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!

Fredericksburg

Parents Say Fredericksburg’s School Buses Still a Mess—Here’s What’s Being Done

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Parents packed a hastily called Fredericksburg School Board meeting Wednesday night to share stories of buses running hours late, confusing routes, and families left in the dark.

Several parents reported that the district’s new tracking app indicated children had been “dropped off” even while they were still waiting at bus stops. Others described unsafe stops on busy streets and long waits at schools while drivers tried to juggle double runs.

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Prince William

Roem, Lawson Push Supervisors to Drop Digital Gateway Appeal

By Uriah Kiser and Alan Gloss

MANASSAS, Va. – As Prince William supervisors prepare for a September 9 vote on whether to appeal the voiding of the Prince William Digital Gateway, voices on both sides of the political aisle are urging them to let the ruling stand.

State Senator Danica Roem (D–Prince William County, Manassas) said in a statement that the board should “cut its losses” and stop spending tax dollars on a case already rejected twice in court. She noted Judge Kimberly Irving’s remark that she did not expect the county’s appeal to succeed, and called attention to the vacant Gainesville District seat. “The people of Gainesville District once again do not have full and equal representation compared to the other magisterial district residents on what amounts to a hugely consequential matter,” Roem said.

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Manassas

Burgers @ Manassas Temporarily Closes, Promises Return

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. — A popular burger joint that brought D.C.’s Go-Go music flair to Manassas Mall is temporarily closing its doors.

Burgers @ Manassas announced the closure in a message shared to its social media accounts, assuring customers this is not a permanent goodbye. “Our Manassas location is temporarily closed, but this is not goodbye, just see you soon!,” the restaurant wrote. “We truly appreciate all the love and support from our community.”

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Police Blotter

Inmate Death, Abandoned Dog, Fatal I-95 Crash

By Uriah Kiser
[Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash]

A 59-year-old woman died early Tuesday morning after being hospitalized while in custody at the Prince William–Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center. She was booked on August 18 and transported to a hospital on August 25 due to a possible medical condition. Her health declined, and she died on August 27. Police say no foul play is suspected, and an autopsy will be performed.

Also in Prince William County, police are investigating a Felony Animal Cruelty case after a severely emaciated dog was found abandoned in a cage outside the Battlefield Animal Clinic in Manassas. Surveillance footage shows a man in a light-colored Lexus with Maryland plates leaving the animal around 4:18 a.m. on August 25. The dog, a tan and white Pitbull/Husky mix, was humanely euthanized due to its condition.

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Breaking News

Judge Refuses to Stay Ruling Voiding Prince William Digital Gateway Rezonings

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. — The court fight over the Prince William Digital Gateway reached a turning point Wednesday as Judge Kimberly Irving declined to stay her ruling that voided rezonings for the massive data center corridor.

Irving struck down the rezonings on August 7, finding that the county’s public notices ahead of December 2023 hearings did not comply with state and local law. County lawyers and developers had urged her to put the decision on hold while they appealed, warning that the ruling could stall plans for 37 data centers on 2,100 acres along Pageland Lane.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Weighs Converting Former Mary Washington Office Building into 30 Apartments

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The city’s Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight on a proposal to convert the old Medical Arts Building on Fall Hill Avenue into 30 apartments, part of a wave of redevelopment around the former Mary Washington Hospital campus.

The applicant, Medical Arts Building FXBG LLC, is seeking a special use permit to allow higher residential density at 2301 Fall Hill Avenue. The three-story office building, constructed in 1956, was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure in the Fall Hill Avenue Medical Historic District.

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Schools

Stafford Names New Hartwood High School, Set to Open in 2026

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. — Stafford County’s newest high school now has a name, mascot, and colors. The School Board voted this week to name the county’s sixth high school Hartwood High School, with the Stallion as its mascot and black, silver, and gold as its colors.

Hartwood High is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026. Construction is already underway, designed to add classroom space and modern facilities for academics, athletics, arts, and career training. The school is being built to ease crowding and serve Stafford’s fast-growing population.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg School Board Calls Special Meeting on Bus Delays, Shortages

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The Fredericksburg City School Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday evening to address widespread transportation problems that have delayed buses and extended school days since the start of classes.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Walker-Grant Center. The agenda lists one item — a “transportation update” — and includes a public comment period.

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Stafford

Stafford Considers Tougher Rules for Data Centers Amid Growth Concerns

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD COUNTY — Stafford County leaders are weighing whether to impose stricter rules on data centers, as residents and advocacy groups warn the industry’s rapid expansion is already too close to neighborhoods, schools, and sensitive environmental areas.

On Tuesday, August 26, the Board of Supervisors held a meeting to review proposed updates to the county’s zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan. The changes come just two years after Stafford first adopted rules regulating the booming industry.

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Fredericksburg

Mary Washington Healthcare CEO Presses for New Medical School, Avoids Media Questions

By Uriah Kiser
Mary Washington Healthcare Dr. Christopher Newman speaks at Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Event.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The future of healthcare in the Fredericksburg region took center stage Wednesday morning as two hospital leaders addressed growth, challenges, and innovation — including the possibility of Northern Virginia’s first medical school.

The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted its “Regionalism Matters: State of Healthcare” forum at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. The program featured Dr. Christopher Newman, President and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare, and Ryan DeWeese, Chief Executive Officer of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center.

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