Spotsylvania

More Than 100 Vehicles Involved in Blaze

By Uriah Kiser

Just after 4 a.m. Monday, Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue units responded to a large fire at the Pick-A-Part auto salvage yard in the 9000 block of Patriot Highway. Crews found a significant blaze involving multiple vehicles that spread through the junkyard; more than 100 vehicles are believed to have been involved.

More than 30 fire and rescue personnel remained on scene later in the morning extinguishing remaining fire and conducting overhaul operations, with crews expected to stay for several more hours. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters, according to an update from the Spotsylvania Emergency Communications Center.

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Stafford

Three Hurt After Pepper Ball at Wawa

By Uriah Kiser

Three people were taken to a hospital with minor illnesses Saturday after a pepper ball was discharged inside a Wawa convenience store in Stafford County.

Stafford County Fire and Rescue crews responded around 5 p.m. to a hazardous materials call at the Wawa on Warrenton Road at Litchfield Boulevard. Firefighters isolated the area while investigating. The source was identified as a pepper ball, a self-defense tool that fires a projectile filled with a powdered chemical irritant, similar to pepper spray, and can be launched up to 150 feet.

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Weather

Hot Monday with Heat Index Near 101; Storms Possible as Cold Front Approaches

By Uriah Kiser

Hot and humid conditions continue today with a high near 91 and heat index values as high as 101. A few showers and thunderstorms remain possible this evening as a cold front crosses the region. Skies turn sunnier, and temperatures ease a bit Tuesday and Wednesday before storm chances return later in the week.

Stay weather-aware and check official National Weather Service updates for the latest information.

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter: Fatal Pedestrian Crash, Highway Fatality

By Uriah Kiser
[Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash]

A pedestrian was killed late Saturday night after being struck by two vehicles in Dumfries. Early Sunday, a separate fatal crash on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County left one driver dead and another charged with driving while intoxicated.

The Dumfries crash involved a man crossing the road outside a marked crosswalk. The Fairfax County crash left a Toyota Camry in flames. Both incidents remain under investigation.

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Opinion

They Were Here Illegally. The Free Press Barely Mentioned It: From Jail Food to Federal Funds, What the Story Skipped

By Uriah Kiser

The Fredericksburg Free Press published an exclusive this weekend about hundreds of people who spent time under ICE custody at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford County before being deported. The numbers are real. The data comes from ICE records. And the story still managed to leave out the most basic fact.

These individuals were held because they were in the country illegally.

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Traffic

VDOT Plans Lane Closures and Road Work in Stafford and Fredericksburg Area Aug. 16-22

By Uriah Kiser
A drone view of Interstate 95 at Exit 126 in Spotsylvania County, where traffic merging with Route 1 has been identified as one of the region’s top crash hot spots. [Photo: VDOT]

“Scheduled lane closures for road work in the Fredericksburg District, weather permitting,” the Virginia Department of Transportation reported. Overnight single and double lane closures are set on I-95 near Exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville) in Stafford County for pavement markings, with construction-related single and double lane closures plus a temporary on-ramp shutdown at Exit 126; Stafford also faces milling and paving on Route 1, Route 3 and Route 684, guardrail work at the Aquia Creek bridge on Route 610, and pavement operations on Route 630.

Ongoing longer-term projects affecting the area include the Route 1 bridge replacement over Chopawamsic Creek (completion expected June 2028), intersection improvements at Route 1 and Courthouse Road, and the Route 644 (Rock Hill Church Road) bridge replacement that remains closed until June 2027. Drivers should allow extra time and check 511 Virginia for updates.

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Fredericksburg

Band breaks up with John Williams in free outdoor concert at Hurkamp Park

By Potomac Local News
Photo: Sue Nelson Sargent

Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Sue Nelson Sargent, a Fredericksburg resident who has her finger on the pulse of the community and has previously contributed to Potomac Local News.

The Fredericksburg community was treated to a free evening of live music at downtown’s Hurkamp Park on Thursday when the Fredericksburg Concert Band presented “Dear John” – a breakup letter featuring movie music from composers other than John Williams.

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Manassas

MOM WALKS FREE: Prosecutors dump murder charges against mom who shot husband after 5-hour tape backs self-defense

By Uriah Kiser
Latoya Crabbe shares an embrace with her three children ages 5, 4 and 2. (Photo by Alan Gloss)

The Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the remaining charges against Latoya Crabbe on Friday, ending the prosecution in the October 2024 shooting death of her estranged husband, Curtis Crabbe.

In a statement released this afternoon, the office said prosecutors and investigators from the Manassas City Police Department recently accessed a previously unexamined five-hour audio recording recovered from a digital device seized during the investigation. The recording captured conversations and events immediately leading up to the shooting.

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter: Shots Fired, Intoxication Arrests

By Uriah Kiser

Prince William County police investigated a report of shots fired Thursday evening in Nokesville after multiple gunshots were heard in the area. Officers found a shell casing in the roadway but reported no injuries or property damage.

Stafford County deputies arrested two Fredericksburg men for public intoxication late Thursday—one at the Rappahannock Regional Jail lobby and another after a disturbance at a Super 8 motel. Deputies also took a report of check fraud involving an altered check on Payton Drive.

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