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!

Police Blotter

Major Sentencing & Local Blotter: 21-Year Term in Woodbridge Drug Case; Gunshots in Woodbridge, Gainesville Break-In Attempt

By Uriah Kiser
File photo of police lights
Photo: Scott Rodgerson / Unsplash

Law enforcement in Prince William and Stafford counties continues to address a range of public safety issues, from firearm incidents and burglaries to drug trafficking. In a significant development, a Woodbridge man involved in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine distribution conspiracy was sentenced to more than two decades in federal prison.

A Woodbridge drug trafficker was sentenced today in Alexandria federal court to 21 years and five months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.

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Politics

Early Voting Begins Tomorrow for Virginia’s Special Redistricting Referendum

By Uriah Kiser

Early voting commences tomorrow, Friday, March 6, across Virginia for the April 21 special election on a proposed constitutional amendment concerning congressional redistricting. The statewide referendum arises amid partisan tensions and legal battles, with Democrats framing it as a necessary, temporary response to redistricting actions in other states that could disadvantage them nationally. Republicans view it as an unconstitutional power grab aimed at partisan advantage.

If approved by voters, the amendment would permit the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts for upcoming elections to “restore fairness,” with Virginia’s standard bipartisan redistricting process—established by a 2020 voter-approved amendment—resuming after the 2030 census.

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Stafford

Stafford Shields Data Centers from Tax Hike, Targets Homeowners

By Uriah Kiser

While advertising a six-cent increase in the real estate tax rate to $0.985 per $100 of assessed value for calendar year 2026—potentially adding about $430 annually to the average household bill—the Stafford County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to raise the personal property tax rate on data center computer equipment and peripherals from $1.25 to $2.50 per $100 of assessed value during its March 3, 2026 meeting.

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Prince William

Prince William Supervisors Move to End By-Right Data Centers in Overlay District — But Approve Controversial Hornbaker Project in 4-3 Vote

By Uriah Kiser

In a split decision reflecting deep divisions over the county’s data center boom, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 on March 3 to initiate a zoning text amendment that would eliminate by-right approval for data centers inside the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District and require special use permits (SUPs) for all future projects countywide.

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Business

A New Grocery Store near Dumfries?

By Uriah Kiser
A ribbon cutting for Sprouts Farmers Market, at 8431 Sudley Road near Manassas on May 12, 2023.

“Sprouts is excited to bring our wide selection of fresh, local and better-for-you products to the Dumfries community as we continue to grow in Virginia,” Sprouts public relations manager Mychael Ramirez said in an email to the Prince William Times, the newspaper reported. “Sprouts offers a carefully curated assortment of products that inspire wellness naturally, including organic, gluten-free, plant-based and non-GMO favorites.”

Sprouts Farmers Market plans to open a new grocery store in 2027 inside the former Shoppers Food Warehouse space at Fortuna Plaza off Dumfries Road. The Phoenix-based grocer operates more than 480 stores nationwide and currently has four Virginia locations in Herndon, Manassas, Leesburg, and Haymarket.

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Features

Israel Mensah Wins Fredericksburg Regional Spelling Bee

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: CRRL]

Sponsored by the Fredericksburg Host Lions Club, Kiwanis Club of Fredericksburg, and Access Eye, and presented by the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, the event brought together 14 top spellers from Caroline, Colonial Beach, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fredericksburg, King George, Orange, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland counties. Contestants represented public schools, private schools, and home schools.

Mensah secured victory by correctly spelling “ahimsa” in the final round. The Sanskrit word refers to the doctrine of non-violence, or refraining from harming others or taking life—a principle central to philosophies like Jainism, Hinduism, and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

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Prince William

Montgomery Launches Write-In Bid Amid Casim Controversy in Woodbridge Supervisor Race

By Uriah Kiser
Montgomery [Campaign photo]

In a dramatic turn for the Woodbridge District Supervisor special election, Pam Montgomery, a U.S. Army veteran, former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, lifelong Democrat, and experienced public servant, officially launched her write-in candidacy today.

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Manassas

MCPS Proposes $175.4 Million FY27 Budget with 5.5% Average Pay Raise, $6.8M VAVA Partnership Boost

By Uriah Kiser
Manassas City School Board

Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) leadership presented an ambitious yet balanced $175.4 million proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 during the February 24, 2026, School Board business meeting, marking a 9.3% increase—or roughly $15 million—over the adopted FY26 budget.

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Prince William

19-year-old Bristow man killed in fiery crash at I-66 rest area

By Uriah Kiser

A 19-year-old Bristow resident was killed Saturday afternoon when his Toyota sedan struck a parked tractor-trailer in an Interstate 66 eastbound rest area in Prince William County and burst into flames.

Virginia State Police responded to the crash at approximately 3:10 p.m. on February 28, 2026, about 0.3 miles west of Bull Run Drive near the 48-49 mile marker in the Manassas area.

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Fredericksburg

Former Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney La Bravia J. Jenkins Passes Away at 72

By Uriah Kiser

The Honorable La Bravia J. Jenkins, who served as Fredericksburg’s elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for more than a decade, passed away over the weekend of February 28–March 1, 2026. She was 72. Jenkins died in Louisville, Kentucky, according to local reports.

The announcement came from the Office of the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney, now led by Libby Humphries, in a statement released on March 2, 2026. The office expressed deep sadness over the loss of a respected leader who shaped the region’s pursuit of justice.

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