Prince William County’s longtime parks director is trading trails, boardwalks, and open space for a desk at City Hall.
Seth Hendler-Voss, who has led Prince William County’s Department of Parks and Recreation since 2017, has been selected as the next city manager of Falls Church. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the appointment Monday evening.
University officials said the pier will give scientists, students, and research vessels direct access to the Occoquan River after nearly a decade of limited water access. Neighbors and local paddling groups raised concerns about the structure’s length, kayak passage, barge safety, and visual impact during the two-hour town hall at the center, located at 650 Mason Ferry Ave in Woodbridge.
The facility opened in 2017 as a 50,000-square-foot research and education building, but its existing short platform reaches mudflat at low tide. Researchers currently must trailer boats to other docks, limiting class instruction, continuous monitoring, and rapid response work.
Ebony Lofton is running again for Dumfries Town Council, bringing a decade of local experience, a banking background, and a blunt critique of how the town has handled its sudden influx of gaming revenue.
Lovesac has opened a new showroom at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge, giving Prince William shoppers a place to try the brand’s modular furniture in person.
The 1,524-square-foot space at 15000 Potomac Town Place, Unit 120, opened Friday, Aug. 7. Shoppers can explore more than 150 fabric options and configure the company’s signature Sactionals sofas, oversized Sacs, and StealthTech sound system to fit different rooms and lifestyles. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
A new pickup ice hockey league for girls ages 10 to 14 is giving middle school players across Northern Virginia a chance to compete in an all-girls setting at Haymarket Iceplex.
The NOVA Girls Ice Hockey Pickup League, founded by Warrenton physician Dr. Christopher Chang and coach Kara Given of A and K On Ice Coaching, runs sessions of five to 10 full-regulation games with referees. Games take place at the rink at 15155 Washington St. in Haymarket. Organizers balance teams by skill level each week so beginners, intermediate and advanced players all get equal ice time. Full gear is required, and at least one year of recreational team hockey experience is needed.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
