Police charged men from Woodbridge, Manassas and Stafford in an undercover child-exploitation operation, a Fairfax patient committed after killing his landlord left the country on a weekend pass, and Stafford officials said next year’s budget will be especially tight.

According to FOX 5 DC, police arrested nine men ages 21 to 48 in an undercover operation targeting suspects who initiated sexually explicit online conversations they believed were with minors. Detectives said most of the men traveled expecting a sexual encounter with a child and instead were met by investigators. The nine suspects face a combined 20 criminal charges, including solicitation of a minor, procuring a minor for prostitution and attempted indecent liberties.

COVID-19 activity is climbing again in Virginia, including high wastewater readings in Woodbridge, while nearby school divisions report lingering teacher vacancies, a national education leader visits a new Manassas campus, and Prince William and Manassas roll out new library loans and a city license plate.

According to the Prince William Times, COVID-19 activity in Virginia remains low but is increasing, the Virginia Department of Health said, with 842 cases recorded in the week ending Aug. 22. Emergency room and urgent care visits for diagnosed COVID-19 accounted for 0.6% of all such visits that week, a share that has tripled since mid-July. State officials said late-summer increases have occurred each year since 2020, though summer peaks have been lower over time.