Fredericksburg police are asking for the public’s help locating 58-year-old Elbert Martin, last seen Wednesday near Emancipation Highway and Stafford Avenue. He is believed to be traveling by Greyhound toward Illinois.
Elbert Martin was last seen on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the area of Emancipation Hwy and Stafford Ave. Elbert is 58 years old and described as 5’6″, 150lbs with black and white hair and brown eyes.
Manassas artist Sobia Sami has opened her second solo exhibition at Central Library, 8601 Mathis Ave. The free show runs through December 12 during library hours and features her acrylic and oil paintings of whirling dervishes, galloping horses, and calligraphy, plus her newest work, “The Last Dance.”
Sami, who paints as Art by Sobia, draws on her Pakistani heritage and Sufi imagery. She was selected as a 2026 artist by The People’s Artist and lives and paints in Manassas. Visitors can follow the exhibition on Instagram at @artby_sobia.
Invasive pests like spotted lanternflies and emerald ash borers easily survive freezing winters across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast because they evolved in climates identical to their native ranges, FOX 5 DC reports.
Adult lanternflies die after the first hard frosts, but the species survives as eggs protected by a waxy ootheca. Lab studies show eggs can supercool to roughly –13°F to –17.8°F. Emerald ash borer larvae under bark can withstand even lower temperatures. Warming winters along the I-95 corridor rarely reach the sustained deep freezes needed for natural population control. The DMV continues to see pressure from both pests.
Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for the World of Travel Show 2027 on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The BlackBox at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Meet representatives from 13 respected travel brands covering family and adults-only cruises, premium and luxury ocean voyages, European river cruises, expedition and Galápagos adventures, small-ship sailing, guided land tours, and customized vacations.
The University of Mary Washington’s Theatre and Dance Department is staging the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen at Klein Theatre through Nov. 22, the Fredericksburg Free Press reports.
The show follows a lonely high-schooler who becomes the center of a grieving family’s story after a classmate’s suicide. Tickets are $40 (discounts for students, alumni, military, and seniors). Performances run 7:30 p.m. Thursdays–Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, with a sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Nov. 14.
The University of Mary Washington has earned a place on The Princeton Review’s Mental Health Services Honor Roll for 2027, joining just 76 colleges and universities nationwide and only four in Virginia, UMW News reports.
“Student input plays an important role in this recognition, and that makes me particularly proud,” said Juliette Landphair, UMW’s associate vice president for health and wellness. “Our students see our health services, particularly the Talley Center for Counseling Services and Student Health Center, as resources they can count on.”
Members of the Manassas Chorale are heading to Carnegie Hall for a November 16 concert celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, the Manassas Journal reports.
The performance, Spirit of Freedom, features Joseph M. Martin’s The Four Freedoms with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra. Members leave Friday for weekend rehearsals before Monday’s 7 p.m. show. Artistic director Rebecca “Becky” Verner said Martin already knew the group’s abilities. The Chorale, founded in 1994, has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center before.
Visitors will walk past life-sized statues of elephants, giraffes and zebras before entering the lobby when Kalahari Resorts & Conventions — Spotsylvania opens Thursday, WTOP reports.
“We’ve got one chance to make an amazing first impression,” said Jeff Oliveri, the assistant general manager.
The Applebee’s restaurant at Stafford Marketplace has closed for operations after more than 23 years.
A sign posted on the front door at 1000 Stafford Market Place, Stafford, VA 22556, reads: “This Applebee’s restaurant at 1000 Stafford Market Place, Stafford, VA 22556 is now closed for operations. We have proudly served this community for over 23 years. We appreciate your ongoing patronage, & hope you’ll visit us at our next closest location: 2851 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.”
