three of the people awaiting execution on federal death row, including six men convicted of drug crimes and murder in Virginia.

Plane Landed On Loudoun Parkway Without Hitting Any Vehicles: Police

A small private plane crashed landed on the Loudoun County Parkway on Friday afternoon near Arcola Mills Drive, Virginia State Police said.

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