Politics

Stafford Board of Supervisors 2025 Election: Where Candidates Stand on Parks, Green Space, and Preserving the County’s Character

By Kelly Sienkowski

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series by Potomac Local News introducing candidates for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. This fall, voters will choose representatives for the Garrisonville, Hartwood, Falmouth, and Aquia Districts. To help local voters learn more about their candidates, Potomac Local News invited all Board of Supervisors candidates to a virtual interview with the same five questions. Their answers have been condensed for clarity. The remaining candidates either declined, had scheduling conflicts, or did not respond.

Videos of the interviews are available.

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Fredericksburg

Roadwork Watch: Major Lane Closures Coming This Week in Fredericksburg, Stafford & Spotsy

By Potomac Local News

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The folks at VDOT just gave Potomac Local News the heads-up: expect plenty of overnight lane closures and daytime work zones in Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, and the City of Fredericksburg from Sunday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 16.

On I-95, crews will be milling and paving northbound between Thornburg (Exit 118) and Spotsylvania (Exit 126) and southbound between Courthouse Road (Exit 140) and Centreport Parkway (Exit 136). Police will direct traffic during the mobile paving operations.

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Stafford

Suspect Named in Fatal Stafford Hit-and-Run; White Audi Seized

By Potomac Local News

Stafford County investigators say they’ve identified the driver who struck and killed a pedestrian along Richmond Highway early Tuesday morning — and she’s on the run.

Authorities are searching for 21-year-old Gabriela Alejandra Bonilla Flores, wanted for a hit-and-run resulting in death. Deputies say she was behind the wheel of a white Audi Q5 that hit a 36-year-old man walking along the road near Foreston Woods Drive just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, August 5. The victim died at the scene.

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Originals

Tourism Spending in Virginia Hits Record $35 Billion; Prince William Sees More Out-of-State Visitors

By Uriah Kiser
NOVA Live (formerly Farm Brew Live) just outside Manassas.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Virginia welcomed more visitors and more tourism dollars in 2024 than ever before, generating a record $35.1 billion in spending, Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia Tourism Corporation announced this week. That’s up 5.4% from $33.3 billion in 2023 and marked the first time overnight visitation surpassed pre-pandemic levels. More than one million additional overnight visitors came to the Commonwealth in 2024 — a total of 44.7 million people.

Statewide, travelers spent an average of $96 million per day, up from $91 million the year before. Tourism supported more than 229,000 jobs in 2024, nearly 5,000 more than in 2023, and generated $2.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. Officials say that amounts to $990 in annual savings for each Virginia household.

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Originals

Exclusive: Stafford Schools Say Transportation System Ready After Last Year’s Collapse

By Uriah Kiser
Stafford County Public Schools Transportation Director John Wilcots

Stafford County Public Schools officials say they’re more prepared than ever to get students to class this year, thanks to sweeping changes in the division’s transportation department.

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Originals

Judge Sides with Residents, Voids Prince William Digital Gateway Rezoning—for Now

By Potomac Local News
The Judicial Center for Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving has ruled in favor of Oak Valley residents challenging the rezoning for the PW Digital Gateway, a proposed 22-million-square-foot data center complex near Manassas. According to InsideNova.com, Irving found the county failed to properly advertise public hearings on the project, effectively voiding the rezoning approval, though an appeal is expected.

The lawsuit, filed by 12 Oak Valley homeowners, named the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and developers H&H Capital Acquisitions and GW Acquisition Co. as defendants. The plaintiffs argued that the county’s hearing notices in the Washington Post did not comply with state or county requirements and that relevant application materials were not available to the public when the first ad ran.

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Politics

Stafford Board of Supervisors 2025 Election: Where Candidates Stand on Transparency and Public Engagement

By Kelly Sienkowski
Mike Catell, Kecia Evans, Kelly Robertson, Marcus Oates, Bart Randall, Hank Scharpenberg

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series by Potomac Local News introducing candidates for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. This fall, voters will choose representatives for the Garrisonville, Hartwood, Falmouth, and Aquia Districts. To help local voters learn more about their candidates, Potomac Local News invited all Board of Supervisors candidates to a virtual interview with the same five questions. Their answers have been condensed for clarity. The remaining candidates either declined, had scheduling conflicts, or did not respond.

Videos of the interviews are available here.

Go to Stafford Board of Supervisors 2025 Election: Where Candidates Stand on Transparency and Public Engagement Read more
Fredericksburg

Early Birds Could Snag Full-Ride Scholarships, UMW says

By Potomac Local News

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The University of Mary Washington is now accepting applications for first-year students hoping to begin classes in Fall 2026—and those who apply early could land some of the school’s top scholarships.

According to a university press release, applications opened August 1 and can be submitted through the Common App or directly at umw.edu/admissions/apply. Early decision (binding) applications are due by November 1, while early action (non-binding) applicants have until November 15. Regular decision applicants have until February 1, 2026. Students who apply early are given priority for scholarships and admission decisions.

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