Updated: One of the victims involved in the initial stabbing altercation with the suspect has died. All parties involved in the incident were adult males. The surviving victim remains hospitalized in critical condition. A knife was recovered at the scene. The identities of the deceased will be released pending notifications of their next-of-kin, police said.

Original post: Prince William County Police responded to a reported stabbing incident at an apprenticeship training center on Infantry Ridge Road, near Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus, on February 13 at 3:23 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers encountered an individual armed with a knife near the entrance. Multiple officers discharged their firearms, resulting in the suspect being pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.

Two individuals with stab wounds were found and provided with initial medical aid before being transported to nearby hospitals. Their current conditions remain undisclosed. No further victims were discovered, and the situation is under control with no ongoing threat to the community, police said

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting has been handed over to the regional Critical Incident Response Team at the request of Prince William police Chief Peter Newsham, ensuring an independent review of the incident.

An IBEW electrical training center is in the area. However, police have not confirmed it is where the shooting took place.

The shooting is the latest in a violent week in Prince William County, where an 18-year-old was carjacked at gunpoint near Potomac Mills mall.

More as we have it.

Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus: “The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) offers a range of classes, discussion groups, a book club, weekly lunch bunch, monthly game sessions, and other social and educational events.”

“LLI is a non-profit, member-run organization founded in 2003. Our purpose is to provide a wide variety of affordable, informative, and fun educational and social opportunities in a friendly atmosphere for adults ages 50 and over.”

“The January-May session includes over 45 different activities to choose from. We are affiliated with the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Two semester programs are offered each year during the spring and fall.”

“Membership is $75 a semester or $125 per year. Members may register for and attend as many classes as desired.”

“Classes are held in the Manassas area at local churches, a community mosque, the Hylton Performing Arts Center, County libraries and buildings, the Manassas Park Recreation Center, and the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College.”

“Take a look some of our past programs and preview our upcoming programs that begin in January 2024. Visit our website, or send us an email for more information. Registration for the Spring 2024 programs begins Monday, January 15, 2024.”

The Center Square: “Tuition is increasing at Virginia community colleges for the first time in five years due to a unanimous decision from the State Board of Community Colleges.”

“Virginia’s 23 community colleges are increasing their tuition by $4.61 per credit hour, about 3% of the previous in-state tuition rate. For most of them, tuition will be $158.61 per credit hour for the 2023-24 school year or $2,379.15 for a 15-credit-hour semester. Other mandatory fees will vary, depending on the college.”

“Eight of the colleges decided not to modify their tuition differential rates. Though the tuition increase is the same for those schools, the total tuition rate is not, and their tuition rates will be posted on their websites.”

On Saturdays, OmniRide will expand its local bus and transit services in western Prince William County.

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Press release: “The City of Manassas and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) have launched an innovative program to address career readiness and workforce development: Grow Manassas. Grow Manassas is a unique collaboration between local government and higher education to provide free technical training
and professional certifications to residents. The program offers career training and college coursework free of charge to Manassas residents in partnership with NOVA’s Workforce, Fast-Forward, and Applied Technology programs.”

“Our innovative program raises awareness about the advantages of skills training and eliminates cost as a barrier to getting it,” said Patrick Small, Economic Development Director for the City of Manassas. “We have high-tech, high-wage jobs open with world-class employers in our community that don’t require college degrees,” he added. “We want our residents to get our jobs and are investing local resources to make that happen.”

Daniel Mendoza, a 17-year-old Osbourn High School senior and resident of the East End Mobile Home Park, has received a $1,000 scholarship from the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association (VMMHA).

The award was presented by CFH Executive Director George Davies, whose Dumfries, Va.-based nonprofit took ownership of East End in 2018 and continues to upgrade and add events and programs at the Centreville Road park.

The scholarship provides Daniel with $500 each fall and spring semester to attend Northern Virginia Community College, where he plans to pursue nursing.

In addition to the VMMHA award, Daniel was also awarded a $1000 Jennie Dean CTE Vocational Scholarship from the Rotary Club of Manassas.

A resident of East End Mobile Home Park for the past nine years, Daniel will be the first person in his family to attend college. He was introduced to nursing as a career as part of the Nursing Assistant Program at Osbourn High School.

“I decided after I installed myself into the program at Osbourn that I really enjoyed the course, and I wanted to further my scope of practice by becoming a registered nurse,” he said.

In 2018, CFH and its partners stepped in to purchase the East End Mobile Home Park in Manassas, stopping its pending condemnation due to ongoing water and sewer issues. In the years since CFH was purchased, progress and improvements have continued, and the community is thriving.

Ongoing physical upgrades include roadwork and paving, lighting, a new resource center with a playground and outdoor learning center, and a new storage facility. CFH continues to expand educational, social, and recreational programs for East End residents.

Based in Dumfries, Va., CFH has worked for more than four decades to help individuals and families along a path of self-sufficiency, providing assistance to individuals and families all along the continuum of housing needs. More about CFH can be found at cfhva.org.

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch

(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Virginia education leaders and Google executives in announcing a new cybersecurity training program with Northern Virginia Community College.

The announcement was made at an event Thursday at the NOVA campus in Alexandria. The new program will offer a Google Career Certificate in cybersecurity, which is proponents say is an emerging technical field.

Google cybersecurity experts designed the program to help job-seekers and employers help fill critical roles, and provide well-paying jobs.

Supporters of the program say the certification can be completed online, part-time, in less than six months. Potential students can access the new certification program through VA Ready, which is a program to help reskill Virginians to fill in-demand positions.

Youngkin touted the program for offering career certifications free for community colleges, which helps serve as an incentive for students considering the cybersecurity field.

“Google provides its Career Certificates for free to community colleges, which creates a gateway to opportunity for those seeking careers in one of Virginia’s fastest-growing fields,” Youngkin said. “We recognize how critical a strong and prepared cybersecurity workforce is to the safety of our Nation and are committed to fostering the next generation of tech talent in Virginia.”

The program is aimed at helping to prepare people for entry-level positions, teaching students how to identify cybersecurity risks and protect networks and devices from cyberattacks. The training will include familiarizing with several different security programs.

Youngkin praised Google and NOVA for helping Virginia spearhead the effort as leaders in the country for cybersecurity.

“It is exciting that Northern Virginia Community College is partnering with global pioneers like Google to establish the commonwealth as the nation’s leader in cybersecurity,” said Youngkin during his visit.

NOVA President Anne M. Kress thanked Google for their partnership and emphasized the importance of expanding opportunities for students interested in the technology sector.

“We are so very proud and grateful to partner with Google to offer our students an exciting new pathway to in-demand credentials,” said Kress. “Since 2019, this innovative public-private partnership has increased opportunities for students to join the technology workforce. We thank the Commonwealth of Virginia for recognizing this accelerated pathway that helps close the skills gap and greatly expands the region’s talent pool.”

The tech company began the Google Career Certificates program in 2018; since then, over 150,000 people have graduated. Google reports that within six months of graduating, 75% of the graduates claim the program has positively impacted their careers.

The company cited the increased need to fill roles in cybersecurity as cyber-attacks are on the rise, targeting “critical infrastructures such as governments, hospitals, electrical grids, schools and businesses,” leaving them vulnerable to attacks. According to CyberSeek, there are more than 750,000 open cybersecurity positions in the country. The group says there are over 60,000 positions available in Virginia.

Google executive Phil Venables, the chief information security officer for Google Cloud, underscored the need to assess cybersecurity risks and fill the talent gap.

“Google has long worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise. However, to address ever-evolving risks, organizations and the workforce alike must shift their way of thinking about the cybersecurity skills gap,” Venables said. “Our cybersecurity certificate is the latest example of how Google is helping to develop the next generation of the cybersecurity workforce.”

The tech company announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this year to pilot a program for transitioning military members and spouses to offer career assistance. The program provides no-cost Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Certification for several Virginia bases.

Youngkin applauded the partnership for providing opportunities for Virginians to pursue in-demand, well-paying jobs.

“This public private partnership is forging new pathways to rich, fulfilling careers while also building a strong cybersecurity workforce,” Youngkin said. “This is a real life example of how we are preparing students in the commonwealth with industry recognized credentials for high-paying, in-demand jobs no matter their life’s circumstance.”

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is excited to announce the appointment of William “Jake” Jacoby as the new chief of police.

Jacoby has served as the college’s assistant chief of police for ten years. Following a nationwide search, Jacoby was named to succeed Chief Dan Dusseau, who retired in May 2022.

Jacoby has nearly four decades of police experience in Northern Virginia. He is familiar with the region’s police forces, especially in the leading four jurisdictions where NOVA’s campuses are located.

“The safety of our college community is of critical importance at NOVA,” said John Ferrari, (USA, ret.) NOVA’s new vice president of finance and administration. “With his extensive police background, Jake will ensure that the public safety of the College remains the top priority and that our students, faculty and staff are in the best of hands. Our award-winning police force is proud to continue to serve.”

Before coming to NOVA in 2012, Jacoby retired from the Fairfax County Police Department. While in Fairfax, he served in various senior operational roles. He also served as an assistant station commander, supervising approximately 125 officers and numerous civilians.

Jacoby’s selection followed a rigorous national search with over 50 candidates applying from major urban and rural areas, other colleges and universities, the FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies.

“NOVA Police is one of the country’s premier college police departments. I intend to enhance the culture of safety established by Dan Dusseau,” said Jacoby. “We will continue to emphasize the professional development and approachability of our police force, and our community outreach efforts to keep our operations transparent and to empower NOVA community members with the information they need to keep them safe, both on and off campus.”

Jacoby likes to travel, play golf, and catch up with NOVA students on the campuses in his spare time.

Two Northern Virginia Community College Campuses in Prince William County will be renovated.

At the college’s Woodbridge campus, renovations will begin on the Seefeldt Building, a 144,000-square-foot center that opened in 1972 and has served as the campus’s central building, housing administration, classrooms, counseling services, and theater.

Work on the $54 million renovation will begin this semester as faculty and staff begin to pack up and relocate to temporary space on campus. Later this year, crews will begin the work that will take between 18 and 24 months to complete.

Contractors will relocate the building’s front entrance to face College Drive, the main thoroughfare, and concentrate all of the student services offices — counseling, financial aid, parking permits — in one place.

Biology labs will be upgraded, as will the Lakeside Theater, which fronts the small body of water on the campus, giving it more space for more significant performances.

The college delayed the renovation, which had been planned since before the pandemic. In 2013, the college opened a second academic building which had been planned when the college opened 50 years ago.

In 2016, the college opened a $29 million workforce education center to tailor to help train students to fill IT, healthcare, and construction jobs. Last year, officials announced a plan to build a $5.1 million lab on campus to train students to work in the ever-expanding data center field in the region.

On January 6, 2023, Woodbridge Campus Provost Dr. Richmond Hill spoke to us about the renovation after assuming the top administrator role last year.

“One of the things that I would like for the community to know about Nova and about the Woodbridge campus is that we are here to serve students, and our eyes and our ears are open. And if there is a need that we’re not meeting, we’re open to hearing what those needs are.

I want us, as a college and as a campus, to become student ready. And when I say that, that means that today’s student looks different than the student of five, six, seven years ago. And so while we expect students when they come to college to make some adjustments and to make some changes, we also, as an institution, have to make changes as it relates to our teaching and learning.

As it relates to the services that we offer, the resources that we offer, the hours in which we keep our offices open, the services that we offer virtually, things of that nature. And so I want the community to know that we’re listening and that we want to make sure that students have a top notch experience.

It’s not just about getting them here on the campus and in the door. It’s about making sure that they have a top notch learning experience and that they reach their goal.”

The college’s Manassas Campus, about six miles west of the city, will also see renovations to two of its original buildings that opened in the early 1970s. The renovation will encompass 120,000 square feet in two of the six buildings on campus.

A renovated library, chemistry labs, a new trade center that will train students to work on electric vehicles, and diesel generators for hospitals and data centers will come as part of the renovation.

“The [trade center] will change according to the region’s workforce needs,” said Manassas Campus Provost Dr. Molly Lynch during a Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

Prince William County is the only jurisdiction in which the college operates two regular traditional campuses. The college’s first campus at Annandale is in Fairfax County, as is the specialty medical education campus in Springfield.

Northern Virginia Community College is the largest institution of higher learning in Virginia by enrollment. A third of all students enrolled in Virginia Community Colleges attend the college.