Nelson Head, owner and founder of Dixie Bones BBQ in Woodbridge, Virginia, tracks wholesale prices weekly so menu prices stay as fair as possible.
With the dog days of August upon us, Nelson notes that the family has inherited a small mixed-breed dog named Jack—very old, stubborn, and already partial to Dixie Bones BBQ meats (though still working out what to do with the bones).
According to a Prince William County press release, the county partnered with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles on July 31 to kick off Traffic Awareness Month with a dramatic 54-foot ladder display at the Prince William County Fairgrounds in Manassas.
The ladder, part of the DMV’s award-winning “Speed Has an Impact” campaign, illustrates that the force of a 40 mph crash equals falling 54 feet while a 10 mph impact matches a three-foot drop; it was on view through Aug. 2 during the county fair at 10624 Dumfries Road.
OmniRide is marking 40 years of service this August with community open houses and other events. The public is invited to tours from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the OmniRide Transit Center, 14700 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge, and from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Western Maintenance Facility, 7850 Doane Drive in Manassas. Guests can explore buses, meet staff, enjoy food trucks, and enter raffles.
Operated by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, the agency has grown from its 1986 roots into a regional network with free local bus, microtransit, and paratransit service extended through June 2027. Ridership hit 2.5 million trips in Fiscal Year 2026. Details on the planned time capsule and contests were not included in the release. More information is available at OmniRide.com.
Local police and sheriff’s departments across Northern Virginia are hosting National Night Out gatherings on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, inviting residents to connect with officers, enjoy family activities, and strengthen community partnerships. Details from Manassas, Manassas Park, Prince William County, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania follow below; Stafford County’s event is scheduled later in the season.
The Town of Dumfries Police Department is hosting National Night Out for an evening of fun, food, family, and community. Residents can meet local officers, explore police vehicles and equipment, enjoy activities for all ages, and connect with neighbors. More information from the Town of Dumfries Police Department.
Goolrick’s, the downtown Fredericksburg landmark home to what it calls America’s longest-running soda fountain, reopens Friday, Aug. 7, after a four-year restoration of the 1808 building at 901 Caroline Street. Jarrell Properties Inc. will host a ribbon-cutting before doors open at 11 a.m., with the first 50 guests in line receiving free merchandise. Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The lunch counter returns with restored original tin ceilings, hand-laid tile, and classic menu items such as chicken salad, egg salad, and grilled cheese sandwiches, plus hand-mixed sodas, milkshakes, and malts. Executive Chef D’Andre Sykes, who previously worked at Michelin-starred Elske in Chicago and other notable restaurants, will lead the kitchen.
“The Prince William County Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the city of Manassas, hosted the first community meeting on the $93 million Clover Hill-Parkway interchange project at the Washington Manassas Airport July 30,” InsideNoVA reported. Proposed plans include a diverging diamond interchange at Prince William Parkway and Clover Hill Road plus a single-lane roundabout at Clover Hill Road and Godwin Drive, along with an ADA-compliant shared-use path, to reduce congestion, improve safety and support expected growth from Washington Manassas Airport expansion. The project is about 15% designed and roughly 30% funded, with public comments accepted through Aug. 12.
Officials said full funding would lead to roughly five years of remaining work. A nearby Clover Hill Road homeowner described the existing four-way stop as highly dangerous due to frequent speeding and crashes, expressing support for the planned safety upgrades.
A warm front will lift north through the region tonight, bringing increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms along with a potential for localized urban flooding. Dry conditions are expected for most of the area today before the front advances. Tropical moisture will return, supporting high rain rates in any storms that develop.
A murder suspect was arrested in connection with a Woodbridge domestic shooting, a 16-year-old died after being shot at a car meet, and a 13-year-old remains wanted for wounding a family member, while Stafford County deputies made multiple arrests for assaults, shoplifting, DUIs and other offenses over the weekend.
On August 2, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force members arrested Thomas Lynwood Brown, 23, of Triangle, in connection with the July 27 fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Gainesville man. The incident occurred during a domestic altercation at a home in the 13400 block of Grayson Hill Circle (Fitzgerald apartments) in Woodbridge. Police said Brown produced a firearm and shot the victim in the upper body before leaving. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Court date pending; bond unavailable.
