🌱 Oakton Community College Ranked Best + Stray Guinea Pigs Rescued

Hello, everybody. It's Friday in Oakton and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community today. In today's issue, we'll cover these stories and more...

• Oakton Community College ranked among America's best
• Stray guinea pigs rescued from the wild will be up for adoption soon
• Fairfax County police shot and killed a theft suspect

But first, your weekend weather:

• Friday: Mostly sunny; windy, cooler. High: 57 Low: 31.
• Saturday: Cloudy, a little rain; cooler. High: 42 Low: 32.
• Sunday: Warmer with clouds and sun. High: 55 Low: 34.
• Monday: Cloudy, cooler; p.m. showers. High: 45 Low: 39.

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Here are the top five stories today in Oakton:

1. According to data compiled by Stacker based on Niche's 2023 Best Community Colleges in America, Oakton made the list of the country's 100 best community colleges. Coming in at No. 97, Oakton Community College – in Des Plaines – has an 86 percent graduation rate and a 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Additionally, the college was where the 80s classic movie "Sixteen Candles" was filmed. (Inside NoVA)
2. Over a dozen stray guinea pigs were rescued and brought to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter on Feb. 21. Someone had been walking their dogs at the Laurel Hill Equestrian Center when they spotted the animals. After rescuing 14 guinea pigs in total, they brought them to the animal shelter for care. The shelter said they will be up for adoption by the end of the month. (WUSA 9)
3. Fairfax County Police shot and killed Timothy McCree Johnson, 37, who was accused of stealing designer sunglasses from a store in Tysons Corner Center. Johnson ran from police and failed to comply with their repeated commands and was ultimately shot in the chest. The two officers involved in the shooting were placed on restricted duty while criminal and administrative investigations take place. (WFXR)
4. A pair of teens and a pair of adults were arrested by police in Fairfax County for a Feb. 9 carjacking in Takoma Park, Maryland. Fairfax County Police recovered the stolen vehicle in front of a shopping center on Feb. 10. Two 17-year-olds, as well as two 18-year-olds, were apprehended. Charges that were filed in relation to the incident included grand larceny and felony possession of stolen property. (Source of the Spring)
5. Five new homes have been listed for sale in the Oakton area. Available properties range from a 1,808-square-foot, two-bed, one-bath home for $799,000 to a $1.775 million home with five beds and five baths. Additional property details are available at the link. (Oakton Patch)

Coming up in and around Oakton:

Saturday, February 25

• Shoebox Solutions: Preserve Your Memories! At Unity Of Fairfax, Fairfax (9:00 AM)
• Omnimum Circus At Capital One Hall, Fairfax (2:00 PM)

Tuesday, February 28

• Coding Lab For Kids: Code Your First App At Apple, Reston (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's Ryan McGill, a master technician, was awarded the 2022 Governor’s Fire Service Award. Learn more about the award at the link! (Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department via Facebook)
• The Fairfax County Government was reminiscing on winter's passed during yesterday's warm weather. Click the link if you are missing snowy scenes this time of year! (Fairfax County Government via Facebook)
• Help shape the future of Fairfax County Public Schools by filling out their feedback form here. (Fairfax County Public Schools via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Antique Silver and Brass Restoration Services: MONDAYS 10 -4 (February 27)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center (March 1)
• Color Trends and Setting the Right Mood for your Home (March 3)
• Add your event

Free stuff:

• Good furniture, household, vintage & miscellaneous (Details)
• Add your free stuff

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox next week with another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.