On Oct. 15, the IKEA store in Woodbridge filled with teenagers. They were not shopping. They played board games, listened to live music and went back for seconds on meatballs.
The free event was put on by Communities for Youth, a local youth-led group that hosts gatherings so students have a place to meet outside school and work. Founder Owen Meyer counted about 100 students.
The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying two suspects in a series of thefts at a data center construction site in the Germanna Highway area.
The first incident occurred overnight between September 22 and September 23, when suspects cut a padlock on the site’s front gate and removed a large quantity of copper piping from locked storage areas. The copper is valued at more than $200,000. Due to the size and weight of the material, investigators believe at least one large vehicle, or multiple vehicles, was used to remove it from the site.
Prince William County Police released their daily incident report for October 14, 2026, describing a brandishing in Dumfries. Fredericksburg Police asked for help locating 17-year-old Catherine Mitchell. Manassas Park Police asked for help locating 17-year-old Jordyn Henderson.
On October 13, officers responded to investigate a brandishing that was reported to have occurred at a construction site located in the 16700 block of Interstate Dr in Dumfries (22026) at 7:20 p.m. that evening. The investigation revealed two victims, a 44-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, observed multiple individuals riding ATVs in the construction site. The victims got into a verbal altercation with the individuals and during the encounter, one of the individuals brandished a handgun at the victims before leaving in a vehicle. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. The suspect was described as a black male with shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing all black.
Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for the World of Travel Show 2027 on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The BlackBox at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Meet representatives from 13 respected travel brands covering family and adults-only cruises, premium and luxury ocean voyages, European river cruises, expedition and Galápagos adventures, small-ship sailing, guided land tours, and customized vacations.
Patient First will open its second Fredericksburg medical center Thursday, Oct. 29, at 1313 Alum Spring Road. The center will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year.
From a press release:
Demolition of the metal drydock structure at 411 Mill Street in Occoquan is set to begin Thursday, October 22, 2026, as part of the long-planned Mill at Occoquan mixed-use redevelopment. The work, limited to the drydock, is scheduled for several weeks on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Town officials expect no substantive disruption to normal activity, with possible brief sidewalk closures on some days to remove overhanging metal and a modest increase in truck traffic and noise. Residents can watch the process from nearby public areas, and the town is notifying the community.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks fall back one hour to 1 a.m., according to FOX 5 DC.
Most smartphones, computers and connected devices will change automatically overnight. Analog wall clocks, car dashboards, microwaves and ovens will need to be set back by hand, so many people change them before going to bed Saturday night, Oct. 31.
The Fredericksburg City School Board heard a proposal Monday for two student representatives and will vote on the process at its November meeting.
Vice Chair Molly McFadden presented the recommendations. She developed them with Superintendent Dr. Marceline Catlett, James Monroe High School Principal Marcus Petty, and Clerk Angela Wilson. The group reviewed Virginia School Boards Association guidelines and the practices of neighboring divisions.
The Prince William County School Board approved Potomac Shores Elementary School as the name of the division’s newest elementary school at its October 21 meeting.
Opening for the 2027-28 school year, the school at 1720 Thoroughgood Drive in Dumfries will serve about 1,050 students. It is a three-story LEED Silver-certified facility with classrooms, a gymnasium, STEAM and art classrooms, a media center, learning stairs, and rooftop photovoltaic panels.
Prince William County police shot and killed a pit bull that charged at officers in Manassas. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reported a DUI on I-95, a vandalism and two fraud cases. A missing and endangered adult previously reported by Prince William County police has been located and is safe.
On October 21, officers responded to a residence located in the 8500 block of Brickshire Ln in Manassas (20112) to investigate a report of two vicious dogs. The investigation revealed two pitbulls were actively mauling each other in the backyard of the residence. While attempting to separate the dogs, one of the pitbulls charged and attempted to bite an officer. As the dog was about to attack, a second officer discharged their department issued firearm one time, striking the dog and killing it. No injuries were reported by the officers.
