NOKESVILLE, Va. – Burnside Farms is gearing up for its 2025 Summer of Sunflowers, opening Friday, July 11.
Located at 11008 Kettle Run Road in Nokesville, just 40 miles west of Washington, D.C., Burnside Farms is a family-run business known for its vibrant flower festivals. Founded by Leslie and Michael Dawley, the farm has been welcoming visitors since 2012, offering seasonal events like the Festival of Spring and the Summer of Sunflowers.
This summer, guests can explore over 70 acres of sunflowers, featuring more than 30 varieties planted in successive crops to ensure continuous blooms. The farm operates with split hours to help visitors avoid the midday heat: weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to dusk, and weekends from 6 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to dusk. The farm is closed daily from noon to 4 p.m.
Tickets are available for purchase online starting today at noon. Visitors can enjoy activities like pick-your-own sunflowers, sunflower mazes, and the new 4,400-square-foot Tulip and Sunflower-themed playground. The farm also hosts events such as the Tribute to Summer Saturday Concert Series and Foamy Fridays, featuring live music and bubble-filled fun.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Burnside Farms’ website.
Officers responded to the intersection of Portsmouth Road and Ashland Avenue at 8:58 p.m. on July 9, where a 2020 Dodge Journey collided with a Ninebot KickScooter. According to police, the Dodge was making a left turn onto Ashland Avenue when the e-scooter, traveling southbound on the sidewalk along Portsmouth Road, entered the intersection without stopping.
The operator of the scooter, identified as 40-year-old Eric Corrales of Manassas, was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to a hospital, where police were notified of his death the following day.
The driver of the Dodge and the adult passengers were not injured. Investigators determined the driver, 37-year-old Little David Arris Bowser Mason, also of Manassas, did not have a valid driver’s license. He was charged with driving without a valid operator’s license and released on a court summons. A court date is pending.
Police say the investigation is ongoing as they determine whether to file additional charges.
OCCOQUAN, Va. – There was excitement in the air in Occoquan on Friday, July 11, 2025, as FOX 5 brought its popular “Zip Trip” morning show to the historic riverside town. The live broadcast transformed Mill Street into a street fair filled with residents, shopkeepers, and visitors eager to show off their community to the D.C.-area audience.
Among the crowd was David Bloxsom, who drove in from Charlottesville to take part. “It gets me to communities I’ve never been before,” he said, adding that he’s also attended Zip Trips in Solomons and Annapolis. “Gets me out of the house. Gets me a nice day. Nice summer day”.
The day’s events included a live wedding, officiated by Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Jacqueline Smith, with flowers and a romantic backdrop donated by Brandon’s Flowers of Woodbridge. “We did some beautiful silk flowers in whites and pinks,” said Jo Gale, assistant manager and wedding coordinator for the flower shop. “It’s great to bring the town together and really get a bunch of people in town when a lot of people are on vacation”.
Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta spoke with the FOX 5 crew during the broadcast, highlighting the town’s unique charm. “We consider ourselves to be an oasis of calm in an otherwise really busy Northern Virginia area,” he said. Porta noted the appeal of the six-square-block historic business district, which features restaurants, boutique shops, and historic buildings.
Sherry Mangus, owner of Ballywhack Shack CafĂ©, reflected on the town’s unique charm and sense of community. “You feel like you’re in an enclave,” Mangus said. “You’re in the D.C. area, you’re in NoVA, but you are in a very, very special place. Time warp. Absolutely”
FOX 5’s visit was part of its popular Zip Trip series, which highlights communities across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Later this month, the show will head to Fredericksburg, with a live broadcast scheduled from 7 to 11 a.m. at Riverfront Park, located at 713 Sophia Street.
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VFW Post 1503 in Dale City, known as the General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller Post, has been named Virginia’s National Community Service Post Award recipient for 2024–2025. This honor recognizes the post’s outstanding service to veterans and the broader community over the past year.Â
According to a memorandum from the VFW National Programs Office, the award is based on a post’s “total impact,” which includes volunteer hours, mileage, and financial contributions toward community service efforts. Post 1503 stood out for its extensive outreach, including school supply drives for local elementary schools, support for youth sports, and assistance to veterans filing benefit claims.
The post also hosted events such as the Department of Virginia’s 3rd Annual VFW Riders Rally and multiple VFW Day of Service projects. Notably, Post 1503 partnered with Mr. Handyman to provide home improvement services to a veteran family in need.
As part of the award, Post 1503 will receive a commemorative street sign and be featured in an upcoming issue of VFW Magazine. The post, which is the largest VFW post in the world, continues to embody the VFW’s mission of “Veterans helping veterans” through its dedicated community service.Â
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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – A decorated Prince William County police officer known for his work in DUI enforcement has been arrested on charges of stalking and unlawfully accessing law enforcement databases.
Godson Vondee, 42, was taken into custody on July 9 following a month-long investigation launched by the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators say Vondee accessed the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) without authorization on five occasions—once in 2023 and four times in 2024—to obtain personal information about a man known to a woman he was acquainted with. Each incident allegedly occurred while Vondee was on duty and without a criminal justice purpose.
Police say Vondee was also found to have been near the victim’s residence multiple times over a 15-month period.
“This is a betrayal of our oath of office and not reflective of the values and professionalism expected of the members of this agency,” said Police Chief Peter Newsham. “Such actions violate the trust within our community, and I expect the accused to be held accountable.”
Vondee has been placed on administrative leave and was stripped of his police authority when the allegations came to light. He is charged with one count of stalking and five counts of using a computer to obtain identifying information. He is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on August 19, 2025.
Vondee was previously celebrated by the department and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) for his work in traffic enforcement. In both 2023 and 2024, he received WRAP’s Law Enforcement Award of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention and Enforcement. Social media posts from the department noted he had made more than 80 DUI arrests in 2024 alone and more than 40 the year prior.
The Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and Criminal Investigations Division led the investigation.
15 Ridge Rd, Stafford, VA 22556
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Septic system pumped in June 2023 per Stafford County
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MANASSAS, Va. – A small plane carrying 27 rescued animals touched down at the APP Jet Center in Manassas on Wednesday afternoon, marking another mission by Pilots To The Rescue.
Onboard were 15 cats and 12 dogs transported from overcrowded shelters in Birmingham, Alabama. The flight was made possible by the BISSELL Pet Foundation and volunteers like pilot Paul Mamauag and his co-pilot Mackenzie.
“A lot of these pets need rescue because unfortunately in the southern states that we have, it gets very overcrowded, especially during storms like we’ve seen in Texas and Florida,” said Mamauag. “Pets just become displaced or lost and they end up in overcrowded shelters, which unfortunately end up to euthanization.”
“Our main mission is to help rescue them from those states and move them up north to shelters that are a lot less crowded and don’t have euthanization,” he added.
The animals will be cared for by the Charles County Animal Care Center in Maryland, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Virginia, and Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in New Jersey.
“Honestly, one of my friends who’s also a volunteer rescue pilot for the El Paso Rescue Viking, he introduced me to the owner, Michael, and I hopped on a trip with him,” Mamauag said. “We went down to, I forget where, but we rescued about 35 cats that day.”
“Honestly, it was just a great feeling being able to work with them and meeting all the foster parents and the shelters and the people around. It was really inspiring and I really wanted to help out and enjoy.”
Mamauag has been a pilot for about three to four years and has flown “well over 50 missions.”
“Usually we have our typical house pets, dogs and cats, but every now and again we’ll get a couple foxes, cats, anybody that really needs help rescuing,” he said.
“Well, I believe so far we’ve done four or five this month. It’s really getting up there because of the summertime. But usually we do about once a week, once or twice a week,” he said of the mission frequency.
“Well, you can look it up on our website on podsfortherescue.org. For anyone, shelters or people looking to see if they can help move animals from those states down south to up north, that’s our biggest mean of communication,” he said. “And yeah, fantastic.”
“I love what I do, but the only reason we’re able to do what we do is due to donations of people that also love these animals,” Mamauag said. “So if you want to continue to support us, we love it and we thank you.”
HAYMARKET, Va. – Police Chief Al Seibert told the Town Council on July 7 that while the number of calls to police is up this year, it’s the complexity of those calls that’s stretching his department.
“It wasn’t necessarily a larger call volume — it’s a more complex call volume,” Seibert said. “We’ve had the robbery, we’ve had the stolen vehicle, we’ve had other health or issues on the mental health crisis with certain individuals.”
Councilwoman Mary Ramirez said data in the report showed increased dispatch and officer-initiated calls. “Our officers are really, really working hard,” she said.
Seibert said the department is keeping up with added training, legal updates, and proactive steps. “We’re doing the things that we need to do to make sure that we stay up to date and prepared,” he said.
Ramirez also noted lower DMV grant usage in the second quarter. Seibert explained the latest quarter had just ended, and that officers were covering more shifts in-house. “That is partially correct,” he said. “We did purchase equipment in the first quarter as well, so that’s an anomaly.”
She urged council to consider hiring more officers to protect community policing. “I want to make sure that we’re not letting the community policing piece slip out from under us,” she said.
Seibert also highlighted his department’s use of a speed-monitoring sign, participation in Click It or Ticket, and mentorship of two interns. He said the sign will move from Jefferson Street to Fayette to collect additional traffic data.
“It has been very influential on reducing the speed in that area to where we like it,” Seibert said.
Your Weight Matters National Convention
Hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) since 2012, this highly-anticipated gathering is the nation’s leading gathering focused on empowering individuals with science-based education, support and practical tools for managing weight and improving health.
