Happy Friday, Manassas!
Welcome to another City Council preview, this time for the Sept. 9 regular meeting. This is the first meeting of City Council since July, so there is a lot to cover. This week’s meeting will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers at 9027 Center Street following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the renovated space.
Prince William County will host a remembrance ceremony on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The event will be held at the 9/11 Liberty Memorial Fountain in Woodbridge.
The ceremony will include the Presentation of Colors, the National Anthem, the Tolling of the Bell, and remarks from Chair At-Large Deshundra Jefferson, County Executive Christopher Shorter, and Battalion Chief Craig Beavers. The names of county residents who died in the attacks will be read, and the ceremony will conclude with the playing of taps. The community is invited to attend.
Three new businesses have set up shop in Historic Downtown Manassas recently.
Premier Pools and Spas
The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board) has announced that it will temporarily waive fees for yard debris disposal for residents until Sunday, September 8, 2024. This decision comes in response to the Aug. 30 storm that brought heavy wind and rain to Stafford County and surrounding areas. The storm, which marked the beginning of Virginia’s hurricane season, resembled tropical-like conditions often seen in places like Florida, not Virginia.
Residents can take yard waste to two locations: the Regional Landfill on Eskimo Hill Road and the Belman Road Convenience Center. The Eskimo Hill location accepts limbs and debris up to 12 inches in diameter and eight feet in length. The Belman Road Convenience Center will accept debris up to four inches in diameter and eight feet in length.
A fatal crash investigation is underway following an incident on September 5 at 3:27 p.m. in Woodbridge, near Old Bridge Road and Occoquan roads. A 2023 Kawasaki motorcycle, operated by 23-year-old Melanie Ruby Morales of Woodbridge, was traveling at high speed when she lost control and slid under a 2009 Roll-off Dumpster truck.
Morales, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck, a 56-year-old man from Triangle, remained on-site and was uninjured. Speed was determined to be a factor in the crash. Investigators are seeking witnesses as the investigation continues.
Stafford County will host its annual 9/11 ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. The ceremony will be held at the George L. Gordon, Jr. Government Center in recognition and remembrance of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
This year marks 23 years since over 3,000 people died during attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has announced her candidacy for governor. She aims to continue the work of the Youngkin-Sears administration.
If elected, she would become the first Black woman to serve as Virginia’s governor and the first Black woman in U.S. history to hold such a position. Earle-Sears, an immigrant from Jamaica and former U.S. Marine, highlighted the administration’s achievements in improving community safety, boosting the economy, cutting taxes, and expanding educational choices for parents.
On September 5, 2024, at 8:39 a.m., Manassas City Police responded to a call reporting a suspicious event near the intersection of Quarry Road and Zebedee Street.
Police found a girl in distress after encountering a man who allegedly posed as a police officer. According to the juvenile, the suspect, driving a red Jeep SUV, approached her on Clover Hill Road, claimed to be an officer, and forced her into his vehicle.
The star of the show will be the park’s new winged rollercoaster, Rapterra. It will soar 145 feet into the sky, travel at 65 mph, and feature a dive loop, flat spin corkscrew, and heartline roll (the park calls it a raptor roll).
The celebration will also feature various special events, entertainment, and attractions. Visitors can expect new live shows at the Kings Dominion Theater, a high-energy roaming street party, and the return of the famous Clown Band. A standout feature will be the park’s Eiffel Tower, lit with special effects synchronized to a golden anniversary soundtrack.
