Prince William supervisors unanimously denied Dominion Energy’s Vint Hill switching-station upgrade, left-turn restrictions start Friday at Prince William Parkway and Minnieville Road, and Manassas is weighing a scaled-back November First Friday after a Monday town hall.
Supervisors deny Dominion’s Vint Hill switching station
According to InsideNoVa, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously opposed Dominion Energy’s gas-insulated switching station planned for just over 23 acres at 13405 Vint Hill Road, next to Braemar in the Brentsville District. The board had deferred the special use permit 90 days on June 23 after supervisors said Dominion had not provided enough information.
The Prince William Times and Manassas Patch reported the upgrade was valued at about $300 million and would have added 500-kilovolt equipment, new 230-kilovolt infrastructure and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulating technology. Brentsville Supervisor Tom Gordy said Dominion “really dropped the ball.” Chair Deshundra Jefferson said the board “didn’t learn anything new [Tuesday] that we didn’t know three months ago.” The Times later quoted Dominion saying “all options” remain on the table after the denial.
Left-turn restrictions start Friday at Parkway and Minnieville
According to InsideNoVa, most left-turn movements at Prince William Parkway and Minnieville Road will be temporarily restricted beginning Friday, weather pending, as work advances on the $81 million interchange. Through traffic and all right turns stay open. The left turn from northbound Prince William Parkway toward Old Bridge Road onto westbound Minnieville Road toward Dale Boulevard also stays open.
A Prince William County update lists the detours: eastbound Minnieville drivers who would have turned left onto northbound Parkway will use Amethyst Avenue and Quartz Avenue; westbound Minnieville drivers who would have turned left onto southbound Parkway will use Elm Farm Road and a temporary east detour road; southbound Parkway drivers who would have turned left onto eastbound Minnieville will use the same temporary road to Elm Farm Road. The county said an earlier date of Sept. 22 was updated so the restrictions begin Friday, Sept. 25.
Manassas weighs scaled November First Friday
According to InsideNoVa, Manassas officials, business owners and residents remain split over First Friday after the Sept. 4 shooting that killed 16-year-old Patriot High student Ashley Intihar. At a Monday town hall, Old Town resident Zach Murphy said the city “created an environment that fostered what happened.” Police Chief Doug Keen said the gunmen “were felons carrying illegal guns, not related to First Friday” and that crowds have grown from about 2,500 to as many as 15,000.
October’s event is already canceled. Mark Olsen of Historic Manassas Inc. outlined a scaled November proposal that would shorten hours, expand a family zone and end outdoor alcohol sales so the event would not be a designated outdoor refreshment area. Keen said police expect eight to 10 officers downtown for a November night without outside alcohol. Council members discussed an independent safety review and a resident alert system. The meeting ended without a final vote on whether First Friday returns.
Stafford board seeks a 180-day school calendar
According to the Fredericksburg Free Press, the Stafford School Board on Tuesday asked staff for a 2027-28 calendar option that keeps only federal and state holidays and drops cultural or religious days. Virginia’s administrative code sets a standard year of 180 instructional days or 990 hours. Stafford has met the hours test but has not hit 180 days since 2021. This year’s calendar is 172 days; last year’s was 171.
Stafford’s school day is 6 hours 30 minutes. Surrounding divisions run longer days, including Spotsylvania at 6 hours 45 minutes and Fredericksburg at 7 hours. Superintendent Daniel Smith said the current high-school eight-course schedule delivers about 121.8 seat hours per credit course instead of the required 140, or roughly five weeks short. Aquia representative Josh Regan objected to shortening summer from eight weeks to seven. Chair Elizabeth Warner asked staff to bring back the third option after Garrisonville representative Wanda Blackwell suggested it.
State study to map brownfields for possible data centers
According to Cardinal News, Section 4 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s data-center executive order directs the state energy department to identify locations that “diversify economic benefits across the Commonwealth and minimize energy, water, land-use, infrastructure, and community impacts.” The study is due in 180 days, or about mid-March 2027, and specifically calls for examining brownfield redevelopment, adaptive reuse and previously developed sites.
Cardinal News noted most existing data centers are concentrated in Northern Virginia, so the diversification language points elsewhere in the state. The order did not repeal the state sales-tax exemption that runs through June 2035 and did not impose a moratorium. The outlet pointed readers to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s public brownfield map as the inventory the study is likely to start from.
Chip EBT cards roll out as Prince William ranks high in SNAP theft
According to Cardinal News, Virginia is mailing chip-enabled SNAP cards after reporting about $2.4 million in benefit theft from January through July 2026. Prince William County had the second-highest total through July, about $276,000, behind Fairfax’s combined department figure of about $328,000. The federal government ended reimbursement for stolen SNAP benefits in December 2024.
Pilot localities received cards beginning Sept. 11. Everyone else is scheduled to get cards starting at the end of October, with the statewide mailing finished by the end of December. Old magnetic-stripe cards deactivate 60 days after the new card is mailed. Recipients are told to activate the new card, set a PIN, and use the ConnectEBT app to lock the card when it is not in use.
Fredericksburg council adopts 34 priorities through 2029
According to Fredericksburg Patch, City Council on Sept. 22 adopted 34 priorities to guide work through 2029 and agreed to form a transportation and trails committee. The vote on the plan was 6-0. Mayor Kerry Devine called the list “marching orders” and said residents should see quarterly progress updates.
The package includes a housing study aimed at adding options without displacement, an updated economic-development plan, water and sewer work, and a look at relocating the CSX railyard. Public-safety items include expanding the police Crisis Intervention Response Team from one unit to two. Vice Mayor Charlie Frye Jr. and council member Will Mackintosh would lead the new transportation committee. Council also advanced first-reading budget adjustments and added $61,935 to the school operating fund and $42,315 to the school grant fund from final state allocations, with no extra local money required.
Judge denies museum bid to force more Hylton Foundation files
According to InsideNoVa, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Dennis L. Hupp on Friday denied the Americans in Wartime Experience Museum’s motion to compel additional discovery from the Dale City-based Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation. Hupp also denied attorneys’ fees. The Nokesville museum’s lawsuit says a 2012 pledge promised to fund a new museum on 67 acres in Dale City.
Museum attorney Benjamin G. Chew said the foundation has not produced a full search of board minutes and internal communications. Foundation attorney John Keith said the defense has already turned over 61 documents totaling 1,705 pages and has not reneged on anything. The suit, filed Dec. 15, 2025, seeks restitution or at least $50 million. A next hearing date had not been set on the circuit court information system at the time of the report.
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