On this episode of the Potomac Local Podcast, we’re talking about our local libraries.

Last year, 2022, was a busy year for libraries in Prince William County and Manassas Park.

In Prince William County, the region’s most extensive library system, construction crews renovated Bull Run Regional Library, giving it a new, larger study room, a maker space, and an overall modernization for the 30-year-old building.

Central Library, one of the oldest in the system, received a new outdoor green for community gatherings.

Manassas Park, which separated from the county library system and formed its library in 2020, opened a newly-constructed library inside a new city hall. It built what city leaders hope to be a new downtown neighborhood, Park Central.

Prince William County Libraries Director Deborah Wright and Manassas Park Library Director Holly Ritchie joined me on the podcast. A representative from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, which provides library services to residents in the Fredericksburg region, could not join us on the podcast.

From the discussion:

Uriah asks about the new Manassas Park library building: What’s the reception you’re getting from the city’s citizens? Are they surprised? Are they happy…as the residents now not only have their own library for the first time…?

Holly Ritchie: They’re really liking that our programs are geared toward them. We always do surveys about what they are looking for. They all love [Central Library (the closest to city residents)]. We hear about it all the time. They still enjoy going to Central, but they’re also liking the fact that they have this additional resource in Manassas Park for them. So most of our pay trends utilize both Central Library and our Manassas Park.

Uriah on reopening post-coronavirus pandemic: We’re taking off our masks, and we’re getting back out in public… how has the transition been for you to reopen your buildings?

Deborah Wright: …as we started to learn a little bit more about the virus and what was maybe safe and navigable and what wasn’t. Yeah, our people did get pretty pushy, in the best way,[and said] ‘my children need to come in and browse the collection. I don’t want you to bring the books to me to the car. We need to come in and look.’

Here’s the full episode:

Tim Cox is hoping Prince William County voters will meet him in the middle.

The 34-year-old conservative is running for the 51st District House of Delegates seat. As it sits today, the district includes a large swath of the county, from the county's east side that favors Democrats, to the west side which largely votes Republican.

• If you rely on us for local news and haven’t already, please support us by becoming a member!
  • Join our Locals Only Membership Today! In a world filled with everyday heroes and extraordinary tales, Potomac Local is your trusted source for news and stories that matter in our community.
  • Our Local Spotlight Membership is perfect for businesses and non-profits to increase sales, donations, and branding awareness in the community.
  • Sign in here if you're already a member, and Thank You!

Heather Michell is hoping the second time the charm, as the Republican makes her making a second run at the Virginia House of Delegates in a Special Election on January 5.

After current seatholder, Mitchell quickly became the GOP nominee, Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (D) said she would resign from the position to focus full-time on her run for Virginia Governor in 2021.

Mitchell lost to Carroll Foy by more than 20 points in November 2019. Since then, things have changed, to include a global pandemic, and she’s now hoping to connect with voters during an abridged election season of less than a month.

We talked with Mitchell about her campaign in this edition of the Potomac Local Podcast.

Many who have chronic pain have postponed critical trips to their doctor to seek care.

Whether it’s for a sports injury, or injury from a fall, neck, back, or side aches, Dr. Kenneth May at the Sentara Therapy Center in Woodbridge treats it all.

I had the chance to interview May, who described his innovative approach to caring for his patients. In this recent sponsored post, you can see he was able to free a Woodbridge woman from her pain just when she thought all hope was lost.

We don’t need to tell you people have been spending more time at home recently.

With the outbreak of the new coronavirus, those who provide water and sewer to our homes have seen more items being flushed into the sewer system that shouldn’t be there.

From those “flushable” wipes that aren’t so flushable to fats, oils, and grease, we talk with Kathy Bentz, of the Prince William County Service Authority, about what you can do to save the pipes in your home and the ones in your community.

In this edition of the Potomac Local Podcast, the group “Reopen VA” plans to hold a protest on Wednesday, calling for Gov. Ralph Northam to reopen the state’s economy after ordering closures of non-essential businesses, and schools for more than a month ago.

The protest will come as legislators will return to Richmond for a special session.

Here is a video version of the Potomac Local Podcast.

It’s tax season and that means you’re running around the home office looking for documents, receipts, and other pieces of paper that may have fallen behind your desk over the past year.

While it’s not ideal, trust us, tax time doesn’t have to be a hassle. We talked with Potomac Local Supporting Partner Chris Peden, of Peden Accounting Services about how to best prepare for tax season.

Heather Mitchell is the Republican candidate for who’s running for the House District 2 seat, to represent portions of Prince William and Stafford counties.

The seat is currently held by Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy.

Vanpools are becoming a more popular way to commute in Northern Virginia.

OmniRide’s Vanpool Alliance program has more than 600 vans registered and in use with its program. The majority of the vans use the Interstate 95/395 corridor, ferrying commuters to and from their offices in Washington, D.C., and Arlington.

However, new E-ZPass Express Lanes are set to open on I-66 in 2022, and the number of vanpools registered with the program could more than double, said program manager Joe Stainsby.

The new lanes on I-66 and new commuter parking lots along the corridor will open up new transit options for those living along that highway — slugging/ridesharing, vanpool, and commuter more bus service — options that have been widely available for I-95 commuters since the 1970s.

Standby joined me on this latest edition of the Potomac Local Podcast to talk about how vanpool work to reduce traffic congestion, and who they will play a role in the future of mobility in our region.