“A single donation can help up to three patients in our region,” the post continued. “As a thank-you, donors will receive a specialty sweatshirt in honor of National Blood Donor Month.”
The blood drive is scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Gym, located at 1201 Courthouse Road in Stafford. Donors are asked to bring a photo ID and allow about one hour for the donation. Appointments can be scheduled online or by phone.
As the New Year begins, the Rappahannock Area Health District is encouraging residents to take small, steady steps toward healthier living in 2026. The agency, which serves Fredericksburg and the surrounding region, shared a list of simple wellness habits and local health programs to help residents stick to their resolutions.
Interim Health Director Dr. David C. Rose emphasized starting with manageable goals. “Together, we can make 2026 a year of stronger bodies and calmer minds,” Rose said in a press release. Tips include getting at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, eating more fruits and vegetables, prioritizing sleep and stress management, and keeping up with regular health screenings.
“Vice-Mayor Frye was unanimously elected by the council to continue to serve as Vice-Mayor,” the city stated.
The ceremony was held at the Fredericksburg Area Museum, home to the historic Town Hall Market House, which city officials note is the second oldest continuously used town hall in the nation. The swearing-in marked the formal start of the new City Council’s term and included the council’s annual organizational meeting.
Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 will host a wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday, January 10, to honor General George Weedon, a Revolutionary War hero and early Fredericksburg civic leader. The event will begin at 2 p.m. at the Fredericksburg Masonic Cemetery, at the intersection of Charles and George Streets, where Weedon is buried.
The Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, M.W. Matthew Todd Szramoski, will lead the tribute as part of his Founders’ Footsteps Commemoration Tour. The tour highlights the contributions of Virginia Freemasons to the American Revolution. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to a reception and tour of the historic Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, located at 803 Princess Anne Street.
Turning opportunity into results is one of the biggest challenges facing any town—and Dumfries is no exception. Ideas aren’t the problem; execution is. That’s why so many Virginia communities have created Economic Development Authorities (EDAs): to turn readiness into results.
An EDA is a public entity established under Virginia law to help towns attract investment, manage development, and implement projects more effectively. It doesn’t make policy or replace elected officials. It serves as a capacity tool to support execution, allowing towns like Dumfries to move faster and smarter when opportunities arise.
A new ordinance prohibiting firearms inside Manassas Park city buildings took effect January 1, following months of debate and public pushback over gun restrictions in government spaces.
The ordinance prohibits the possession, carrying, or transportation of firearms, ammunition, or firearm components within any building owned or used by the City of Manassas Park for governmental purposes.
“It’s the same bill, different year,” Virginia Mercury reported. “The entire point of it is to reduce FOIA fees, so that the fees that are being charged are actually being used simply to cover the actual costs associated with pursuing FOIA requests in the first place, instead of being used as a deterrent for the public to not pursue FOIA requests.”
“Public documents are public, your tax dollars have already paid for these documents in the first place,” Roem said. “Therefore, you should have the lowest barrier possible to accessing them.”
Potomac Local News is just learning about a weekend shooting in Stafford County that left two men injured and a teenager in custody.
Deputies were called to the 1300 block of Providence Street around 4:25 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. They found a 25-year-old man and a 38-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the leg. Deputies provided first aid until Stafford Fire & Rescue arrived.
