Stafford County’s George L. Gordon, Jr. Government Center is set to undergo major renovations following a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The $1 million project will expand and modernize the building’s main lobby and make critical upgrades to the Board of Supervisors’ meeting chambers. The Board approved a work order with Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc. to carry out the renovations, which are expected to take about eight months and conclude by the end of the year.


Manassas is working on a major maintenance project at Harris Pavilion, a well-known community hub in downtown Manassas.

Originally scheduled to begin in March 2025, the renovation to replace leaking coolant pipes beneath the 23-year-old pavilion’s concrete surface has been delayed. The delay stems from uncertainties in the delivery timeline of construction materials—some of which are made outside of the U.S., notes a press release.


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.


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.


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.


Chief Allen Sibert of the Town of Haymarket Police Department is gearing up for the second annual Senior Summit, a free, one-of-a-kind event focused on empowering older adults with vital resources and protection from scams.

The event will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Park Valley Church, located at 4500 Waverly Farm Drive in Haymarket.


If you’ve caught a whiff of cinnamon sugar in the air and followed your nose to a gleaming churro truck, chances are you’ve stumbled upon Noris Churros — a new local business serving up the sweet, golden treats of Mexico City right here in Northern Virginia.

The name “Noris” is a loving tribute to co-founder Nora Sanchez, who, alongside her partner Marcos Vazquez, turned a dream into a dessert-slinging reality. Their secret recipe? A mix of authenticity, patience, and just a pinch of daring.


Jose Rafael Lizama, a 48-year-old Manassas Park resident, was sentenced on April 3, 2025, to 10 years in prison, with five years suspended, for the 2023 death of Justin Burns. He will serve five years in the Virginia Department of Corrections, followed by five years of supervised probation. Lizama must also wear an ankle monitor for continuous drug and alcohol testing after release.

Four days before the start of his January 2025 trial, Lizama took a plea deal and admitted to striking and killing Justin Burns of Blackstone near Richmond while speeding and driving drunk on December 2, 2023. Justin was crossing the 8900 block of Center Street in downtown Manassas, near Old Town Sports Pub, just before 11 p.m. Police crime scene investigators determined that Lizama was traveling nearly double the speed limit in foggy weather when he struck Justin. 


Welcome back to a Potomac Local News series, “Meet Prince William.”

We’ve started this series so Prince William County residents can get to know the important people working behind the scenes to make the county run smoothly and efficiently. This is an opportunity to learn from experts on the county. Potomac Local has asked each leader the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.


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