Manassas

Manassas artist Sobia Sami opens second solo exhibition at Central Library

By PLN News
Manassas artist Sobia Sami with whirling dervish and calligraphy paintings at Central Library
Manassas artist Sobia Sami at her second solo exhibition at Central Library, Manassas, Nov. 9 – Dec. 12, 2026 — with whirling dervish and calligraphy paintings. Credit: Art by Sobia.

Manassas artist Sobia Sami has opened her second solo exhibition at Central Library, 8601 Mathis Ave. The free show runs through December 12 during library hours and features her acrylic and oil paintings of whirling dervishes, galloping horses, and calligraphy, plus her newest work, “The Last Dance.”

Sami, who paints as Art by Sobia, draws on her Pakistani heritage and Sufi imagery. She was selected as a 2026 artist by The People’s Artist and lives and paints in Manassas. Visitors can follow the exhibition on Instagram at @artby_sobia.

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Virginia

Do spotted lanternflies die in the winter? Why invasive species keep coming back

By PLN News
Adult spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania, July 20, 2018 (file photo)
Adult spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania, July 20, 2018 (file photo). Photo: Stephen Ausmus / USDA Agricultural Research Service (public domain)

Invasive pests like spotted lanternflies and emerald ash borers easily survive freezing winters across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast because they evolved in climates identical to their native ranges, FOX 5 DC reports.

Adult lanternflies die after the first hard frosts, but the species survives as eggs protected by a waxy ootheca. Lab studies show eggs can supercool to roughly –13°F to –17.8°F. Emerald ash borer larvae under bark can withstand even lower temperatures. Warming winters along the I-95 corridor rarely reach the sustained deep freezes needed for natural population control. The DMV continues to see pressure from both pests.

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Fredericksburg

UMW Theatre tackles loss and hope in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’

By PLN News
University of Mary Washington sign

The University of Mary Washington’s Theatre and Dance Department is staging the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen at Klein Theatre through Nov. 22, the Fredericksburg Free Press reports.

The show follows a lonely high-schooler who becomes the center of a grieving family’s story after a classmate’s suicide. Tickets are $40 (discounts for students, alumni, military, and seniors). Performances run 7:30 p.m. Thursdays–Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, with a sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Nov. 14.

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Event

StoryWorx Book Festival/ Meet the Authors at the Workhouse Arts Center

Event location

Workhouse Arts Center

9518 Workhouse Way

Lorton , Virginia 22079

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StoryWorx: Workhouse's First Ever FREE Book Festival
Sat, Nov 14 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Lorton, VA

Meet bestselling authors Angie Kim (Happiness Falls), 4× NFL Pro Bowler Ken Harvey (first-ever dramatic reading), and Emmy-winning WUSA9 anchor Wisdom Martin, plus Marcie Atkins, Omar Abed, Ellen R.B. Smith, and more for panels, signings, poetry, and workshops. Kids' Corner features author readings, crafts, and storytime. Browse the artisan market, catch a live Upstart Crow podcast, and explore the Workhouse galleries and artist studios—all part of Second Saturday.

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Fredericksburg

UMW named to The Princeton Review’s Mental Health Honor Roll

By PLN News
Trinkle Hall exterior on the University of Mary Washington campus
Trinkle Hall on the University of Mary Washington campus (file photo). Photo: Morgan Riley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

The University of Mary Washington has earned a place on The Princeton Review’s Mental Health Services Honor Roll for 2027, joining just 76 colleges and universities nationwide and only four in Virginia, UMW News reports.

“Student input plays an important role in this recognition, and that makes me particularly proud,” said Juliette Landphair, UMW’s associate vice president for health and wellness. “Our students see our health services, particularly the Talley Center for Counseling Services and Student Health Center, as resources they can count on.”

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Stafford

Stafford schools project continued enrollment decline; staff recommends delaying new elementary builds

By PLN News
Kindergarten students get off the bus at Park Ridge Elementary School on "transition day," Monday, August 11, 2025. [Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

Stafford County Public Schools recorded a 2 percent enrollment drop on the official Sept. 30 count. Staff recommends moving three new elementary builds outside the 10-year capital plan after recent school openings left the division with green capacity.

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Manassas

Manassas Chorale heads to Carnegie Hall for America’s 250th anniversary

By PLN News
Manassas Chorale “Broadway in Manassas” Fall Concert (via Visit PWC)

Members of the Manassas Chorale are heading to Carnegie Hall for a November 16 concert celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, the Manassas Journal reports.

The performance, Spirit of Freedom, features Joseph M. Martin’s The Four Freedoms with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra. Members leave Friday for weekend rehearsals before Monday’s 7 p.m. show. Artistic director Rebecca “Becky” Verner said Martin already knew the group’s abilities. The Chorale, founded in 1994, has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center before.

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Spotsylvania

Early look at Kalahari resort in Spotsylvania County, which opens Thursday

By PLN News
Construction tour of the new Kalahari Resorts & Conventions site
Construction tour of the new Kalahari Resorts & Conventions site in Spotsylvania County. Credit Courtesy Kalahari Resorts

Visitors will walk past life-sized statues of elephants, giraffes and zebras before entering the lobby when Kalahari Resorts & Conventions — Spotsylvania opens Thursday, WTOP reports.

“We’ve got one chance to make an amazing first impression,” said Jeff Oliveri, the assistant general manager.

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Stafford

Applebee’s at Stafford Marketplace closes after 23 years

By PLN News
The Applebee’s at Stafford Marketplace on Wednesday evening. Credit Potomac Local News.

The Applebee’s restaurant at Stafford Marketplace has closed for operations after more than 23 years.

A sign posted on the front door at 1000 Stafford Market Place, Stafford, VA 22556, reads: “This Applebee’s restaurant at 1000 Stafford Market Place, Stafford, VA 22556 is now closed for operations. We have proudly served this community for over 23 years. We appreciate your ongoing patronage, & hope you’ll visit us at our next closest location: 2851 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.”

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter: Fredericksburg police seek missing woman last seen Oct. 28

By PLN News
Police file photo
Photo: Scott Rodgerson / Unsplash

Fredericksburg police are asking for the public’s help finding 27-year-old Morgan Painter, who was reported missing and was last seen Oct. 28.

Police said Painter was last seen Oct. 28, 2026, in the area of McKinney and Dixon streets. She is described as 5-foot-4, 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and has tattoos on her forearm.

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