Potomac Local News

Published July 24, 2026 at 1:04PM

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, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula areas, weather permitting,” the Virginia Department of Transportation reported for the week of July 26 through Aug. 1. Overnight milling and paving will close single and double lanes on I-95 northbound near Exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville) in Stafford County, with additional ramp closures and work on Routes 1, 3, 17 and local roads.

Stafford County drivers should expect nighttime single- and double-lane restrictions on I-95 beginning as early as 9 p.m., temporary ramp shutdowns at Exit 143, and alternating or single-lane work on Route 1, Route 610, Route 3 and secondary roads. Motorists are advised to check 511 Virginia for real-time updates and allow extra travel time.

Podcast

New Woodbridge Parking Garage Still Empty, Hard to Reach on Foot or Bike

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 9:45AM

<a href="https://rss.com/podcasts/potomaclocalnews">Woodbridge Parking Garage: Why Walking There Is Ne | RSS.com</a>

A brand-new parking garage between Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Wegmans in Woodbridge was sold as a win for transit riders and drivers. Two years later, it remains largely empty and nearly impossible to reach safely on foot or by bike.

Prince William

Residents Rally Against Planned 6.5-Mile Transmission Line

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 9:31AM

A speaker addresses a large crowd of demonstrators holding signs reading “Bury the Lines” and “Save Our Rural Land” during a protest against Dominion Energy’s proposed 6.5-mile transmission line project. [Photo: Coalition to Protect Prince William County]

Prince William County residents protested Thursday against Dominion Energy’s proposed 6.5-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting the Nokesville Substation to a planned Bristow Switching Station, WTOP reported. Demonstrators gathered outside an open house at Patriot High School in Nokesville, holding signs calling to “Bury the Lines” and “Save Our Rural Land,” while local officials and state senators voiced opposition to the project’s impact on private property and rural character.

The Coalition to Protect Prince William County organized the event amid growing concerns that data centers and development are driving the need for new infrastructure; Dominion said the line is required for reliable service as the Innovation Park area expands, but noted burying the line is not feasible due to bedrock and existing utilities.

Prince William

Land Swap Proposed for Data Centers Near Prince William Forest Park

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 9:09AM

Federal officials are considering a land swap that would allow a developer to build at least four data centers next to Prince William Forest Park in close proximity to Quantico Creek, Prince William Times reported. The proposal would exchange 73 acres of wetlands owned by Highland Digital for 36 acres of federally owned parkland along the park’s western border.

Conservation groups warn the project could harm water quality in one of Northern Virginia’s most pristine streams, while local leaders including Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson have expressed skepticism about any data center construction inside park boundaries.

Schools

Durant Urges Spotsylvania School Board to Reconsider Pre-Employment Drug Screening

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 9:07AM

“Spotsylvania School Board member Jennifer Craig-Ford is seeking an opinion from the Virginia attorney general on whether local school boards can require suspicion-less pre-employment drug testing of teachers and other staff with direct student contact,” Fredericksburg Free Press reported. Craig-Ford, who voted with the board majority earlier this month against implementing such testing, has asked local legislators to request formal guidance on four questions involving state law, constitutional limits under the Fourth Amendment and Virginia Constitution, and whether rules differ for new hires or specific employee categories.

The school division already conducts federally required testing for commercial driver’s license bus drivers and suspicion-based testing for other employees; no other Virginia school division currently mandates pre-employment drug screens for classroom staff. Delegates Nicole Cole and Josh Cole said they will send a joint letter to Attorney General Jay Jones seeking the opinion.

Virginia

Sen. Louise Lucas Uses Campaign Funds for $300,000 Legal Defense Ahead of New Ban

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 8:50AM

“Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) dipped into her campaign account on June 30 to cover $300,000 in legal defense costs following a May FBI raid on her Portsmouth business office, according to campaign finance disclosures,” Poole Report reported. The payments—$200,000 to a Washington, D.C. law firm and $100,000 to a supporters’ legal defense fund—came 24 hours before a new Virginia law banning personal use of campaign funds took effect, closing a two-decade loophole.

Lucas, one of the most powerful politicians in Virignia, has not been charged in the investigation, which the New York Times linked to possible corruption tied to her THC dispensary ownership; the FBI has released no details and sealed the search warrant.

Prince William

Biggest Route 1 Cleanup Draws 32 Volunteers in Woodbridge

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 8:46AM

Woodbridge District Supervisor Jeannie LaCroix’s new Adopt Route 1 initiative scored a strong start over the weekend with what Keep Prince William Beautiful called the biggest Route 1 cleanup ever.

On Saturday, July 11, 32 volunteers collected more than 20 large bags of trash while covering three miles of the corridor (a mile and a half in each direction).

Fairfax

Fairfax County Schools to Roll Out Tap-to-Ride System on School Buses This Fall

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 8:36AM

Fairfax County Public Schools is rolling out card readers on school buses that students will tap as they board and exit beginning this fall, WTOP reported. New student ID cards will be distributed for the 2026-27 school year as part of a transportation modernization effort; the taps will allow the district to know which students are on each bus for improved safety and efficiency, while buses receive mobile tablets showing turn-by-turn routes and student information as they board.

The system tracks only the bus location, not individual students’ locations. Cards will be color-coded by school and include a QR code plus the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number required by Virginia law. A family app with real-time bus location and boarding updates is planned for later in the fall, and the cards will eventually support other uses such as school meals and field trips. Families with questions can contact the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Transportation.

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg to Complete LED Street Light Conversions by 2027

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 8:34AM

Photo by Jonas Verstuyft on Unsplash

The City of Fredericksburg is continuing its energy-efficiency efforts by converting overhead streetlights to LED fixtures, the City of Fredericksburg reported. Earlier projects converted 95 lights in the Mayfield neighborhood in fall 2024 and 82 lights in the Central Park area in late summer 2025; those two phases will generate $15,800 in yearly electricity savings after a roughly 21-month payback period, while LEDs last longer and cut greenhouse gas emissions compared with high-intensity-discharge bulbs.

City Council has approved $70,000 for FY 2026 (about 257 lights, to finish by the end of 2026) and $150,000 for FY 2027 (about 1,021 lights, expected by mid-summer 2027). By mid-2027 all streetlights on city-maintained roads should be LED, advancing the council’s goal of carbon-free municipal operations by 2035. Residents can contact the Department of Public Works at 540-372-1023 or visit FredericksburgVA.gov with questions.