ARTFactory announced Talya Conroy as the new chief executive officer on Aug. 23 in a press release.

“It is an honor to serve our community in this capacity. I am humbled by the trust the Board of Directors has in me, and incredibly thankful to the ARTfactory staff, volunteers and patrons for all that they do for our amazing organization,” Conroy said. “I always like to say we are just getting started, and I cannot wait to see what the ARTfactory has in store for us in the many years to come.”


Welcome to a new Potomac Local News series, “Meet the Principal.” With nearly two dozen new principals in Prince William County this school year, it’s important to get to know the folks in their new roles.

Potomac Local has asked each principal the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.


The Washington Capitals announced the second season of the Capitals Inline Hockey League (CIHL), which launched in 2023 as a co-ed youth inline travel league run by the Capitals. Current inline hockey players aged 8-18 are invited to participate in the CIHL, which consists of one team per club, per division. Year two of the CIHL will also see the addition of the Winchester Revolution out of Winchester, Va., as the sixth participating club in the league.

Individual club tryouts begin in September and interested players may register to tryout by contacting their local club director.


On Labor Day, September 2, 2024, the 95 Express Lanes will operate northbound all day, with the regular reversal schedule resuming on Tuesday, September 3, including the end of the summer schedule and the start of the regular reversal times.

Press release:


The event covered first responders from the Fredericksburg and Caroline, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties, filling the main ballroom at the Convention Center. There were 19 awards given out to local Virginia State Troopers and county police officers from all over the area. Included in the 19 awards was a lifetime achievement award given to Fredericksburg Fire Chief Mike Jones, Caroline County Citizens Valor awards given to Shericka Twyner, Russell Trainer, and Desiree Dushane, and the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Citizens Valor Award went to Guillermo Shelton and Austin Leonard.

“We are a better region because of you,” added Steve Cox of Rappahannock Goodwill, one of the sponsors at this event, which the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce hosted.


E&E News By Politico: High up along a string of transmission towers leading into northern Virginia’s immense cluster of digital data centers, line crews are doing one of the scariest jobs in the energy world.

Dominion chose the rare “hot line” replacement. It simply couldn’t shut down existing power lines that feed 24/7 demand for power from the growing hub of data centers. “It’s absolutely essential that these projects are completed to serve the future growth that’s coming our way,” Gardner said in an interview.


Hundreds of residents gathered at Signal Hill Park on Saturday, August 24, for a vigil to share their thoughts about the missing Manassas Park mother, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, who is believed to have been murdered in her home.

The sound of children playing at the park was poignant as Kafle Bhatt disappeared just weeks before her daughter celebrated her first birthday. Speakers at the event highlighted that Mamta means “loving mother” in her native Nepal.


The Prince William County Police Department is urgently seeking public assistance to locate Caleb Anthony Beer, a missing endangered adult last contacted on April 6, known to frequent areas in Culpeper, Stafford, Woodbridge, and Dumfries, with his safety currently in question due to undisclosed reasons.

*MISSING ENDANGERED ADULT: The Prince William County Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating Caleb Anthony BEER who was reported missing by family members on April 19. Family members became concerned after not hearing from Caleb for several days with the last known contact with Caleb being on April 6. During the ongoing investigation, additional information was recently obtained by detectives leading to increased concern for Caleb’s wellbeing and has prompted him to now be considered endangered. Currently, it is undetermined if Caleb is missing due to voluntary reasons, or possible foul play. Caleb is unhoused and known to frequent Culpeper, Stafford, Woodbridge, and Dumfries, and unhoused encampment areas. Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of this person or information that can otherwise aid in the investigation is asked to contact Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or your local police department.


Sanctuary jurisdictions typically have regulations that limit cooperation with ICE, impacting the enforcement of immigration laws. These measures may include refusing ICE detainers, restricting agency interactions with ICE, or hindering the sharing of information about incarcerated aliens.

ICE uses detainers as a key mechanism to detain aliens involved in criminal activities, ensuring their custody transfer for deportation. These detainers provide details about the individual’s criminal and immigration history, highlighting their public safety or security risk.


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