Author: Potomac Local News

Manassas

Winsome Sears to Headline Record-Breaking Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Manassas

By Potomac Local News

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for Virginia governor, will headline this year’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner hosted by the Prince William County Republican Committee on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The event will take place at 7 p.m. at Foxchase Manor, located just outside Manassas.

Republican Committee Chairman Jacob Alderman says this year’s dinner will be the largest the committee has ever hosted. “We’re on pace to double, maybe even triple our normal turnout,” Alderman said in an interview on the Potomac Local News Podcast. “I think we’re going to have over 300 people there. We’ve only got maybe 40 or 50 tickets left to go.”

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News

Haymarket Town Council to Revisit Chick-fil-A Expansion Plan April 28 Amid Fire Marshal Concerns

By Potomac Local News

HAYMARKET, Va. — The Haymarket Town Council is set to revisit a controversial Chick-fil-A drive-through expansion proposal during its upcoming work session on Monday, April 28, 2025, as questions remain about the project’s approval from key regulatory agencies.

Earlier this month, the council narrowly approved Special Use Permit (SUP) #2024-001 in a 4-0 vote, allowing the Chick-fil-A at 15186 Washington Street to proceed with a revised site plan known as “Exhibit 6.” The updated plan proposes extending the restaurant’s rightmost drive-through lane onto an adjacent property owned by Virginia National Bank, creating a bypass lane and adding a mobile order pickup point aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing wait times.

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Manassas Park

Manassas Park Proposes FY2026 Budget with Tax Rate Cut, but Homeowners Could See $483 Higher Bills

By Potomac Local News

MANASSAS PARK, Va. — Manassas Park homeowners could see their tax bills rise by hundreds of dollars under the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, despite a planned reduction in the city’s real estate tax rate.

City Manager Carl Cole presented the $129 million budget to the Governing Body on April 22, 2025, proposing a one-cent reduction to the real estate tax rate, which would lower it to $1.395 per $100 of assessed value. However, because the average assessed value of residential properties increased by 7.48%, the typical single-family homeowner, with an average home value of $507,689, would still pay approximately $483 more in real estate taxes next year.

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News

Stafford Supervisors, School Board to Hold Joint Town Hall Amid Budget Changes and Rising Taxes

By Potomac Local News
Diggs

STAFFORD, Va. — Chairman Deuntay Diggs of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors says the county is making “a good faith effort” to improve collaboration with the school board and engage residents following the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which includes increased funding for schools, county services, and a higher property tax rate.

In a recent interview on the Potomac Local News Podcast, Diggs previewed a joint town hall scheduled for Monday, April 29, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Colonial Forge High School Library (note: location changed from the auditorium). The event will feature members of both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board, including Maureen Siegmund, Chair of the School Board.

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Manassas

Prince William County: Mobile Unit Reopens to Serve Homeless Residents

By Potomac Local News

The Prince William County Homeless Mobile Unit resumed operations this spring, offering weekly support to homeless residents in the western part of the county. The unit is stationed at Manassas Presbyterian Church, 8201 Ashton Avenue, every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., providing hot meals and referrals for mental health, housing, and substance abuse services. Feeding Friends now operates the unit, which was previously run by Serving Our Neighbors until September 2024.

Full press release:

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Manassas

Manassas — Michele Hupman Named 2025 Principal of the Year for Manassas City Public Schools

By Potomac Local News

Michele Hupman, Principal of Weems Elementary School, has been named the 2025 Washington Post Principal of the Year for Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS). The award was announced on April 24, 2025, and honors principals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and create impactful learning environments. Hupman has served as principal at Weems since 2022 and is recognized for improving student outcomes and school culture.

Here’s the full press release:

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Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG — FredNats Shut Out in 6-0 Loss to Charleston

By Potomac Local News
Photo: Fredericksburg Nationals

The Fredericksburg Nationals (9-9) were shut out for the first time this season, falling 6-0 to the Charleston RiverDogs (8-10) on Thursday at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. Charleston scored all six of its runs in the first two innings, capitalizing on six hits and three Fredericksburg errors.

FredNats starter Alexander Meckley was pulled in the third inning after walking three consecutive batters. Charleston’s Trevor Harrison held the FredNats scoreless over five innings, striking out seven. The FredNats loaded the bases in the second inning with no outs but failed to score and stranded 11 runners overall.

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Press Release

Stafford County: Utilities Launches Real-Time Water Outage Map

By Potomac Local News

Stafford County Utilities has introduced a new online tool to provide residents with real-time updates on water outages and repair work. The interactive map, available at utilities.staffordcountyva.gov/outage, shows active outages, affected areas, and repair status. The tool aims to enhance communication and transparency for the county’s more than 40,000 water customers.

The full press release:

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Breaking News

Vindman Campaign Spending Questioned as New District Office Opens

By Potomac Local News
Vindman [Photo: Alan Gloss]

U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman’s campaign spent nearly $39,000 at a Florida bookstore where his twin brother, Alexander Vindman, held book signings for his bestseller, according to a report by the New York Post. The expenses have raised questions about potential misuse of campaign funds. Read the full report.

The news comes the same week Vindman, a Democrat, opened a second congressional district office in Fredericksburg, where he pledged to fight “extreme policies” in Washington. Read more from Fredericksburg Free Press.

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News

Why Stafford’s Tax Rate Is Rising While Prince William’s Falls

By Potomac Local News

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – Stafford County homeowners will see a higher real estate tax rate this year — $0.9236 per $100 of assessed value — as the Board of Supervisors adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 budget on April 15. Although the tax rate is three cents higher than last year, it remains two cents lower than the original proposal by the County Administrator.

By comparison, neighboring Prince William County, with four times Stafford’s population, lowered its real estate tax rate to $0.906 per $100. Despite the rate cut, higher home values in Prince William mean its homeowners will still pay more. The average tax bill in Prince William is $5,162, based on a typical home value of $569,772. In Stafford, the average homeowner will pay $4,069 on a home valued at $434,400.

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