Fredericksburg

River Rescue Teams Run Drill This Weekend—Here’s What to Know

By Potomac Local News
Stafford fire and rescue crews at Historic Port of Falmouth Beach Park. [Potomac Local News]

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Area residents may notice a heavy presence of emergency vehicles and personnel along the Rappahannock River this weekend, but it’s not a real emergency—it’s a planned water rescue training exercise.

RIVEREX 2025 kicks off Friday, June 6, and runs through Saturday, June 7. The large-scale drill will simulate swift water rescues across more than 20 miles of the river and include live-action scenarios designed to test emergency crews’ readiness, coordination, and response tactics.

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Fredericksburg

Stafford Leans Toward New Bridge Plan to Ease Traffic Woes

By Uriah Kiser
Overlooking Fredericksburg, the Chatham Bridge, and the Rappahannock River.

Stafford County leaders are preparing to take a major step toward easing long-standing regional traffic woes.

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Neighborhood Notes

Neighborhood Notes: Dumpster Day, Summer Fun, and a Star School Counselor

By Potomac Local News
Ghost pipe, also known as Indian pipe, peeks out from the forest floor in Prince William Forest Park. Unlike most plants, this pale flower lacks chlorophyll and draws nutrients from underground fungi instead of sunlight. [Photo: Prince William Forest Park]

🎓 Hats off to the Class of 2025!
Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade is celebrating the resilience and achievements of PWCS seniors as they prepare to graduate and step into their futures. She also shared updates on a new bus tracking app, EZ A2B, and honored Neabsco Elementary’s Lydia Larimore as Virginia’s Elementary School Counselor of the Year.
👉 Read Dr. McDade’s full message here

🗑️ Got junk? Prince William’s Dumpster Day is here to help
The Occoquan District Area Cleanup is happening Saturday, June 7 at Bethel Church—bring your unwanted items between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and let Public Works handle the rest.
👉 See what you can dump and learn more

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg’s New Trail Plan Has Fans and Fears

By Mike Salmon
A view down the overgrown Dixon Trail corridor reveals the dense vegetation planners aim to navigate for the proposed connector route. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

To increase the city’s bike-ability and promote a “connected communities” concept, officials and residents gathered at the south end of Caroline Street on May 29 in Fredericksburg to discuss creating a Dixon Park Connector trail.

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Prince William

Manassas Mall Could Get 1,000+ Apartments Under Rezoning Plan

By Potomac Local News
Manassas Mall at 8300 Sudley Road near Manassas.

MANASSAS, Va. – Prince William County leaders will consider a rezoning request on Tuesday, June 3, that could transform the aging Manassas Mall into a new urban-style community with more than 1,000 apartments and tens of thousands of square feet in new commercial space.

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Manassas

Manassas City Schools Custodian Wins RISE Award

By Caitlyn Meisner
Luis Riveron-Wong (middle) recently won the RISE Award. [Courtesy of Manassas City Public Schools]

“I felt happy, excited, grateful, valued and above all blessed,” Riveron-Wong said of winning the award. “Being recognized with this award has a very big and important meaning because it shows that I’m on the right path, that I’m doing things well and that my work is valued and appreciated by others.”

The RISE, or the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees, Award is given to support staff who “go above and beyond in their service to students, staff and the broader school community,” an MCPS release stated. Nominees from each MCPS school, central office and the Transportation Department are evaluated in five areas: work performance, school and community involvement, leadership and commitment, support from colleagues and community members and enhancement of the public image of classified employees.

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News

Prince William Finds Success with Panhandling Campaign, Will Continue in Summer

By Caitlyn Meisner
The amount of panhandlers recorded between June 1, 2024 and April 15, 2025 in Prince William County. [Courtesy of Prince William County]

This update on both the public campaign and outreach into the community follows more than a year of discussion at the Board level. In February 2024, a team was developed to find strategies to reduce panhandling in the county; the team determined public safety and the need for social services were a top priority.

Panhandling, according to county staff, is “someone that is out on the corner and on the median, and they are asking for money.” County staff does not consider those selling items on the side of the road as panhandlers.

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Neighborhood Notes

Neighborhood Notes: Pride Month, Graduation Celebrations, and Summer Events Around Town

By Potomac Local News

🌬️ Late May brought a surprising chill
If you felt more like reaching for a hoodie than sunscreen this past weekend, you weren’t alone—temps dipped unusually low for this time of year, catching many off guard.
🧊 Here’s the chilly weekend recap from the National Weather Service

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