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!

Prince William

Occoquan Bids Farewell to Events Director Julie Little, Welcomes New Art Gallery to Town

By Uriah Kiser
Laura D. Jones (center) cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Laura D Jones Fine Art in Occoquan on June 29, 2025, joined by town leaders and community members. The new gallery, located at 125 Mill St, Suite #10, features original artwork and a riverfront studio space for art classes.

OCCOQUAN, Va. – The Town of Occoquan is celebrating both a heartfelt farewell and an exciting new beginning.

Julie Little, who has served as the town’s Events Director for the past eight years, is retiring. Town officials praised Little for her unwavering passion, dedication, and creativity, which helped grow beloved traditions like the Craft Festivals and bring new energy to Occoquan’s calendar of events.

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Manassas Park

Manassas Park Moves Toward Firearm Ban in City Buildings

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS PARK, Va. – The Manassas Park Governing Body is considering a new ordinance that would ban firearms in city-owned buildings, a move Vice Mayor Darryl Moore says is about protecting the public before tragedy strikes.

During a meeting on Tuesday, June 24, Moore introduced the proposal, which would prohibit residents and visitors from carrying firearms into facilities such as City Hall, the Community Center, the MAP Clinic, and the Planning Department office at Blooms Park.

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Manassas

Leadership Change at Historic Manassas, Inc. Marks a New Chapter

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – Historic Manassas, Inc. is preparing for a leadership change as Executive Director Kristen Kiefer steps down after two years of service that brought much-needed stability to the downtown revitalization nonprofit.

Kiefer, who was the third person to hold the position in a short span of time, helped steer the organization through a transitional period, following the departures of previous directors Debbie Haight and Laurel Howard. She was named interim director in April 2023 and officially took the helm that September. Her time as director was marked by the rebranding of the Manassas Farmers Market, expansion of downtown events, and a renewed strategic direction.

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Manassas

Double the Fireworks, Double the Fun: Manassas and Manassas Park Throw Big July 4th Bashes

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – Northern Virginia’s fireworks fans are in for a double dose of celebration this Independence Day, as both the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park host major events packed with parades, live entertainment, and fireworks shows.

In Historic Downtown Manassas, the fun kicks off Friday, July 4, 2025, at 3 p.m. Sponsored by Historic Manassas, Inc. and the City of Manassas, this free, family-friendly event promises an afternoon of games and rides for kids, face painting, 4th of July memorabilia, and food and craft vendors. Patriotic favorites like Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty will roam the crowd, while attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and stake out a spot on the Manassas Museum Lawn and surrounding areas. The evening will close with one of the region’s best fireworks displays, launching at 9:15 p.m.

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Prince William

Brew Republic in Woodbridge to Close After 9 Years, Final Party Set for July 25–27

By Uriah Kiser

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Brew Republic Bierwerks, a longtime fixture in the Stonebridge Town Center, will permanently close its doors after nearly nine years in business.

According to a message shared by the brewery, its landlord has terminated the lease, and with the high costs of relocating and ongoing challenges in the restaurant and brewery industries, the owners have decided not to reopen elsewhere. “This isn’t the opportunity-rich environment breweries had experienced in 2016 when we opened,” they wrote.

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News

Fredericksburg Adopts Bold New Vision for the Future: What the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Means for You

By Uriah Kiser
Fredericksburg City Hall

Fredericksburg City Council has adopted a new comprehensive plan that lays out how the city will grow, change, and preserve what residents love most over the next 20 years.

This one’s for the people who really care about local news.

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Stafford

Stafford Approves Speed and Red Light Cameras Near Schools

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt a new ordinance that will allow speed and red light cameras in school and highway work zones, a move aimed at improving road safety across the county.

The ordinance, O25-13, amends the county’s motor vehicle code to enable the use of automated photo speed monitoring devices in designated school and work zones and authorizes the placement of red light cameras at intersections. While state law already permits speed enforcement in these zones, a county ordinance was required to allow red light camera enforcement.

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Fredericksburg

Next to Normal Brings Bold, Emotional Story to Riverside Stage This Summer

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts will launch its summer season with Next to Normal, a Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical that blends rock music with raw emotion to tell the story of a family navigating the stormy waters of mental illness and grief.

The show opens July 2 and runs through August 3, 2025, marking the Riverside debut of this emotionally charged and rarely produced musical. It stars real-life couple Adrienne Hick and Andrew Foote, who previously lit up the Riverside stage in The Bridges of Madison County. Now, they return in a production that digs even deeper. “We talk about the show pretty much every waking hour,” Hick said during a recent episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast. “Sometimes we have to declare a day off from it—it’s that consuming, in a good way.”

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Publisher's Post

Not Every Story Shakes the Ground—Some Hold It Together

By Uriah Kiser
Uriah Kiser moderates a Prince William County School Board candidate forum at the Dar Al Noor mosque in 2015.

Not every story shakes the ground. Some stories simply hold it together.

For 15 years, we’ve told those stories—of your neighborhoods, your schools, your local leaders, your kids’ big wins and quiet achievements.

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