Author: Uriah Kiser

I'm the Founder and Publisher of Potomac Local News. Raised in Woodbridge, I'm now raising my family in Northern Virginia and care deeply about our community. If you're not getting our FREE email newsletter, you are missing out. Subscribe Now!

Stafford

Three DUI Arrests in a Night Lead Stafford Sheriff’s Blotter

By Uriah Kiser
A Stafford County Sheriff's' patrol car.

Three suspected drunk drivers were arrested in Stafford County on Sunday night, including one woman allegedly driving with a cup of vodka in her console.

The first DUI arrest came at 5:20 p.m. on Stony Hill Road, when deputies say a driver crossing the double yellow line admitted she was “on a break from her family” and had been on her phone. She was also found with an open container of vodka and showed signs of intoxication. She was charged with DUI, drinking while driving, using a phone while driving, and a lane violation, and held until sober.

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Traffic

Weekend Closure Coming to Occoquan Road in Woodbridge—Here’s the Detour

By Uriah Kiser

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Heads up if you use Occoquan Road—you’ll need a different route this weekend. The Virginia Department of Transportation just told Potomac Local News they’ll be shutting down the stretch between Horner Road and Old Bridge Road from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, through 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18. Crews will be installing storm drains as part of the big I-95 and Route 123 interchange improvements project.

Drivers will still be able to get to homes and businesses along Occoquan Road, but you won’t be able to pass under the I-95 overpass. The detour will send through traffic along Horner Road, Route 123 (Gordon Boulevard), and Old Bridge Road.

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Prince William

Robbery at Potomac Mills Tops Prince William Police Blotter

By Uriah Kiser

Police said two men stole shoes from the New Balance store at Potomac Mills after a struggle with employees on Monday afternoon.

Police said the suspects were spotted concealing merchandise just after noon on August 11. When confronted, they fought with staff and ran from the mall with a pair of shoes. No one was hurt. The suspects are described as Black men — one wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark shorts, the other in a blue-and-white tank top and gray shorts. A police K-9 search did not locate them.

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Prince William

Prince William to Hold 9/11 Remembrance at Liberty Memorial Fountain

By Uriah Kiser
Liberty Memorial Fountain at Prince William County

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – The folks at Prince William County just told Potomac Local News they’ll host a September 11 remembrance ceremony next week to honor the 22 county residents killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

It’s happening Thursday, Sept. 11, at 9:30 a.m. at the 9/11 Liberty Memorial Fountain, right outside the county’s McCoart Government Center in Woodbridge. The event will feature the Presentation of Colors, the National Anthem, the Tolling of the Bell, remarks from County Chair Deshundra Jefferson and County Executive Christopher Shorter, a reading of victims’ names, and the playing of taps.

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Originals

Ride Report: OmniRide Ridership Surges Toward Record Highs, but Capacity Concerns Loom

By Uriah Kiser

OmniRide buses are carrying more passengers than they have in years, and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) is on track to set a system-wide ridership record in the coming year — even with fewer commuter trips than before the pandemic.

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Newslinks

Youngkin Supports Trump’s Move to Place D.C. Police Under Federal Control

By Uriah Kiser
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) held a bill signing ceremony at Beanstalk, an indoor vertical farming company near Manassas. [Photo: Alan Gloss]

The Center Square: President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control and activating the National Guard to address violent crime in the nation’s capital. The move, made under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, includes sending 800 National Guard troops to the district, according to the White House. — More from The Center Square.

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Schools

Stafford, Manassas Students Return for the Earliest First Day of School in the Region

By Uriah Kiser
Kindergarten students get off the bus at Park Ridge Elementary School on "transition day," Monday, August 11, 2025. [Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

Classrooms across Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) filled this morning as more than 31,500 students returned for the 2025–2026 school year. SCPS operates 34 schools and maintains an average student–teacher ratio of 13:1. Superintendent Dr. Daniel W. Smith leads the division, headquartered at 31 Stafford Avenue.

The county kicked off the year with its Transition Day on Monday, August 11, 2025. Designed for incoming kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade students, Transition Day provides a softer start—allowing these students to tour their schools, meet teachers, and get familiar with their surroundings before the whole student body arrives. School officials say the program reduces first-day anxiety and helps build connections that last throughout the year.

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Newslinks

Guzman Outraises Lovejoy In Closely-Watched Prince William House Race

By Uriah Kiser
Photo: Virginia Department of Historic Resources

InsideNoVa: Democrat Elizabeth Guzman holds a comfortable fundraising lead over incumbent Republican Ian Lovejoy in the closely-watched House of Delegates 22nd District race. As of the latest filings, which cover through the end of June, Guzman had raised nearly $403,000 to Lovejoy’s $251,000. — More from InsideNoVa.

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Health

New Heart & Vascular Center Opens in Woodbridge—A First for Northern Virginia

By Uriah Kiser
The Northern Virginia Heart & Vascular Center team who did the first procedure.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Sentara Health said they’ve teamed up with Carient Heart & Vascular and Polaris Heart & Vascular Clinic to open a brand-new outpatient cardiovascular center—something Northern Virginia has never seen before.

The Northern Virginia Heart & Vascular Center, located on Groupe Drive just three miles from Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, officially treated its first patient on July 24. It’s designed for people who need specific heart procedures but don’t require a hospital stay.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Man Found Guilty in 2024 Shooting; Sentencing Set for October

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office states a jury has found Shawn O’Neal Parker guilty in a 2024 shooting that left one man severely and permanently injured.

Jurors convicted Parker on July 30 of aggravated malicious wounding and using a firearm in the crime. Days later, a judge also found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say Parker shot David Franklin Greenhow III in Fredericksburg on October 28, 2024.

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