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Author: Uriah Kiser
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The parents of a third-grade student who brought a loaded handgun to Lee Hill Elementary School have been arrested and charged following a classroom incident that resulted in the weapon discharging inside a backpack.
According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Ciara Armstead, 36, and Terrence Carroll, Jr., 34, were each charged on Monday, April 7, with two offenses: one misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in a manner that endangered a child under the age of 14, and one felony count of willfully or negligently endangering a child while having custody. Both were released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and are scheduled to appear in Spotsylvania County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on April 11.
The farmland, the small-town life, and the memories that built Prince William County are fading fast. But one effort is working to preserve those stories before they’re gone for good.
In our latest Potomac Local News Podcast, we sat down with Lauren Maloy, Historic Communities Coordinator at the Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation. She shared the mission behind the county’s oral history project, which collects and preserves personal stories from longtime residents, government officials, and people who have shaped the community in unique ways.
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Potomac Local Podcasts Drop All Week — Don’t Miss These Local Voices
We’re rolling out a full slate of Potomac Local News Podcast episodes this week. Each one dives deep into the history, people, and places shaping our region. Subscribe on YouTube so you’ll be the first to know when new episodes go live.
Authorities say the incident happened around 10:50 a.m. when a handgun went off while inside a student’s backpack. Early interviews indicate the student did not intend to harm anyone, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The classroom teacher immediately evacuated all 26 students and alerted the School Resource Officer stationed at the school. Thankfully, no students or staff were injured during the incident.
The Dumfries Town Council approved its 2025 events calendar during its April 1 meeting, finalizing several changes to the town’s lineup of annual events.
The most significant update is the rescheduling of the Holiday Parade. Traditionally held in December, the event will now take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025. The new date will help Dumfries avoid scheduling conflicts with neighboring localities and attract more marching bands and participants, notably Manassas, which hosts the region’s largest Christmas parade.
The Manassas City School Board will vote Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on whether to formally prohibit collective bargaining with employee unions—a decision that could halt a movement launched earlier this year by local educators.
The resolution up for consideration, R2025-03, declares that no official or employee of the school division has the authority to recognize a labor union as a bargaining agent or to enter into collective bargaining agreements. It reaffirms the board’s current stance of non-engagement with employee unions and instead promotes a “meet and confer” model for addressing employee concerns.
Due to wet weather conditions across the region, the Championship Celebration and Ring Ceremony honoring the 2024 Carolina League Champion Fredericksburg Nationals has been relocated from Riverfront Park to Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
The event will take place Monday, April 7 at noon on the Total Property Services Club Level inside the stadium.
Chief Allen Sibert of the Town of Haymarket Police Department is gearing up for the second annual Senior Summit, a free, one-of-a-kind event focused on empowering older adults with vital resources and protection from scams.
The event will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Park Valley Church, located at 4500 Waverly Farm Drive in Haymarket.
Protesters rally in Manassas and Fredericksburg against Trump policies
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Manassas and Fredericksburg on Saturday as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” movement opposing the Trump administration’s policies. In Manassas, about 1,000 protesters gathered near the Social Security office. In Fredericksburg, demonstrators filled downtown with signs expressing concerns over cuts to public programs. The coordinated events were among more than 1,100 protests held nationwide.