Stafford County authorities are still looking for a bank robber who simply peddled away.

From Stafford sheriff’s office:

3:54 p.m. deputies responded to United Bank located at 289 Garrisonville Road. The suspect displayed a firearm and demanded cash from an employee. He was last seen leaving the area on a blue bike. The investigation is ongoing.

The sheriff’s office posted the suspect’s photo to its X account, which we shared in this post. Police did not say how much money the robber had gotten away with.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office.

Yugene Vindman, a Democrat of Lake Ridge, who’s running to replace Abigail Spanberger (D) in Congress, is calling for a review of Virignia’s State Flag, one of the most unique in the world.

Vindman apologized after a photo posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed him posting with the Confederate State Flag of Virginia. It notes, “While monuments to the confederacy have been coming down and roads glorifying traitors are being renamed around the commonwealth, we need to look at all symbols that represent this tragic history, including our current banner which, frankly, too closely resembles the Civil War version.”

The Vindman campaign asked the person who posted the photo to remove it, and he complied. Afterward, he said the “average person would not know the difference” between the two flags.

Virginia has one of the most unique flags anywhere. On it is the state seal adopted in the 1700s, which shows a woman, representing Roman virtue, standing over a slain king, sword in hand, with the words “sic semper tyrannis,” meaning “thus [death] always to tyrants.”

The version adopted by the confederates, used during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, has a few notable differences, such as colors and a breastplate on the woman standing over the king. On the current version of our flag, the woman’s breast is exposed, leaving the Virginia State Flag as the only one in the U.S. to display not only a dead man but also nudity.

Vindman posed with Virignia’s Confederate State Flag last weekend after speaking at a conference about his home county of Ukraine in Washington, D.C. The photo, subsequent apology, and calls to review the state flag’s design have led both Democrats and Republicans to take to social media to condemn Vindman’s calls for changing the beloved state flag.

“The Commonwealth is my home – the place that raised me,” Derrick Anderson, a Republican vying for his party’s nomination to run for the 7th District seat, posted to X. “Don’t dictate to Virginians to change our flag because of your massive mistake and disrespect.”

“My first ever retweet of the Young Republicans,” Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas posted to X. The staunch Democrat served as leader of Virginia’s “Blue Brick Wall” during this year’s General Assembly session, working to block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s legislative agenda, including a failed attempt to move the Washington Wizards basketball team from Washington, D.C., to Alexandria.

My first ever retweet of the Young Republicans ? https://t.co/XBV9qDvNOW

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) April 16, 2024

Vindman, a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, has made his campaign a referendum on Trump. He’s raised nearly $2 million, mostly from out-of-state contributions.

Vindman, Clifford Heinzer, of Stafford, and Carl Bedell, of Greene County, are white men seeking the party’s nomination, while most of the Democrats in the 7th District race are black women. At voter forums, Democrats have questioned Vindman’s involvement in the state and local state Democratic Party apparatchik and why he won’t step aside and allow a black woman to be the front runner.

Voters will head to the polls for a June 18 Primary Election to decide the candidates for the Democratic and Republican parties. All eyes will be on congressional races in Northern Virginia this year, as seats in the 7th and 10th Districts have no incumbents.

The three-term Spanberger, who holds the 7th District seat, will run for governor in 2025, while three-term Jennifer Wexton (D) in the 10th is retiring for health reasons.

The Virginia 7th includes Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, and the big prize, voters in densely populated eastern Prince William County. Virginia’s 10th Congressional District includes western Prince William County, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties.

Prince William Parks and Recreation sponsors today’s weather forecast.

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According to forecasts from the National Weather Service, a stationary front lingering across central Virginia is expected to gradually shift northward today and transform into a warm front by early Thursday. This front, slated to move beyond the region by early Thursday, will pave the way for weather changes in the coming days.

The prevailing southerly winds maintain a mild air mass over the area, with temperatures ranging from the mid-50s to low 60s in most spots. Despite increasing cloud cover throughout the day, temperatures are anticipated to remain warm, with highs reaching the mid to upper 60s in northeastern Maryland and mountainous regions. Elsewhere, temperatures are forecasted to climb into the low to mid-70s.

As the day progresses, the threat of showers is expected to diminish, giving way to increasing low clouds overnight. Another mild night is forecasted, with temperatures dipping into the 50s to low 60s.

Outlook for the Coming Days

• Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected before 11 p.m., followed by isolated showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy conditions are forecasted, with temperatures around 61°F. Southeast winds are anticipated to shift to the west after midnight.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny skies are expected, with highs near 83°F. Northwest winds are forecasted at 5 to 8 mph.
• Thursday Night: Cloud cover is expected to increase, with lows around 51°F. Winds are forecasted to come from the east at 6 to 8 mph.
• Friday: There is a chance of showers, mainly after 2 pm, with mostly cloudy conditions and highs near 72°F. Southeast winds are expected at 6 to 9 mph.

“A Howard University student has died after he was struck last week by a car reportedly driven by a faculty member…Mohamed Samura, of Fredericksburg, 18, was a computer information systems major at the university,” reports WTOP.

On April 16, Bonaventure celebrated the opening of a new multifamily community on the former Sears lot at Fredericksburg’s Spotsylvania Towne Center Mall. The project broke ground in April 2022 and was completed on schedule. The project is expected to create over $1.15 million in tax revenues and has 271 rental units.

Bonaventure press release: Bonaventure, an integrated alternative asset manager focused on the development, construction and property management of innovative lifestyle multifamily communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions, hosted the grand opening of Attain at Towne Centre – a 271-unit Class A multifamily community that replaced the former Sears anchor at Spotsylvania Towne Centre mall in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The community, which broke ground in April of 2022 and delivered on-time, is part of a bigger revitalization effort for the mall and brings a high-quality rental housing option to Fredericksburg’s growing population.

“This project was truly exceptional because we had the opportunity to partner with Cafaro Properties to help densify Fredericksburg’s premier retail center and ensure it has the supporting foot traffic and patronage from new residents who will add to the live, work and play experience of the property,” said Dwight Dunton, founder and CEO of Bonaventure. “We’re proud to deliver an in-demand rental housing option that will complement the mall’s tenants to make Spotsylvania Towne Center an in-demand destination for years to come.”

Prior to the ground breaking, an impact study estimated the project would have significant economic impact throughout Fredericksburg, creating more than 380 construction-related jobs and generating more than $1.15 million in real estate and other tax revenues.

Attain at Spotsylvania Town Centre opens with upscale interior design and state-of-the-art appliances and resort-style amenities, including a resort-style pool with deck, an artificial turf recreational area, cabanas and an outdoor kitchen and more. With Spotsylvania Towne Centre being Fredericksburg’s major retail hub, the new community is centrally located and proximate to all major transportation routes and the mall’s exciting tenant mix.

About Bonaventure

Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, Bonaventure is an integrated alternative asset management firm focused on the investment, development, construction and management of innovative lifestyle multifamily communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. Bonaventure has over $2.3 billion of assets under management, is an expert at utilizing low-cost financing, and manages over 7,500 apartment units across 38 communities primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. Since its founding in 1999 by Dwight Dunton, with the intent to create best-in-class capabilities connecting capital to assets, the focus of the firm has been to generate excess returns on a risk-adjusted basis while building enduring value through ingenuity. To learn more, visit www.bonaventure.com.

Kelly Sienkowski is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.

Eugene Vindman has apologized for posing for a photo while holding the Virginia State Flag adopted by the Confederate state government during the Civil War.

Potomac Local was the first to report on the photo on Monday, April 15, 2024. Vindman asked the person who posted it to X, formerly Twitter, to remove it from the social media platform.

According to the Democrat, a congressional candidate who seeks to replace Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th District (Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg) in a June 18, 2024, Primary Election, he posed for the photo after delivering a keynote speech at the Ukrainian Action Summit in Washington, D.C.

“Unbeknownst to me, in one of these pictures was a flag of Virginia spanning the Civil War era. When I glanced at the flag, I did not link it to the Civil War era. When I realized this mistake, I directed my team to reach out to this attendee to ask him to take the picture down, as it in no way aligns with any of my core values and background. I apologize,” Vindman wrote in a statement on X.

Democrats and Republicans were quick to criticize Vindman today on social media. The most notable, Virignia State Senator Louise Lucas, posted on X, “How could someone who wants to represent us be so ignorant of our history?”

Other Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the 7th District race chimed in, too.

“One thing you’ll never see me do is pose for a picture with a Confederate flag,” said a former Virginia House of Delegates member, Elizabeth Guzman.

“It’s disheartening to see that someone who wants to represent so many people of color pose behind a confederate flag,” said Andrea Bailey, another Democrat seeking the nomination and a Prince William County Board of Supervisors member.

Republican Derrick Anderson, who’s in a race of multiple Republicans seeking that party’s nomination, said, “Yet another reason why this newcomer isn’t fit to serve Virginia’s 7th District.”

Vindman has raised more than $1.7 million in the race to replace Spanberger, more than any other Democrat or Republican seeking the congressional seat. Much of that cash has come from out-of-state contributors from places like California and New York.

The 25-year Army veteran, originally from Ukraine, was a crucial witness in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. He continues to campaign on that fact, all the while facing criticism from members of his party for being a political newcomer and from residents who question his intentions of being a white man running against a field of black female Democrats.

During a Democrat voter forum at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Government Building in Woodbridge on March 27, 2024, a white man asked Vindman, “Currently, our Congressional representative is a white woman. Do you think it’s time to pass that torch to someone of color? And considering we have so many strong women of color running for this seat.”

“I’m an immigrant, and I’m Jewish, fleeing a bigoted communist regime. So I understand those perspectives,” Vindman responded.

Vindman has also been criticized for not being active locally in the Democratic Party. Delegate Joshua Cole asked, “I’m sorry – who is this? I’ve never seen this person in our area. At. All.”

During the March 27 forum, Vindman, currently a Prince William County resident, defended himself, saying he has lived in the 7th District since 2016. “My kids have gone to school here. I think for Northern Virginia, I qualify as a long-term resident since I’ve been here since 2016 in this transitory community,” said Vindman.

The three-term incumbent Spanberger announced her run for governor of Virginia in 2025. She seeks to replace Glenn Youngkin (R), whom the Virginia State Constitution prohibits from seeking a second term.

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In 1892, K.N. Goolrick opened the Goolrick pharmacy on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, specializing in things people wanted, like milkshakes and medicine.

Fast forward 132 years, and the pharmacy is still there, but the windows are whitewashed because this iconic landmark is getting a major renovation as it adapts to the times. And soda fountain fans need not worry; the historic soda fountain behind the café bar will be a focus of the new pharmacy.

Jeh Hicks is part of the restoration of this “beloved Fredericksburg landmark,” he called it in a four-part video they made of the project. In a building this old, reconstructing while preserving history has its moments.

“There are all kinds of challenges,” he added, standing in the dark interior of the structure and examining the different sizes of bricks that were used, the mosaic tile floor that was under layers of flooring, and a second level that was concrete at one time. The tiles dated to “around 1933,” he said.

There were two fires of note and a third fire in the records somewhere, but years ago, documentation was not as stringent as it is today. “Beams deteriorated because of the fire,” Hicks added. Peculiar things were uncovered as part of the project, too. “JW Masters” was written on one beam and sandstone from Aquia Creek was found in another area. One of the handmade bricks has a paw print because it most likely was laid out in the sun to dry, and a small mammal stepped on it while it was still wet.

Several old bottles with thick glass were found in the basement. Heavy beams were wedged in there to hold the ceiling up, and the main floor fluctuated seven inches from the front to the back. “Liberties were taken with the walls,” he said. “It was nowhere near level,” he added.

Goolrick’s has undergone many changes over the past century as Fredericksburg grew. Recently, a carpenter was working on one of the street-level windows. It used to be a double window, but the street had been repaved so many times since the shop opened that the bottom pane of the window had to be bricked up. “The street level was way below this back in the day,” he said.

Out on Caroline Street, there were many gawking eyes, and the whitewash had a clear spot to see inside a little. Ulman’s Jeweler’s Next Door has been the unofficial spokesperson for the project, and people call frequently to see what’s going on next door. “It’s a historic place, we need it to be here, it’s a landmark for us,” said Linda Yohman at Ulman’s. It’s the same thing at Sight Studio across the street. “Patients always come in and ask,” said Rebekah Olsberg, who has her favorite Goolrick item. “I do miss the milkshake,” she said.

The renovation is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall, and a grand opening gala is not out of the question. “We are thrilled to have the chance to bring this treasured space back to life for another 100 years,” Hicks said.

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A structure fire occurred at 8759 Antonia Avenue in Manassas. According to initial information, Prince William County fire and rescue crews responded to the scene.

At least five people were displaced after the fire, according to initial reports.

The fire was visible from two sides of a single-family house. All occupants were safely outside. The fire broke out at 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

We’re unclear how many people were inside the house at the time of the fire.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.

If you’re nearby, please text photos from the scene to 571-989-1695.