Lillie Jessie will sit on the Prince William County School Board for a final time on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
Jessie did not seek reelection. Her husband, R.M. Jessie, Jr., will replace her after the candidate, endorsed by Democrats, beat GOP-endorsed Ryan Wilson Kirkpatrick by seven points during the General Election on November 7, 2023.
This article is exclusively for our Locals Only members. Please Sign In or upgrade to become a Locals Only Member today!
Your support helps us continue delivering more in-depth community news that matters to you. Thank you.
Prince William County Public Schools: “PWCS celebrates seniors Fernando Cedeño from Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School and Nia Epperson from Patriot High School for earning perfect scores on a college-level Advanced Placement® (AP®) exam in May 2023. Fernando was one of only 247 (0.14%), and Nia was one of only 459 (0.28%) of students in the world to earn every point possible on the AP® Spanish Language and Culture and AP® Computer Science Principles (APCSP) exam, respectively.”
Prince William police: “Sexual Assault Investigation on School Grounds – On October 18, detectives began an investigation into a sexual assault that was reported to have occurred at Gar-Field Senior High School located at 14000 Smoketown Rd. in Woodbridge (22193) earlier that day. The investigation revealed the victim, a female student who is under the age of 18, and another student, identified as the accused, were in a restroom together when the accused sexually assaulted the victim.
“The parties eventually separated, and the victim reported the incident to a family member who contacted the police. On November 27, following the investigation, the accused, identified as Lamine MELLOUK, was charged.”
Charged on November 27: [No Photo Available]
- Lamine MELLOUK, 18, of 11583 Overleigh Dr. in Woodbridge
- Charged with misdemeanor sexual battery
- Court Date: Pending | Status: Released on a Court Summons
"The Best Places to Work in IT list is an annual ranking of the top work environments for technology professionals by Foundry's Computerworld."
"The list is compiled based on a questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, career development, DEI, future of work, training and retention. In addition, the rankings are reviewed and vetted by a panel of industry experts."
This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.
Prince William County Public Schools Ombudsman Monique Bookstein delivered her annual report to the School Board of the yearly report of the 2022-2023 school year. Bookstein says this year's total number of visitors was 298, a 54% increase from the prior school year.
Bookstein said the increase could have been because parents, staff, and community members feel they don’t have the means to communicate their issues properly. The organization allows visitors to voice their concerns non-biasedly and seek help in confidentiality.
Bookstein described how she works with her clients. First, there is an initial conversation between the visitor and Bookstein, and the roles are clarified on what Bookstein can and cannot do. Bookstein will then work with the visitor to understand the situation, analyze it, explore options, and discuss next steps.
This article is exclusively for our Locals Only members. Please Sign In or upgrade to become a Locals Only Member today!
Your support helps us continue delivering more in-depth community news that matters to you. Thank you.
Manassas School Board member Sara Brescia: “Manassas City, Manassas Park, Prince William County, and the Manassas Regional Airport are currently working out details to launch an Aviation Academy that will add new CTE pathways for students to pursue career training in aviation. By 2028, students will be able to study Flight Operations, Aviation Mechanics, or Aerospace Engineering, with junior and senior year coursework taking place at the Manassas Regional Airport itself.”
“Given the staffing shortages in aviation, many local, state, and national aviation companies are eager to sponsor programs such as these, and so the Board has been optimistically–but cautiously–informed that the private grants and sponsorship landscape looks promising for this program.”
“It is an exciting opportunity that utilizes one of the City’s main assets, and I will be excited to watch this program take off! (Get it?)”
Prince William police: “Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds – On November 18 at 5:32PM, officers assigned to an off-duty security detail for a non-school related football game on the grounds of Potomac High School, 3401 Panther Pride Dr. in Dumfries (22026), were notified of a man in possession of firearm. The investigation revealed while event security personnel were checking bags at the entrance of the football stadium, they located a firearm in the bag of a man, identified as the accused, and refused to let him enter the stadium area.”
“Event security then notified police who observed the accused get into a vehicle and being to leave the parking lot. Officers conducted a vehicle stop on Panther Pride Dr. where officers observed a firearm inside the vehicle and the accused was detained without incident. While investigating the incident, officers located two additional firearms inside the vehicle. Officers determined at no point were any of the firearms brandished or used to threaten anyone on the school grounds. Following the investigation, the accused, identified as Albert Trayvon SMITH, was arrested.”
Arrested on November 18:
Albert Trayvon SMITH, 29, of 1309 Glyndon Dr. in Virginia Beach Charged with 3 counts of possession of a weapon on school grounds and 1 count of carrying a concealed weapon Court Date: Pending | Bond: Held WITHOUT Bond
Prince William County Public Schools: “In a new program created by the Town of Haymarket, 13 Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) middle school students participated in the Haymarket Youth in Government Program, giving them an up-close learning experience in government operations that exposed them to career opportunities and workplace skills.”
The following PWCS middle school students participated in the Haymarket Youth in Government Program:
Bull Run Middle School:
- Addison Minor, eighth grade
Gainesville Middle School:
- Audrey Brewster, eighth grade
- Adara Kryway, eighth grade
- Anushka Misra, seventh grade
Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School:
- Rhea Bhat, eighth grade
- Ivy Chapin, sixth grade
- Emmajin Choi, sixth grade
- Samir Haq, eighth grade
- Sofia Libaak, seventh grade student
- Charlotte Maguire, sixth grade
- Ria Patel, sixth grade
- Braylan Stewart, seventh grade
- Taylor Warnke, eighth grade
“Participants had the chance to work alongside town officials and be part of a governing body that impacts decisions for their community. With their peers and members of the town’s staff and council members, the group’s assignment was to review the results of a survey for Haymarket residents on the best use of park space for their community.”
“Students took on assigned roles in the governing body, such as mayor, police chief, or town treasurer. They researched proposed options, built a case for their choice, and experienced the process of work sessions and council meetings, even sitting on the dais to discuss and present.”
“Based on the success of this year, Haymarket officials hope to grow the program by opening additional age-appropriate opportunities in future.”
Prince William County Public Schools: "There is no school for students on Wednesday, November 22. All PWCS schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24 in observance of Thanksgiving."
Stafford County Public Schools: "Thanksgiving Break begins on Wednesday, November 22. If you or someone you know might be experiencing food insecurity over break, please visit our website at http://staffordschools.net to access a list of local food assistance organizations in Stafford County."
