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[Updated] Snow days will nearly be a thing of the past for Prince William County Public Schools students.

Superintendent Dr. Latanya McDade announced a new snow day policy, introducing a Code Orange classification to the color-coded system the division uses to indicate the severity of weather-related closures. When McDade issues a Code Orange alert, school buildings will be closed for the day due to hazardous outdoor conditions that would hamper children’s safe travel to and from school.

Instead of going to school, the division will require students to log on to a laptop from home to complete independent coursework, called asynchronous learning. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, all students attended classes online after Gov. Ralph Northam shuttered public school buildings.

The division won’t require teachers to work on Code Orange days this year. However, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, McDade will require teachers to provide live instruction when she issues a Code Orange alert.

Overall, the new orange alert replaces one and two-hour delays, which the division phased out with this move. “Due to the ongoing national shortage of bus drivers, [Prince William County Public Schools] continues to have a number of double and triple bus runs. These runs make it logistically impracticable to have delayed openings,” McDade states.

The government school division will continue to issue Code Red alerts, said McDade. However, “Code Red Days” will be fewer and far between and most commonly given when weather conditions cause utility outages, making it impossible for students and teachers to work from home.

At the onset of the pandemic, school divisions across the state made strides to provide new and used laptop computers to children who state leaders forced to learn from home. “We have also made significant investments in technology support for our students, teachers, and staff,” says McDade.

Last month, the County School Board approved the division’s 2022-23 calendar. Students will begin the year before Labor Day, something the division began in 2019. The school year ends June 15, 2023, and includes “two full weeks for winter break and incorporates additional holidays that reflect the diversity of the PWCS community.”

About 89,000 children attend Prince William County Public Schools, about 3,000 fewer than before the pandemic. It’s the second-largest government school division in the state.

In March 2020, Virginia was the first state in the U.S. to close schools for the coronavirus. Initially, Northam ordered a two-week shutdown of public schools.

The move sent school divisions scrambling to purchase new and used laptop computers for students to use a home. While county school administrators allowed children back into school buildings for a hybrid schedule this time last year, the majority of students at Prince William’s government schools returned to the classroom this past August.

On August 26, the Virginia Department of Education released the long-awaited Standards of Learning test results. After nearly a year of remote learning, as many expected, most students performed poorly.

“Virginia’s 2020-2021 SOL test scores tell us what we already knew–students need to be in the classroom without disruption to learn effectively,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane stated in a press release. “The connections, structures, and supports our school communities provide are irreplaceable, and many students did not have access to in-person instruction for the full academic year. We must now focus on unfinished learning and acceleration to mitigate the impact the pandemic has had on student results.”

Since students’ returned to the classroom five days a week, the school division continues to focus on tutoring children to make up for the lost instructional time.

Shoppers who fill their orders at grocery stores in Fredericksburg must soon pay for plastic bags.

Today, the city announced it will begin taxing retailers five cents for every disposable plastic bag used starting January 1, 2022. The new tax should reduce the number of disposable plastic bags in the city, leaders said.

At stores that pass the tax along to their customers, shoppers must pay for the bags at the point of sale, similar to when retailers charge sales tax. Groceries, convenience, and drug stores are responsible for paying the new city tax.

The tax does not apply to plastic bags carrying meat, produce, trash, or pet waste. Members of the Fredericksburg City Council began discussing the tax this past summer.

“It is past time for us to take this action. Plastic bags are just one step of the process. It’s not hard to get into new habits if you’re not there already,” said At-large City Council Member Kerry Devine during the September 14 City Council meeting when the City Council voted unanimously to adopt the tax.

Devine encouraged shoppers to carry reusable plastic bags. Devine added that some of the tax money the city collects from the new levy would be used to purchase reusable bags for residents.

Stores at Central Park, a regional shopping hub located within Fredericksburg City limits, will be responsible for paying the tax.

Today, the city issued a press release about the new tax.

A disposable-plastic-bag tax will go into effect on January 1 in the City of Fredericksburg.

The Virginia General Assembly last year enacted legislation to authorize the new tax of 5 cents per disposable plastic bag provided to retail customers by grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores. Fredericksburg City Council adopted the tax earlier this year to take effect January 1 in an effort to reduce the use of single-use disposable plastic bags in the City and promote the use of durable multi-use bags by retail and restaurant establishments. This initiative is an extension of City Council’s desired future state for a Green, Clean Environment in which “Fredericksburg is a responsible, modern city with a quality of life that is guaranteed by thoughtful environmental stewardship.”

The tax will be collected at the point of purchase, in a similar manner as sales taxes, and will be administered and enforced by the Virginia Tax Commissioner in Richmond.

Larger “big box” retailers such as Walmart or Target will be subject to the tax if they contain a grocery store, convenience store or drugstore. No retailer will be subject to the tax solely because it offers a limited number of snacks and beverages for sale at the cash register. Furthermore, per state code, the tax will only apply to retailers that maintain regular business hours at a fixed place of business in the City.

Retailers will be compensated for the costs of collecting and remitting the tax by retaining a portion of the tax collected. Until January 1, 2023, retailers subject to the tax will be able to retain 2 cents for every 5 cents collected. After January 1, 2023, this discount will be reduced to 1 cent per bag.

The 5-cent tax will not apply to:
• Durable plastic bags meant for multiple reuse
• Bags that are solely used to wrap ice cream, meat, fish, poultry, produce, unwrapped bulk food items or other perishable food items in order to avoid damage or contamination
• Plastic bags used for dry cleaning or prescription drugs
• Bags that are packaged and sold for use as garbage, pet waste or leaf-removal bags

State law requires that all revenue collected from this tax shall be appropriated for the purposes of environmental cleanup, providing education programs designed to reduce environmental waste, mitigating pollution and litter, and providing reusable bags to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) benefits.

The cost of a pack of smokes could rise in Stafford County.

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Parents once again demanded an end to a mask mandate in Prince William County Public Schools.

During a regular county School Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 1, parents urged elected leaders and school division chief Dr. Latanya McDade to rescind a mask mandate that’s been in n place since August, the beginning of the current school year.

Making masks optional for students was the standard message parents aimed to get across. “Let those who want to wear them, and there should always be a choice,” said Kimberly Stewart.

Stewart criticized the school division for not publishing data on the effectiveness of masks in school buildings, where 98 percent of children returned to in-person learning after a year of learning remotely from home during the pandemic.

“There’s no talk about exercise or diet, just more talk about wearing masks and vaccines,” said Stewart. Patients who are overweight and have comprised immunity tend to have more significant coronavirus symptoms.

A statement posted to Twitter by School Board Chairman At-large Babur Lateef encouraged parents to speak out against the school division’s mask policy. In the Tweet, Lateef said masks should be optional and that people should get vaccinated.

He added that despite the new Omicron variant, there’s no place for future lockdowns or school building closures. Lateef and other Prince William County School Board members referred to the coronavirus as endemic akin to the common cold rather than a pandemic in an about-face.

“Learning to live with the endemic is necessary,” states Lateef.

However, that’s not the view of most parents who have children in the county school system, said Richard Jessie, husband of Occoquan District School Board member Lillie Jessie and a fixture at county School Board meetings.

Jessie introduced politics into the discussion Wednesday when he reminded the community that Virginia Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin lost Prince William County by 15 points. Youngkin says he will end mask mandates in Virginia’s public schools as part of his “day one” plan.

“With him winning the governorship, it’s has emboldened his supporters, and it has them thinking that things are going to change drastically…you are not the majority of parents in this county,” said Jessie.

Jessie encouraged more parents who support children in masks to attend and speak at School Board meetings. “The majority of people in this county are silent,” he adds.

Last week, Prince William County lost its first child, between the ages of 10 and 19, to die of a multi-inflammatory syndrome. Brought on by the coronavirus, the syndrome can cause problems with children’s hearts, lungs, and other organs. In some cases, it can lead to death.

There have been about 100 reported cases of the syndrome across the state since the pandemic began.

Christmas will come to Manassas this weekend.

The cornerstone event is the city’s 75th Annual Greater Manassas Christmas Parade, at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 4. The theme for the parade is “Down Santa Claus Lane.”

The parade will feature more than 100 acts, including marching bands, fire trucks, police, animal acts, and community organizations. Two giant balloons, a reindeer and mouse, measuring 12 feet tall by 14 feet wide, will make their debut in this year’s parade.

The parade begins on Route 28, winds down Prescott Avenue, then to Center Street, where marchers enter Downtown Manassas. Announcers and parade judges will sit at a review stand at Harris Pavilion, at Center and West streets.

WUSA-TV anchor Annie Yu and Manassas Fire and Rescue Lt. Kevin Shafer will be the parade announcers. The city honored Sharita Rouse, founder of Tummy YumYum Gourmet Candy Apples as Woman of the Year, and city native Joe Nelson, a 35-year parade volunteer as Man of the Year.

Parade attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Volunteer Prince William’s Untrim-A-Tree Holiday Gift Program. Volunteers will collect toys along the parade route.

Un-Trim-A-Tree helps provide gifts to thousands of children in Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.

Stanley Martin Homes, TD Bank, Miller Toyota, and Manassas City Government sponsored the parade, which lasts about two hours.

Santa Lights Manassas

On Friday, December 3, Santa Claus will return to Manassas to light the city’s Christmas Tree, on the lawn of the city museum, at 9101 Prince William Street. Crowds will gather at 5:15 p.m. at the city’s train station to welcome Santa, who is scheduled to arrive by rail car at 6 p.m.

After the tree is lit, Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children and listen to their Christmas wishes. Free wagon rides will be offered, The Harris Pavilion Ice Rink will be open, and the downtown shops and restaurants will be for business.

For the past 27 years, the “Santa Lights Manassas” has been a Christmastime staple in the city.

The victim tapped an app, and now a suspect is in jail.

Police arrested one man in connection to a robbery in the 7200 block of Market Court near Manassas at 1:35 p.m. Thursday, November 25. The victim used a social media app to purchase a pair of shoes and arranged to meet someone to pick up the sneakers, police said.

While there, the suspect tried to walk away with the shoes, and a fight broke out between the suspect and the victim, police said. Then, a friend of the suspect pulled a gun, police said.

The suspect and his friend then jumped into a car and fled the scene. No one fired any shots, and no one reported any injuries.

While canvassing the area, officers found and later identified the suspect. Following the investigation, police arrested the suspect’s friend, Christopher Lee Fouts, and charged him with robbery and brandishing.

Today, police captured William Francisco Madrigal, 18, of 9488 Black Hawk Ct. in Manassas Park and charged him with robbery and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, police said.

Prince William police also report today:

Strong-Arm Robbery – On November 30 at 11:07PM, officers responded to the 13600 block of Bentley Cl. in Woodbridge (22192) to investigate a robbery. The victim, a 24-year-old man, reported to police that earlier in the evening, he was walking in the above area when he was struck from behind by an unknown man. The victim fell to the ground resulting in his firearm falling out of his pocket. The man grabbed the weapon before two unknown women approached and began searching the victim for additional property. When the women did not find any additional property, the suspects, including an additional unknown man who also accompanied the other three individuals, fled in two vehicles described as a Nissan hatchback and a Honda with custom vehicle alterations. The victim reported minor injuries. The suspects were described as two black males and two black females.

Attempted Residential Burglary – On November 29 at 9:03PM, officers responded to the Point at Manassas Apartments located in the 8000 block of Juliet Ln. in Manassas (20109) to investigate an attempted burglary. A resident of the apartment reported to police that upon returning to the apartment they observed damage to the front door. The investigation revealed that the attempted burglary occurred sometime between 7:00AM and 8:15PM. At this time, it appears no entry was made into the home and no property was reported missing.

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A Manassas man faces charges of simple assault, brandishing, and the reckless handling of a firearm.

Police went to the 1000 block of Magnolia Grove Drive for a report of a man with a rifle making threats to hurt himself, police said. Officers used de-escalation tactics and then arrested him, police said.

Police took the suspect to jail and held him without bond. Officers charged Timothy Harris, 49, of Manassas with three counts of simple assault, three counts of reckless handling of a firearm, and five counts of brandishing a gun, police said.

Manassas police also reported today:

Driving While Intoxicated/Hit & Run

On November 29, 2021, at approximately 9:41 p.m. officers from the Manassas City Police Department responded to the Battlefield Ford (8097 Mathis Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110) for a crash into an unoccupied business. The driver fled the scene prior to police arrival. Upon further investigation, the driver was apprehended in Prince William County, transported to the Adult Detention Center and held on a secured bond.

ARRESTED: Andaluz Penaloza, Larry, a 22-year-old resident of Manassas
Charges: Driving While Intoxicated, Hit and Run of Unattended Property, and Driving Without an Operator’s License