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By Sarah Roderick-Fitch

(The Center Square) — Virginia is beginning to experience some of the impacts from the cargo ship crash that brought down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, closing a vital shipping lane leading to one of the eastern seaboard’s busiest ports.

Shortly after, on Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered to assist neighboring Maryland. Within hours, the commonwealth’s ports were already preparing to absorb some of the diverted shipping traffic.

In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled nearly 850,000 automobiles and light trucks, the most in the U.S. The port also ranks second in the nation for exporting coal, and sixth for importing coffee. The port leads the nation for roll-on/roll-off cargo. With most of its ports inaccessible, some ships are being diverted to other eastern ports.

Joe Harris, senior director of media relations for the Port of Virginia, told The Center Square within hours of the accident, one of the terminals at the Virginia International Gateway processed a rerouted container ship, saying they “anticipate these diverted volumes to increase.”

Harris doesn’t anticipate the increased cargo traffic will create any delays, saying the port has plenty of space to take on the extra loads. However, he acknowledged there is still a lot of “unknown” about how many ships they can expect.

“We have ample capacity in terms of container yards and berth space” for container vessels, Harris said. “Right now it’s unclear how many additional vessel calls/corresponding cargo volumes to expect here; one of the primary factors behind this ‘unknown’ is that we do not know how long the Port of Baltimore will remain closed to vessel traffic.”

In addition to the increased volume of cargo traffic, Harris is confident the Port of Virginia will be able to keep up with manpower.

“One thing of which we are certain is that we will maintain our service levels,” Harris said. “This is a modern, 21st-century port that has a significant amount of experience in handling surges of import and export cargo. Workforce size is not an issue.”

The Port of Baltimore is a bustling cargo and host port to two major cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean. One of Carnival’s cruise ships was scheduled to return to Baltimore on Sunday but will be rerouted to Norfolk.

“While rescue and remediation efforts continue in Baltimore Harbor following the collapse of the Key Bridge, it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia,” the cruise line released in a statement.

They added that guests will be provided with bus service back to Baltimore, and next week’s scheduled cruise will operate from and return to Norfolk.

The Center Square reached out to Royal Caribbean requesting information on future cruises originating out of the Port of Baltimore but has yet to receive a response before publication.

One thing that remains uncertain is how the extra volume of truck and train traffic will impact the I-95 corridor, which is already one of the busiest and most congested in the nation.

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Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) was in Stafford County on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, to tout her efforts to bring federal dollars to the district.

At a press conference at the county movement center, orchestrated by Spanberger’s office, said a county spokeswoman, Spanberger announced $1.7 million in transportation funding for the region.

Several public officials, including Delegate Josh Cole (D), Treasurer Mike Sienkowski (R), Stafford Supervisors Pamela Yeung, Deuntay Diggs, Supervisor Monica Gary, and BoardChairman Meg Bohmke, as well as Sheriff David Decatur, attended the event.

Spanberger’s office did not invite Potomac Local to the press conference. It is the second press conference held by Spanberger this month that we did not receive an invitation to cover.

The snubs come after Potomac Local pressed the congresswoman at a February 2023 press conference in Woodbridge, used to encourage federal officials to increase the Federal Government’s debt ceiling, when we asked her, as a House Intelligence Committee member and former CIA officer, what she was doing to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens while a Chinese spy balloon floated over the country.

Spanberger responded, saying increasing the Federal Government’s ability to spend money far outweighed the spy balloon concerns.

Spanberger seeks the Democratic Party nomination to run for Virginia Governor in 2025. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is also seeking the party’s nomination.

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Van Metre 5K Run

Participate in the 32nd Annual Van Metre 5K Run, a race that goes further than 3.1 miles, and every stride you take supports Children’s National Hospital. The Van Metre 5K Run donates 100% of proceeds to Children’s National Hospital and

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

Summer Job Alert: Parks and Recreation Hiring Seasonal Workers Now! Want to earn some extra cash this summer and enjoy your job at the same time? PWC Parks and Recreation is now hiring for seasonal jobs.. Camp Counselors, Lifeguards, Cooks and more


The region braces for unsettled weather patterns as a cold front sweeps eastward today, according to the National Weather Service. Low-pressure systems are expected to develop off the coast, contributing to continued rainfall across the area, mainly east of the Blue Ridge. The frontal passage will bring occasional light rain, with lingering showers expected into the afternoon along the I-95 corridor. While rainfall amounts may vary, southern Maryland could see totals exceeding an inch, while lighter amounts are forecasted elsewhere.

Behind the front, northwesterly winds are anticipated to pick up, with gusts reaching 20-25 mph and even higher velocities atop ridges. Despite the frontal passage, temperatures are only expected to rise marginally, reaching the lower to mid-50s for most areas, though some locations may experience slightly warmer conditions if breaks in cloud cover permit.

The clearing of clouds is anticipated for this evening, albeit temporarily, as another disturbance is forecasted to move through the region late tonight. This secondary disturbance may usher in a brief period of upslope snow showers, particularly in elevated areas, with accumulations expected to be minor, generally less than one inch. Overnight lows are projected to dip into the 30s across the region.

Looking ahead, high pressure is anticipated to build to the south on Friday, though the weekend and early next week are expected to bring multiple upper-level disturbances, prolonging unsettled weather conditions.

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Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham [Photo: Uriah Kiser]
“Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of a bill that would have allowed young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to become police officers was met with disappointment from Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham, who pushed for the measure and went to Richmond to support it,” Prince William Times reports.

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Fire and rescue crews were called to a fire at Lake Ridge Orthodontics today, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 5:31 a.m.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched to the 2000 block off of Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge earlier this morning for a report from a passerby of fire through the roof of an office building.

Crews arrived with heavy fire showing from a two-story office building. Large master streams were utilized to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported, but four businesses have been displaced.

Crews are still on the scene, extinguishing hot spots and conducting overhauls. The Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting the fire cause investigation.

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“On Monday night, the Moss Free Clinic issued a statement regarding its future, “proudly announcing its continued independence as a beacon of hope and healthcare for the underserved in the Fredericksburg area,” reports the Fredericksburg Free Press. “According to the statement, MWHC “honors the Moss Clinic’s decision to remain independent and plans to continue to support the Clinic by allowing it to use the MWHC facility it currently occupies for $1 per year.”

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