Two Northern Virginia nonprofits — Northern Virginia Food Rescue (NOVA-FR) in Manassas and Fauquier FISH in Warrenton — received a massive food delivery earlier this month to support local families facing hunger. Each organization was given 18,000 pounds of food and pantry staples on December 11 as part of a national initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The donation marks the first in the Washington, D.C. area from the Church’s America250 campaign, which pledges to donate 250 semi-trucks of food to food pantries across the U.S. by the end of 2026. Items included peanut butter, pancake mix, canned vegetables, pasta and more.


Beginning Jan. 5, 2026, Prince William County Police Department radios will switch to encrypted transmissions, preventing residents, media outlets, and scanner apps from monitoring police activity in real time.

Police officials say the move reflects national public safety standards and is designed to protect sensitive information routinely transmitted during calls for service.


“Prince William County is an amazing place to work and live, but it faces a significant shortage of flex/tech buildings, limiting its ability to attract and retain growing companies, which fuel job creation, diversify the tax base, and bolster the regional economy,” St. John Properties said.

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A Gen Z–focused marketing campaign created by Prince William Public Libraries has earned national recognition from the Urban Libraries Council, which named the system a Top Innovator for 2025 in the Advocacy and Awareness category.

The award recognizes the campaign, titled “Finding a Way to Slay Among Gen Z,” which originated at Bull Run Library and featured branch manager Gregg Grunow delivering a script written by a teen volunteer using Gen Z slang to promote library services.


The project, which is slated to have 1,058 units along more than 1,100 acres, has caused significant resident pushback. The developments are in the rural areas of western Prince William County, near the Prince William Gold Club, the Alderwood Fields, Patriot High School and Burnside Farms.

According to the staff reports, there would be a total of 855 single-family detached homes and 136 townhouses across the three properties. The developer planned to have 712 acres dedicated to open space with 10 miles of trails nestled within the development. There would also be transportation improvements along Vint Hill Road to accommodate the large development.


The Prince William County Planning Commission approved four developments across the county at its Dec. 10 meeting, the last of 2025.

The Commission unanimously approved of three developments, while approving of another in a 7-1 vote. Here are details on some of the final votes of the Commission’s 2025 term:


Prince William County real estate agent and U.S. Navy veteran Vendall Robinson has been named the Republican nominee for the January 13, 2026, special election to fill the open seat in Virginia’s 23rd District House of Delegates.

Republican leaders in the 23rd District, encompassing portions of Prince William and Stafford counties, said discussions among party officials and potential candidates had reached a consensus on Robinson, citing her professional background and prior experience as a candidate. With a short window between the vacancy and the special election, party leaders said it was critical to move quickly to unify behind a nominee.


“More than 87,000 winning Powerball tickets were sold in Virginia for the Wednesday, December 17, drawing,” Virginia Lottery reported. “Five tickets in Virginia each won a $50,000 prize in that drawing.”

Since no ticket in Virginia or anywhere matched all six numbers in the December 17 Powerball drawing, the jackpot for the upcoming Saturday, December 20, drawing is now an estimated $1.5 billion. Virginia Lottery reported that winners came from locations including Smoketown Shell, 15550 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge; Tiger Market and Bakery, 3903 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria; and Safeway, 3043 Nutley Street, Fairfax. Virginia Lottery


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A suspect was arrested in connection with a sex trafficking case at the Springhill Suites in Woodbridge. The investigation revealed that a 39-year-old woman was being trafficked by the accused, a 42-year-old man from Hampton. The arrest was made by the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force.

In another incident, a 32-year-old man from Manassas was arrested for a commercial burglary at the Taste of India restaurant in Gainesville. The burglary occurred on April 20, and the suspect was apprehended on December 15.


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