Federal workers can take Christmas Eve off. President Barack Obama on Friday signed an Executive Order than mandates all non-essential federal employees not come into their offices on Monday.
The mandate states employees will receive regular pay as if they had worked the entire day, and if the employee had scheduled to take off Christmas Eve, that employee will not be charged with annual leave.
Wind is rustling the trees outside windows in our area this morning.
The counties to the west of Prince William and Stafford remain under a high wind warning and can expect gusts up to 60 mph today. In our area, forecasters said we will see winds about 28 mph. The winds will diminish to about 17 mph this afternoon.
NOKESVILLE, Va. — Patriot High School freshman Danno Wernecke is working to overcome severe injuries from an ATV accident.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Visitors to Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge will soon be able to use an elevator to get there.
A new agreement between Virginia Railway Express and Prince William County will ultimately permit visitors access to the secluded refuge on the Potomac River from a pedestrian platform at the Rippon VRE station. Visitors will be able to use an elevator to access the platform and then go over to the refuge, including weekends when the commuter rail station is not in use, according details of the new deal.
By URIAH KISER
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Option one: Build a road. Option two: Build a road with toll lanes and dedicated routes for transit buses.
![Carlee Jones, 21, of Gainesville, and Tina Murray, of Manassas, remember the shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School at a candlelight vigil in Manassas on Dec. 17. [File photo]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/121712-Vigil-02-600x392.jpg)
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Today marks one week after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has asked for a statewide moment of silence to honor the 20 children and six adults who were shot and killed during the attack in Connecticut.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Six candidates Wednesday night made their case for an interim appointment to the Prince William County School Board.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Business leaders had the opportunity to gain insight on key issues for the 2013 General Assembly session during the Prince William Chamber of Commerce’s “Legislative Kick-off.”
The event, which was held at Old Hickory Golf Club Wednesday, featured members of the Prince William delegation to the Virginia General Assembly. Senators Charles Colgan (D-29), Linda S. (Toddy) Puller (D-36), George L. Barker (D-39), Richard Stuart (R-28), and Delegates Robert G. Marshall (R-13), Tim Hugo (R-40), Jackson Miller (R-50), Richard Anderson (R-51), and Ramadan (R-87) each had an opportunity to talk about where their efforts will be focused in the coming session, which begins January 9, 2013.
GAINESVILLE, Va. — What a mess for commuters on Wednesday night. An SUV that was sitting at a railroad crossing on U.S. 29 in Gainesville was hit by a train about 7 p.m.
The train damaged the front of the SUV but the female driver inside was not injured, according to a Prince William police official on the scene.
4:30 p.m.
Crews are working to repair guardrails along Joplin Road. Traffic will be shifted to one side of the roadway as the repairs are made, according to transportation officials.
