The Stafford County Board of Supervisors retreated into clossed session, turning off the TV cameras to discuss a developer's proposal to build townhomes on county-owned land during their afternoon meeting on Tuesday, February 21,
The unnamed developer wants to build homes on 10 acres, on which the the old Anne E. Moncure Elementary School sat, next to bustling Route 610 in North Stafford. The county assessed the property at about $14 million.
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Dumfries town officials held a youth town hall on Monday, February 20, 2023.
Tweflth-grade student Chance Williams and a panel of two seniors, and students if fifth and six grades in Prince William County Schools participated.
During the town hall, the panel discussed a range of topics, including bullying, mental health issues in schools, lack of community activities for students, and a feeling of not being safe. Parents were also in attendance and shared their concerns about school lockdowns and student bullying.
School board member Justin Wilk asked the panel about their thoughts on using AI metal detectors in schools, to which the students gave thoughtful and well-considered responses. The panel expressed concerns about the root causes of gun violence and the need to prevent students from feeling the need to bring weapons to school.
Monique, a teacher at Forest Park, added her thoughts on the importance of providing more recreational activities for young people and increasing parent and community engagement with our youth.
The event comes after a mass shooting the town on January 4 carried out by a gunman that took the life of a 3-year-old girl.
The event was attended by a range of community members, including parents, students, the Dumfries Town Council, Potomac District Supervisor, officers from Prince William County, a representative for Chair Wheeler’s office, and officers from the Town of Dumfries and Prince William County.
“I want to commend the panel of students for their leadership in hosting this important event,” said Mayor Derrick Wood in a press release. “Their passion, insight, and thoughtful responses made the town hall a huge success. It’s important to create opportunities for young people to have a voice and be heard. Their ideas and concerns are essential in shaping a better future for our community.”
On Sunday, February 19, 2023, fire and rescue crews were dispatched to the 12000 block of Hunterbrook Drive in Woodbridge for a report of a townhouse on fire.
Units arrived with light smoke showing. Fire attack and extinguishment quickly followed. The fire was located in the kitchen with smoke throughout the structure.
The home sustained significant damage. No one was home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.
The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was accidental, originating in the kitchen.
Bob Weir, the Republican who vows to push back against suburban sprawl and the proliferation of server farms across Prince William County, was elected to the Board of County Supervisors.
Weir beat his Democrat challenger Kerensa Sumers in a landslide 30-point victory today in a Special Election to determine who will complete the term of former Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland, who designed in Decembe022 after 10 years on the job.
Weir’s election is widely seen as a referendum on data centers and development, an answer to a Board of County Supervisors that continues to press forward on plaBattlefieldeNationalr more server farms in both residential areas in Bristow, and historical areas like the Manassas Battlefield National Park.
Several Democrats crossed party lines to vote for Weir after he promised to curb development in the rural area and for his opposition to data centers.
The five Democrats on the eight-member Board of County Supervisors support more data centers in an effort to increase the county’s commercial tax base, which they say, in turn, will lighten the tax burden on individual homeowners.
Democrats have also received substantial donations from labor unions, which have voiced support for data center construction.
With the approval of the Prince William Digital Gateway next to the battlefield, the county is primed to eclipse neighboring Loudoun to become the new data center alley, with more server farms powering the internet than anywhere in the world.
Opponents say that data centers consume too much electricity, use too much water, produce too much noise while cooling the servers inside the buildings, and create too much water runoff into area streams and reservoirs after the land is clearcut to build the centers.
With Weir’s win, Republicans keep the Gainesville District seat in their control, despite the changing electorate that, over the past 10 years, has shifted from Republican to Democrat control.
In the November 2022 General Election, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) won the Gainesville District.
It was a rough start to the election today when voters showed up to learn hundreds of pre-printed ballots were too wide to fit into the optical scanners. That left elections officials scrambling to print and deliver new ballots.
A new organic grocer is coming to the Manassas area.
Sprouts Farmers Market, at 8431 Sudley Road, across from Manassas Mall, will open May 12, 2023. The company is hiring 90 people.
A virtual management hiring event will take place on March 15. Interested candidates should visit the Sprouts Career Portal at https://about.sprouts.com/careers/ and reference Store 887 to apply online. If contacted, additional information will be provided. Interviews will be scheduled from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Two in-person team member hiring events will take place on March, 29 and 30 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Manassas Battlefield located at 10424 Balls Ford Rd. in Manassas, VA. Candidates may apply online in advance at about.sprouts.com/careers/. Walk-in applicants are also welcomed to attend the event.
Employment opportunities include:
- Department Managers, Assistant Department Managers and Clerks (Produce, Vitamins and Body Care, Meat and Seafood, Deli, Grocery, Bakery and more)
- Cashiers
- Courtesy Clerks
- Backup Receiver, Administrative Coordinator and Scan Coordinator
Sprouts offers competitive pay, team member discounts, a fun and rewarding culture, and numerous career advancement opportunities. To learn more about open positions and team member benefits, or to apply, visit sprouts.com/careers or call 1-866-925-2396 for non-managerial roles.
Sprouts welcomes shoppers with a farmer’s market experience and open layout featuring fresh produce at the center of the store. Innovative, seasonal and attribute-driven products such as organic, plant-based, keto, paleo and more offer a treasure hunt shopping experience amid Sprouts’ healthy assortment.
For a list of stores by region or to see other locations coming soon, visit sprouts.com/stores.About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 31,000 team members and operates approximately 380 stores in 23 states nationwide. Sprouts celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit about.sprouts.com.
Suparna Dutta appeared at a parent’s rights forum in Spotsylvania County just days after Virginia Senate Democrats ousted her from the Virginia Board of Education.
On February 7, 2023, Senate Democrats, including all who represent residents of Prince William County, voted to remove her from the Virginia Board of Education. Last summer, Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed the Indian immigrant to the position to be a voice for parents.
Dutta rose to fame during the coronavirus lockdowns after speaking out against the Fairfax County School Board and its admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which did away with standardized admissions tests based on merit in exchange for a new system accounting for race.
“A parent’s opinion is sorely needed on the Board of Education, and I found out a parent’s opinion is not wanted on the Board of Education,” Dutta told a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the Gourmeltz restaurant.
On Monday, February 20, 2o23, Dutta appeared on stage during Spotsylvania County Parents Rights Forum. Ashra Nomani, who has also gained national attention while protesting Fairfax County Public Schools policies; Matt Strickland, Gourmeltz owner and Virginia Senate candidate in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties; and Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Jonathan Emord, whose running against Senator Tim Kaine (D), joined Dutta at the forum.
An opinion piece published on Real Clear Politics by Nomani accuses several Prince William County prominent community members of lobbying Senators to remove the Indian immigrant. Opponents called the Democrat’s move racist, while supporters said Dutta didn’t have enough experience working in education to serve on the state board.
In a brief exchange with PLN after the forum, Dutta attributed her critics in Prince William County to adhering to Islamic fundamentalism, which “is being imported into Northern Virginia.”
During the forum, Dutta told the crowd Kaine’s wife, Ann Holton, now on her second term on the Board of Education, wants Ronald Regan’s “shining city on a hill” description of the U.S. stripped from history teachings and that the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are not “remarkable” documents because they allowed slavery.
When asked about her comments by WSET-TV, Kaine said her comments were misrepresented.
Since August 2022, the Board of Education has been reviewing the standards of history that will be taught to children from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Strickland is running to represent Virginia District 27, which includes portions of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg city. He’s facing Tara Durant (R) in a Primary Election, who chose to run for the Senate seat, giving up the seat she won in the House of Delegates in 2021.
“Parents’ rights are being stripped right from under their feet because of bureaucrats who were unelected,” said Strickland, harkening back to the coronavirus lockdowns that shuttered school buildings and led to severe learning loss for students across Virginia.
Strickland encouraged more Virginia residents to pay attention to the 2023 election, telling attendees decisions made by state and local leaders to affect their daily lives more so than those made at the federal level. “I’ve been knocking on a lot of doors, and not many people are paying attention,” added Strickland.
Spotsylvania County School Board Chairwoman Lisa Phelps also attended the forum.
A wind warning is in effect for a portion of our area.
…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING…
* WHAT…West winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph
expected.
* WHERE…Portions of central, north central and northern
Maryland, The District of Columbia, central, northern and
northwest Virginia and eastern and panhandle West Virginia.
* WHEN…Until 7 PM EST this evening.
* IMPACTS…Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects.
Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may
result.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high
profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
The forecast:
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with a low around 39. West wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Wednesday
A chance of rain, mainly between 10am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Wednesday Night
A slight chance of rain after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southeast wind 7 to 15 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Rock Hill District residents will see a wider, two-lane bridge over Aquia Creek.
The bridge carries traffic on Rock Hill Church Road, between Route 610 and Mountain View Road in Stafford County. The road links drivers to Popular Road, a connection to Route 17 and Fredericksburg.
A Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman says the new, wider bridge will be complete in 2026. A portion of Rock Hill Chruch Road will be closed during the bridge construction, he told the Stafford Board of Supervisors on February 7, 2023.
VDOT assured the supervisors it would not detour drivers through the Windsor Forest neighborhood on Longwood Drive. He didn’t say where the detour would be or how long construction of the new bridge would take.
In 2019, VDOT placed a traffic signal at the bridge and replaced the old narrow bridge with a metal one-lane structure. The signal light manages traffic flow across the bridge.
Stafford Hospital Foundation says Transurban, operator of the Interstate 495, 95, and 395 E-ZPass Express Lanes will be the Sunshine Title Sponsor of this year’s Spring Fever 5K race.
The race will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, on the campus of Stafford Hospital, 101 Hospital Center Boulevard in Stafford, and is part of the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix, a series of nine races that take place in our region, and the Stafford Race Series, a set of five races to promote community engagement and wellness activities in the county.
“As a result of the generosity from Transurban and from additional sponsors and donors, the Foundation can make a great impact on their fundraising goals and support Mary Washington Healthcare’s mission to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve,” said Xavier Richardson, President of the Stafford Hospital Foundation in a press release. “Since the inception of the race ten years ago, more than $248,000 has been raised to support the operational program, training, and equipment needs of Stafford Hospital.”
Since the hospital opened in 2009, Stafford Hospital has offered healthcare to its patients, improved access to care, and grown through expanding services and equipment.