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!

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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Features

Crunch Fitness Opens Fredericksburg Gym with $3M buildout

By Uriah Kiser
Crunch Fitness General Manager Tom Davenport assists a new gym member.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — A new $3 million Crunch Fitness is now open in Central Park, bringing a high-energy gym with rows of equipment, classes, and recovery options to the Fredericksburg area.

The fitness center is located in the former East Coast Appliance building on Plank Road, just off Interstate 95.

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Neighborhood Notes

Vindman Speaks in Woodbridge, Digital Gateway Court Fight, Local Events, and School Honors

By Uriah Kiser
Vindman

From federal policy debates in Woodbridge to court battles over the Digital Gateway, plus community events and school honors, here are today’s top stories across Prince William and Stafford counties.

Rep. Eugene Vindman Denounces DEI Rollbacks, Federal Cuts at Woodbridge Roundtable

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Stafford

Stafford Supervisors To Debate New Data Center Rules Today

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD  Va. — Stafford supervisors will meet today to decide how far the county should go in tightening rules for data centers, after weeks of public outcry and sharp division on the board.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a 5 p.m. work session focused exclusively on data centers. The discussion follows an overflow hearing earlier this month where residents warned of health and environmental threats from the projects, while supervisors split over how strict to make new rules.

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Fredericksburg

Chamber Forum To Spotlight Fredericksburg Healthcare, Medical School Proposal

By Uriah Kiser

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

The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its “Regionalism Matters: State of Healthcare” forum from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. The discussion features 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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Fredericksburg

Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy Opens New Firearms Range

By Uriah Kiser

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — The Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy has opened a new 9,000-square-foot indoor firearms range, marking a major upgrade to officer training in the region.

Located on Lee Hill Drive beside the academy’s main campus, the facility features 14 lanes, classrooms, storage, and the ability to simulate darkness for nighttime training.

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Traffic

VDOT Lifts Lane Closures, I-95 Express Lanes On Holiday Schedule For Labor Day

By Uriah Kiser
Looking south along the I-95 E-ZPass Express Lanes near Springfield. [Photo courtesy of Transurban]

Holiday travelers heading out for Labor Day will see fewer work zones and a different schedule on the Interstate 95 Express Lanes.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) says most lane closures on interstates and major highways will be lifted from noon Friday, August 29, through noon Tuesday, September 2. The goal is to ease congestion for drivers making one last summer trip.

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