Author: Gianna Jirak

Gianna Jirak is a general assignment reporter at Potomac Local News with aspirations of being an international and political reporter for a major national publication. She is a junior at C.D. Hylton Senior High School, the Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper, and an intern at Prince William Living Magazine.

News

Stafford to vote on banning cellphones from classrooms, buying 9,000 new Chromebooks

By Gianna Jirak

Students in Stafford County middle and high schools may no longer be allowed to use cell phones in class for instructional purposes.

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News

Prince William appoints new student representatives to the school board

By Gianna Jirak

School may be out of session, but the fourth round of student representatives to the Prince William County School Board have been announced.

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News

Prince William County’s next high school to be named ‘Gainesville High School’

By Gianna Jirak
A image rendering a prototype of the 13th High School.

After hundreds of suggestions and multiple school board meetings, a name has finally been chosen for Prince William County’s 13th high school.

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News

NOVA Community College to have mostly virtual learning for fall

By Gianna Jirak
Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus.

Northern Virginia Community College classes are going to start on time, but for the most part, they will not in-person.

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Prince William

Prince William County Schools expected to head back to class in August

By Gianna Jirak

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) students should expect to go back to the classroom bright and early in August, as in a recent press release it was signaled that schools will be reopening on time for in-person learning.

School buildings across the state have been shuttered since mid-March when Gov. Ralph Northam ordered schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move forced school divisions to shift their educational efforts solely online.

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Photos: Protestors on Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge

By Gianna Jirak
Photo: Gianna Jirak

Protestors walked from Liberia Avenue in Manassas to Woodbridge on Saturday under the hot summer sun to protest the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died during an arrest attempt by a former police officer now charged in his death.

These photos were shot at about 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2020.

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Prince William

Prince William schools superintendent calls for renaming of Stonewall Jackson middle, high schools, banning Confederate flag

By Gianna Jirak

The school year is nearly over, and Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts is calling for some major changes.

In a June 5 email to all PWCS staff, parents, students, Dr. Walts laid out his ‘action plan to combat racism,’ calling on the email recipients to actively pursue diversity and equity for the school division’s more than 91,500 students and to be vigilant in promoting antiracism.

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Features

Prince William animal shelter sees uptick in adoptions, fewer surrendered animals

By Gianna Jirak
Stafford Animal Shelter Cat

While the world may seem chaotic during coronavirus pandemic, there is a little bit of good news when it comes to animals that need our help.

The Prince William County Animal Shelter’s adoption rate is up 70%, a 28% increase from last year, according to Jeremy Beale, a spokesman for the Prince William County Animal Control Bureau. There is no way to tell why adoptions have increased, but the new coronavirus may have something to do with it.

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Prince William

Prince William police contracts with outside firm to improve diversity

By Gianna Jirak

The Prince William County Police Department aims to diversify its ranks.

The department, in conjunction with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), is requesting input from the community on how to improve diversity in recruiting and hiring. The current demographics of the department are as follows: 76% White, 8% African-American, 11% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 2% other.

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Prince William

Portions of Sudley Road Closed due to protests

By Gianna Jirak

It’s not the best time to be traveling around Manassas.

Sudley Road in the area of Sudley Manor Drive was closed about 8:45 p.m. ‘out of an abundance of caution’ due to nearby protests, according to a Facebook post from the Prince William County Police Department. Additional road closures can be expected, as the protestors are moving toward I-66.

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