For the parade, you are to decorate and design a raft, canoe, inflatable, dinghy, kayak, rowboat, or other non-motorized craft and take off in the first Occoquan Whatever Floats Your Boat Parade.
It will be a part of the Occoquan RiverFest & Craft Show on June 3 and 4, 2023. The activity invites the community to join in for its first year taking place.
Participants will paddle or row their non-motorized craft along the town’s coastline to Occoquan’s footbridge for judgment. Judging will begin at 11 a.m. at the footbridge, 460 Mill St, Occoquan Historic District, 22125.
There will also be awards for prizes in one of five categories. The five options are most creative, best eco-float, funniest, best overall, and business (sponsor).
The award ceremony will occur at River Mill Park, 407 Mill Street, Occoquan Historic District, 22125. It will start at 2 p.m.
Registration for the parade is $45 per vessel. Businesses interested in participating and becoming event sponsors must pay the fee of $150. All teams must register by May 20, 2023.
A press release states that the greater portion of registration fees goes toward Occoquan’s Million Mighty Mussel Project in partnership with Potomac RiverKeeper Network.
More information, rules, and registration can be found online.
Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 137-138 for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project construction.
Wednesday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 137-138 for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project construction.
Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 137-138 for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project construction.
I-95 Southbound
Exit 148 (Quantico) to Exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Lane closures at mile markers 148-146 for overhead message board work, part of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project. Single lane closes nightly at 9 p.m. followed by a double lane closure at 10 p.m. All lanes open by 4:30 a.m. except on Friday, when all lanes open by 5 a.m.
Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Single lane closure at mile marker 125 for construction project deliveries. Replacement of Route 17 (Mills Drive) overpass.
Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Slow roll of traffic with a full, brief traffic stop during these hours at mile marker 125 to move a construction crane into position. Replacement of Route 17 (Mills Drive) overpass.
Stafford County
Route 1
Tuesday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Mobile single lane closure on Route 1 between the intersection of Enon Road and the Prince William County line. Crews are installing rumble strips along the road shoulder as a safety enhancement at select locations.
Route 3
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lane closures and shoulder closures for utility work between Dairy Lane and Rumford Road.
Route 17
Tuesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Mobile single lane closure on Route 17 between Stafford Lakes Parkway and the Fauquier County line. Crews are installing rumble strips along the road shoulder as a safety enhancement at select locations.
Route 616 (Poplar Road)
Wednesday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Flagging operation between Route 17 and Branch Circle Way for pavement work.
Spotsylvania County
Route 1 Northbound and Southbound, near Thornburg
Tuesday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Alternating single lane closures and flagging operation. Crews will be milling and paving Route 1 northbound and southbound in the Thornburg area, from south of the Route 606 (Mudd Tavern Road/Morris Road) intersection to the Caroline County line.
Route 1 Southbound near I-95 Exit 126 (Spotsylvania)
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. Alternating two lanes closed on Route 1 southbound at various locations between the I-95 southbound off-ramp at exit 126 and the Route 17 (Mills Drive) intersection. Construction work for the exit 126 and Southpoint Parkway project.
Route 17 (Mills Drive)
Monday – Friday, 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Flagging operation between Glenwood Drive and Germanna Point Drive/Hospital Boulevard. Construction in connection with Route 17 overpass replacement at I-95 and widening of Route 17.
Route 208 (Courthouse Road)
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Intermittent full traffic stops on Courthouse Road between Smith Station Road and Lake Anna Parkway. Utility work under permit.
Route 601 (Lawyers Road)
Monday – Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. On Lawyers Road, access to and from Route 208 (Courthouse Road) will be closed near the intersection for pipe replacement. Travelers should follow a posted detour to use Fenton Road to travel between Lawyers Road and Courthouse Road. Traffic traveling eastbound and westbound on Courthouse Road will remain open at the Lawyers Road intersection during this work.
Route 620 (Harrison Road)
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. One-way, alternating traffic. Crews will clean drainage ditches and road shoulders and perform maintenance between Route 1 and Salem Church Road.
Route 627 (Gordon Road)
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Flagging operation on Gordon Road between the intersections with Brock Road and Smith Station Road for pavement work.
Route 636 (Hood Drive)
Wednesday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Flagging operation with one-way, alternating traffic between Courthouse Road and Route 1. Construction work for Hood Drive improvements.
A fire displaced seven people from homes in Stafford County.
The fire broke out at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
More in a press release:
Just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4th, units with Stafford County Fire and Rescue (SCFR) were dispatched for a reported structure fire in the 00 block of Rita Lane, just off of Walnut Drive.
First arriving units marked on scene just over five minutes later to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the front porch and roof of a single family residence. Crews quickly began working to extinguish the fire, utilizing rural water supply operations due a lack of hydrants in the immediate area. The fire was brought under control in approximately 30 minutes.
The seven occupants of the residence were alerted to the fire by functioning smoke alarms, and were able to evacuate prior to the arrival of units. There were no reported injuries and all are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross. Several neighbors also reported the fire.
The fire is under investigation by the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s Office. SCFR units were assisted on scene by the Fredericksburg Fire Department, Fauquier County Fire and Rescue and Quantico Fire and Emergency Services.
Today’s Take Me-Home-Tuesday pets post comes from the Prince William County Animal Service Center at 14807 Bristow Road, Manassas.
Rena – Female Pit Bull Terrier Mix, 8 -12 months old about 26 to 50 lbs..
Diamond – 5-year-old female, domestic medium hair, spayed and needs a weight loss program.
If you want to apply or learn about either animal, go to the Prince William County Animal Shelter page at the top of this post. You can also call 703-792-6465, or email [email protected]
Exit 98 (Doswell) to Exit 104 (Carmel Church)
Monday – Tuesday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Bridge inspection at mile marker 103, just south of the Carmel Church interchange. Northbound and southbound lane and shoulder closures.
I-95 Northbound
Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Monday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure at mile marker 125 for construction project deliveries. Replacement of Route 17 (Mills Drive) overpass.
Exit 130 (Route 3) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Monday – Wednesday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Lane closures between mile markers 132-134 for installation of overhead signs as part of the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project and 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
9 p.m. – Single lane closure
10 p.m. – Double lane closure
Midnight – 3 a.m. Full traffic stops for up to 30-minute intervals
4:30 a.m. – All lanes open
Exit 133 (Route 17) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 134-136 for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project. Noise barrier construction.
I-95 Southbound
Exit 148 (Quantico) to Exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville)
Wednesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Lane closures at mile markers 148-146 formessage board work. Single lane closes nightly at 9 p.m. followed by a double lane closure at 10 p.m. All lanes open by 4:30 a.m.
Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. and Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 138-137 for overhead sign work for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project.
Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Lane closures at mile marker 125 for construction project deliveries. Replacement of Route 17 (Mills Drive) overpass. Single lane closes nightly at 9 p.m. followed by a double lane closure at 10 p.m. All lanes open by 4:30 a.m.
Express Lanes
Wednesday – Thursday, 8 p.m. – 4 a.m. Single lane closures with intermittent stops at mile markers 145.5-146.5 for toll work.
Stafford County
Route 3
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lane closures and shoulder closures for utility work between Dairy Lane and Rumford Road.
Route 17 Northbound and Southbound
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Mobile lane closures on Route 17 northbound and southbound between Short Street and Sanford Drive for pothole repairs.
Route 608 (Brooke Road)
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. One-way, alternating traffic directed by a flagging crew between Eskimo Hill Road and Andrew Chapel Road. Pavement marking and placement of shoulder stone.
Route 616 (Poplar Road)
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Flagging operation between Route 17 and Branch Circle Way for asphalt patching work.
Route 627 (Mountain View Road)
Tuesday – Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mobile operation for pavement edgeline placement between Centreport Parkway and Kellog Mill Road.
Route 651 (Kellogg Mill Road)
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mobile operation with one-way, alternating traffic directed by a flagging crew. Safety and resurfacing work to widen road shoulders on Kellogg Mill Road between Poplar Road and Abel Drive. Read the news release.
Guardrail Repairs
Lane closures for guardrail repairs along the following routes:
Tuesday – Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Route 614 (Spotted Tavern Road) sounthbound at Alcotti Run. Flagging operation.
Wednesday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Route 360 (Courthouse Road) westbound at the I-95 northbound off-ramp. Single lane closure.
Thursday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Route 711 (Juggins Road) northbound at Box 60 on Juggins Road. Flagging operation.
Spotsylvania County
Route 3
Sunday – Thursday, 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. Pavement lens replacement on Route 3 between Gordon Road and Corter Avenue. Mobile operation with single lane closures.
Route 17 (Mills Drive)
Sunday – Friday, 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Flagging operation between Glenwood Drive and Germanna Point Drive/Hospital Boulevard. Construction in connection with Route 17 overpass replacement at I-95 and widening of Route 17.
Route 627 (Gordon Road)
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Flagging operation between Brock Road and Smith Station Road for pavement work.
All work is scheduled, weather permitting.
By Madison Hirneisen
(The Center Square) – Virginia will offer a tax credit for the purchase of a firearm safety device, including gun safes and lock boxes, under a bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week.
Under the tax credit, which takes effect in July and applies to taxable years 2023 through 2027, Virginians who purchase a gun safe, lock box or other device that can be used to store a firearm can be eligible for a tax credit of up to $300. The credits will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis in an aggregate amount of $5 million per taxable year.
While most firearm-related measures introduced in the General Assembly this session were defeated, this bill, HB 2387, passed with broad bipartisan support. It was also supported by both the National Rifle Association and Everytown for Gun Safety.
In a statement to The Center Square, the bill’s author Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, called the measure “a significant step in the right direction towards addressing safe storage of firearms.”
“I thank Governor Youngkin for signing into law this common sense and bipartisan bill,” Lopez said. “There is so much more we need to do to promote sensible gun violence prevention in Virginia. I hope this signals an openness to finding a path forward on common sense gun violence prevention measures that can save lives in our Commonwealth.”
The bill was introduced on the heels of a shooting at a Virginia elementary school, where a 6-year-old student shot and wounded his teacher with a 9mm handgun owned by his mother. A lawyer for the child’s mother previously said the gun was secured on the top shelf of the mother’s closet, as reported by the Associated Press.
According to statistics from Everytown for Gun Safety – a gun violence prevention organization – 1,121 people die by guns in Virginia on average each year. Between 2012 and 2021, the rate of gun deaths in Virginia increased 42% compared to a nationwide increase of 39%.
Research indicates safe firearm storage can help prevent gun deaths and injuries among children. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, according to an analysis published in 2022 from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Democratic lawmakers in the General Assembly introduced several bills this year surrounding gun safety in the commonwealth, including bills to prohibit individuals from carrying assault weapons in certain public areas and prohibit the sale of unserialized weapon parts, better known as “ghost guns.” Some Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to repeal state gun laws.
Most measures introduced by both Republicans and Democrats surrounding firearms were killed in the politically-divided General Assembly this session.
Representatives from the NRA and Everytown for Gun Safety could not be reached for comment regarding the governor signing HB 2387.
On November 14, 2022, a judge dismissed charges for Robert Wilson Jr., 37, a teacher accused of having weapons inside his apartment, located at Covington Harper Elementary School near Dumfries.
A postal employee dropped a package addressed to the school at the neighbor’s house. The neighbor opened the package to find ammunition and took the package to the school.
Police said they searched the suspect’s at-school apartment and found guns and accessories on Tuesday, August 9. Police confiscated the weapons, which the suspect never brandished on school property.
At the time of the incident, Wilson, Jr. was a teacher at Rippon Middle School in Woodbridge.
Today’s Take Me-Home-Tuesday pets post comes from the Prince William County Animal Shelter.
Ice – #5050, Male dog, 7 – 10 years old, house trained, loves walks “move-in” condition. Ice is the typical couch potato. He’s also calm with other dogs.
Ivy – #37124, Female cat, 9 years-old, Domestic Black and White short hair, Spayed.
If you want to apply or learn about either, go to the Prince William County Animal Shelter page at the top of this post. You can also call 703-792-6465, or email [email protected]
We accept write-ups and photos of animals for adoption across the region. Please send the em to [email protected].
Gas will be cheaper this week at Sheetz convenience stores in the region.
The fuel chain says it will slash the price of premium fuel to match its regular 87 fuel grade.
The price cut lasts through Friday, March 24, 2023, and is part of a St. Patrick’s Day promotion.
More in a press release:
Today Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain, is kicking off St. Patrick’s Day by reducing the price of its premium, mid-grade and ethanol free fuel grades (where available). The prices of these grades will now be dropped to match the regular 87 prices at all Sheetz locations that offer these fuel options.
Customers won’t need to wear green to enjoy this limited time promotion, which is effective immediately and lasts until March 24, 2023. Customers can check if their local Sheetz sells these fuel grades through the Sheetz mobile app or website.
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