Locals Only Archives - Page 140 of 183

Supervisors refuse to add ‘qualified immunity’ police protections to 2022 legislative agenda

Published November 18, 2021 at 12:42PM | Updated July 1, 2022 at 5:48PM

Prince William County Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson

A majority of Prince William County leaders voted against adding qualified immunity to its set of legislative priorities for 2022.

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Manassas reports clean election, disappointed with ‘souls to polls’ Sunday turnout

By Uriah Kiser

Published November 17, 2021 at 3:27PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:14AM

The Manassas Voter Registrar’s office wrapped up its 45-day election with a final presentation to the City Council.

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Stafford plans to sell surplus school site, use cash for future classroom construction

By Rick Horner

Published November 17, 2021 at 10:42AM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:15AM

A 181-acre parcel of land deemed unfit to build a school could soon belong to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.

County leaders plan to sell the land located at 135 Clift Farm Road in the Falmouth District. The parcel is listed at $1.3 million. However, according to county documents, that price does not reflect the current market value, making a reevaluation necessary.

According to the county's property records, the land cost was $4.8 million when the school board purchased the tract in 2006.

In their documentation, the county estimates that selling the property would provide funds to reduce future borrowing.

The county School Board purchased the Clift Farm property in December 2006 to build a high school. Over the years, the county's population has blossomed to more than 150,000 people, increasing the need for new school buildings.

According to county documents, due to a lack of infrastructure, including roads, water, and sewer, the property is inappropriate for the needs of a new school. The parcel is also located in the flight path for the Stafford County Regional Airport.

On November 16, the county Board of Supervisors asked the School Board to convey the parcel to the to the county government, after the School Board has decided to deem the land as surplus. According to county documents, the plan uses the money from the parcel's sale to provide revenue for future school construction.

The School Board has yet to convey the land to the supervisors.

The Stafford County School Board has long acknowledged the need for new schools to deal with the growing student population. The school board is currently moving forward with plans to build the county's sixth high school with a $150 million price tag, according to School Board documents from earlier this year.

The school will be located in the county's Hartwood District and will open by Spring 2025.

Information from the county also acknowledges the need for more schools at every level. This includes a new middle school, two new elementary schools, a seventh high school, and an early childhood education center, estimated to cost $200 million.

The county's seventh high school is projected to be part of the major projects listed in the school board's Fiscal Year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Projects request. The school does not have an estimated price tag.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the Stafford School Board conveyed the property to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, and that the property is listed on the Real Estate market.

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Metro extension to cost $30 billion, siphon $100 million from annual county budget to maintain, study shows

By Uriah Kiser

Published November 17, 2021 at 7:00AM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:15AM

A study that examined bringing extending Metro south from Springfield to Quantico is entering its final phase.

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More than 600 trees planted part of new “Chatham Forest” near Falmouth

By Rick Horner

Published November 16, 2021 at 4:43PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:15AM

The Virginia Department of Transportation joined with other organizations to plant hundreds of trees in the Chatham Heights area of Falmouth.

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Stafford government employees to get extended Thanksgiving break

By Potomac Local News

Published November 16, 2021 at 4:35PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:16AM

Stafford County Government employees will get a full day off for Thanksgiving, the county’s Board of Supervisors decided today.

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CRT questions dismissed during town hall at Prince William County schools headquarters

By Uriah Kiser

Published November 16, 2021 at 3:41PM | Updated August 13, 2024 at 6:29PM

Multiple attendees of a town hall meeting at the Prince William County Public Schools headquarters with questions about Critical Race Theory were turned away on Monday, November 15, 2021. [Photo: Uriah Kiser]

Residents hoping to ask questions about Critical Race Theory and its possible application in the classroom left disappointed Monday night.

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Business

Barnes and Noble to open first Woodbridge location in January

By Rick Horner

Published November 16, 2021 at 12:00PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:16AM

Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, located between Dale and Opitz boulevards in Woodbridge.

Barnes & Noble will open its first location in Woodbridge in January.

The new store will be located at Stonebridge in Potomac Town Center. It will be the New York City-based bookseller's second location in Prince William County.

"We made an extensive study of the local demographics and like the other tenants the center offers - we have been looking for some time in that market and were thrilled to find the right space," said company spokeswoman Amelia Mulinder.

According to Mulinder, the new store will be 11,000 square feet and have all the amenities that have come to be expected from the chain. This includes sales of books, movies, records, and an in-store cafe. The store is expected to hire more than 20 employees.

Barnes & Noble has seen growth over the last few years. The bookseller chain has opened eight new stores across the country in 2021 and plans to open several more in 2022. The new Woodbridge store would be among those recent locations.

According to Mulinder, Barnes & Noble has been experiencing double-digit sales growth this year compared to 2019. Physical book sales have been increasing industry-wide, which has been encouraging to the bookseller chain.

Over the last few years, sales in physical media have been on the rise. This has run contrary to beliefs that the disappearance of physical media would be imminent with the rise of digital media. However, sales numbers have been showing an increased interest in physical media before the coronavirus pandemic. This has translated not just in sales of books but in other media as well.

A September 2020 report by the Recording Industry Association of America found that vinyl records had outsold CDs in the first half of 2020. This is the first time that vinyl records had outsold any other physical music media since the 1980s.

"Our customers love the experience of visiting a bookstore to speak with actual booksellers - something that is not achieved with algorithms - browse and discover their next great read," says Mulinder.

Stonebridge in Potomac Town Center is located at 15101 Potomac Town Place in Woodbridge. The shopping center is anchored by Wegmans grocery store and features several restaurants, specialty stores, and a brewery.

Barnes and Noble also operate a location near Manassas, at 8117 Sudley Road.

Big-box booksellers are no stranger to Woodbridge. 2nd and Charles operates a store at 2904 Prince William Parkway, which opened as Borders books store in the 1990s.