Press Release

As yet another brutal cold front bears down on our area, the Prince William Professional Fire Fighters are happy to relay that with the help of our community we have been able to supply over $2,000 in winter coats to children right here in our community. As public servants we are often called to help our neighbors in the most desperate moments of their lives. We are afforded, like it or not, a raw view of the struggle that families are enduring right here in Prince William County. It is awe inspiring to see the community that we serve rally to help those in need.

We held multiple fundraising efforts throughout last year. These included church collections, a poker run, and first annual Prince William Cup Soccer Tournament between PWC Career Fire Fighters and PWC Police. The coats were distributed through Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School in Woodbridge and BARN Transitional Housing for homeless women and children in Bristow.

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews have nearly 900 pieces of equipment ready to deploy in the 14-county Fredericksburg District as soon as snow begins to fall this afternoon.

Yesterday, VDOT crews pre-treated main roads with salt brine to prevent ice and snow from bonding with the pavement. Crews treated Interstate 95, primary roads and key secondary roads throughout the Fredericksburg area, Northern Neck, and Middle Peninsula.

Route 1 traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction over the Falmouth Bridge between Stafford County and Fredericksburg tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for repairs to a damaged bridge joint.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) bridge crew will weld a piece of damaged steel on the joint to prevent further damage and deterioration, and to prevent it from becoming a safety hazard for motorists.

Northbound and southbound Interstate 95 traffic will be affected tonight by emergency bridge repair work at the Route 17 overpasses in Stafford County, just north of the Rappahannock River bridge at Exit 133/Falmouth.

Crews will be surveying the deck on two bridges, requiring lane closures in both directions.

Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) invites high school students from Virginia’s First District to participate in the 2015 Congressional Art Competition.  The theme for this year’s competition is “Virginia the Beautiful.” All artwork is due by April 8, 2015, and can be submitted to any of Wittman’s congressional office locations.

“The Congressional Art Competition provides a great opportunity for aspiring artists to hone their skills and showcase their talent,” Wittman said. “I look forward to seeing all of the impressive entries that feature the beauty of our Commonwealth from the next generation of local artists. 

January, 2015, Project Mend-A-House (PMAH) will hold it’s first Spring Into Health Fair on Saturday, March 21, 2015 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Hylton Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington on 5070 Dale Boulevard in Woodbridge. This free event is a great opportunity for residents of the Prince William Region to check in on their health and ask questions in a no-pressure environment.

The Spring Into Health Fair will feature over 10 free health screenings and assessments including a series of fall risk screening tools. Workshops will be given on a variety of health topics, from anxiety and depression to concussions and sports medicine. There will be activities, prizes and demonstrations for the whole family including a chance to win one of five $100 VISA gift cards!

Members of the Grace Preparatory School Community Service Club filled two shoe boxes to be donated to Operation Christmas Child sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International. 

Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has collected and delivered more than 113 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in over 150 countries through Operation Christmas Child.

On Sunday, February 15th, the Commonwealth’s 4:00 p.m. burn law goes into effect. The law remains in effect until Thursday, April 30th. Approved burning may take place between 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight only.

The law prohibits open air burning before the hours of 4:00 p.m. daily if your fire is in or within 300 feet of the woodland, brushland or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials. During this time, winds can be elevated and the relative humidity is lower; the forest floor fuels are extremely dry, having “cured” without tree leaves to shade them. Typically, by 4:00 p.m. the winds are calmer and the relative humidity begins to increase. This ban applies to all open burning, including campfires. For more information on open burning please call the Fire Marshal’s Office at (703) 792- 6360 or visit us online at https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/FR/fmo/Pages/Burning-Regulations.aspx.