Update 2:30 p.m.
Harrell Road in Stafford reopened after it was closed due to flooding. Kellogg Mill and River roads remain closed.
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News
The U.S. marked the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Wednesday. On the anniversary date two years ago at the Museum of the National Marine Corps in Triangle, our KJ Mushung snapped this photo of the sun casting shadows on one of the displays inside the museum.
Seventy years ago today America began a transformation that would take it from being an inward-looking and isolationist backwater to becoming one of the greatest powers the world has ever known. The country the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941 was not the same country that would defeat them a scant three years and nine months later.
The transformation of the U.S. is all the more remarkable when you consider how ill-prepared the country really was to conduct World War II, even though that war sure seems all but inevitable in hindsight. Prior to World War II we could only count 190,000 soldiers and 464 tanks in the U.S. Army. At the time, neither the soldiers nor the tanks seemed ready for war. The soldiers’ training was generally inferior and their weapons did not compare favorably to those of other nations. In 1939, our forces were basically equal to those of Romania.
Dumfries, Va. — Some local authors encourage you give the gift of literature this holiday season, and they’re hoping you gift their books.
Twelve authors who live or work in Prince William County all have published books this holiday season. They can range from short stories to novels.
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Update 8:15 p.m.
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S.E.R.V.E is a nonprofit organization that provides free assistance to individuals and families by providing clothing, food, school supplies, and other items to improve their lives. The members of the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department are accepting donations that will ensure S.E.R.V.E can continue providing for those in need. The donated items range from clothing, books, paper, pens, backpacks, and non-perishable food.
Donation boxes are located at the Aquia Harbour Fire and Rescue, Station 1001 Washington Drive; Garrisonville Fire Station, 53 Shelton Shop Road; Berea Fire and Rescue Station, 20 Sebring Drive; and Fire and Rescue Headquarters at 1225 Courthouse Road. Please help us make a difference in someone’s life simply by donating the items that we do not use or would like to provide for others in need.
Officials warn cracks in chimneys that could have been caused by the August quake could allow dangerous gasses and heat to escape into homes.
After the quake, chimney fires were a big concern for officials at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said spokesman Bob Speildenner. The agency, however, has does not track instances of chimney fires caused by earthquake-related chimney cracks.
The failure of the Congressional “super-committee” to achieve consensus on reducing the U.S. budget deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next ten years will trigger automatic cuts in federal expenditures. This will have profound implications for the world, the nation, and the Potomac Communities.
As things currently stand, half of the budget cuts are to come from non-defense expenditures, the other half from the defense budget. If these cuts were to happen, not only would government services we have come to rely on be affected, but we would also run the risk of limiting our military and diplomatic options in an unsettled world.
Stafford County, Va. –– For the first time in over a decade, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors will appoint a new member.
Board Chairman Mark Dudenhefer is leaving for his new job in Virginia’s House of Delegates, representing residents in Prince William and Stafford counties in Virginia’s 2nd House District. He’ll step down from the board Dec. 31 in time for the next session of the General Assembly in Richmond on Jan. 12.
