WEEK IN REVIEW

Jan. 22-28

Senate Advances Gay Marriage BanApproval Makes Referendum a Virtual Certainty

A vote by the state Senate all but guarantees that Virginia will hold a November referendum on whether to amend its Bill of Rights to ban gay marriages.

The Senate voted 28 to 11 to approve the amendment after the House of Delegates passed its proposal. Each chamber must vote on the measure adopted by the other, but their wording is identical and support among senators and delegates is strong.

Fairfax Officer Kills Unarmed ManPolice Call Shooting During Arrest Accidental

A Fairfax County police officer accidentally shot and killed an unarmed man outside the man's townhouse Tuesday night as an undercover detective was about to arrest the man on suspicion of gambling on sports, the police chief said.

Police had been secretly making bets with Salvatore J. Culosi Jr., 37, an optometrist, since October as part of a gambling investigation, according to court records.

Culosi came out of his townhouse on Cavalier Landing Court about 9:35 p.m. and was standing next to the detective's sport-utility vehicle, police said, when the detective gave a signal to tactical officers assembled nearby to move in and arrest Culosi. Fairfax Police Chief David M. Rohrer said that as they approached him, one officer's handgun was "unintentionally discharged."

N.Va. Population Rapidly BallooningLoudoun, Pr. William Top Growth Over 5 Years

Northern Virginia has grown by nearly 14 percent, or about 293,000 people, in the past five years, according to annual estimates produced by the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

Virginia gained more people than all but six other states, and 60 percent of the state's growth occurred in Northern Virginia, the center found.

Loudoun County, which the center estimates grew by a "phenomenal" 82,700 people, or 49 percent, in the past five years, led the trend. Prince William County was close behind, with an increase of 74,500 over that period. Fairfax County, though not growing at the same rate, had added 52,400 residents since 2000.

Delegate's Gun Discharges at CapitolBullet Hits Vest Hanging on Door; No One Injured

The gun of state Del. John S. "Jack" Reid misfired in his office on the seventh floor of the Virginia General Assembly Building.

Reid's semiautomatic .380 handgun -- which the delegate said he carries for protection -- fired as he popped the clip from the handle, sending a single bullet into the cushion of a bulletproof vest that was hanging from the back of his closed office door. No one was injured. Reid (R-Henrico) apologized to his colleagues on the floor of the House of Delegates.

Kaine Adds a Bit Extra for Teachers' PayGovernor Sweetens Raise Proposed by Warner

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has proposed a 4 percent raise next year for Virginia teachers, one percentage point more than departing Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) had recommended.

Kaine amended Warner's budget to give teachers the bigger raise, at a cost of $39.5 million over two years. That's on top of the $168 million Warner had included in his budget for the raises.

Across the RegionProtest Site Approved; D.C. Income Gap Widens

· Organizers of a planned protest during President Bush's State of the Union address this week reached an agreement with law enforcement officials and will be allowed to use the area around the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool for their demonstration.

· The gap between the rich and the poor in the District continues to widen. The difference has continued to grow since 2000, as incomes at the top soared and those at the bottom barely budged, according to a report from two think tanks based on census data. The gap also grew in Maryland and Virginia, the report said.