STAFFORD -- Thanks to efforts by Stafford County Delegate Bob Thomas (R) to expand Medicaid in the state, Stafford County will hire three additional social workers.
These additional employees could bring much-needed relief to overburdened Stafford County Social Workers. Social Services estimates an even larger workload with the expansion of Medicaid benefits.
Jack Cavalier, Stafford County Board of Supervisors Griffis-Widewater District, said, “We have been fairly understaffed at our social services department anyhow, we were planning on an expansion. It just happened to all come together and the state's going to pick up a good percentage of the tab on this one.”
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STAFFORD -- (Press Release) Deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office arrested a suspect on [Aug. 21, 2018] for driving under the influence and eluding police with children in the vehicle.
On August 31, 2018, at approximately 12:16 p.m., Deputy Jacobeen responded to reports of a reckless driver in the area of Garrisonville Road and Jefferson Davis Highway. The caller advised that a vehicle repeatedly drove into the median and the front bumper was dragging.
Deputy Jacobeen located the vehicle in the area of Telegraph Road and Woodstock Lane. The vehicle was driving slowly and the left front tire was completely flat. When the deputy activated his emergency equipment, the vehicle crossed the double yellow line into the southbound lane and over the fog line. The vehicle then crossed the double yellow line again into the northbound lane and over the fog line.
The deputy used the cruiser’s public address system to tell the driver to pull over, but the vehicle continued traveling on Telegraph Road. The vehicle continued going back and forth over the double yellow line. Eventually, the vehicle pulled into a driveway and came to a stop.
The deputy exited the vehicle and observed two young children in the backseat of the vehicle. The driver did not open the door or window, prompting the deputy to open the door and explain that she was driving all over the roadway.
The driver, identified as Vanessa Lucila Krafft, 26, of Stafford became belligerent and refused to exit the vehicle. Additional units arrived and helped detain the suspect. She was unsteady on her feet and her speech was slow and delayed. A search warrant for blood was conducted at Stafford Hospital.
Throughout the incident, Krafft repeatedly threatened deputies. She was taken into custody and incarcerated at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. She is charged with driving under the influence, child endangerment, eluding police, possession of marijuana, and several traffic offenses.
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RICHMOND— (Press Release) Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency today in anticipation of the potential impact from Tropical Storm Florence. The order is designed to mobilize resources in preparations of the storm and to help Virginia mitigate any damage and to streamline the process that the Commonwealth uses to provide assistance to other states vulnerable to Florence.Â
“While the impacts of Tropical Storm Florence to Virginia are still uncertain, forecasts increasingly expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane that could seriously affect the East Coast and Virginians,” said Governor Northam. “Accordingly, I am declaring a state of emergency so that we can begin to prepare state assets, and I encourage Virginians to monitor forecasts and make their own preparations now.”
A state of emergency allows the Commonwealth to mobilize resources, including the Virginia National Guard, and pre-position people and equipment to assist in storm response and recovery efforts.
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Civic Association to launch Woodbridge Oral History program in celebration of 10th anniversary, Sept. 20ÂIn celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Woodbridge Potomac Communities Civic Association is hosting an Oral History Program, and you are invited! The six-month project starts with a launch party on September 20, 2018, 6:30 pm at Harbour View Events Center in Woodbridge, Virginia (see event details https://newwoodbridge.org/calendar/wpcca-10th-anniversary). Read more about the objectives and process below. New Woodbridge (Office of Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi) and RELIC, a program of Prince William County Public Library, are assisting with collecting and sharing stories.ÂBackground: Oral histories are a means of capturing and preserving different perspectives of history by recording the memories of individuals through facilitated interviews.Objective: The program will capture “a day in the life of a Woodbridge resident” throughout the years. The program will interview new and old residents spanning a range of demographics to provide a comprehensive portrayal of the Woodbridge community and the changes it has undergone.ÂProgram:ÂProgram will span six months, starting on September 20, 2018;Interviewees will be by invitation and by self-recruitment (all may participate);Interviews will be both scheduled and available during association events; andRecordings will be preserved physically and digitally and made publicly available.Launch: The program will be announced at the Woodbridge Civic Association’s 10th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, September 20, 2018 at Harbor View, 13200 Marina Way, Woodbridge. During the event, a panel of four private citizens who grew up in Woodbridge will share their perspectives of life in the community. The Director of the Prince William Library System’s “RELIC” program will conduct these initial interviews. Five questions will be asked of each panelist, each panelist will be provided 3 minutes to respond to each question.10th Anniversary Event Questions: Panelists will be requested to share their perspective on five questions, including:ÂHow long have you lived in Woodbridge and what brought you here?What neighborhood(s) have you lived in and what would you say were the defining characteristics of the neighborhood/residents when you moved there?When you were growing up/first moved here, where were “the” places to go for shopping and things to do in Woodbridge?Where did you work and what was your commute like?Describe one major change that has occurred in your time in Woodbridge that has had a positive impact on the community and one major change that has posed new challenges for the community.ÂTo participate, contact Meagan Landis, constituent services manager for Supervisor Frank Principi, at [email protected]
The House of Mercy’s “Campaign to End Hunger” event will be held Oct. 6, 2018. From the press release:
EVENT: 2018 Campaign to End Hunger will occur on Saturday, October 6, 8am – 4pm at House of Mercy Business Complex
The House of Mercy’s seventh annual “Campaign to End Hunger” meal-packing event will occur on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Beneficiaries of the food this year will provide meals for hundreds of the poor and near poor in Northern Virginia through neighboring organizations such as House of Mercy, Medical Missionaries, St. Lucy Project, SERVE, ACTS, and Food for Others.
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A Woodbridge man is one of 39 defendants convicted on federal firearms and drug charges. From the Justice Department press release:
Leader of Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Prison
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, as part of a coordinated law enforcement takedown codenamed Operation Tin Panda, that to date has resulted in 39 defendants convicted on federal firearms and drug charges.
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NORTH STAFFORD -- Stafford County residents can get ready for more road closures in the coming weeks.Â
 A portion of Parkway Boulevard in Park Ridge will close to traffic. It's another road closure coming on the heels of multiple street closures prompted by floods and sinkholes this summer.Â
From the Virginia Department of Transportation:Â
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WOODBRIDGE -- Rescue crews were called to Belmont Bay at 5 p.m. Thursday for a report of a building collapse at a home.Â
From resdident Mick Long:Â
"...this evening a car plowed through the living room of a townhome on Belmont Bay Drive. Fortunately, the owner was upstairs but the stairs were destroyed so the owner was rescued via a ladder to the balcony. The stairs in the adjoining townhome were also damaged... the driver was...speeding through the traffic circle and lost control.
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MANASSAS -- CenterFuse, the co-working space in Downtown Manassas, will no longer be managed by Historic Manassas, Inc., starting September 21. Laura Coates, a recent college graduate with an entrepreneurial leadership degree, will take over as CenterFuse’s program coordinator.
The change in management follows reports that CenterFuse lacked the resources to mentor small businesses and was struggling to bring in new memberships.
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According to a press release from the Prince William police, a Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held at the Western District Station September 17:
https://potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NR-090618.pdf
