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!

Health

Virginia Marketplace Health Plans Could Jump 20% Next Year — One Insurer Wants 40%

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography/Unsplash]

Virginians who buy health insurance on the state’s marketplace could see big premium hikes in 2026, with most insurers proposing average increases of 20% or more — and one requesting twice that.

The State Corporation Commission says 10 insurers plan to sell individual marketplace plans in Virginia next year. Optimum Choice, Inc. has proposed the steepest average increase, 40.2%, according to SCC records. Rates in the small group market, which covers businesses with fewer than 50 workers, could rise an average of 11.2%.

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Fredericksburg

Essay Contest Offers Chance to Win $1.8M Historic Fredericksburg Home for $200

By Uriah Kiser
A view of Downtown Fredericksburg from above Hurkamp Park [Photo: Fredericksburg City]

Fredericksburg Free Press: Paula and Robert Welsh are selling their six-bedroom, five-bath historic home in downtown Fredericksburg through a “write your way home” essay contest, with tickets priced at $200. Proceeds will benefit the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and SPCA if at least 15,000 tickets are sold. — More from Fredericksburg Free Press.

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Breaking News

Water Main Break Closes Lanes on Route 28 in Manassas

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – Crews are working to repair a water main break that’s forced lane closures on Route 28 (Centreville Road) this afternoon.

The folks at Manassas Public Works told Potomac Local News that the break has shut down both northbound and southbound inside lanes from Liberia Avenue to Carriage Lane. Drivers should expect delays and plan to use an alternate route.

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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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