Potomac Local News

Published July 18, 2024 at 5:23PM | Updated July 19, 2024 at 1:15PM

Updated 1 p.m. Friday, July 19 — A Spotsylvania man faces multiple charges after being found passed out in a car with controlled substances in South Stafford. Despite attempts to flee and resist arrest, deputies subdued him with OC spray. They took him to the hospital for evaluation before taking him into custody at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

A Spotsylvania man collected a plethora of charges during an incident in South Stafford yesterday afternoon. On July 18th at 3:14 p.m. Deputy D.S. Jett and Deputy C.S. Harding responded to Argyle Heights subdivision for an unknown medical emergency. A resident had contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report a stranger passed out in a black Chevy Impala completely blocking the ingress and egress to her residence. The deputies observed the 46-year-old male passed out behind the wheel with suspected controlled substances next to him.

News

Hood Drive in Spotsylvania County Reopens to Two-Way Traffic on July 19

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published July 18, 2024 at 4:42PM

Hood Drive and Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania

Route 636 (Hood Drive) in Spotsylvania County will reopen to two-way traffic on the morning of Friday, July 19. The reopening will allow southbound traffic to travel from Route 208 (Courthouse Road) to Route 1. Westbound Courthouse Road traffic can turn left onto southbound Hood Drive or make a U-turn to eastbound Courthouse Road.

Hood Drive had been limited to northbound traffic only since July 2023 for construction. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) says two road improvement projects are nearly complete, with full completion expected by August 2024. The projects involved adding new turn lanes, a raised median, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossing equipment. Hood Drive sees about 11,000 vehicles daily.

Prince William

Verizon to Expand High-Speed Internet Access by Next Summer

By Caitlyn Meisner

Published July 18, 2024 at 1:00PM | Updated August 28, 2024 at 7:45AM

[Courtesy of Prince William County]

The Board of County Supervisors awarded a contract to Verizon to expand high-speed internet access throughout the county in an effort to reduce the percentage of county residents without it. According to a county press release, the goal is to reduce the number of residents without access to less than 1.5%.

A National Institute of Health study shows that between 2018 and 2022, 96% of Prince William County residents had high-speed access; in comparison to counties in the Northern Virginia region, Prince William ranks among Fairfax City and Fairfax County (96%), Falls Church City (97%), Loudon County (96%) and Manassas City (96%).

Prince William

Restored Historic Brentsville Jail Offering Sleepover Program

By Caitlyn Meisner

Published July 18, 2024 at 12:00PM

[Courtesy of Prince William County]

“Guests will take part in a mock trial where we take court cases from the 1800s and we give everyone different roles,” Paige Gibbons Backus, historic site manager at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre & Lucasville School, said in a press release. “They go through the court case, hear the evidence and then decide if someone is innocent or guilty and we tell them if they changed history or not.”

The jail was built in tandem with the Brentsville Courthouse in the 1820s and served as the “center of law and order” for the county until 1893, the release stated. The county seat moved to Manassas, so the jail transitioned to a women’s dorm for the teacher’s college in the defunct courthouse. It was then renovated to become a private residence then the county park authority’s jail space.

Prince William

Dumfries Proposes Changes to Town Charter

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 18, 2024 at 11:00AM

Dumfries is Virginia's oldest continually chartered town.

The Dumfries Town Council seeks to amend the town’s charter, which dates back to 1749, making Dumfries the oldest continuously chartered town in Virginia. The proposed changes were discussed during the council’s July 3 meeting.

According to a town spokeswoman, the amendments, which must be approved by the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, are primarily administrative and aimed at promoting greater clarity concerning the existing text. One substantive proposal would empower the Mayor to declare a local emergency if neither the director of emergency management nor the town council is available.

Health

Mary Washington Hospital Recognized as High Performing by U.S. News

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published July 18, 2024 at 10:00AM

Mary Washington Hospital

Mary Washington Hospital has been named a High Performing Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 11 adult procedures and conditions in its 2024-2025 Best Hospitals rankings. The hospital was recognized for excellence in procedures and conditions such as COPD, diabetes, heart attack, hip replacement, lung cancer surgery, and more.

“This recognition is a testament to our physicians and staff’s unwavering commitment to patient care,” said Dr. Mike McDermott, CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare.

Business

Urban Air Adventure Park Ribbon Cutting Tomorrow

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 18, 2024 at 9:00AM

On Friday, July 19, 2024, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of Urban Air Adventure Park in Woodbridge.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Publisher's Post

Facebook Removed our Local Severe Weather Warning Post

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 18, 2024 at 8:55AM | Updated July 24, 2024 at 10:33PM

If you rely on Facebook for local news, including information you need to know about your community to keep your family safe, don’t. The social media network has been removing these types of posts, noting that they go against community standards.

Don’t miss a post. Leave a tab in your browser that is fixed to potomaclocal.com, and check back throughout the day for updates. You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter, which is sent to members and non-members each day we post news on our website.

Manassas Residents Voice Crime Concerns to Council Candidate

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 18, 2024 at 8:00AM

In an interview with Potomac Local News, Robyn Williams, a Manassas School Board member and candidate for the Manassas City Council, highlighted vital community issues.

This one’s for the people who really care about local news.

Locals Only members get deeper reporting, more context, and fewer shortcuts.

Think that’s you?
👉 Join Locals Only
Already a member? Sign in

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

This one’s for the people who really care about local news.

Locals Only members get deeper reporting, more context, and fewer shortcuts.

Think that’s you? 👉 Join Locals Only Already a member? Sign in

Think that’s you?
👉 Join Locals Only
Already a member? Sign in