Police found a decomposing body near a trash compactor.

On Saturday, August 13, at 6:05 p.m., police officers found the body outside 14011 Worth Avenue in Woodbridge.

A 911 caller told police he saw the body behind the building near a trash compactor. The body was in a decomposed state and taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and determination of the cause of death.

At this time, there is no threat to the community concerning the death.

The victim’s identification will be released once confirmed, and a next-of-kin has been notified. An investigation is ongoing.

Last month, the Prince William County Government announced its $10.6 million purchase of the building next to a flooring store within the same complex.

Police will bring those having mental health issues to the building for monitoring.

The new building will open sometime next year. Police temporarily detained more than 1,000 people in Prince William County suffering from mental issues in 2021.

Since the mid-1990s, an electronics store, a sporting goods store, and a Department of Defense contractor have occupied the building at various times. Last year, a mass vaccination clinic sat inside the building.

Later that afternoon, police also found the body of 73-year-old Kinney Howard Simpkins of Unionville, Va.

At 2:44 p.m., officers responded to Prince William Marina located at 12849 Gordon Boulevard near Occoquan to assist the Department of Fire & Rescue with an unconscious person.

The investigation revealed Simpkins was docking his boat when he fell into the water. A family member who was a short distance away quickly began calling for assistance.

An employee of the marina went into the water and began CPR before more employees helped remove the man from the water. A short time later, Fairfax County Police Marine Unit members responded and took over CPR until rescue personnel arrived at the location.

Rescue personnel took the victim to an area hospital, where he later died.

The victim’s body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and determination of the cause of death. At this time, there is no foul play concerning the death. The investigation continues.

Sea lions are making a splash at the Prince William County Fair.

An animal act called Sea Lion Splash holds live performances at 6 and 8 p.m. nightly. During the 25-minute show, three sea lions demonstrate their skills by catching rings tossed into the air by an audience volunteer and how they can use their bodies to scoot across the land.

The animals also show off their strength by standing on their flippers, which they use for swimming. The sea lions frequently move around on stage and into the multiple nearby pools of water during the show.

Afterward, the audience may pay between $10 and $30 to pose for a photo with the sea lions. The animals often kiss their human counterparts on the cheeks while posing for photos.

Ringmaster Jimmy Earhart, of Texas has been working with the animals for 10 years. While three sea lions appeared on stage with Earhart in Manassas, the company uses 17 sea lions in performances throughout local fairs across the U.S.

“They’re like my kids,” said Earhart. “That’s the best thing about working with them.”

Earhart said his father got him interested in working with the sea lions in what he called the family business.

This is the first time Sea Lion Splash has performed at the Prince William County Fair, which runs through Saturday, August 20. The company will perform a show at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, in addition to regular shows at 6 and 8 p.m.

Sea Lion Splash will travel to Wisconsin for its next round of performances after leaving the Prince William County Fair.

Sea lions make their homes on rocks and sandy ocean beaches. They can grow to be about six feet long and weigh 400 pounds. The animals are common prey for sharks and are considered an endangered species by the World Wildlife Fund.

Admission to the fair is free today before 5 p.m. and then is $12 for adults and $8 per child after 5 p.m. Monster trucks will take center stage at the grandstand at 7 p.m.

Country artist Tracy Bryd will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, August 18. The singer is best known for his song “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo.” The show requires a separate ticket. Bleacher seats are $25, and track seats are $30.

A revived and revised version of an outer connector project that would create a path between Stafford and Spotsylvania counties would try to avoid populated areas by crossing into Culpeper and Orange counties.

Occoquan Town Hall is now named for former Mayor June Randolph.

The former town mayor died at age 101 in May. Randolph served as Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Town Council member, member of the Architectural Review Board, member and Chair of the Planning Commission, and Town Mayor from 1962 to 1963.

The public servant was widely considered to have been instrumental in Occoquan’s rebirth into a popular commercial and tourist destination.

In 1991, the town council passed a resolution to name town hall after Randolph. Randolph insisted, however, that it not be done while she was alive.

Current Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta led a dedication ceremony on Saturday, August 13, 2022, to name the town hall in her honor.

Randolph moved to Occoquan in 1954 after serving in the FBI before World War II and then during the war joining the U.S. Navy as a member of the then newly-established WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

The 1991 resolution also honored Mamie Davis, who served as town mayor. Davis has a park on Mill Street named for her, featuring a gazebo.

A new chicken restaurant with a Korean twist is now open in Manassas.

Hangry Joe’s Chicken, which brands itself as a Nashville-style chicken restaurant, sits at 9742 Liberia Avenue in Manassas. The restaurant replaces Strofi, a Mediterranean quick-service restaurant that opened in 2018.

The 1,656-square-foot restaurant will offer diners plates such as chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and chicken and waffles.

The menu will also have unique offerings such as Korean-style chicken nuggets, which offer a choice of regular or spicy soy garlic sauce with a side of rice. The amount of heat that the food can be cooked at according to the restaurant’s scale ranges from no seasoning and no heat to mild, medium, hot, and what Hangry Joe’s refers to as angry hot.

The restaurant’s website states customers who order angry hot must sign a waiver due to the high levels of heat and seasoning.

Derek Cha and Mike Kim founded the franchise. Cha is also the founder of Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, which launched in 2009.

Manassas will not be the only locality in Virginia to have a Hangry Joe’s location. According to its website, restaurants are planned for Gainesville, Dumfries, and Fredericksburg.

“Manassas is a great foodie city,” stated Cha in a press release. “We’re excited to bring a unique take on chicken sandwiches to a city with a lot of growth and a diverse, delicious food scene.”

Hangry Joe’s currently has eight locations opened in Virginia, including Richmond and Alexandria, two in Maryland and Texas, and one in New Jersey.

Inspector General: Virginia agencies mishandled I-95 snow incident — A new inspection report found the Commonwealth did not implement lessons learned during the Interstate 95 snow incident that occurred in January 2022. [WRIC-TV]

Prince William public safety career fair — The Prince William County Police Department, including Crossing Guards, the Department of Fire & Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety Communications, and the Adult Detention Center, will hold a career fair on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Press release]

OmniRide’s Fall Service Change will take effect on Monday, August 22 — Some schedules for Express and Local routes will change on that date. Additionally, Saturday service will now change to “Weekend Service” with the addition of Sunday service beginning on August 28. [Press release]

More people in Prince William County are installing solar panels in their homes.

Last year, the County’s Development Services office granted 274 permits for solar panel installations, up from just 14 in 2016 — a more than 1,600% increase.

With such a growing interest in the technology used to power homes, Prince William County will hold a series of training seminars for members of the solar energy industry, including designers and building contractors.

The free two-hour online seminar is designed to train participants on how to expedite Residential Solar Panel Installation project plans in the County.

“Many of the solar contractors are walking into our offices for the first time, green, and asking questions like ‘how do I submit a plan,” said Prince William County Development Services Director Wade Hugh. “Each jurisdiction is different, and these contractors are going through a learning curve.”

Seminar participants will learn how to access the County’s ePortal; an online resource used to submit and track plans. Contractors will also learn how to navigate the plan review process and the structural and electrical plan review requirements.

Three online training seminars will be held:

• Monday, August 22, 2022, 1 – 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 1 – 3 p.m.,
• Monday, August 29, 2022, 10 a.m. – noon

Participation is first-come, first-served and limited to 40 participants per seminar. Those interested in attending one of the two-hour virtual training seminars should contact Tynika Hardesty at [email protected] to register. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the selected training seminar.

Over 688 Prince William County residents have solar energy power systems.

“The technology has exploded very quickly. It’s like a perfect storm: Climate change, the interest in renewable energy, and a county tax rebate for solar power have all led to the growth,” said Hugh.

The Board of County Supervisors created a sustainability office in 2021, which will track the county government’s impact on the environment and implement recommendations from a newly-created sustainability commission.

Last year, the Department of Development Services implemented a Residential Solar Energy Systems ePlans Checklist.  More information is available online, by email [email protected] or by calling 703-792-6930.

A Fairfax County woman has died after a crash on Joplin Road.

On Saturday, August 13, at 1:32 p.m., police went to the area of Mile Marker 18 on Joplin Road in Triangle to investigate a crash involving a motorcycle.

The 2013 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster motorcycle operator was traveling southbound on Joplin Road with a group of other riders. As the motorcycle approached the area, the operator failed to negotiate a sharp curve in the roadway and traveled over the double yellow lines before leaving the roadway and striking a tree, police said.

Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and took the woman to a hospital, where she later died due to her injuries sustained in the crash. No one else was injured.

Brooke Allyson Shambeck, 56, of Oakton, is the crash victim, police said.