Prince William
Pokémon Trading Card Game enthusiasts turned the Sam’s Club parking lot on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge into an impromptu campground Monday night, July 20, as they waited for an exclusive member-only release on Tuesday, July 21.
Photos from the scene show groups of collectors with folding chairs, snacks, and gear settling in under the lights, hoping to secure the Ascended Heroes Focused Fighters Premium Collection. The bundle, available to Sam’s Club Plus Members (limit 2 per membership), includes 14 booster packs and foil promo cards for about $55.
Governor Abigail Spanberger announced Monday that Hepburn and Sons LLC, formerly based in Manassas, will invest $18.1 million to build a new corporate headquarters in Prince William County. The project is expected to create 80 new jobs.
The three-story, roughly 27,000-square-foot building will sit on 1.25 acres of county-owned land along Discovery Boulevard in Innovation Park, next to NOVA LIVE. Officials said the headquarters should be fully operational by the summer of 2028 and will serve as an innovation hub for defense technology development. The move responds to rising demand in the company’s defense contracting work.
On July 18 at about 10:53 p.m., a 36-year-old man identified as Michael Hall was riding eastbound on Old Bridge Road near Colby Drive when he lost control of his 2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle while navigating a right curve. He crossed into the median, struck a metal sign and guardrail, and was transported to a hospital where he later died. Speed is believed to be a factor, according to police.
Earlier, on July 10 at 6:31 a.m., 78-year-old John Gregory Grace of Occoquan was struck by a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee while crossing the Gordon Boulevard entry and exit lanes at the Occoquan Commuter Lot at 1325 Old Bridge Road. Grace, who was not in a designated crosswalk, died from his injuries. The driver, Arlen Yessenia Vivas Perez, 42, of Woodbridge, remained at the scene and was later charged with disregarding a stop sign.
“The Prince William County Planning Commission voted earlier this week to recommend that the county stop allowing data centers to build ‘by right,’ or without county approval – a move that could keep Jiffy Lube Live and other key areas from being swallowed up by computer server farms,” Prince William Times reported. The commission voted 5-2 to recommend shrinking the data center opportunity zone overlay district from about 9,700 acres to 3,500 acres, requiring special use permits for new projects and removing sites like Jiffy Lube Live and planned school land from by-right development.
This proposal, advanced by local leaders including Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson and Supervisor Tom Gordy, addresses long-standing concerns over skyrocketing land values and data center proliferation in Northern Virginia, with 148 facilities already built, under construction, or planned in the county. Supervisors are expected to consider the zoning text amendment in September.
InsideNova reported that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution eliminating the “blue” and “light blue” routes for Dominion Energy’s Nokesville to Bristow 230 kilovolt transmission line project across county property. The board stated it does not support granting Dominion access to county easements for Routes 5 and 12.
The decision, praised by Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy, protects areas like Broad Run Linear Park’s tree preserve and reflects strong community advocacy from neighborhoods including Braemar and Victory Lakes. Dominion Energy confirmed the blue route’s elimination, with the State Corporation Commission set to make the final call and a community meeting scheduled for July 23 at Patriot High School.
Prince William County Parks & Recreation reported that due to the Code Red air quality alert, all county-operated outdoor pools and waterparks are closed today, though the sprayground at Catharpin Regional Park will remain open. Tonight’s Fridays at 5 Concert with Leroy Burks & The Voodoo Whiskey Band has been rescheduled to Friday, August 14.
Residents in Northern Virginia should continue monitoring local air quality conditions, as additional updates on closings and events will be shared as they become available.
“Prince William County is launching an Agribusiness & Agritourism Study in partnership with Agritecture LLC to develop a comprehensive strategy that will grow our rural economy, enhance agritourism experiences, and ensure that agribusiness continues to thrive,” Prince William County reported.
Managed by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism over a 28-week period, the study includes market research, competitive benchmarking, industry analysis of agriculture and agritourism sectors, and recommendations for an Arts and Agritourism Overlay District, with community conversations scheduled July 27-29 across the county to gather stakeholder feedback on preliminary findings.
Prince William County is preparing its response to a detailed U.S. Department of Justice request for information about its Spanish-language election program, with a federal deadline of July 20.
In a June 22 letter, the DOJ’s Voting Section asked Director of Elections Eric Olsen for extensive data to evaluate the county’s compliance with Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires language assistance for Spanish-speaking voters. The department also notified the county that federal election monitors will observe the August 4, 2026 primary.
InsideNoVa reported that Peggy Curry, 70, a longtime front-of-house manager at Montclair Family Restaurant in Prince William County, passed away while on the job July 11, 2026. Prince William County Police responded to a report of an unconscious person around 4:43 p.m. Saturday and confirmed she was pronounced dead at the scene with no signs of foul play.
The tight-knit Northern Virginia community has shared heartfelt tributes to Curry, a seven-time winner of InsideNoVa’s Best of Prince William for best waitress, who was described by owner Francesco Leone as the restaurant’s irreplaceable “heart” and like a mother to him.