Metro

The fire, which began before dawn Friday at 7399 Filly Lane, was ruled an accident. Investigators believe it started in the kitchen, Myer said. There were no working smoke detectors in the house.

Rural Areas Find Ways to Lure Tourists

From Dickenson County to Galax, rural areas of Virginia that offer winding trails, bluegrass music and wine tastings have become some of the state's fastest-growing attractions, tourism officials said yesterday.

The rapid growth follows a national trend of city dwellers seeking relaxing, country getaways, officials said. Many of these tourists prefer to blend their vacations with such activities as wine tastings and spa treatments.

Southwestern Virginia has developed "the Crooked Road," a 250-mile route between Clintwood and Ferrum, that highlights eight country music landmarks.

Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, however, aren't reporting an increase in visitors. Kat Imhoff of Monticello said its annual attendance hasn't cracked 500,000 in nearly three years.

GMU 'Sextravaganza' Attracts Hundreds

About 500 George Mason University students turned out yesterday on the Fairfax campus for a sexuality and health fair dubbed "Sextravaganza" that had raised the ire of Republican legislators, organizers said.

Amanda Agan, 21, a global affairs major from Fairfax County and co-chairwoman of the Pro-Choice Patriots, said the event went smoothly and featured talks on safe sex and healthy relationships.

State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (Fairfax), along with other Republicans, called the event an example of the "moral depravity that has crept across this commonwealth and this country."

Quote of the Day

"I never have a parent ask me for 10 reading goals. They want their children feeding themselves and toilet-trained and to have job skills."

-- Gerry Reed, special education teacher at Germantown Elementary School, on the statewide testing requirements under No Child Left Behind. -- B1

Compiled from reports by staff writers David Snyder, Allison Klein, Eric M. Weiss, V. Dion Haynes, Karin Brulliard and Annie Gowen and the Associated Press.