Top 18: Teen Dies in Rooftop Electrocution, Paralyzed Student Walks, Woodbridge Teen on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

Written by Beth Lawton

Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and Washington. Here are some of the top stories from around the region from last week.

Teen Dies in Rooftop Electrocution at Herndon School — Friends and family of Bennett Rill, 14, were stunned to hear the boy was electrocuted by a live electrical wire while playing on the roof of Fox Mill Elementary just hours after the school year ended Tuesday.

Police: Reports of Kids at Schools, On Roofs at Night 'Not Uncommon' — Children hanging out at schools — and even on rooftops — after-hours and at night are a fairly regular occurrence, according to Fairfax County police. Police "strongly discourage" children from hanging out on school grounds at night or climbing fences and getting onto rooftops, a spokesman said following the death of 14-year-old Bennett Rill.

Paralyzed Lake Braddock Student Walks at Graduation — A Lake Braddock High School student who suffered a spinal cord injury last year stunned his classmates by walking at graduation last week.

Woodbridge Teen Advances to Top 20 on 'So You Think You Can Dance' — Nico Greetham started dancing competitively at age 8 and is now one of 20 finalists on the popular FOX show. "He dances from his heart and soul," his mother, Isabella Greetham, said. "He loves what he does, and I think people can see that. His goal is to do the best that he can."

Charges Filed Against Arlington Student in Skateboarding Death — Arlington County authorities have charged a 17-year-old Washington-Lee High School student with reckless driving following an incident earlier this month that left his friend dead. The teen was driving a pickup truck June 4 while John Malvar, 18, was hanging on to the side, riding a skateboard.

Washington Metro Area Real Estate Market Heats Up — The spring real estate market has been hot in the greater Washington area, with homes selling faster and at higher prices. According to Real Estate Business Intelligence: The average home is on the market for just 38 days — down from 48 days a year ago — and the median selling price of area homes has risen more than 8 percent from a year ago.

Foster's Grille Restaurant Owner Dies — Shawn Foster, the founder and creator of Foster’s Grille, the popular “charburger” franchise in Northern Virginia, died this month, two weeks shy of his 48th birthday, according to a Wilmington Star-News obituary.

Wolf: Reopen TWA Flight 800 Investigation — An upcoming documentary alleging that new evidence could change the results of the investigation into the 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800 and the media coverage associated with the film prompted U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., to ask that the investigation be reopened.

Refreshing the Mix: Pentagon City Mall Looks Toward Renovation — The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is pressing forward with long-term renovation plans. The mall has announced in recent weeks that Panera Bread opened in its food court. Sephora moved into a new, expanded space. And Ann Taylor reopened after renovations. Beyond that, the remodeling and expansion of public restrooms on the mall's Metro level should be finished soon. The next phase, which is tentatively planned to start next year, would be a complete remodel of the mall's interior. A third phase would renovate the mall's exterior.

Pedestrian Hit Twice on I-95 in Fredericksburg — A man walking in the left lane of northbound Interstate 95 near mile marker 131.6 in Fredericksburg was struck by two cars in the early morning hours Friday, according to Virginia State Police. The right mirror of a 2013 Dodge Dart struck the man despite the driver’s efforts to avoid him; then a 2004 Volkswagen Passat swerved to avoid the still-standing man, but hit him. Hector Rolando Xitumul-Alvarado, 21, whose address isn't known, suffered severe trauma.

Attempted Robbery-Turned-Shooting Rattles Mantua Residents — A 17-year-old person is in custody following a robbery-turned-shooting in the Mantua area of Fairfax last week. Police believe a robbery on the street escalated when the victim pulled out a handgun and fired.

Fairfax Board Raises Home Daycare Limits — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted last week to allow home day care providers to care for up to 12 children with a special permit, a decision that came after a year’s worth of work and public meetings to get county code in sync with the state.

Vienna Chef Nominated for RAMMY Award — A Vienna chef is a nominee for “Rising Culinary Star of the Year” in the RAMMY awards. Tim Ma, of the Maple Avenue Restaurant, is among those on the short list for the award, which recognizes excellence in the Washington metro area restaurant industry.

Manassas Park May Leave Library System Due to Tight Budget — Manassas Park's decision to possibly stop funding the Prince William Library System is about addressing the city's financial needs, officials said. Dean Crowhurst, Manassas Park's interim city manager, addressed the Prince William County Library System board of trustees last week, reassuring them the city wasn't unhappy with library services, but said if there's a better way to pay for the libraries, then that needs to be done.

Remodeled Annandale Hess Gas Station Could Reopen Next Week — The Annandale Hess gas station at 7100 Little River Turnpike, which is currently undergoing renovations, could reopen as soon as next week.