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!

Originals

Stafford Sheriff Launches Retail Crime Task Force—But Offers No Data to Support It

By Uriah Kiser
Car batteries under lock and key at a Stafford County Walmart store in 2024.

STAFFORD, Va. – Stafford County officials have launched a new task force aimed at curbing retail theft and organized retail crime, but the Sheriff’s Office says it has no records or data to show whether such crimes are on the rise locally.

The joint initiative, announced last week by the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, is designed to target both everyday shoplifting and more complex theft operations. According to the announcement, the task force will focus on identifying suspects, sharing intelligence, and streamlining prosecution.

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Stafford

100 MPH Chase, PIT Maneuver, and DUI Arrests Mark Busy Week for Stafford Deputies

By Uriah Kiser

An intoxicated driver led deputies on a high-speed chase through North Stafford late Thursday night, reaching speeds of 100 mph before being stopped with a PIT maneuver. Deputies say 38-year-old Edgard Martinez Martinez turned off his headlights and tried to evade arrest after being spotted speeding on Garrisonville Road. The pursuit wound through multiple roads and commuter lots before ending when the suspect’s car spun into woods near Little Forest Church Road. Martinez allegedly tried to run but was quickly caught. He faces charges including DUI, felony eluding, reckless driving, and fleeing law enforcement, and is being held without bond.

In other incidents, a verbal dispute on Shaw Court escalated into an assault when two women allegedly attacked a victim. Both were charged with assault and battery and released on personal recognizance.

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Stafford

Stafford’s New Dog Park Honors Beloved K9 Havoc

By Uriah Kiser
Photo: Stafford County Goverment Facebook page

STAFFORD, Va. – Stafford County’s newest dog park is open, and it carries the name of a four-legged public servant who spent years protecting the community.

Friends of Havoc Dog Park opened Saturday, August 9, at 2085 Mountain View Road, just south of Margaret Brent Elementary School. It’s the first dog park in the Rock Hill District and was named for Havoc, a Stafford County Sheriff’s Office K9 who served from October 2013 to March 2020. Havoc died on July 29, 2021, due to health issues.

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Manassas Park

Manassas Park Community Center is Closed This Week for its Annual Deep Clean

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS PARK, Va. – The folks at the Manassas Park Community Center just told Potomac Local News they’re taking a short break this week for their annual cleaning and maintenance. From Sunday, August 10, through Friday, August 15, the entire center—including the indoor pool—will be closed. Doors reopen bright and early on Saturday, August 16, at 7 a.m.

This isn’t just any local rec center—it’s a multi-generational community hub that’s been serving Manassas Park since 2010. Built with a 50-year vision in mind, the $18.5 million, 79,280-square-foot facility has two full-size basketball courts, an eight-lane pool, a fitness center, multi-purpose rooms, event spaces, and areas for preschoolers, teens, and seniors. It’s also designed as an emergency shelter with backup power for more than 1,000 people.

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Prince William

Shooting at Bayvue Apartments Leads Prince William Police Blotter, Plus Gunfire, Assaults, and Arrests

By Uriah Kiser
[Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash]

In a separate shooting incident on Danbury Court Aug. 9, two men from Richmond — Deshawn Antione Baker, 20, and Deonte Antoine Carrington, 19 — were arrested after exchanging gunfire during an argument. An unoccupied vehicle was struck, but no injuries were reported.

Also in Woodbridge, an aggravated assault Aug. 7 on Nickelson Drive left a 46-year-old man with multiple wounds. He later arrived at a local hospital. Police are still investigating how the injuries occurred.

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Originals

Riding Toward a Milestone, VRE Looks at Weekend Trains and Long-Term Funding

By Uriah Kiser

Virginia Railway Express expects to welcome its 100 millionth rider this fall—and leaders hope the milestone can help bring more people on board, even as they wrestle with when to launch Saturday trains and how to keep the system funded in the years ahead.

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Fredericksburg

GWRC Seeks Public Input on First-Ever Regional Economic Development Strategy

By Uriah Kiser
A busy crowd outside Fredericksburg's Agave on First Friday.

FREDERICKSBURG — For the first time, the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) is creating a comprehensive economic development plan for Planning District 16 — and it wants to hear directly from the community.

GWRC, which serves Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties, as well as the City of Fredericksburg, has launched an online survey to help shape a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The initiative is funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and facilitated by GWRC’s consultant, RKG Associates, Inc.

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Fredericksburg

Board Member’s Son Has Salary Raised After Texts With Superintendent

By Uriah Kiser

Fredericksburg Advance — A Fredericksburg City elementary assistant principal’s salary was increased following text messages between his father, a member of the School Board, and division superintendent Marci Catlett. In the text messages, School Board member Jarvis Bailey shared communication from his son, Matthew Bailey, laying out his rationale for requesting that he be placed at a higher step on the elementary assistant principal salary scale. More from Fredericksburg Advance.

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Fredericksburg

Arlington Woman, 19, Drowns in Lake Anna

By Uriah Kiser
Lake Anna (Photo: Virginia State Parks)

InsideNoVa — A 19-year-old Arlington woman drowned in Lake Anna over the weekend. Deputies were called to Sandy Point Drive in Bumpass at 10:45 p.m. Saturday, where witnesses reported seeing the victim, 19-year-old Sally Bedell, jump from a structure into the water, resurface, and then go missing, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. More from InsideNoVa.

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Politics

Gainesville Republicans Pick Nominee This Saturday—Dems Already Chose Theirs in Nail-Biter

By Uriah Kiser

GAINESVILLE, Va. – The folks at the Prince William County Republican Committee just told Potomac Local News they’ll hold a firehouse primary this Saturday, Aug. 16 to decide their candidate for Gainesville District Supervisor. Voting runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bull Run Middle School on Catharpin Road—and it’s only open to Gainesville District voters.

Two Republicans are vying for the nod: Patrick Harders, a longtime Manassas resident and founder of a regional outdoor lighting company, and Brian Landrum, who entered the race earlier this month. Harders says he wants to carry on the work of the late Supervisor Bob Weir—particularly his opposition to sprawling data center developments. Landrum has called for greater transparency in local politics and recently accused a prominent community leader of misleading voters—charges she denies while endorsing Harders.

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