Prince William

Parks Seek Volunteers for Historic Sites

By Uriah Kiser

Virginia’s sales tax holiday continues through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, letting Prince William families buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, emergency preparedness items such as generators, and certain Energy Star or WaterSense products without state sales tax. A Weekly Happenings post from Volunteer Prince William dated Aug. 7 also promotes a Town of Dumfries “Hot Spot Clean-Up Day” along Quantico Creek on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at Jeff Simpson Community Center.

The same post lists a wide range of other local volunteer needs, including invasive plant removal at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, battlefield guides at Bristoe Station, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue handlers and drivers, Prince William Special Olympics support roles, Girls on the Run of NOVA coaches for the fall season, daytime shifts at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, food box deliveries with ACTS, ESL classroom help at Grace United Methodist Church, and outdoor work at Leopold’s Preserve.

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Prince William County Police Host Sixth Annual Community Fair Sept. 12

By Uriah Kiser
Officer Kevin Jeschke a member of the Western District has been with Prince William County Police since 2017. [Photo: Alan Gloss]

The free, family-friendly event aims to celebrate the county’s diversity, promote unity across communities, and give residents a closer look at the many facets of police work. Displays from the Police Department and other public-safety agencies and county government organizations will line the plaza, alongside live music, food trucks, pet adoptions, a dunk tank, and live exhibitions that include a demonstration by the department’s dive team.

Police Chief Peter Newsham invited the community in a video message: “I’m here to invite you to our sixth annual community fair. It’s going to take place right here at McCourt in the plaza. You’ll see service providers lining this entire plaza in the back. We’ll have our dunk tank. We’ll have live exhibitions, including an exhibition from our dive team. There’ll be food. There’ll be live music. This is a great event. Every time we’ve come out here, we’ve had a wonderful time. It’s family friendly. If you’re available, remember September 12th, noon to four, right here at the plaza at McCourt. Hope you can join us.”

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Haymarket Council Weighs Schoolhouse Commons Rezoning

By Uriah Kiser

Haymarket Town Council continued its review of the Schoolhouse Commons rezoning at 14600 Washington Street during its regular meeting Aug. 3. The proposal from Greystone Companies seeks to rezone the former school site for mixed-use development with about 58 townhomes and retained commercial space.

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Three Alarm Fire Hits Woodbridge Apartments

By Uriah Kiser

A three-alarm fire tore through an apartment building in the Landings at Markham’s Grant community in Woodbridge on Saturday afternoon, displacing 19 residents and injuring two firefighters.

According to the department’s press release, early reports show at least 12 adults and seven children were displaced and are receiving help from the Red Cross. Two firefighters were taken to a local medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries. The cause remains under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

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Manassas-Area Shopping Center Sells for $24.54 Million

By Uriah Kiser

A Bethesda real estate firm has sold the Festival at Manassas shopping center in Manassas for $24.54 million.

Finmarc Management Inc. completed the disposition of the 117,675-square-foot grocery-anchored community center to JCR Companies, according to a company press release. The property at 10288-10388 Festival Lane sits at the signalized intersection of Sudley Road and Portsmouth Road, across from Manassas Mall. It was 88 percent leased and occupied at the time of the sale.

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IKEA Hosts School Supply Drive Saturday

By Uriah Kiser

IKEA Woodbridge will host its annual Stuff the Cruiser backpack and school supply drive Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the store at 2901 Potomac Mills Circle. The event partners with the Prince William County Community Foundation Inc. and the Prince William County Police Department to collect new backpacks and school supplies for local children ahead of the new school year.

Donors will receive a sweet treat, and last year’s drive helped provide more than 6,500 backpacks to children in the community, according to a recent report.

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Prince William supervisors approve 300-apartment River Oaks project

By Uriah Kiser
Screenshot

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on July 21, 2026, unanimously approved a rezoning that allows Bonaventure to build 300 apartments on a 17.3-acre site south of River Ridge Boulevard and west of Richmond Highway (Route 1).

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PWCS Students Earn Top Honors at FBLA State and National Competitions

By Uriah Kiser

“Prince William County Public Schools students earned impressive honors at the 2026 Virginia Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference, with several advancing to the national competition in San Antonio,” PWCS reported. Top state finishes included first places for Drake Ludin of Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School in Hospitality and Event Management and Ameera Noor of Gainesville Middle School in Parliamentary Procedures, along with multiple second- through sixth-place awards across middle and high schools in events ranging from data analysis and marketing to entrepreneurship and public speaking.

At the national level, Eliza Ijaz of Freedom High School secured second place in Entrepreneurship—the first such finish for her school—while Autumn Cordell of Gainesville Middle School also took second place nationwide in Career Exploration, highlighting the strength of PWCS Career and Technical Education programs in preparing students for future business and leadership opportunities.

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Occoquan Mourns Passing of Three Residents: Bobbie Frank, John Grace, and Melissa Hollis

By Uriah Kiser

The Town of Occoquan has shared news of the recent deaths of three residents in its monthly newsletter, the Town of Occoquan reported. Melissa Hollis was found deceased in her home on June 28, John Grace was killed in a pedestrian-vehicle crash outside of town on July 10, and Bobbie Frank passed away at Westminster on July 26.

Bobbie Frank was a longtime Occoquan resident who previously served on the town council, directed the town’s Craft Show, and was a board member and supporter of the Occoquan Historical Society. Details on services were not immediately available; Frank is expected to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in a private ceremony, with a celebration of life planned later.

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NVTA awards $65 million for Route 15 railroad overpass in Haymarket

By Uriah Kiser
Route 15 (U.S. 15) at the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing in Haymarket, the at-grade intersection targeted for a grade-separated overpass after the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority awarded $65 million toward the roughly $80 million project. [Photo: Google Maps]

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority has awarded $65 million toward construction of a railroad overpass on Route 15 in Haymarket, state Sen. Danica Roem told the Haymarket Town Council on Aug. 3.

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