ARTfactory and the Didlake Foundation are hosting an ice cream social on Tuesday to celebrate their new artWORKS Collaborative partnership. The free event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at the ARTfactory, 9419 Battle Street in Manassas.
The gathering highlights partnership, creativity, community and inclusion. Organizers say it offers a chance to mark the impact of organizations working together to create meaningful opportunities and strengthen the community. All are welcome.
Republicans across the region head to the polls Tuesday for the delayed primary that will choose the party’s nominees for U.S. Senate and Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.
The winner of the 7th District primary will advance to face Democratic freshman Rep. Eugene Vindman in November. Three Republicans are on the ballot: Rick Smithers, Philip Harding, and Doug Ollivant.
About 30 community members gathered at the Manassas Park police station on July 31 for a vigil marking two years since the disappearance of local nurse and mother Mamta Kafle Bhatt, InsideNoVa reported. Bhatt was last heard from on July 29, 2024, and is presumed dead; her husband, Naresh Bhatt, was arrested in August 2024 and faces charges of first-degree murder, concealment of a dead body and physical defilement of a dead body, though no body has been found.
Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo described the investigation as a lengthy process with a strong case, while family members including mother Gita Kafle and community supporters expressed continued hope for justice. A pre-trial conference is set for Sept. 25, with the trial scheduled to begin in early October.
Event location
Bluemont Park
329 N Manchester St.
arlington, Virginia 22203
Join us for the LLT 5K Run/Walk, a community-powered fundraiser supporting Empower Latina and our mission to uplift, empower, and create opportunities for Latina women and girls. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps make a meaningful impact. Lace up, show up, and empower Latina!
Stafford Utilities is continuing to monitor Accokeek Creek (near Crows Nest Natural Preserve) after a July 22 sewer line break released untreated wastewater near the waterway, Stafford Utilities reported. As of a July 30 update, localized impacts have improved but water quality across the watershed has not yet returned to normal due to recent weather and other factors, and the agency still recommends limiting recreational contact with the water, including swimming, and advises against consuming fish from the creek until conditions improve.
The original advisory, issued after the break near Accokeek Creek, called for limited recreational use of the creek down to Crow’s Nest for people and pets. Residents with questions can contact Stafford Utilities at 540-658-8616.
Two state senators are asking Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session of the General Assembly after a newly released state report found groundwater supplies in eastern Virginia may not support major new withdrawals under current regulations, The Center Square reported. Sens. Richard Stuart, R-King George, and Russet Perry, D-Loudoun, said the Department of Environmental Quality study shows “virtually no capacity” in the Coastal Plain aquifer for large new uses such as data centers and was released only after the 2026 session had adjourned.
The bipartisan letter notes ongoing strain already appearing in western Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties and urges lawmakers to act on the report’s recommendations for stronger permitting rules, improved monitoring, and tying local development more closely to groundwater availability rather than waiting until the 2027 session.
A frontal boundary will bring another round of showers and thunderstorms to the region this afternoon, with locally heavy rain that could produce flash flooding in urban or poor-drainage areas. Conditions stay warm and muggy, with highs in the mid to upper 80s. The front crosses the area this evening, bringing drier air overnight before a more active pattern returns later in the week.
Today
Prince William County police reported two notable arrests stemming from incidents on July 30. The most serious involved a Woodbridge man charged in connection with brandishing a firearm and impersonating a law enforcement officer during encounters reported the previous week.
In a separate case, a juvenile was arrested after allegedly assaulting an officer who responded to a shoplifting at a local grocery store. Both incidents occurred in Woodbridge.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday that Justin Forman is no longer employed by the agency and directed all further questions to the FBI after he was arrested on a federal child pornography charge.
Jackson Arnold, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said Forman’s employment was terminated due to personal conduct that violated agency policies. He specified the termination was not related to professional or on-duty conduct.
Stafford County Public Schools is about to open three new schools — Hartwood High, Falls Run Elementary, and Crow’s Nest Elementary. That is real progress for a rapidly growing division. Families have waited years for the seats. The excitement from the school board and administration is understandable.
What is not understandable is the language that comes with it.
