Prince William
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Tourism Spending in Virginia Hits Record $35 Billion; Prince William Sees More Out-of-State Visitors
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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Virginia welcomed more visitors and more tourism dollars in 2024 than ever before, generating a record $35.1 billion in spending, Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia Tourism Corporation announced this week. That’s up 5.4% from $33.3 billion in 2023 and marked the first time overnight visitation surpassed pre-pandemic levels. More than one million additional overnight visitors came to the Commonwealth in 2024 — a total of 44.7 million people.
Statewide, travelers spent an average of $96 million per day, up from $91 million the year before. Tourism supported more than 229,000 jobs in 2024, nearly 5,000 more than in 2023, and generated $2.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. Officials say that amounts to $990 in annual savings for each Virginia household.
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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving has ruled in favor of Oak Valley residents challenging the rezoning for the PW Digital Gateway, a proposed 22-million-square-foot data center complex near Manassas. According to InsideNova.com, Irving found the county failed to properly advertise public hearings on the project, effectively voiding the rezoning approval, though an appeal is expected.
The lawsuit, filed by 12 Oak Valley homeowners, named the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and developers H&H Capital Acquisitions and GW Acquisition Co. as defendants. The plaintiffs argued that the county’s hearing notices in the Washington Post did not comply with state or county requirements and that relevant application materials were not available to the public when the first ad ran.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – International opera and musical theater performer Kelly Glyptis is returning to her roots this month, starring as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.
Glyptis, who grew up in Manassas and graduated from what was then Stonewall Jackson Senior High School—now Unity-Reed High School—called the opportunity to perform back home “really special.” She previously toured with The Sound of Music in 2018 and now steps fully into the role for a limited run that begins August 20 and continues through October 26. Glyptis is scheduled to perform through October 6.
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A man died early Tuesday morning after crashing his motorcycle in Dale City. Police say 56-year-old Gary Virgil Teman was riding a 2016 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide east on Dale Boulevard just after 1:40 a.m. when he failed to make a curve near Greenwood Drive and veered off the road, striking a parked vehicle.
Teman was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later determined he did not have a motorcycle endorsement. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them.
GAINESVILLE, Va. – The race to replace the late Bob Weir on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors just got more crowded. George T. Stewart, a Navy veteran and longtime community advocate, has officially entered the Gainesville District special election—and he’s joining the Democratic caucus.
Stewart, who lives in Gainesville, says he’s running to fight “unchecked” data center growth, support affordable housing, and preserve the area’s quality of life. With a background in finance and civic leadership—including work with Dominion Valley’s board and Democratic campaigns—he says it’s time for leadership that “puts people before profits.”
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MANASSAS, Va. – Northern Virginia could face more than 400 hours of power outages a year by 2030, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy, raising alarms about the region’s ability to keep up with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and data centers.
The report, released in July, highlights a significant imbalance: while demand from AI infrastructure and data centers is expected to surge by 50 gigawatts nationally, the U.S. is retiring 104 gigawatts of firm generation—like natural gas and coal plants—with only 22 gigawatts of firm replacement power planned. The gap puts pressure on the electric grid and raises the risk of prolonged outages across the country.