DUMFRIES, Va. – The folks at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington just told Potomac Local News they’ve teamed up with Amazon and KABOOM! to open a brand-new playspace and sport court at the General Heiser Boys & Girls Club—and it’s already making a big splash in the community.
More than 100 volunteers pitched in last Friday, September 12, to build the playground, which will serve about 500 local kids each year. What’s extra special? Ideas from local children shaped the design.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Prince William County leaders are facing mounting pressure to address noise generated by data centers, as residents—many from the Great Oak subdivision—delivered passionate testimony during the Board of County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, June 10.
The board’s discussion centered on a long-delayed draft noise ordinance aimed at controlling the low-frequency hum emitted by industrial cooling systems at massive data facilities, including nearby Amazon Web Services (AWS) sites.
A proposal to build three new Amazon data centers along Ashton Avenue near the Manassas Mall was shelved indefinitely ahead of the Oct. 22 Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting during which it was scheduled to be discussed.
Amazon Web Services has signed three new agreements to develop nuclear power projects for energizing its massive data centers, including one with Virginia’s Dominion Energy.
Land on Va. 234 formerly owned by Parsons Farm landscaping outlet, which is now closed, was recently sold to Amazon Web Services for $218 million.
The Stafford County Utilities Department will provide the Board of Supervisors with an update on the county’s water reuse system project at a special work session on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. The project is linked to the construction of an Amazon data center on Old Potomac Church Road, near Stafford Hospital, part of the Potomac Church Tech Center zoning amendment.
Amazon Data Services (AWS) agreed to construct a reclaimed water facility at the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Plant. This facility will support the cooling needs of data centers in areas north of Centreport Parkway. AWS has committed to limiting the occupancy of the second building at the data center until the reuse system is operational, with a scheduled delivery date in the second quarter of 2027. The first building will use potable water until the reuse system is complete.
The announcement of the AWS InCommunities Funds coincided with a recent event celebrating AWS’s $35 billion investment in new data centers across the four counties. The event was attended by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System Dr. David Dore, Germanna Community College President Dr. Janet Gullickson, and various state and local officials.
Shannon Kellogg, AWS’s VP of Public Policy for the Americas, emphasized its commitment to supporting local initiatives alongside its economic investments. The community funds, part of a broader series of outreach programs, aim to empower communities through skills development and support for local causes.
Press Release: “AWS Girls’ Tech Day kicked-off its series of events on September 30, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Prince William County.”
“This year, Girls’ Tech Day in Virginia broke prior year event attendance records – bringing together more than 600 middle school girls to inspire in them an interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).”
