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!

Features

Egg Hunts, Reptiles and Free Movies: Stafford Parks’ Spring Lineup

By Uriah Kiser

Stafford Parks and Recreation is gearing up for a fun-filled spring with a lineup of family-friendly special events designed to entertain kids and parents alike. From egg hunts to reptile encounters and sensory-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone in the coming weeks.

Families looking for engaging ways to spend time together should mark their calendars and register soon—these popular programs tend to fill up quickly.

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Prince William

Prince William’s Co-Responder Program Diverts 72% of Crises from Custody: A Year in Review

By Uriah Kiser
Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham [Photo: Uriah Kiser]

In a year marked by innovative partnerships and proactive measures, Prince William County’s co-responder program has emerged as a beacon of progress in addressing behavioral health crises, successfully diverting 72% of cases from custody in 2025.

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Manassas

Manassas Police Report 15% Crime Drop in 2025, Highlight Community Collaboration

By Uriah Kiser

Manassas Police Chief Douglass Keen presented the department’s 2025 annual report to City Council on March 9, 2026, announcing a 15% reduction in the crime rate—from 21 to 17 crimes per 1,000 persons—and crediting collaborative efforts between law enforcement and residents.

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Prince William

Fatal Shooting at Potomac Shores Basketball Courts Claims Life of Man, 18

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Alan Gloss]

The homicide investigation began on March 9 at approximately 5:33 p.m. when officers responded to the 1800 block of Potomac Shores Parkway (22026), an outdoor recreational area near the Shores Club in this master-planned Dumfries neighborhood.

Police say several people were playing basketball when another group arrived, leading to a confrontation that escalated into an exchange of gunfire. Everyone scattered after the shots were fired.

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Schools

Hansford Wins Back Job: Arbitrator Slams PWCS for Union Discrimination in Hiring Denial

By Uriah Kiser

In a decision that underscores the protections afforded to union leaders under Virginia’s collective bargaining laws, a neutral arbitrator has ruled that Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) committed unfair labor practices by refusing to rehire former Prince William Education Association (PWEA) President Mary “Maggie” Hansford in August 2025. Hansford, who led the union through historic wage negotiations, described the ruling as a moment of “relief and gratitude” in an exclusive statement to Potomac Local News.

The case centers on PWCS’s denial of Hansford’s applications for a speech-language pathologist position and a substitute teacher role. The school division cited media reports of a Virginia Education Association (VEA) audit alleging mismanagement during Hansford’s PWEA presidency, which led to an emergency trusteeship imposed on July 21, 2025. The trusteeship, which suspended Hansford and the PWEA board, was upheld following a contentious 14-hour hearing in August 2025.

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Prince William

Woodbridge District Supervisor Special Election Set for Tuesday, March 10, 2026

By Uriah Kiser
Casim, LaCroix, Montgomery

Prince William County voters in the Woodbridge Magisterial District head to the polls tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in a special election to fill a vacancy on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.

The seat became vacant after former Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin won a special election in January 2026 for the Virginia House of Delegates’ 23rd District. The Circuit Court ordered the special election to replace her.

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Traffic

Two Killed In Woodbridge Wrong Way Crash

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Alan Gloss]

Officers responded around 6:45 p.m. March 8 to the intersection of Cardinal Drive and Whips Run Drive in Woodbridge after reports of a multi-vehicle collision, according to Prince William County police.

Investigators say a 2015 Hyundai Genesis was traveling the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Cardinal Drive when it struck a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe head-on. The force of the crash pushed the Santa Fe into a 2025 GMC Hummer also traveling eastbound. Debris from the crash struck an unoccupied 2024 Honda Accord parked in a nearby driveway on Whips Run Drive.

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Stafford

Stafford County Schools Adjust Calendar for April 21 Special Election on Congressional Redistricting

By Uriah Kiser
Kindergarten students get off the bus at Park Ridge Elementary School on "transition day," Monday, August 11, 2025. [Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

In a letter sent to families, Superintendent Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D., explained that the Stafford County Board of Elections designated 22 schools as polling sites for the statewide special election, prompting the need to swap instructional days.

The superintendent noted that the division learned only recently that the election would proceed as planned, limiting the ability to provide earlier notice.

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Business

Business Leaders Invited to Manassas Reception

By Uriah Kiser
[Courtesy of the City of Manassas]

The “Jive After Five Networking Reception” is scheduled for April 23, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William Street in downtown Manassas. The event will bring together chamber members, business leaders, and entrepreneurs for an evening of networking and collaboration.

According to the Northern Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the gathering marks the chamber’s formal expansion into Manassas and Prince William County. The organization says the move is aimed at strengthening business connections and promoting economic opportunities across the region.

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Schools

Student Makes Farm Bureau History

By Uriah Kiser
Ringer

A Brentsville District High School senior has become the first high school student in the nation to serve as chair of a county Farm Bureau committee, according to Prince William County Public Schools.

Hunter Ringer, president of the school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, was selected to lead the Prince William-Fairfax Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee after the position was left vacant for the year. Farm Bureau President Stephanie Cornnell proposed Ringer for the role after noticing his leadership and dedication to agricultural education.

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