Schools

Parents of Student Who Brought Gun to Lee Hill Elementary School Face Criminal Charges

By Uriah Kiser
Armstead/Carroll

The parents of a third-grade student who brought a loaded handgun to Lee Hill Elementary School have been arrested and charged following a classroom incident that resulted in the weapon discharging inside a backpack.

According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Ciara Armstead, 36, and Terrence Carroll, Jr., 34, were each charged on Monday, April 7, with two offenses: one misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in a manner that endangered a child under the age of 14, and one felony count of willfully or negligently endangering a child while having custody. Both were released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and are scheduled to appear in Spotsylvania County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on April 11.

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Manassas

Manassas Unveils Major Upgrades at Dean Park

By Potomac Local News

City leaders, residents, and local contractors gathered at Jennie Dean Park on March 14 to celebrate the grand opening of a host of new amenities at the city’s largest park. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the culmination of nearly a decade of planning, community engagement, and construction.

Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger addressed the crowd, reflecting on the long journey to the day’s celebration.

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Podcast

Prince William County’s Oral History Project Aims to Preserve Voices Before They’re Lost

By Uriah Kiser

The farmland, the small-town life, and the memories that built Prince William County are fading fast. But one effort is working to preserve those stories before they’re gone for good.

In our latest Potomac Local News Podcast, we sat down with Lauren Maloy, Historic Communities Coordinator at the Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation. She shared the mission behind the county’s oral history project, which collects and preserves personal stories from longtime residents, government officials, and people who have shaped the community in unique ways.

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Publisher's Post

What We’re Watching This Week: Bee Festival Returns, REAL ID Deadline Nears, and the Top 3 Stories on Potomac Local

By Uriah Kiser
Keep the Park Beautiful, an affiliate Keep American Beautiful, kicked off their 2025 community events by hosting the April 5, 2025, Polk Park Cleanup in Manassas Park.

Potomac Local Podcasts Drop All Week — Don’t Miss These Local Voices

We’re rolling out a full slate of Potomac Local News Podcast episodes this week. Each one dives deep into the history, people, and places shaping our region. Subscribe on YouTube so you’ll be the first to know when new episodes go live.

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Breaking News

BREAKING: Gun Discharges in 3rd Grade Classroom at Lee Hill Elementary School; No Injuries Reported

By Uriah Kiser
[Courtesy of Northern Virginia Police Cars via Instagram]

Authorities say the incident happened around 10:50 a.m. when a handgun went off while inside a student’s backpack. Early interviews indicate the student did not intend to harm anyone, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The classroom teacher immediately evacuated all 26 students and alerted the School Resource Officer stationed at the school. Thankfully, no students or staff were injured during the incident.

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Press Release

Dumfries Shifts Holiday Parade, Tweaks Concert Series for 2025

By Uriah Kiser
Dumfries is Virginia's oldest continually chartered town.

The Dumfries Town Council approved its 2025 events calendar during its April 1 meeting, finalizing several changes to the town’s lineup of annual events.

The most significant update is the rescheduling of the Holiday Parade. Traditionally held in December, the event will now take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025. The new date will help Dumfries avoid scheduling conflicts with neighboring localities and attract more marching bands and participants, notably Manassas, which hosts the region’s largest Christmas parade.

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Features

No Mower? No Problem! Goats on the Job at Old Mill Park

By Mike Salmon
The Good Steward Farm’s goat.

At Old Mill Park along the Rappahannock River, there are spots where the mowers can’t reach, and to send a landscape professional in there with a weed whacker could be dangerous, so Fredericksburg has sent in the goats.

They munch the weeds until the job is done, leave a bit of organic fertilizer, and then jump on the truck to the next job, clearing invasive species at the following location.

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Press Release

Cockpit Door Found in Loudoun County Field After Mid-Flight Incident

By Potomac Local News

Authorities recovered the cockpit door of a small plane Saturday evening after it detached mid-flight and fell into a farm field near Purcellville. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. Saturday, April 5, when a two-seater, fixed-wing single-engine aircraft experienced a mechanical failure that caused the cockpit door to rip off while in flight near the Round Hill area of Loudoun County.

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