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!

Manassas

What’s Next for Manassas After Mayor Davis-Younger Steps Down?

By Uriah Kiser

Manassas is staring at big changes — and Eugene “Doc” Brown wants a seat at the table.

In this Potomac Local News podcast interview, longtime community advocate Eugene Brown sits down with Uriah Kiser to talk about his run for Manassas City Council, the controversial 167-apartment project planned next to the historic Meredith House, new affordable housing at the old DMV site on Godwin Drive, the city’s ongoing school challenges, and the political transition as Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger prepares to step down.

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Virginia

Supplier of Gun Used in Old Dominion Attack Pleads Guilty

By Uriah Kiser

“The gun used at Old Dominion University by a convicted foreign terrorist supporter came from a Virginian who stole it and was dealing firearms without a license, according to his guilty plea,” The Center Square reported. Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to three counts of making false statements during firearm purchases and faces up to 35 years at his Dec. 18 sentencing. Prosecutors say he stole the weapon from a vehicle in Newport News a year earlier and sold it to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh the day before the March 12 attack.

Jalloh, previously convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, killed one person and wounded two others during a shooting at an Army ROTC class on the Norfolk campus before he was subdued and fatally stabbed. Cellphone records showed Chapman’s number was the most frequently contacted in the week leading up to the attack, and ammunition matching that used in the shooting was recovered from Chapman’s residence the following day.

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Schools

Tensions Rise as Stafford School Board Reconciles Budget After Supervisors’ Late Funding Reduction

By Uriah Kiser

Tensions Rise as Stafford School Board Reconciles Budget After Supervisors’ Late Funding Reduction

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg School Board Member Jarvis E. Bailey Resigns; Board Sets Timeline to Fill Vacancy Following Travel Spending Questions

By Uriah Kiser
Jarvis E. Bailey, former Member-at-Large and Chair of the Fredericksburg City School Board. This graphic was shared by Fredericksburg City Public Schools on Facebook in 2024 highlighting his long service since 2007. Bailey resigned from the board effective July 2026. (Photo: Fredericksburg City Public Schools)

Fredericksburg City School Board Member-at-Large Jarvis E. Bailey has resigned, with the board moving quickly to fill the vacancy.

Bailey submitted his resignation letter on July 13, 2026. It was read into the record during a special board meeting on July 20. In the letter, Bailey described his service as a “calling” and framed his departure in seasonal and spiritual terms: “There are seasons in every life… After much prayer and reflection, I have come to recognize that this is one of those moments.” He expressed gratitude for serving students, families, educators, and the community, and stated his commitment to ministry, speaking, coaching, and teaching.

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Weather

Severe Thunderstorms Likely Today Across Northern Virginia; Cooler Weather Ahead

By Uriah Kiser

Showers and thunderstorms are likely today, mainly after 4 p.m., with some storms possibly becoming severe. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a high near 92 and heat index values as high as 103.

Southwest winds 8 to 13 mph with gusts up to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are expected, with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

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Prince William

Pokémon Fans Camp Out Overnight at Woodbridge Sam’s Club for Exclusive TCG Drop

By Uriah Kiser
Sam’s Club Woodbridge draws a dedicated group of Pokémon enthusiasts camping in the lot Tuesday evening. The retailer’s member-exclusive drop is one of several big-box releases fueling excitement in the local TCG community. (Photo submitted to Potomac Local News)

Pokémon Trading Card Game enthusiasts turned the Sam’s Club parking lot on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge into an impromptu campground Monday night, July 20, as they waited for an exclusive member-only release on Tuesday, July 21.

Photos from the scene show groups of collectors with folding chairs, snacks, and gear settling in under the lights, hoping to secure the Ascended Heroes Focused Fighters Premium Collection. The bundle, available to Sam’s Club Plus Members (limit 2 per membership), includes 14 booster packs and foil promo cards for about $55.

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Prince William

Hepburn and Sons Expanding in Prince William

By Uriah Kiser
Prince William Science Accelerator located in Innovation Park, Prince William County welcomes its fifth tenant - Celetrix LLC.

Governor Abigail Spanberger announced Monday that Hepburn and Sons LLC, formerly based in Manassas, will invest $18.1 million to build a new corporate headquarters in Prince William County. The project is expected to create 80 new jobs.

The three-story, roughly 27,000-square-foot building will sit on 1.25 acres of county-owned land along Discovery Boulevard in Innovation Park, next to NOVA LIVE. Officials said the headquarters should be fully operational by the summer of 2028 and will serve as an innovation hub for defense technology development. The move responds to rising demand in the company’s defense contracting work.

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter: Shooting, Attempted Carjacking Reported

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Alan Gloss]

Other reports in this daily roundup include a multi-charge narcotics and firearms arrest in Fredericksburg, an attempted carjacking involving a young child in Woodbridge, a brandishing arrest, an assault on an officer, and several DUI and related arrests in Stafford County.

On July 18 at 2:22 a.m., officers responded to the Center Plaza shopping center in the 4300 block of Dale Boulevard in Woodbridge to investigate a shooting. A 33-year-old man was walking in the parking lot when he was struck by gunfire. He sustained injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. No suspect information was available.

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