🌱 New Data Center Coming To Ashburn + Family Sues Loudoun County Jail

Good morning, everybody! I'm here with your Wednesday edition of the Ashburn Patch newsletter, full of all the things you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler; a little p.m. rain. High: 48 Low: 43.

Business owners and marketers in Ashburn: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories today in and around Ashburn:

1. Parents are accusing Virginia's Loudoun County Schools of "hiding something big" after the district board voted 6-3 last Tuesday to withhold an independent report detailing the sexual assault cases of two high school students. Board member Erika Ogedebe argued that while transparency is "important," releasing the report would only contribute to and prolong the "trauma of the victims." On the contrary, Tiffany Polifko, who ran as a parental rights candidate for the board last November, said the incident is "about justice, integrity, and service." The controversy stems from an incident in which a male student assaulted a female student in the girls' restroom at one of Loudoun County's high schools. (Fox News)
2. Real estate company Finmarc has filed to build a new data center in Ashburn in 2026. Located at 19886 Ashburn Road, the property is owned by the real estate firm and leased to cybersecurity company Telos Corp. It is currently a 190,000-square-foot office complex. Whether Finmarc aims to demolish the existing buildings and construct new facilities or retrofit the existing buildings is unclear. (Data Center Dynamics)
3. A Loudoun County family is suing the sheriff’s office for $7 million, claiming that their son was “tortured” while in the custody of deputies. The lawsuit alleges that Loudoun deputies on Feb. 4 attempted to move Rickie Piland to a new cell and that, after using pepper spray to get him to comply, restrained him in a wheelchair and brought him to a jail shower for “decontamination.” Piland has been a pretrial detainee at the Loudoun County Sheriff’s jail for nearly two years. He is being held on sexual assault charges. (Subscription: Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Today in Ashburn:

• Dungeons And Dragons (D&D) Club Meeting At Ashburn Library (6:30 PM)
• BOOM Song-A-Laka Music Bingo At Neighbors Sports Bar & Grill (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services announced a four-day closure of the Riverpoint Drive Trailhead in nearby Leesburg. The parking lot will be closed to the public effective Tuesday, Feb. 21 through Friday, Feb. 25 to store construction materials for maintenance to the area. (Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services via Facebook)
• Several facilities in the Ashburn area recorded violations during health department inspections between Feb. 8 and Feb. 14. The most recent restaurant inspections in the Ashburn area include Goodfellas Pizza, Moon Lounge, and more, according to the Loudoun County Health Department. For a detailed report of health inspections conducted and facility performances, check out the link! (Patch)
• Telos Corporation, a leading provider of cyber, cloud, and enterprise security solutions, announced the addition of two seasoned executives to expand Telos’ federal and commercial business in Ashburn. Joining the team is industry veteran and cybersecurity expert Josh Salmanson, the company’s senior vice president of technology solutions, and Lee Canterbury, the company’s vice president of corporate growth. (MarketScreener)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox soon with a new update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.