Stafford

Stafford Names New Hartwood High School, Set to Open in 2026

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. — Stafford County’s newest high school now has a name, mascot, and colors. The School Board voted this week to name the county’s sixth high school Hartwood High School, with the Stallion as its mascot and black, silver, and gold as its colors.

Hartwood High is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026. Construction is already underway, designed to add classroom space and modern facilities for academics, athletics, arts, and career training. The school is being built to ease crowding and serve Stafford’s fast-growing population.

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Stafford Considers Tougher Rules for Data Centers Amid Growth Concerns

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD COUNTY — Stafford County leaders are weighing whether to impose stricter rules on data centers, as residents and advocacy groups warn the industry’s rapid expansion is already too close to neighborhoods, schools, and sensitive environmental areas.

On Tuesday, August 26, the Board of Supervisors held a meeting to review proposed updates to the county’s zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan. The changes come just two years after Stafford first adopted rules regulating the booming industry.

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Stafford Supervisors To Debate New Data Center Rules Today

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD  Va. — Stafford supervisors will meet today to decide how far the county should go in tightening rules for data centers, after weeks of public outcry and sharp division on the board.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a 5 p.m. work session focused exclusively on data centers. The discussion follows an overflow hearing earlier this month where residents warned of health and environmental threats from the projects, while supervisors split over how strict to make new rules.

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Stafford Supervisors Delay Vote on Data Center Rules After Heated Hearing

By Uriah Kiser

An overflow crowd packed the Board of Supervisors chambers Tuesday night, urging elected officials to adopt stricter rules for data centers. After hours of emotional testimony and sharp debate among supervisors, the board voted to delay a decision and will hold a work session next week before advertising new regulations.

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Hallucinating Highway Assault and Chick-Fil-A Hit-and-Run Top Stafford Sheriff’s Report

By Uriah Kiser

A Richmond man hallucinating on Interstate 95 bit a deputy after running into traffic late Friday night, police said. The suspect, 30-year-old Adrian Chiodo, admitted to taking multiple drugs and mistook a deputy for someone wearing “a rubber deer mask,” they add. He was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Public Intoxication, and several other offenses and held on a $5,000 bond.

Also this past weekend, a woman rear-ended a car multiple times in the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru and later turned herself in. She’s now charged with Hit and Run and Assault and Battery.

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“Drool in the Pool” Returns for a Doggone Good Time in Stafford

By Uriah Kiser
English Bulldog, Max, took a dip in Veterans Memorial Park’s swimming pool during summer 2011. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

STAFFORD, Va. – If your pup loves the water, mark your calendar—Drool in the Pool is back for two days of splashy fun in Stafford County.

The folks at Stafford Parks just told Potomac Local News they’re opening the pools to dogs (and their humans) on Saturday and Sunday, September 6–7. Bring your furry friend, a towel, and a swimsuit for a morning of canine cannonballs and belly flops.

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How Should Residents Dispose of Lithium Batteries? Fire Departments Have the Answer

By Caitlyn Meisner
[Courtesy of the Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board]

Disposing of lithium-ion batteries is not an uncommon experience, as they’re found in smartphones, laptops, tablets, e-bikes, electronic vehicles and more devices by the day.

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Lockdown Lifted at Two Stafford Schools After Suspicious Person Report

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. – Two Stafford schools were briefly placed on lockdown Monday afternoon after a report of a suspicious person on Parkway Boulevard.

According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the area and secured both Park Ridge Elementary School and North Stafford High School, which together serve nearly 3,000 students, “out of an abundance of caution.” Park Ridge Elementary enrolls about 910 students, while North Stafford High School has about 1,995 students.

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Meth Arrest, Drunk Drivers Top Stafford Police Blotter

By Uriah Kiser

A man wanted for a hit and run in Stafford was arrested at the McDonald’s on Ferry Road after a traffic stop revealed he had meth, a suspended license, and a fake registration. Deputies served his warrant and charged him with drug possession and multiple traffic violations. He’s being held without bond.

In a separate incident, a driver ran a red light at Garrisonville and Onville roads and was found to be intoxicated with a suspended license. He admitted to drinking wine and failed sobriety tests, leading to DUI and traffic charges.

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