We’re learning what will replace the Peebles store in the Mathis Avenue shopping center in Manassas.

It’s Gordman’s, which sells a variety of children's, men's, and women’s clothing is set to take over the retail space following an announcement the Peebles brand was being phased out by parent company Stage Stores.

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Now we’re hearing from Novant Health UVA Medical Center in Prince William County, which is announcing its first baby of the New Year. A press release states:

Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center welcomes the new year with the announcement of its first baby of 2020. Liam Okechukwu was born Jan. 1 at the Women’s & Children’s Center at Haymarket Medical Center.

Baby’s full name: Liam Okechukwu

Time and date of birth: 2:56 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020

Baby’s weight and height: 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 20 inches

Sex of baby: Male

Mother: Christy Uchendu

Delivering physician: Dr. Jennifer Nguyen An, OB

Liam has two siblings, a 24-year-old brother and 16-year-old sister. Liam’s father, Johnson Okechukwu, was also born on Jan. 1 and is thrilled to share a birthday with his son. The family was given a gift basket courtesy of Novant Health Auxiliary.

From the Stafford sheriff's office:

Victoria Drive, 12/30, 9:55 p.m. On this date, a resident reported receiving multiple calls throughout the day from a male subject who identified himself as Lt. Westbrook.

The caller informed the victim that there was a warrant out for her arrest and she needed to immediately pay $1,500 in the form of gift cards or she would be arrested.

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Hospitals in Fredericksburg and Stafford are telling us about the first new bundles of joy of the New Year. A hospital spokeswoman states:

Mary Washington Hospital [in Fredericksburg] had the first baby born in the Fredericksburg region. Baby girl Winter Wren was born at 4:32 a.m. on January 1 to parents Leah and Marcus of King George, was 7 pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long.

Stafford Hospital had their first baby born at 8:27 a.m. Baby boy Winter Gael was born to Yoxany and Gerber, he was 6 pounds 8 ounces and 20 inches long.

Both families received a gift basket from Mary Washington Healthcare filled with newborn essentials.

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Those free fares riders on the very first OmniRide bus ever to serve Stafford County came to an end Tuesday.

Those buses are the Stafford-Washington route (Route 543) and the Stafford-Pentagon route (Route 942). Service on the new routes began Oct. 28, 2019, as part of an effort to get more people out of their cars and onto buses along the Interstate 95 and 395 corridor, just as the newly tolled E-ZPass Express Lanes on I-395 were opening.

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We posted 2,893 stories in 2019.

That’s nearly 3,000 times Potomac Local brought you closer to your community — connecting you to the decision-makers, making you smarter about how the local news that affects your family, home and business, faster.

I’m grateful for the 730,000 users who trusted us, viewing our content 1.5 million times over the past year.

Thank you to our advertisers, and our nearly 500 subscribers who make bringing you thew news possible. Please subscribe today to support our work! 

With coverage of more local meetings, transportation, and the region’s newest baseball team the Fredericksburg Nationals, we plan to bring you even more coverage, by more reporters.

With a redesigned website, and with new reader options where even non-subscribers will soon be able to read now and pay later, we’re excited about 2020! 

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Here’s a look at the most-read stories of 2019:

1. Driver killed in Route 17 crash identified 
2. 21-year-old man dies after found shot in Lake Ridge
3. Reserve at Long Forest headed to public hearing
4. Stores closing: Multiple mall shops dark in Fredericksburg
5. Colonial Forge High School mourns student killed in crash
6. Gun fired inside Hylton High School, lockdown lifted after weapon found
7. Manassas Park to once again require residents to buy, display decals
8. Smash and grab at Stafford’s newest liquor store
9. Manassas DMV to relocate to Prince William County
10. Stafford to New York City bus service starts May 25

A man accused of shooting at a vehicle on Warrenton Road in Stafford County on Saturday night has been arrested with the assistance of the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office. A press release states:

On December 28, 2019, at 11:57 p.m., Deputy McAlister was on patrol in the area of 550 Celebrate Virginia Parkway when he observed a vehicle with several occupants approaching him. A passenger then exited the vehicle and made contact with the deputy.

The subject told the deputy that they were turning onto Celebrate Virginia Parkway from Warrenton Road when a dark colored Chevrolet pickup truck drove alongside them. The driver of the pickup truck pointed a gun at their vehicle and fired a shot. He said the suspect vehicle then continued traveling northbound.

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The two men charged in a December 26 murder at a Denny’s restaurant on Sudley Road near Manassas were arrested Sunday.

They’re believed to have been responsible for a string of other armed robberies in the area, including this one that occurred at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Woodbridge on Christmas Eve.

Prince William police tell us:

Armed Robbery – On December 24 at 12:10AM, officers responded to the Walgreens located at 14095 Jefferson Davis Hwy in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a robbery.

A store employee reported to police that two masked men entered the business and approached the counter. During the encounter, one of
the suspects brandished a firearm and escorted an employee to the back office where he demanded money. The other suspect demanded money from the cash registers. Both suspects fled on foot prior to police arriving at the business.

This is the fourth in a series of armed robberies to include the murder and shooting at Denny’s. The other incidents were reported at a bowling alley on Balls Ford Road, and a hotel on Williamson Boulevard near Manassas.

After receiving a reader tip about a new traffic pattern on Route 1 at Route 123 in Woodbridge put in place on Dec. 20, we’re checking with the Virginia Department of Transportation and with police to get more information.

Here’s the reader’s tip:

Potomac Local: Wanted to pass along a safety issue in hope you can pursue.  They opened the new lanes on Rt 1 and it’s a crazy mess at the intersection at Rt 123.  Drivers don’t know where to stop and we’ve seen some close calls.  It’s especially bad at night since there are no light poles turned on.  It appears that it’s bad enough that a police cruiser is now posted there.  Hoping you can check with VDOT on what they plan to do to fix this ASAP before someone gets killed. 

Prince William police tell us that, in fact, they do not have a cruiser posted at the intersection. However, they were recently called to the area to help VDOT with a signal issue, according to spokesman Jonathan Perok.

Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Ellen Kamilakis says it’s going to take some time for drivers to get used to the new traffic pattern:

The issue boils down to the unfamiliarity of drivers to a new traffic pattern. The traffic pattern switch was done in accordance of the published plans. We issued a traffic alert and the project team had variable message signs placed in several approaching locations, as well as a variable message sign, ground-mounted signs, and new lane striping at the intersection to show where traffic is supposed to stop.

The project was reviewed by a “maintenance of traffic” (MOT) coordinator and external designers for additional safety suggestions, which were implemented. The project team noticed that driver inattention to the signs was continuing (although it has improved with time), so the project team set up a special police assignment for enforcement out of an abundance of caution due to the traffic volumes at that intersection.

Additional span wire signals are being installed [started Thursday] and our signal operations center continues to monitor and adjust signal timing as needed.

There haven’t been light poles at the intersection since the beginning of the project [in May 2016] (or earlier), so the visibility has not changed recently. New light poles will be installed at the intersection once the widening is complete.

It can sometimes take drivers a little while to learn a new traffic pattern, especially when the previous pattern is essentially muscle memory.

A Woodbridge man was killed today while traveling on Purcell Road near Dale City.

A Prince William police press release states:

Fatal Crash Investigation – On December 16 at 10:42AM, investigators with the Crash Investigation Unit responded to the area of Purcell Rd and Fair Hill Ln in Manassas (20112) to investigate a single vehicle crash.

The investigation revealed that the driver, and sole occupant, of a 2005 Toyota Highlander, was traveling west on Purcell Rd approaching Fair Hill Ln when the vehicle lost control and ran off the roadway.

The vehicle struck a mailbox before continuing into a ditch and across Fair Hill Ln where the vehicle struck a culvert and overturned in the travel lanes of Purcell Rd. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and was taken to an area hospital where he died as a result of his injuries from the crash on December 28.

At this time, speed and alcohol or drug use do not appear to be factors in the crash.

Identified:

The driver of the 2005 Toyota Highlander was identified as Jong LEE, 73, of Woodbridge