FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – We have our winners! Potomac Local News is excited to announce the recipients of free tickets to Next to Normal at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.

🎭 Thank You for Entering

Hundreds of readers entered our giveaway for a chance to see one of the most talked-about productions of the summer. Next to Normal is a bold and emotional Broadway musical that dives into themes of mental illness, grief, and the complexities of family life. It’s playing now through August 3 in Fredericksburg.

This giveaway was our way of saying thank you—for reading, subscribing, and supporting independent local journalism.

💌 Meet the Winners

After a random drawing that gave paid members an extra entry, here are our lucky winners:

🥇 First Place – 4 tickets
Samantha

🥈 Second Place – 2 tickets
Molly

🥉 Third Place – 2 tickets
Dave

Winners have been notified by email and can select any available performance date through August 3, 2025.

🗣️ Don’t Miss a Speaker Night

If you didn’t win this time, you can still make your visit to Next to Normal even more powerful by attending one of five Speaker Nights. These pre-show events feature local mental health advocates and experts who share personal insights and resources, starting at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. curtain:

• July 10 – Rappahannock Area Community Services Board
• July 17 – Mental Health America Fredericksburg
• July 24 – Dr. Theron Stinar, Fredericksburg Christian Health Center
• August 3 – Randy Feltner, firefighter and mental health advocate

❤️ Our Mission

We believe in supporting stories that move us—on stage and in the community. This giveaway is part of our ongoing effort to spotlight meaningful conversations about mental health in Northern Virginia.

Want more chances to win in the future? Become a paid member and help us grow local journalism that serves you.

STAFFORD, Va. – The window to become a new teacher in our area is closing, but school divisions are still hiring as the first day of the 2025–26 school year approaches.

In Stafford County, just over 120 licensed staff positions remained open as of late June. Of those, 98 are classroom teaching roles, while the rest include specialists like counselors. “Special education across all grades and elementary positions are our highest-need areas,” said Patrick Byrnett, the division’s Chief Talent Officer.

To fill positions, Stafford has boosted its recruitment efforts this year. The division hosted regular job fairs and information sessions for residents, partnered with Stafford County Government on a joint event, and engaged more deeply with teacher preparation programs across Virginia and nearby states. New hires will attend a week-long “Prep for Success” orientation starting July 28, which combines school-based mentoring with division-wide training in curriculum and instructional practices.

“Stafford remains a great place to live, work, and learn,” said Byrnett. “If you are someone who is a constant learner and cares about children, make Stafford a part of your story.”

In Fredericksburg City Public Schools, 21.5 licensed positions remain open, including general and special education teachers, a reading coach, an instructional coach, a school psychologist, and a speech-language pathologist. Most of the division’s staffing needs are at the elementary level, said Chief Human Resources Officer Sue Keffer.

Local job fairs have been Fredericksburg’s most effective tool for finding candidates. New hires there will attend a four-day “New Staff Academy,” which introduces them to the division’s culture and includes sessions on classroom management, special education, technology, safety, and community partnerships.

Keffer encourages interested educators to reach out. “We are a small, closely knit school community with many supports in place to help our staff be successful,” she said.

School begins in early August for many local divisions. Those interested in applying should check their school division’s website for the latest openings.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Prince William County’s first Juneteenth celebration was largely paid for by Supervisor Victor Angry, with additional support from a developer seeking county approval for three data center projects.

According to Prince William Times, Angry spent about $47,000 from his campaign funds on the June 19 event, covering expenses like entertainment, security, cleanup, and promotion. A $20,000 fireworks display was funded by JK Moving Services, owned by Chuck Kuhn—who has three data center projects awaiting votes by the county’s planning commission and board of supervisors.

Kuhn’s proposals include a data center at Innovation at the Parkway, 11 data centers on the Hunter property in Bristow, and five more on the Gardner property in Gainesville. All would exceed the county’s by-right height limit of 60 feet and require rezoning or special exceptions.

Angry, a consistent supporter of data center development, said he’s willing to use campaign donations from industry sources for community events. “I’m not driving a Mercedes off that money,” Angry told Prince William Times. “But when the community needs money, I have it.”

County officials didn’t publicly discuss funding for the festival or raise ethical concerns about developer involvement. Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson said while developers should invest in the community, she remains opposed to data centers near homes or schools.

Prince William Times first reported this story.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Nearly six months after the grand opening of Prince William County’s first commuter parking garage, new data shows the facility is being used far below capacity while operating costs continue to climb, renewing questions raised even before construction began.

The Neabsco-Potomac Mills Commuter Garage, a $53.5 million project located near Opitz Boulevard and Interstate 95, officially opened in November 2024. Since then, the county has spent $186,016 on operational expenses, according to recently released county records. The seven-story facility features 1,400 parking spaces, resulting in a construction cost of $38,214 per space.

Cost Breakdown

Records from Prince William County show:

• Electricity (Aug 2024 – May 2025): $21,508
• Water (Sept 2024 – May 2025): $558 (only one month of recorded usage)
• General maintenance work orders: $101,645
• Custodial services (since Dec): $20,459
• Groundskeeping and cleanup: $17,654
• Security guard services: $13,997
• Estimated snow removal: $10,000
• Porta-john rental: $195

Garage Usage Still Low

Despite being fully operational, usage of the garage remains modest.

• November 2024: 187 visits
• April 2025 (peak month): 4,902 visits
• May 2025: 4,488 visits

Assuming one visit equals one space used per day and accounting for 30 days per month, the April utilization rate is only about 11.7% (4,902 of 42,000 possible daily space uses). Average parking durations have increased over time—from 1 hour, 55 minutes in November to 5 hours, 40 minutes in May—indicating the garage is primarily used by long-term parkers such as commuters.

The third floor is the most heavily used, registering over 2,300 visits in May and average parking durations exceeding 9 hours. The usage of the ground, fourth, and fifth floors has also increased, although it is far from being complete.

OmniRide Relocates to Garage

In December 2024, one month after the garage opened, OmniRide officially relocated its eastern transfer hub to the Neabsco facility. The move included rerouting several Express, Metro Express, and Local bus routes to begin and end service at the garage. Previously, these routes served the OmniRide Transit Center at 14700 Potomac Mills Road.

This relocation was part of a significant service overhaul aimed at creating a true multimodal hub with seamless connections to the nearby I-95 Express Lanes, which now feature a dedicated ramp at Opitz Boulevard. The strategy, according to transportation planners, is designed to support long-term growth and reduce single-occupancy vehicle traffic.

Early Warnings Realized?

The data appears to validate concerns raised during the project’s approval phase.

In September 2022, when the Board of County Supervisors approved the final design, Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega cast the lone dissenting vote. She pointed to a Virginia Department of Transportation study showing nearby commuter lots were only 20% full, questioning the financial wisdom of constructing a massive parking structure.

“Help me understand how this makes good fiscal sense,” Vega said during the meeting, addressing Transportation Director Rick Canizales.

At the time, officials stated that abandoning the federally funded project would result in financial penalties and the forfeiture of funding. Canizales defended the garage as a forward-looking investment, noting the county was already under contract with a construction firm and that future transit usage was expected to grow.

County Officials Offer No New Comments

Potomac Local News contacted all members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors for comment on the garage’s current usage and cost. None responded, except for Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who replied via email with a brief “No comment.”

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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Two people were evaluated for smoke inhalation after a house fire broke out Monday morning in the Fox Chase Subdivision.

The fire was reported at 8:33 a.m., according to the Fredericksburg Emergency Communications Center. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the front and back of a three-story home. Crews entered through a walk-out basement door and encountered heavy smoke and high heat, ultimately extinguishing a fire in a basement room.

A second hose line was deployed to the first floor to protect the stairwell and stop the fire from spreading upward. Fire crews searched all three levels of the home and confirmed that both occupants had safely exited the building.

Units from Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County, and Stafford County responded to the scene. Although no one was transported to the hospital, two people were treated on-site for smoke inhalation. Officials have not yet determined if the home is safe to return to.

The Fredericksburg Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. A final report is expected in the coming days.

MANASSAS, Va. – The Manassas City Republican Committee headquarters was vandalized on July 4, 2025, in an incident now under investigation by police.

Zachary Murphy, a committee member, discovered the damage shortly before 9:45 a.m., Saturday, July 5, while walking to the city’s farmers market. He had spent the morning decorating the headquarters at 9016 Center Street for Independence Day, hanging an American flag, and putting up patriotic bunting.

“While I was walking to the farmers market, I got a text about what had happened,” Murphy said.

On the front window of the building, someone had scrawled the word “Fash”—an apparent attempt to write “fascist.” “It looks like they were trying to write ‘fascist,’ but they weren’t very good at spelling or spacing,” Murphy noted. He also observed a suspicious substance on the window that he believed to be urine. Murphy removed the graffiti using nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol.

Murphy said that someone had also pulled down one of the American flags, but there was no video surveillance on the building to capture the vandalism. Manassas police responded to the scene, and a bystander reported seeing a suspicious individual in the area. Another committee member, Stephen Kent, visited the building at 9:30 p.m. on July 4 to retrieve his bike and confirmed the flag had been removed.

Murphy expressed frustration but also called for constructive civic engagement: “Get your message out—it’s your civic duty to speak your mind—but it’s got to be constructive.”

The vandalism came as the local GOP committee prepared to celebrate July 4 and support its slate of candidates in upcoming elections.

The Republican Party in Manassas advocates for conservative principles outlined in the Republican Party of Virginia’s creed, including free enterprise, fiscal responsibility, constitutional limits on government, and a strong national defense.

In April 2024, George Ellis was elected the new chairman of the committee. The committee holds monthly meetings, typically on the second Wednesday, at Old Towne Sports Pub in downtown Manassas.

The committee endorsed Xiao-Yin “Tang” Byrom for mayor and Robyn Williams, Lynn Forkell Greene, and Stephen Kent for City Council in the 2024 local elections. It has also nominated Nate Fritzen for City Treasurer and Deon Shamberger for Commissioner of Revenue in 2025.

The group encourages civic participation through volunteering, campaigning, and attending events. For more information, visit manassascitygop.com.

OCCOQUAN, Va. – Supervisor Kenny Boddye will host a town hall next week to hear from residents about a rezoning proposal that could bring 80 new townhomes to the site of the former Kids Choice Sports Center, which was destroyed by fire late last year.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 314 Mill Street in the Occoquan Historic District. Residents can RSVP online and submit questions in advance.

The developer is requesting to rezone 7.5 acres at 13000 Sport and Health Drive from suburban residential to planned mixed residential to construct homes, including eight affordable units. The plan also requests waivers to increase building height and reduce setbacks. County planning and transportation staff, along with the project applicant, will attend the meeting.

The land in question was once home to the Kids Choice Sports Center, a popular community hub for sports, swimming, and birthday parties. In December 2024, flames from a nearby house fire jumped to the sports center, destroying the 56,000-square-foot facility.

Supervisor Boddye said the rezoning request has drawn interest from those who live along and near Devil’s Reach Road, adjacent to the site. Wednesday’s meeting is designed to give neighbors a chance to speak directly with decision-makers before the proposal moves forward.