Officials cut the ribbon Aug. 25 at the Woodbridge Transit Center as OmniRide unveiled 16 new vehicles. In the front row holding the ribbon and scissors are Stafford Supervisor Dr. Pamela Yeung and Prince William Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson, Victor Angry, Andrea Bailey and Yesli Vega. Photo courtesy Neabsco News / Supervisor Victor Angry.
Prince William supervisors return this week to a data center overlay vote as Dominion’s contracted load tests the regional grid, nearby voters weigh a school-construction sales tax, and Labor Day travel rules take shape on I-95.
Vega Weighs Data Center Overlay, Judicial Center as Supervisors Return
According to InsideNoVa, Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega said she has not yet taken a position on how long a grace period should last if the Board of County Supervisors ends by-right data center development in the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District. The Planning Commission will rehold its public hearing Sept. 9 after a notice problem, and the board is scheduled to consider the zoning text amendment Sept. 22; Vega called the end of litigation over the PW Digital Gateway “a sigh of relief” after QTS dropped its Virginia Supreme Court appeal and said she still supports keeping land-use decisions with local governments rather than Richmond.
Vega said the county is prepared to adapt on the planned $233 million judicial center expansion at the Old Bennett School in Manassas once results of a ground-penetrating radar study for possible Civil War graves are shared, and she credited community opposition with killing the Route 28 bypass while backing Yorkshire Small Area Plan revitalization. She has not decided whether to seek reelection in 2027 against School Board member Lisa Zargarpur and said campaign contributions, including large donations to her PAC from data center developers, do not influence her votes.
Dominion Contracts 51 Gigawatts for Data Centers as Virginia Grid Faces Peak Strain
According to a report in Virginia Business, Dominion Energy has contracted 51 gigawatts of power for data centers, with another 20 gigawatts or more in the interconnection queue, as Virginia hosts nearly 650 facilities — the most of any state. Ahead of the July Fourth heat wave, regional grid operator PJM directed utilities to prepare to cut power to data centers and the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order allowing fossil-fuel backup generation; demand reached the second-highest level PJM has recorded, and Dominion hit a company record in Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley and other hotspots.
Former FERC Chairman Mark Christie said the near-miss shows the reliability crisis is “right across the street,” while Dominion has raised its capital investment plan to $65 billion through 2032 and says it will add data center load only as fast as it can serve it reliably. The State Corporation Commission has ordered the utility to draft a policy requiring large-load customers to pay for dedicated transmission lines and substations, and Dominion will charge higher rates to customers using 25 megawatts or more beginning Jan. 1, 2027; critics including Clean Virginia say the build-out is already raising costs for all Virginia ratepayers.
Voters in 47 Localities to Weigh 1% Sales Tax for Schools and NoVa Transit
According to the Virginia Mercury, voters in 47 Virginia cities and counties will decide in November whether to authorize a 1% local sales tax for school construction and modernization after the General Assembly this year extended that option statewide. In Northern Virginia, the revenue may also be used for transportation projects as localities face aging school buildings and rising costs to support Metro and local transit; the tax takes effect only if a majority of voters in each participating jurisdiction approve it.
Early voting on the question runs Sept. 18 through Oct. 31, with the Nov. 3 election absentee deadline at 5 p.m. Oct. 23. Stafford County is among nearby localities placing the measure on the ballot; officials say a dedicated sales tax would spread school capital costs beyond property owners. The Virginia Board of Education also approved $577 million in school construction assistance grants last week, while the Commission on School Construction and Modernization reconvenes Sept. 8.
OmniRide Unveils 16 New Vehicles at Woodbridge Transit Center
According to Neabsco News, OmniRide held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 25 at the Woodbridge Transit Center to mark the arrival of 16 new vehicles: eight Motor Coach Industries commuter buses with restrooms, seven Gillig buses for Local and Metro Express routes, and one electric van for Microtransit and Paratransit service. Officials from the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and the Federal Transit Administration joined the event, which was funded in part by state and federal grants, including $6.8 million in FTA money for 11 of the buses.
The 40-foot Gillig buses replace vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life, while four buses carry wraps marking OmniRide’s 40th anniversary. Executive Director Dr. Bob Schnieder said the additions support a more reliable fleet for riders and operators in Prince William County and the surrounding region; FTA’s David Schilling said the investment advances safe, reliable local and commuter service in Northern Virginia.
I-95/395 Express Lanes Stay Northbound All Day on Labor Day
According to Express Lanes, the 95/395 Express Lanes will run on a modified reversal schedule Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day. The lanes will follow a regular Sunday schedule and remain oriented northbound all day.
The change affects reversible Express Lanes used by Prince William and other Northern Virginia commuters along I-95 and I-395. Drivers should confirm direction and hours before traveling and can find the approximate weekday, weekend and holiday schedules on the Express Lanes website.
VDOT Lifts Most Lane Closures for Labor Day Weekend Travel
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, most interstate and major-road lane closures will be suspended from noon Friday, Sept. 4, until noon Tuesday, Sept. 8, to ease Labor Day weekend travel. Semi-permanent work zones may remain in place, and VDOT is urging drivers to check 511 Virginia — by app, at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, or by calling 511 — for incidents, cameras and a holiday travel trends map showing when interstate congestion has historically been heaviest.
Northern Virginia motorists can find I-95 and I-395 reversible Express Lanes schedules, along with I-495 Express Lanes information, at expresslanes.com. VDOT also reminded travelers to buckle up, avoid distracted driving, use the left lane only to pass, obey the Move Over law for stopped emergency and service vehicles, and allow extra time rather than speeding through holiday traffic.
OmniRide Plans Sept. 23 Open House for 40th Anniversary
According to OmniRide, the transit agency will hold a free 40th anniversary open house Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the OmniRide Transit Center in Woodbridge. The family-friendly event will include children’s activities, local vendors, raffles, a live DJ and other programming as the agency marks four decades of service in Prince William County and Northern Virginia.
A second open house is planned Oct. 14 at the Western Maintenance Facility in Manassas. Registration details and more information are available on OmniRide’s anniversary page.
Mary Washington Foundation Sets Oct. 10 Power of Pink Walk in Fredericksburg
According to Mary Washington Healthcare, the Mary Washington Hospital Foundation will hold its 2026 Power of Pink Breast Cancer Walk on Saturday, Oct. 10, raising money for the Breast Cancer Fund that supports local patients and families through programs, education, specialized training and equipment. The 2.2-mile walk follows Cowan Boulevard and loops the Mary Washington Hospital campus, beginning and ending at Mary Washington Orthopedics, 1301 Sam Perry Blvd. in Fredericksburg.
Packet pickup is set for Friday, Oct. 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lucky Road Run Shop, 1865 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Unit 110, with packets also available at 7:30 a.m. on walk day. Organizers are inviting teams to compete for a largest-group prize and awarding pink-outfit prizes in three age categories; registration and donations are available at powerofpink.mwhc.com.
Virginia Awarded $122 Million in Federal Rural Health Funding
According to The Center Square, the Trump administration announced Friday that Virginia will receive $122 million as the first installment of a $189 million fiscal 2026 award under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. The money is intended to expand access to care, grow the health workforce and add technology in rural communities through remote patient monitoring, virtual care, mobile clinics, community paramedicine, maternal care, residency and training slots, and apprenticeships.
A 2026 Joint Commission on Health Care report found Virginia has 36 rural hospitals among 109 licensed inpatient facilities and identified seven rural hospitals at highest risk of closure or financial distress, citing low patient volume, reimbursement shortfalls, rising costs and staffing shortages. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the investment aims to bring services closer to rural patients; several members of Virginia’s congressional delegation, including Reps. Robert Wittman, Jen Kiggans, John McGuire, Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith, backed the award.
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