Manassas
The School Board of the City of Manassas began the new year by electing Jill Spall as its new chair during its annual organizational meeting on January 5, 2026. Spall, who previously served as vice chair, takes over leadership of the board and says she’s focused on continuity and keeping students at the center of decision-making.
Dr. Zella Jones was elected vice chair, stepping into the role as the board looks ahead to another year of guiding Manassas City Public Schools. The board also approved several routine appointments, including continuing Alba Garza as Clerk and Maureen Wilcoski as Deputy Clerk.
The ARTfactory in Manassas will host its 22nd Annual Off the Wall High School Art Exhibit & Competition awards ceremony on Saturday, January 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with awards announced at 2:30 p.m. Guests can meet student artists, view the exhibit, and enjoy a live judging of Wearable Art designs.
This year’s exhibit, running from December 18, 2025, through January 25, 2026, features work by more than 70 students from nine Prince William County high schools. Categories include Art & Technology, Painting/Drawing, Poetry, Wearable Art, and Photography, with professional adjudicators selecting winners in each.
“Join us for a film screening on January 10th of Prosperity Creek, a social satire about a young woman hired to house-sit in an affluent and mysterious DC suburb,” Virginia ARTfactory announced. “As the plot twists and turns, she uncovers increasingly ludicrous secrets about the townspeople, culminating in a battle between humans and… others in this exciting feature film debut from Zack Walsh.”
“This ticketed screening is free to the public, but donations are kindly accepted at the door,” the organization stated. “Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat today!”
A hit-and-run at a busy Manassas intersection just before New Year’s Eve left several people injured and capped off a month of serious vehicle incidents in the city.
Around 10:30 p.m. on December 30, a silver Hyundai sedan ran a red light at Sudley Road and Stonewall Road, crashing into two vehicles. The occupants of the Hyundai fled before police arrived and are believed to have been picked up by another car. Victims in the struck vehicles were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
A narcotics investigation led Manassas police to a major drug bust and the arrest of two women wanted in multiple jurisdictions. On December 27, 2025, officers with the Special Problems Unit were investigating a possible drug operation at a home on Bruton Parish Court when they spotted a known wanted individual entering the residence.
Police obtained permission to enter and quickly discovered suspected drugs and paraphernalia in plain view. Two women—ages 30 and 21—were found hiding in a bathroom and arrested. A search of the home turned up more than 230 small bags of suspected crack cocaine, additional drugs including PCP, and packaging materials commonly used in drug distribution.
A new Tempo by Hilton hotel is now welcoming guests in Manassas, offering modern accommodations near the NOVA Live campus (formerly Farm Brew Live). The four-story hotel features 92 guest rooms and was developed by Holladay Hospitality in partnership with Villagio Hospitality Group.
“2026 is the year to reclaim your physical and mental health, and our newest wellness workshop is the perfect way to help organize your thoughts so you can conquer the new year,” Virginia ARTfactory announced. “‘Visualize & Align: A Vision Board Workshop’ is a reflective, hands-on collage workshop led by Endira of Affirmation Ally, in collaboration with The ARTfactory’s Artful Wellness series.”
“With light guidance and gentle prompts, this session offers space to pause, get clear, and visually align with what matters to you in the year ahead,” the organization said.
CoAspire, a Fairfax-based defense and aerospace company, is opening a new assembly and manufacturing facility in Manassas, further boosting the city’s status as a hub for high-tech, high-wage jobs in the defense sector. The company is best known for its work on the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), a next-generation, 3D-printed missile designed for affordability and exportability.
The company will occupy the former 30,000-square-foot Georator facility and plans to hire more than 25 employees for roles in engineering, precision manufacturing, quality assurance, and production support. Job postings are expected to appear on LinkedIn in the coming weeks as CoAspire ramps up operations.
“Only two of our nine schools have met the new state designation of being On Track, however, most (with two key exceptions) also showed meaningful improvement, and if this pace continues, most of our schools will likely meet the On Track designation in a year or two,” Sara Brescia, Manassas City School Board wrote. “I will give you an earnest assessment that celebrates our areas of success, but also doesn’t sugarcoat our problems.”
“What happened at Round last year and what has been consistently plaguing Metz in student achievement is nothing less than an emergency, and it will take full-building pivots to get to where our students need us to go,” Brescia stated.