Press Release

Doswell, VA April 20 –] Woodbridge High School VEX Robotics Competition team had a successful weekend at the VEX State Championship. This team won the Prestigious Excellence Award which is presented to a team that exemplifies overall excellence in creating a high quality VEX robotics program. In addition to winning the Excellence Award, Woodbridge High School won Robot Skills Challenge, Design Award and were the Tournament Finalists. The team members are now preparing for the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship April 15-18th where they will represent Virginia and will compete against top teams from across the US and around the world.

About the REC Foundation
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, a non-profit organization, seeks to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics engineering programs across the U.S. and internationally. The REC Foundation develops partnerships with K-12 education, higher education, government, industry, and the non-profit community to achieve this goal.
The REC Foundation’s vision is to change the world by inspiring young people in all communities to pursue degrees and careers in STEM fields by providing access to high-quality programs.

Worldwide, every three minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., one in five children with cancer will not survive. This is unacceptable to a group of members at the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department who are prepared to make a bald statement. These fire and rescue workers will be shaving their heads in solidarity with kids fighting cancer while helping to fund life-saving research with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

The members will be reaching out to the community to raise donations for the St. Baldrick’s. To pledge, visit https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/229/2015. From there, one will be to see all of those who have pledged to share their head as well as the team’s main page. Here, those interested may donate.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of Marine Corps Base Quantico may experience an increase in noise as an affect from ground/aircraft training or range clearance operations during the week of Feb. 21-27.

Thursday, Feb. 26 – Live Fire Training is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has commended the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and four other rail and mass transit agencies for earning the “Gold Standard” — the administration’s highest security rating, agency officials announced on February 17.

The ratings are part of TSA’s 2014 Baseline Assessments for Security Enhancement program, which involves a voluntary review of various security measures, ranging from security plans and training to public outreach efforts and background check programs.

Update

The snow emergency has been lifted at 9 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2015. Be safe.

A winter storm is forecast for the Interstate 95 corridor and Fredericksburg area on Saturday, and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews will have staff, materials and equipment ready to deploy early Saturday.

Snow is expected to begin falling in the Fredericksburg area late Saturday morning and continue through late afternoon. Road conditions may be hazardous during the storm.

Stafford Utilities will start sampling homes for lead at the tap in homes built before 1987. There is no lead in our water system. This sampling tests for lead in the home. This effort is to comply with the 1991 EPA lead and copper rule that requires all public drinking systems to regularly test a sample of homes for lead. Utilities is looking for 100 volunteers to give samples.

If you would like to volunteer to have your water tested, please contact Janet Spencer, Utilities Department Deputy Director, at (540) 658-8620, or by email at [email protected].

Clearing subdivision streets and low-volume secondary roads is the leading task for Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crew members today in the 14-county Fredericksburg District.

VDOT crews and contractor staff worked overnight to plow state-maintained streets in neighborhoods and apply sand for additional traction. Crews will continue working 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, until all roads are clear. VDOT’s goal is to have all state roads passable by Thursday morning, which is 48 hours after the end of this storm.

For 40 years, families in need from Manassas and Western Prince William County have turned to SERVE for the most basic of needs: a safe place to sleep, their next meal, or perhaps a warm winter jacket. On Friday, March 20, members of the community will come together to mark the first 40 years of SERVE with a special dinner dance at the Continental Events Center, 9705 Liberia Avenue, in Manassas, at 6:30 p.m.

The program will feature a buffet dinner, silent auction, dancing and music provided by the Type A Band. Special Founder’s Awards will be given to the individual, civic group, faith-based organization, and company who have been particularly strong supporters of SERVE over the years.

Ways to Help Prevent Frozen Water Pipes:

Seal air drafts around fixtures.