News

Manassas Park approves new flag ordinance for special causes

By Rick Horner

The Manassas Park Governing Body has approved a resolution to allow flags representing special causes to fly on city-owned flagpoles.

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Stafford purchases first fire and rescue boat for career crews

By Rick Horner
Stafford fire and rescue crews at Historic Port of Falmouth Beach Park. [Potomac Local News]

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of new vehicles for the county's fire and rescue department.

The county will purchase is first fireboat which will be used to assist emergency services that are operating in or near water. According to documents provided by the county, the boat will be a Metal Shark 32 Defiant series boat which is commonly used with law enforcement and rescue departments.

The boat will be operated by career fire personnel, have a length of 32 feet and will be outfitted with a Mercury Verado 350 HP Twin Outboard engine capable of traveling within the range of 40 to 45 knots. That speed would be equivalent to going 46 to 51 miles per hour on land.

Funding in the amount of $591,000 will be used from the Fiscal Year 2021 Capital Improvement Plan to purchase the boat. Multiple volunteer fire stations in the county including Brooke, Falmouth, and Widewater, and White Oak volunteer fire departments also operate boats.

The county has also relied on fire boats from neighboring Prince William and Fairfax counties, and Charles County, Md. when boaters on the Aquia Creek or Potomac River issue a distress call. 

The county will also purchase a medical van which will be used to help with preventative care and provide health education for the community.

The vehicle itself will be a Ford Transit 350 2021 model which will be outfitted for the rescue department, the van will be provided by the Delaware-based Bayshore Ford Truck Sales Inc.

The county will use $200,000 from the balance of the previous year's budget to fund the purchase.

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Facing rising prices, worker, & supply shortages, new Todos market to open before Thanksgiving

By Uriah Kiser
Carlos Castro, founder of Todos Supermarket [Photo: Uriah Kiser / Potomac Local News]

A well-known grocer aims to serve Woodbridge in a whole new way when its new neighborhood market opens next month.

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Man dies while after being struck in crosswalk by driver charged with 3rd DUI

By Potomac Local News
Payne [Photo: Stafford County Sheriff's Office]

A 24-year-old man died after he was struck on River Road in Stafford County.

From the county sheriff’s office: A pedestrian struck on River Road yesterday afternoon has succumbed to his injuries and the driver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and his third offense DUI in ten years.

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Call to Acton: Volunteers needed for disaster response positions

By Potomac Local News
Photo: Habitat for Humanity Prince William County

By Volunteer Prince William

Greetings, Prince William – Floods.  Tornadoes.  Snowmageddon 2010.  Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.  No community within the Prince William area is immune to the havoc and devastation caused by a disaster, whether natural or manmade.

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3 dead in car crashes in Prince William County

By Potomac Local News

It was a violent 72 hours on Prince William County streets, as three people were killed in car crashes.

From Virignia State Police: At 3:45 a.m. Sunday (Oct. 24), a Virginia State Police trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a Dodge Charger traveling 72 mph in a posted 55 mph zone. The Dodge was traveling west on I-495 near Eisenhower Ave when the trooper activated his emergency lights and siren for the traffic stop. The driver of the Dodge refused to stop and, instead, sped away at a high rate of speed. A pursuit was initiated.

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Offices to be moved as crews prepare to renovate Manassas City Hall

By Rick Horner

Manassas City Hall will undergo its first-ever renovation starting in April 2022.

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Final Belmont-Ferry Farm trail phase faces cancelation, decision expected in November

By Rick Horner

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has voted to defer the decision to return funding meant for the final phase of the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail until November.

The board had agreed at its meeting on Sept. 21 to cancel the sixth and final phase of the project to complete the trail. The two-mile trail runs winds through the southern section of the county and the Historic Port of Falmouth Park.

The reasons cited for this canceling the final phase of the trail were a lack of funding to complete the project and issues regarding topography, land acquisition, and approvals from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The board plans to revisit the matter with a revised letter to VDOT at their next meeting Nov. 16.

There were also concerns made by residents regarding the planned route of the trail. One option would have been to extend the course across Business Route 3 and to end at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center. Many residents were concerned about the potential safety hazards of crossing Route 3. At the same time, there were objections from area residents about the planned end of the trail being built in their neighborhood.

"I know that people in South Stafford were so passionate about having the trail extended, and I know that we were not successful in doing that," said Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke. "For the record, I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to move the trail over to the side of the Dairy Queen. Because then you have people who have to traverse across (Route 3) again, and the one goal in Stafford County is public safety, so why would we have people traversing two times across a road?

The result of the project's cancelation would be the return of funds by the County to VDOT in the amount of $130,000. The board decided to defer at the request of George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen, who noted that the letter's language regarding the canceled project didn't leave any room to get the funding back should the county decide to revisit the project in the future.

Since it appears the trail plans will not be moving forward, the county also plans to apply for federal funding for other sidewalk projects for Salisbury Drive in North Stafford and the Foreston Woods neighborhood.

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News & Notes: Manassas bypass, parents rally

By Uriah Kiser

Good morning. Here’s a look at what’s happening in our area today.

Parents rally: Lt. Governor candidate Winsome Sears will be in North Stafford on Friday, October 22, joining Rep. Rob Wittman for a rally to support parents rights when it comes to their right to be involved in their child’s education in public schools. The GOP-led event will take place at Coffee Bar 1010 at the Quantico Corporate Center, from 6 to 8 p.m. This is the second appearance of a top-of-the-ticket candidate in Stafford County this week, after Glenn Younkin rallied more than 100 people outside the county government center on Tuesday.

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Resident denied interview for School Board seat says political views kept him out

By Uriah Kiser

Seven people applied for a vacant seat on the Manassas School Board relinquished last month by former Chairman Sanford Williams.

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