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Have you changed the way you get around town?

The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) wants to find out how residents, those who travel through, and those who work in the Fredericksburg area have had to change their transportation habits. To that end, FAMPO is encouraging these groups of people to let them know about those changes through their new "COVID-19 Fredericksburg Regional Transportation Survey."

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These Prince William County students took home honors in a regional science fair.

The Prince William County Service Authority (SA) recently honored 10 area students for their water-related entries in the 2020 Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair held last month at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center in Manassas.

Desmen Boykin of Forest Park High School and Rowan Floyd of the Nokesville School took first place in the Senior [High School] and Middle [School] Divisions, respectively. Boykin’s project was titled, “The Effects of Different Plant-Based Microplastics on the Nelumbo nucifera Plant” while Floyd won with her experiment demonstrating “Human Impacts on Oceanic Defenses.”

In the Middle Division, the SA recognized Ronald Reagan students Sheila Nguyen (2nd place) and teammates Hannah Hakimpour and Katie Kim (General Manager’s Award) for their projects as well as Seth Kellogg (3rd place) of Seton and Lauren Motter (General Manager’s Award) of Benton. The SA also honored Divya Ramakrishnan (2nd place) of Osbourn Park, Amanda Hurley (General Manager’s Award) of Osbourn and Ebru Ayyorgun (General Manager’s Award) of Battlefield in the Senior Division.

All of the winning students received certificates and cash prizes, and the SA featured the students on its website and social media outlets.

“All of the students were passionate about their projects, and I was impressed with their knowledge and ability to teach me new areas in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) world,” Service Authority Laboratory Specialist Christine Smith stated in a press release.

Christine Smith has served as a judge for the competition for the last three years.

“The winners and all participants have bright futures ahead of them, Smith added.”

Prince William Food Rescue has delivered 500,000 pounds of rescued food.

The initiative started in August 2019. The rescue distributes food that would have otherwise been thrown away and it has reached this benchmark in less than a year.

Prince William Food Rescue is a program of Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) as a branch of the Hunger Prevention Center. It reaches 40 Food Distribution points and 4,500 people. Volunteers are contacted via a mobile app that notifies them about where they can claim and track rescues.

“The success of this program is a testament to the kindness of the volunteers in our community,” says Aaron Tolson, Development Director. “This much impact is something I wouldn’t have dreamed could happen in less than one year.”

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Prince William County Emergency Operations Center has brought on the Prince William Food Rescue as a member of the Community Feeding Taskforce. There has been a recent influx of donations, meaning that it was able to redirect 200,000 pounds of food in April alone.

New donor locations and partners are being added often as the program’s food distribution continues to grow. You can visit its Facebook page for information on how to become a “Food Rescue Hero” and stay updated on the constant additions to the donations.

Here’s a look at construction hotspots in the Fredericksburg region, from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

I-95 Southbound

Potomac Creek Bridge (Mile Marker 137)Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
Single lane closure on I-95 southbound at the bridge over the Potomac Creek, which is located at mile marker 137, just before Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) for bridge repairs.

Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 133 (Route 17/Falmouth)
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Single lane closure on I-95 southbound for work as part of of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 133 (Route 17/Falmouth)
Monday – Thursday, 12 a.m. –2 p.m. and Friday, 12 a.m. – 11 a.m. Single lane closure on I-95 southbound near Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) at mile marker 135 to before Exit 133 (Route 17/Falmouth) at mile marker 134. This work is in connection with the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension (Fred Ex)

Exit 126 (Massaponax)
Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure on the ramp to exit I-95 southbound to Route 1 at Exit 126 (Massaponax) to allow crews to take soil samples for a future construction project.

Ni River Bridge (Mile Marker 121)
Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure on I-95 southbound at the bridge over the Ni River, which is located at mile marker 121, south of Exit 126 (Massaponax) for bridge repairs.

Mile Marker 117 to I-95 Southbound Safety Rest Area (Mile Marker 108)
Sunday – Friday, 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. and Friday – Saturday, 8 p.m. – 7 a.m. Single lane closure on I-95 southbound will begin at 8 p.m. at mile marker 117, which is south of the Spotyslvania County and Caroline County line. Double lane closures will begin at 10 p.m. for milling and paving this section of interstate. Double lane closures will end at 6 a.m. each day except on Saturday at 7 a.m. A single lane may remain closed until 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.

I-95 Northbound

Exit 130 (Route 3) to Exit 133 (Route 17/Falmouth)
Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure on I-95 northbound at various locations north of Exit 130 (Route 3) to north of Exit 133 (Route 17/Falmouth). This work is in connection with the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension (Fred Ex)

Stafford County

Route 1 Northbound
Monday – Wednesday, 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Expect a mobile operation on Route 1 northbound from the Hope Road to Coals Landing Road for pavement repair.

Route 1 Southbound
Monday – Wednesday, 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Expect a mobile operation on Route 1 southbound from Austin Woods neighborhood to Hope Road for pavement repair.

Route 3 Eastbound and Westbound
Monday – Wednesday, 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Expect a mobile operation on Route 3 eastbound and westbound from the Ferry Farm Walmart shopping center to the Chatham Bridge for pavement repair.

Route 17 Northbound and Southbound
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Expect alternating single lane closures on Route 17 northbound and southbound near I-95 as part of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

Route 628 (Ramoth Church Road)
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. A flagging crew will alternate one-way traffic on Route 628 (Ramoth Church Road) between I-95 and Courthouse Road for a safety widening project

Route 630 (Courthouse Road) Area
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Crews are working on final construction activities as part of the Courthouse Road widening project

Expect brief delays and intermittent flagging operations with alternating, one-way traffic at the following locations:

Austin Ridge Drive
Cedar Lane
Snowbird Lane

Pavement Markings and Pavement Markers

Monday –Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Be alert to a mobile operation on various primary and secondary routes in Stafford County to allow crews apply pavement markings and install pavement markers. Drivers may encounter brief delays at the following locations:

Route 600 (Bethel Church Road)
Route 601 (Forest Lane Road)
Route 601 (Hollywood Farm Road)
Route 603 (Caisson Road)
Route 604 (Belle Plains Road)
Route 605 (New Hope Road)
Route 606 (Ferry Road)
Route 606 (Ringgold Road)
Route 607 (Deacon Road)
Route 608 (Brooke Road)
Route 610 (Garrisonville Road)
Route 610 (Bristerburg Road)
Route 612 (Hartwood Road)
Route 614 (Spotted Tavern Road)
Route 615 (Cropp Road)
Route 616 (Bristersburg Road)
Route 616 (Poplar Road)
Route 618 (River Road)
Route 623 (Harrell Road)
Route 642 (Barrett Heights Road)
Route 643 (Joshua Road)
Route 644 (Rockhill Church Road)
Route 649 (Richland Road)
Route 650 (Mt. Olive Road)
Route 651 (Kellogg Mill Road)
Route 652 (Truslow Road)
Route 670 (Sanford Drive)
Route 671 (Van Horn Lane)
Route 676 (Cranes Corner Road)
Route 679 (Greenspring Drive)
Route 684 (Mine Road)
Route 696 (Ebeneezer Church Road)
Route 700 (Litchfield Boulevard)
Route 702 (Wyche Road)
Route 705 (Hartwood Church Road)
Route 709 (Wapole Street)
Route 709 (Flatford Road)

City of Fredericksburg

Route 1 at University of Mary Washington Pedestrian Bridge

Tuesday – Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Expect alternating single lane closures on Route 1 northbound and southbound to allow crews to conduct a routine bridge inspection of the UMW pedestrian bridge near College Avenue.

William Street Closure and Detour

William Street is closed at Sunken Road to westbound traffic for storm sewer work. Eastbound traffic on William Street will be slightly shifted to get around the work zone. Westbound traffic on William Street will be detoured to Little Page Street and Hanover Street. Drivers are advised to follow the posted detour signs.

Lafayette Boulevard

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Southbound traffic will be shifted to the center lane with a lane closure on Lafayette Boulevard between Blue & Gray Parkway and St. Paul Street for turn lane construction into the future Telegraph Hill and Fredericksburg Park developments. One travel lane will remain open in each direction.

Carolyn Hawe (1932 – 2020) of Chesapeake, Va. passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

Carolyn was predeceased by her husband Russell, her son Richard, and her grandsons Robert, Jr., Ryan, and Nicolas. Carolyn is survived by her children Hilarie, Carol, Robert, Mark, Abby, Jim, Meredith, Natalia; ten grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

In addition to her own children, Carolyn also provided a loving home to 85 foster children.
Carolyn was an avid reader. She loved to cook and play bridge. Carolyn also enjoyed vacationing in London with her husband and traveling around the globe with family.

For ten years Carolyn volunteered her free time to the Hotline Thrift Store in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request her memory be honored with a memorial donation to the Outer Banks Hotline at https://www.obhotline.org/donate/.

By Volunteer Prince William

Good Morning Prince William – For the latest information on the continuing Coronavirus pandemic, please visit cdc.gov/covid19 , coronavirus.gov, vdh.virginia.gov and coronavirus.pwcgov.org/

* If you are facing food insecurity, or someone you know needs food assistance during COVID-19, the Community Feeding Taskforce Food Helpline is open! This resource is available to anyone living in Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County. Hours for the helpline are Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-4 p.m. Please call 703.794.4668 during operating hours to request food assistance. Callers over 65 will be redirected to ACTS/NVFS (SERVE) food assistance programs to register for direct delivery to their home. Please help spread the word on this important resource! Se habla Español.

* The Community Feeding Taskforce, a network of local food banks providing assistance to local residents facing food insecurity, is open. Volunteers are urgently needed at several food banks throughout the community to help assemble food packages, deliver food to smaller food pantries, answer a food assistance helpline, and provide administrative support. Volunteers may need to lift containers weighing up to 50 pounds, while other opportunities prefer volunteers with bilingual skills in Spanish. Please visit www.volunteerprincewilliam.org to view the opportunities. To register, you must create an account on our website, then go into the opportunity to Respond to the opportunity. Please email [email protected] to learn more.

* Medical Reserve Corps has an urgent need for volunteers to help in the fight against the coronavirus. Many volunteers are needed across the state and locally to provide support for the expected surge in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Volunteers with healthcare experience are especially needed, but they will accept non-medical volunteers in a variety of other skill sets as well. Please fill out an online application at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/mrc/. Questions? Please email [email protected] for more information.

* ACTS Senior Link program has a big need for volunteers who can make simple five-ten minute calls to homebound seniors to check in on their welfare, offer services, or simply to be a friendly voice. It requires very little training to make these types of calls since these are not crisis calls. Calls can be made from either their Manassas or Dumfries offices. Since staff is cut back, social distancing will be easy to accommodate. Contact Kate Long, Helpline Director, at [email protected] for more information.

* ACTS also needs volunteers in their Hunger Prevention Center weekdays for morning (9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) and afternoon shifts (12:30 p.m.-3 p.m.) to prep grocery bags and distribute groceries. Volunteers must complete and submit the online volunteer application found at www.actspwc.org prior to volunteering. Please contact Shirley at [email protected] or call 703.441.8606 ext. 212 for more information.

* House of Mercy is now seeing a marked increase in clients seeking food assistance. They are in urgent need of donations of nonperishable items for their food pantry so they can continue food assistance during the coronavirus. Please email [email protected] to learn more. The staff is also working hard to collect and donate 5,000 face masks to local agencies. Many volunteers have jumped in, but they can always use more help! Please email [email protected] to learn how you can get involved.

* Calling all artists! Novant Health UVA Health System invites artists and budding artists to submit artwork for an upcoming exhibit at the Prince William Medical Center/Haymarket Medical Center titled “COVID 19: How We Became Stronger Together”. Paintings, photographs, and drawings will all be considered. Your artwork can be any favorite subject that inspires you at this difficult time. Artwork should be framed using wire hanger. We will accept artwork until June 30, 2020. For more detailed information contact Liz at [email protected] or call 703-369-8173.

* Prince William Food Rescue has a great opportunity for those who are healthy and want to get out of the house while still practicing social distancing. Become a Food Rescue Hero! Have the kids ride along, slap on some gloves and rescue some food. Pick-up and drop-off with minimal interaction. Search Prince William Food Rescue on your smartphone’s app store, download the app, and create a profile. You can start rescuing food right away! Please visit https://pwfoodrescue.org/ for more information.

* The Salvation Army is collecting items for seniors and vulnerable populations. You can help by creating care packages from the security of your own home and safely dropping items at their Prince William location in Woodbridge. Food items such as canned soups/other dry or canned foods are requested. Non-food items such as socks, toiletries, diapers/baby wipes and sanitizing supplies are also needed. Donated items can be dropped off at 1483 Old Bridge Road, Woodbridge Suite 102, Lake Ridge 22192. Please email Angela at [email protected] or call 202.345.2238 to learn more.

* SERVE thanks the many individuals who have stepped forward to volunteer in their Hunger Resource Center during the coronavirus! Currently, volunteer slots are full, however, donations of pasta sauce and noodles, canned vegetables,  canned tomatoes, canned and dry beans, rice, soup, applesauce, mac & cheese, cooking oil or spray, easy-make single-serve meals, and canned meats are urgently needed. Donations will help accommodate the rising number of requests for food assistance. Please email [email protected] for more information.

* StreetLight Community Ministries has re-opened their Food Pantry, but donations of nonperishable food are desperately needed so they can continue giving aid to our homeless and impoverished neighbors during this pandemic. Donations will be accepted every Tuesday, 9:30a.m.-11:30a.m. Please email [email protected] to learn more.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call our wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William at 703.369.5292. You can also visit our website at volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.