The Friends of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library is marking its 50th anniversary with a special membership drive.

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Dear Stafford County Board of Supervisors,

If you would be so kind as to restrict your tax increase to no more than the rate of inflation on the rest of Stafford County middle-class taxpayers, I will pay that tax rate and send an extra check to cover the difference between the past tax, and what it would have been at $1.17.

It isn’t about me, but about the fact that so many people are struggling in this economic climate and just can’t afford what you are pursuing.

Cord Sterling
Stafford

The Prince William County circus is never short on sideshows.

In eastern Prince William, we’re gambling on “The Rose.”  In western Prince William, we’ve bet the house on data centers.

The latest Prince William County Police Department report shows our violent crime rate has skyrocketed since 2019.  Good luck getting those winnings home from the casino.

Our Absence-of-Planning Office is absolutely melting down after a series of controversial decisions that prioritized developer exploitation over prudent land use.  Senior planning staff runs for their professional lives without a word of explanation.  Are even the exiles muzzled by non-disclosure agreements?

Just when you think you need a breath of fresh air, there isn’t any.  Despite our sustainability goals, Prince William County is one of two Northern Virginia counties increasing its greenhouse gas emissions.  As if no one’s paying attention, our earth-moving and clear-cutting Chair At-large Ann Wheeler dons environmental lipstick to gloss over her abysmal record before a Green Business Council invented by her husband.

And when you’re drowning, you can always count on our self-serving friends along Pageland Lane to throw you an anchor.  Ken Knarr has generously stepped forward to claim Pete Candland’s financially-conflicted “what’s-in-it-for-me?” role in the Republican primary.  This stunt is most likely designed to dilute the burgeoning opposition to our beleaguered Chair.

For all these “services,” you got a tax increase.  In the alternate universe of Ann Wheeler, this bedlam is supposed to merit her re-election.  She has inexplicably chosen to run on a record most would be running from.

Pulling off this con requires an awful lot of voter disengagement.  Don’t fall for it.  Vote for Deshundra Jefferson in the June 20 Democratic primary.

Bill Wright
Gainesville

Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)

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Thomas LaBelle is Prince William County’s new Fire and Rescue System Chief. He will start May 1, 2023, and make a $215,000 annual salary.

LaBelle replaces Tim Keen, who retired after 40 years at the county’s fire and rescue department last year. Interim Chief Jim Forgo has helmed the ship since Keen’s departure.

More in a press release: Read More

Fire crews in Prince William County were called to two house fires on Thursday, April 7, 2023.

Fire crews went to a home in the Yorkshire area, just outside Manassas, at 8:39 p.m. and found a single-family home ablaze.

Last evening, units were dispatched to the 7000 block of Chestnut Street (Yorkshire) due to multiple calls of a single-family house on fire. Crews arrived with fire showing and extension into the attic, with flame spread being strengthen by propane fumes. The home sustained moderate damage. The structure was determined to be unsafe to occupy by the Building Official, displacing 3 adults and 5 children. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupants.  No injuries were reported. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was accidental.

Earlier in the day, at 12:11 p.m., a UPS driver in Dale City called 9-1-1 to report a house on fire.

Yesterday afternoon, units were dispatched to the 14000 blk of Filarete Street (Dale City) for a reported townhouse fire. An UPS driver had observed the fire on the second floor and alerted the occupants of the home. Crews arrived with fire and smoke conditions throughout the structure. The home sustained moderate damage, requiring the Building Official to post the property unsafe to occupy, displacing 2 adults and 1 child. The Red Cross is assisting the occupants. One occupant was transported to an area medical facility with a non-life-threatening sickness. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the cause of fire to be accidental caused by electrical equipment failure.

All Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores will be closed on Sunday, April 9, in observance of the Easter holiday.

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Tangela Innis is the new Dumfries Town Manager.

She signed her employment contract on April 5, 2023. The town agreed to pay Innis a $180,000 annual salary, 34% higher than her predecessor Keith Rogers made when he took the job in 2019.

Innis comes to Dumfries from Petersburg, where she served as deputy city manager.

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Updated April 7 — Two 17-year-old boys traveled from Woodbridge to Stafford before shots rang out, injuring one of the boys and a 15-year-old Stafford boy.

The 17-year-old teens met the 15-year-old at the Park Ridge swimming pool, a park in the residential neighborhood in North Stafford on Parkway Boulevard. Detectives say a struggle ensued, leading to the 15-year-old boy being shot in the back and a 17-year-old in the leg.

Authorities believe all three had guns, but it’s unclear who fired shots. It’s unclear what the teens are arguing about.

The 17-year-old Woodbridge suspect, who was shot in the leg, was treated at a local hospital and released, and has been charged with aggravated malicious wounding and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, said Stafford Sheriff’s Major Shawn Kimmitz.

The other 17-year-old Woodbridge suspect was charged with possessing a firearm by a minor and grand theft of a gun. Both are currently being held at the Juvenile Detention Center.

Detectives are working to uncover how these juveniles got to have these firearms. The 15-year-old is still being treated for his injuries.

The 9-1-1 call for the shooting went out at 4:09 p.m. Authorities found the 15-year-old in the swimming pool parking lot and the two 17-year-old boys hiding in a shed at home on nearby Boondocks Lane, authorities said.

Following the shooting, H.H. Poole Middle School, Park Ridge Elementary School, the Merit School of Stafford, and Porter Library were on full lockdown, while North Stafford High School was on a partial lockdown.

Three hours after authorities found the shooting victims, detectives found three guns used in the incident tossed in nearby woods. It’s believed all three boys had guns.

Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor says one of the victims is a county public schools student.

“I would love to tell you that instruction is our number one priority in Stafford Schools – it’s not. Safety remains paramount in Stafford Schools. The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is essential,” Taylor penned in a message to parents. “Our collective safety relies on all of us to be mindful and caring. Should you or your child need assistance from a school counselor, please reach out to your school administrator, who can assist in scheduling a conversation.”

Kimmitz said parents should talk to their children about guns and what to do if they find an unattended firearm lying around — report it to an adult immediately.

More as we have it.

A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 10 p.m. today, Thursday, April 6, 2023.

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