Middle school students across the Fredericksburg area will soon have a new way to explore civic engagement through the launch of the Fredericksburg Regional Civics Bee.
Hosted by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce in partnership with WorkForce NOW and the Oberle Academy, the event brings the national U.S. Chamber of Commerce competition to Planning District 16 — including Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Caroline, and the City of Fredericksburg.
The Primrose School of Stafford at Embrey Mill officially opened on December 1, bringing a nationally recognized early education provider to the county for the first time. Located at 805 Wonder Road, the new facility serves children ages six weeks to five years and can accommodate up to 196 students.
This is the 19th Primrose School in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area, and it’s designed to help meet the growing demand for quality early childhood education in Stafford and surrounding communities. The school has also created about 30 full- and part-time jobs.
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Additional work continues in Stafford County on Route 1 at Telegraph Road and Woodstock Lane, where crews are realigning the intersection, adding turn lanes, installing new traffic signals, and placing a concrete median to restrict turning movements. Separate construction is also underway at the Route 1 and Courthouse Road intersection to widen the highway to four lanes with a concrete median, add sidewalks and crosswalks, and improve access at Bells Hill Road and Hope Road. These locally administered projects are expected to be completed between fall 2026 and summer 2027.
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A fatal crash on Interstate 66 led today’s police activity reports, as Virginia State Police continue investigating a two-vehicle collision that occurred just after 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
The crash happened on the eastbound side of I-66 at the 48-mile marker. One person died at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s identity, pending notification of next of kin.
A fire that broke out Monday evening has left four residents without a home after damaging a Dale City townhouse.
Fire and rescue crews responded at 6:45 p.m. on December 22, 2025, to the 15100 block of Catalpa Court. Upon arrival, they found heavy smoke coming from the townhouse. All occupants had safely evacuated the building before firefighters arrived.
A Dumfries man has pleaded guilty in connection with a 2023 shooting that left a 3-year-old child dead and four others — including three other children — seriously injured.
Kenyatta Oglesby, 23, entered a guilty plea on December 22, 2025, to one count of second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement for a 40-year prison term. He also pled guilty to four counts of aggravated malicious wounding, with sentencing still to be determined. Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth and Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Sweet are prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2026.
CoAspire, a Fairfax-based defense and aerospace company, is opening a new assembly and manufacturing facility in Manassas, further boosting the city’s status as a hub for high-tech, high-wage jobs in the defense sector. The company is best known for its work on the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), a next-generation, 3D-printed missile designed for affordability and exportability.
The company will occupy the former 30,000-square-foot Georator facility and plans to hire more than 25 employees for roles in engineering, precision manufacturing, quality assurance, and production support. Job postings are expected to appear on LinkedIn in the coming weeks as CoAspire ramps up operations.
Two Northern Virginia nonprofits — Northern Virginia Food Rescue (NOVA-FR) in Manassas and Fauquier FISH in Warrenton — received a massive food delivery earlier this month to support local families facing hunger. Each organization was given 18,000 pounds of food and pantry staples on December 11 as part of a national initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The donation marks the first in the Washington, D.C. area from the Church’s America250 campaign, which pledges to donate 250 semi-trucks of food to food pantries across the U.S. by the end of 2026. Items included peanut butter, pancake mix, canned vegetables, pasta and more.
