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!

Weather

Halloween Morning Forecast: Hold Onto Your Costumes—It’s a Blustery Start!

By Uriah Kiser

🎃 👻 Get ready for a spook-tacularly windy Halloween morning! As kids head to the bus stop Friday, expect plenty of sunshine—but don’t be fooled by the bright skies. A chilly west wind will howl through the region, with gusts reaching up to 30 mph, strong enough to send hats and treat bags flying! Temperatures will hover in the upper 40s to low 50s early on, rising to around 61° by afternoon under clear, crisp skies.

🎒 Friday Morning Bus Stop Forecast (Oct. 31, 2025)

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Features

Prince William Water launches new podcast to highlight water service effort

By Uriah Kiser

Prince William Water has launched a new quarterly video podcast called “Behind the Tap,” offering residents a behind-the-scenes look at the county’s largest water and wastewater utility. The podcast will feature interviews with staff, answers to frequently asked customer questions, and tips on how to protect local water resources.

The debut episode includes an interview with Deputy General Manager and Chief Administrative Officer Ari Nelson, who discusses the national “Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign and the utility’s emphasis on reliability and infrastructure. The podcast aims to raise awareness about the systems that deliver clean water and treat wastewater for over 380,000 people in Prince William County.

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Fairfax

IKEA confirms Chantilly store, replacing Dulles Expo Center

By Uriah Kiser

“We are thrilled to continue our expansion across the DMV to bring the dream of a better home within reach for more people across the country,” IKEA U.S. CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Javier Quiñones said in a press release, FFXnow reported. “The opening of IKEA Chantilly highlights our commitment to bring IKEA closer to the many people and make it easier and more affordable to access our home furnishing products and solutions.”

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Schools

Dr. Tashika Griffith selected as new president of Germanna Community College

By Uriah Kiser
Dr. Tashika Griffith

“It is with deep humility and great enthusiasm that I assume the role of President of Germanna Community College,” said Dr. Tashika Griffith, who was appointed by Dr. David Doré, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, to become Germanna’s seventh permanent president, VCCS announced. “I extend my sincere gratitude to Chancellor Doré, the college’s Advisory Board, the search committee, and the many faculty, staff, students, and alumni who participated in this process.”

“I have been deeply impressed by Germanna’s strong sense of community and its steadfast commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and student success,” Dr. Griffith added. “I look forward to building upon this remarkable foundation as we continue advancing the College’s mission and impact across the region.”

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Press Release

Woman charged in Edinburg fatal crash arrested in Basye

By Uriah Kiser

Lindsay Rae Price, 35, of Edinburg, was taken into custody without incident in Basye on October 31, according to Virginia State Police. She had been wanted since October 26 on felony involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal crash in August.

The crash occurred on August 6 at 4:26 p.m. on Stoney Creek Boulevard near Printz Street in the Town of Edinburg, located in Shenandoah County. Investigators say Price struck 82-year-old Leona M. Honaker, also of Edinburg, as Honaker crossed the street in a crosswalk. Honaker died at the scene.

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Features

Prince William County launches first-ever Rippon Lodge Gingerbread House Contest

By Uriah Kiser

“Do you want to show off your gingerbread architect skills?” the Prince William Office of Historic Preservation announced. “Enter the First Annual Rippon Lodge Gingerbread House Contest and celebrate the holidays by creating a gingerbread masterpiece for all to see.”

The contest features Amateur, Family, and Professional categories, with winners chosen by popular vote. Entry forms are due by December 5, and houses must be dropped off at Rippon Lodge by December 8 for display during the Holidays Through the Ages event. Winners will be announced December 12, and entry is free.

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Prince William

Alexandria man surrenders in fatal 2023 hit-and-run on I-95 in Prince William

By Uriah Kiser

James A. Puryear, 50, of Alexandria, turned himself in Thursday morning, October 30, 2025, at the Prince William – Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center. Puryear is charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred nearly two years ago on Interstate 95 southbound in Prince William County.

The crash happened at 5:05 a.m. on November 19, 2023, near the 158-mile marker. Investigators say a 2005 Infiniti G35 sideswiped a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia tractor-trailer, causing it to leave the roadway, hit a guardrail, and strike a support column. The truck driver, Trenton E. Schnakenberg, 31, of Caret, died at the scene. The driver of the Infiniti fled before authorities arrived.

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Stafford

NOT SO FAST, BUC-EE! — Stafford Planners Delay Mega Travel Center Vote

By Uriah Kiser

A crowd that filled the Stafford County Government Center and spilled into an overflow room waited late into the night Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, as the Planning Commission voted 6–1 to delay a decision on the controversial Buc-ee’s travel center proposed near Interstate 95’s Exit 140.

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Prince William

Prince William Residents Rage as County Passes ‘Weak’ Noise Ordinance

By Uriah Kiser
Village Place Technology Park in Gainesville, approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in 2022

After three years of study, public debate, and technical review, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 5–2 Tuesday night to adopt a new C-weighted noise ordinance regulating sound from data centers and other industrial sources.

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Prince William

Weems–Botts Museum group urges Town to preserve $1-a-year lease agreement

By Uriah Kiser

The nonprofit that operates the Weems–Botts Museum and Merchant Park told the Dumfries Town Council it hopes to keep its $1-a-year lease intact through 2038, stressing that the agreement has allowed local volunteers to preserve one of Virginia’s most historic homes for five decades.

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