The Virginia Outdoors Foundation has awarded Woodbridge’s Freedom High School $25,000 to build a dedicated outdoor learning space, which is expected to open in the spring.
As the home for the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences (CENS) program, Freedom High School will now be able to provide students in this program with a necessary outdoor learning space, a press release stated. CENS allows students to engage in lab and field science, interactive research and hands-on projects.
Prince William County Parks and Recreation partnered with Amazon Web Services InCommunites, a sector of the cloud-based service that helps local communities, and KABOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending playspace inequity, to make the new Fairmont Park playground possible.
The playground was designed by 30 children from Prince William County who shared drawings of their dream space. Demolition on the existing playground started in early October, and the playground was just recently completed following a week-long effort by volunteers to construct the new space.
“By allowing approved contractors to utilize same-day automated permitting, the SolarAPP+ initiative is poised to revolutionize the residential solar permitting landscape in the county,” Mandi Spina, the director of the Department of Development Services, said.
Approved contractors through the county will be able to submit their projects through the SolarAPP+ system, which checks for county-required criteria to ensure compliance. This system can issue permits on the same day.
Homicide Investigation – On October 27 at 10:34AM, officers responded to a residence located at the 18500 block of Triangle Street in Triangle (22172) for a report of an injured adult male found inside a vehicle. The investigation revealed the victim was found by an acquaintance with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead at the scene. The victim’s injuries were determined to be suspicious in nature and not self-inflicted. Detectives are actively investigating the incident and are seeking to speak with anyone who has information to aid in the investigation. Preliminarily, this incident does not appear to be random. The identity of the deceased, a 43 year old male, will be released pending notifications of a next-of-kin. More information will be released as it becomes available. The investigation continues.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or submit a tip online at pwcva.gov/policetip.
From Potomac Mills mall
On Thursday, Oct. 31 children and families are encouraged to dress in their spookiest costumes to enjoy free candy and fun at Potomac Mills. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the mall will offer trick-or-treating at participating retailers, marked with a pumpkin sticker in their windows. Guests will also get to snap photos with Halloween characters roaming the mall and visit the photo station in Grand Court (near TJ Maxx) for more fun photo opportunities.
Town Manager Tangela Innis is thrilled to announce the hiring of Mr. Curtis M. Eatman as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With over a decade of public finance and leadership experience, Mr. Eatman has a proven track record of driving fiscal sustainability and operational improvements in local government.
Prior to joining Dumfries, Mr. Eatman served as the Finance Director for the Town of Hamden, CT, where he eradicated a $3M deficit and significantly improved the Town’s financial outlook. He also served as Finance Director for the Town of Bloomfield, CT, and held positions such as Principal Legislative Financial Analyst with the New York State Senate and Deputy Commissioner of Finance for the City of Schenectady, NY.
Update from Mayor Earnie Porta:
Join us Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. for our annual family-friendly Halloween Costume Parade and Contest. Meet at the Riverwalk Shops at 125 Mill Street, from which we will begin our parade down Mill Street to River Mill Park. At the park judging will take place for the categories of cutest, scariest, funniest, most original, and family/group. First place winners in each category will receive $25 gift certificates that can be used at select businesses in town. No advance registration is necessary, there is no fee to participate, and this event is open to everyone. (To accommodate the parade Mill Street will be closed briefly on a rolling basis between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m.). For more information go to the Visit Occoquan web site at https://www.visitoccoquanva.com/costumeparade. Hope that you can join us for this popular annual Occoquan event.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey, the district in which the station will reside, said this is of the utmost importance to the community.
“With Station 27, we’re bringing faster emergency response times, state-of-the-art equipment and a dedicated team of firefighters and first responders,” Bailey said. “… It’s an investment in our future and a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in making this vision a reality.”
Out of the Blue Seafood restaurant in Gainesville has closed its doors after seven years of serving the community. The restaurant announced its closure on its Facebook page on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Shortly after the announcement, the restaurant’s phone line was disconnected, and its Facebook page was removed.
Since opening in 2017, Out of the Blue has been a popular gathering place in Prince William County, hosting numerous community events, including several organized by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. The restaurant quickly became known for its fresh seafood and welcoming atmosphere, drawing in regulars and new patrons alike.
