The 28th Annual Eagle Festival returns to Mason Neck State Park on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering a day of family-friendly activities focused on nature and conservation.
The event features live animal demonstrations with reptiles, hawks, and owls, hands-on learning experiences, outdoor recreation clinics, nature programs, a puppet show, live music, food, and exhibits by conservation partners. Visitors may also spot the park’s resident bald eagles flying overhead.
Lisa Vose stood before the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on April 28 and described a lifetime spent in the county she loves. She moved here as a tenth-grader, rode the school bus past the neighborhood she dreamed of living in, and eventually made Clearview Heights her home.
Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at the BlackRock Center for the Arts as Cruise Planners Beth & Rod present a special travel-inspired matinee featuring the beloved film Under the Tuscan Sun.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 31 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
“Compass Datacenters will not appeal the most recent court ruling that killed the rezonings underpinning the development,” the company’s attorney said late Tuesday night, Prince William Times reported. “It’s not known whether QTS, the other data center company involved in the project, will attempt an appeal before the Supreme Court of Virginia.”
The decision by Compass likely ends sales contracts that have kept more than 90 property owners in limbo since 2022, including entire neighborhoods along Pageland Lane in rural Gainesville. The Prince William Digital Gateway proposed up to 37 data centers on about 1,760 acres near Manassas National Battlefield Park. Rezonings approved in 2023 were voided by court rulings over public notice failures, and the county has now dropped its own appeal after spending at least $1.7 million in legal fees.
Lori Balta has lived on Sandy Court in Manassas since 2005. For 21 years, she and her husband planned to retire right here in the city they call home. Now that dream is slipping away.
Her January electric bill hit $750 — the highest in all her years here — followed by $650 in February and March. With her husband nearing retirement and her own close behind, Balta told Manassas City Council on April 27 that the combined impact of rising property assessments, local utility rate increases, and a surprise Dominion Energy shock may force them to sell and leave.
Fredericksburg’s Caroline Street has been named the Best Main Street in the South by Garden & Guns magazine. The historic downtown centerpiece beat out 15 other Southern contenders in a March Madness-style public voting bracket that wrapped up this week.
The win highlights the city’s mix of locally owned shops, restaurants, historic sites and walkable charm that draws residents and visitors year-round. Mayor Devine credited the victory to strong community support from businesses and residents who rallied during each round of voting.
Prince William County Police responded to an armed robbery on Friday afternoon in Woodbridge, where a 61-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint outside a check-cashing business. The suspect took her purse and fled in a light-colored sedan driven by another man. No one was hurt.
Later that evening in Manassas, officers investigated a reckless handling of a firearm resulting in injury after a young adult man was shot in the hand at a friend’s house. The victim was not cooperative with investigators.
The Virginia Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a high-profile case questioning the validity of a constitutional amendment on redistricting that voters narrowly approved on April 21, 2026. The case, Don Scott in his official capacity as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates et al. v. Ryan T. McDougle, Virginia State Senator and Legislative Commissioner for the Virginia Redistricting Commission et al., centers on whether the General Assembly followed required procedures under Article 12 of the Virginia Constitution.
Attorneys for the appellants, who are defending the amendment, argued that the process complied with every step outlined in the Constitution. Counsel for the appellees, who are challenging it, contended that multiple procedural violations — including the use of a special session and the timing relative to the 2025 general election — rendered the amendment invalid. Chief Justice Cleo E. Powell presided, with all justices present. A ruling is expected in May.
