Potomac Local News

Published January 28, 2025 at 2:28PM | Updated January 31, 2025 at 1:37PM

A Virginia Railway Express train pulls into the Fredericksburg train station. [Photo: Uriah Kiser/PLN]

The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board meeting on January 17, 2025, saw several significant discussions aimed at enhancing service and infrastructure across the transit system. Among the most talked-about topics were the introduction of Saturday service, a crucial funding agreement for the Manassas Line, solutions for parking challenges at stations, and major infrastructure projects, including the redevelopment of Seminary Yard and the Long Bridge upgrades. Each of these initiatives is designed to improve the commuter experience and accommodate a growing ridership base.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the ongoing development of Saturday service, a long-awaited addition that has been approved and included in VRE’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Set to feature three round-trip trains on the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines, this service is expected to cater to weekend commuters, offering a much-needed alternative to the crowded roads in the region.

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What’s On the Agenda? Stafford’s Board of Supervisors Meets Today

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published January 28, 2025 at 1:20PM | Updated January 28, 2025 at 2:59PM

Stafford Board of Supervisors (June, 2024)

Stafford County’s Board of Supervisors will hold its next meeting today, Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live, and the agenda will be posted online.

The board will review revisions to the Code of Performance for 2025. At the last meeting, on Jan. 7, the board learned that if they wished to add new language to the draft they worked on in 2024, they would have to re-review the entire draft Code of Performance and Ethical Standards which the By-laws Committee worked on over the summer of 2024 and consider it again for adoption.

The board requested an additional consideration that County employees would be required to take leave for any board activities, work meetings, or constituent outreach. Those leave requests would be submitted to the County Administrator for public review. This rule would likely have the most impact on the new Chairman of the Board, Deuntay Diggs, who is also a Deputy with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The agenda states the requests will be considered and a new draft presented at a future meeting.
The board will review revisions to the Code of Performance for 2025. At the last meeting, on Jan. 7, the board learned that if they wished to add new language to the draft they worked on in 2024, they would have to re-review the entire draft Code of Performance and Ethical Standards which the By-laws Committee worked on over the summer of 2024 and consider it again for adoption.

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Manassas Man Receives Lenient Sentence After Plea Deal in Mall Shooting, Jailhouse Beating Cases

By Alan Gloss

Published January 28, 2025 at 11:07AM | Updated January 31, 2025 at 1:37PM

Russell

A Manassas man who brought a Uzi to Manassas Mall got a lenient sentence after Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth offered him a sweetheart deal to close out two separate cases related to the mall shooting that left an innocent bystander and one of the combatants injured and another case where, while in custody where charging documents allege he participated in a jailhouse beating with five other men who cornered and beat three members of a rival gang.

Daevon Russell, 19, of 9306 Taney Road in Manassas, who was free on a cash-free bond for a 2023 Manassas City shooting that left another teen paralyzed from the neck down, was on pre-trial probation when he went to the Manassas Mall on July 9, 2024, armed with the Uzi and got into an altercation with another group of teens in the food court. The altercation spilled outside into the parking lot when the shooting began. The stipulations of his pretrial release required him not to possess weapons, and Virginia law bars those under 21 from possessing handguns.

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Event

3rd Annual Trunk or Treat at Image Church

October 26, 2025 2:00 pm -4:00 pm

Image Church

13900 Church Hill Drive

Woodbridge, Virginia 20191

Website Contact Social

3rd annual free community event that brings our neighbors right to our parking lot for a day of fun. Trick or Treating, games, raffle, photo booth, free food!

News

Spanberger and Earle-Sears want to make history in Virginia. But voters have election exhaustion

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 28, 2025 at 9:24AM

Just weeks after former Rep. Abigail Spanberger left the U.S. House for good, she strolled onto the floor of a different political chamber: the Virginia House of Delegates, reports the Associated Press. The three-term congresswoman, now vying to be the state’s next governor, rubbed elbows with fellow Democrats and held someone’s baby at her hip, a not-so-subtle reminder that statewide elections are looming in the commonwealth this year.

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Virginia legislature kills bill to limit voice-activated purchases

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 28, 2025 at 9:23AM

That voice-activated device in your home is always listening, and for families with young children, it’s raising questions about how easy it is for those devices to make purchases. Virginia legislators were looking to rein in those devices Monday morning, WVTF Radio reports.

Matt Mullin’s three-year-old daughter Grace loves Paw Patrol and Baby Shark.

But when Grace asked her family’s voice-activated Amazon Alexa to play her favorite song, her father said it did something else.

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Virginia House subcommittee kills bill that would have required parental consent for kids to use “addictive” social media feeds

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 28, 2025 at 9:21AM

Delegate Josh Thomas (D-21, Prince William County) [Photo: Thomas' Facebook page]

A house subcommittee has effectively killed a bill from Delegate Josh Thomas (D-Prince William) that would have required social media platforms to get parental consent before allowing kids under 18 to use so-called “addictive feeds” on their platforms, WRIC-TV reports.

“Now with the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and algorithms, we are getting much more content exposed to our children that they did not sign up for,” said Thomas.

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The Virginia Senate has passed several gun-related bills

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 28, 2025 at 9:18AM

Members of the General Assembly are once again debating firearms, WVTF Radio reports.

The House of Delegates will soon be debating a bill that limits the sale of assault-style weapons to 21 or older. It’s a bill that was introduced by Senator Saddam Salim, a Democrat from Fairfax County. His bill passed the Senate Monday afternoon.

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OmniRide Connect Microtransit Is Your Local Transportation Option

By Sponsored Post

Published January 28, 2025 at 6:00AM | Updated January 28, 2025 at 9:33AM

OmniRide Connect Microtransit is your local transportation option. With same-day booking and travel, our microtransit service allows riders to travel beyond our fixed routes. Visit our microtransit page to learn more about the service, how to reserve rides, and service areas in Eastern and Western Prince William County.

Prince William

Historic Site of the Week: Barnes House Historic Site

By Sponsored Post

Published January 27, 2025 at 10:30PM | Updated January 28, 2025 at 6:32AM

Originally built in the mid-1800s, the Barnes House offers a rare look at the past through its preserved architecture and surrounding grounds. It was once home to the Barnes family, who played a significant role in the local community. Today, the site provides visitors with an educational experience about life in Prince William County during the 1800s, showcasing its unique history and connection to the area’s early settlers.

While many residents are familiar with the more prominent landmarks, the Barnes House is an often-overlooked gem that offers a peaceful escape into history. Its quiet location makes it a perfect stop for history enthusiasts, families, or anyone seeking to explore the lesser-known sites that make our community special.