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Organized by the Rappahannock Community Coalition, the “Snowmen Against Data Centers” rally took place just one day after nearly 10 inches of snow blanketed the region. The snowmen were erected on the Mary Washington University Campus, City Hall, and a house off Harrell Road in Stafford County.
The protest comes on the same day of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission meeting, where commissioners took up a proposal to endorse a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, a Zoning Map Amendment applying the Technology Overlay District, and a Zoning Proffer Amendment — which would clear the way to build the city’s first data center. The city council announced it would pursue the data center on an “accelerated” timeline in December but has yet to disclose which firm would develop the project.
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Fredericksburg’s Riverside Center for the Performing Arts has welcomed a new force in its kitchen: Chef Stefan Boutchyard. With a rich culinary background spanning Fredericksburg, Culpeper, and high-profile catering events—including the inauguration of President Donald Trump—Boutchyard is breathing new life into the dinner theater’s menu.
A Culinary Journey to Riverside
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Updated 8 a.m. Wednesday, February 5 – As another major snowstorm blankets Stafford County with over six inches of snow on February 11, 2025, local officials are grappling with Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) depleted snow removal budget, which was exhausted by a previous winter storm on January 5–6.
During a Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting on February 6, 2025, VDOT Residency Administrator Kyle Bates delivered a stark warning about the agency’s financial limitations.
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Updated 10:30 p.m. – Local restaurant owners are voicing strong opposition to Prince William County’s meals tax, which is set to generate $42 million in Fiscal Year 2025—an increase of $10 million, or 31.25%, from the previous year.
Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair At-large Deshundra Jefferson has signaled the meals tax will be discussed during the annual budget process this spring. “It would like to see a partial repeal of the meals tax, but it truly depends on our proposed budget for the next fiscal year,” Jefferson told Potomac Local News.
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Manassas is considering a significant tax incentive to support Micron Technology Inc.’s planned expansion, which includes a $2 billion capital investment in its semiconductor manufacturing facility. The proposal, set to be discussed at the Manassas City Council meeting on Monday, February 10, 2025, would extend Micron’s favorable tax classification for semiconductor equipment through 2035.
The expansion comes as Micron is slated to receive $275 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act, a federal initiative to boost domestic semiconductor production. The funding will help Micron modernize and expand its Manassas facility, particularly by onshoring its 1-alpha DRAM technology, which improves memory chip performance and power efficiency. The project is expected to create over 400 direct manufacturing jobs and up to 2,700 indirect jobs at its peak.
Updated – The National Weather Service (NWS) Baltimore-Washington office has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the region, warning of heavy snowfall and hazardous travel conditions from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.
Snowfall Forecast & Timing
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The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has appointed Dr. Janet L. S. Brown-Page to the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board of Trustees as the citizen representative for Stafford County. She replaces Mary Becelia, who was removed from the board in 2024.
Brown-Page brings experience in human and community relations, having served as a senior manager at the director level within the federal government. She is the President and CEO of JB Associates Enterprise International, LLC, providing mediation, individual and family coaching, and court-ordered co-parenting classes. Additionally, she is a Virginia Supreme Court Certified Mediator/Mentor in multiple court systems, including General District, Circuit, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts.
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A journey from DC’s Capitol Hill to the Shenandoah mountains led Emily Woodhull to Fredericksburg’s music scene. The 23-year-old singer and songwriter just released her first single, “Virginia, I’m Home.”
Woodhull grew up in Washington, D.C., and learned to play piano, guitar, ukulele, and drums by the time she was sixteen. Woodhull became the opening act for her father’s band, “The NativeMakers,” as they toured DC.