Farmers' markets are coming back to Manassas and Prince William County.
This year, Historic Manassas Inc. is hosting their Manassas Farmers Market during peak season, which will run through mid-November.Â
The Market is split between Thursdays at the Harris Pavilion in Historic Downtown Manassas and Saturdays at the Prince William Commuter Lot across from Baldwin Elementary School.
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The Manassas City Council moved to increase the pay of two of the city's constitutional officers -- the City Treasurer and the Commissioner of the Revenue.
Both offices are up for reelection this November.
According to the information from the city, the current salaries for the offices of Treasurer and the Commissioner of the Revenue are $118,830 and $131,918, respectively. Should the current office-holders retain their positions after the election on November 2, their salaries will not be affected by the new terms and conditions.
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Some annual events for which Manassas City has developed a reputation will take place this year.Â
Some won’t.
The latest planned event in 2021 to fall victim to the coronavirus scare is the city’s annual air show, one of the largest in the region. At the end of May, the event typically occurs at the city’s airport, at 10600 Harry J. Parrish Boulevard.Â
It’s a free event, chocked full of fun activities that include viewing propeller planes and jet aircraft performing overhead stunts and food and games for children and families.Â
The last air show was in 2019, and it attracted tens of thousands of people. However, there’s been no Manassas air show since then.Â
The airshow’s cancelation comes on the heels of the cancelations of other city events this year, including the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the One Love Festival, and the annual Viking Festival. All were canceled again this year, for the second year in a row.Â
But it’s not all bad news, as the city is working to bring back its popular First Friday event to the downtown neighborhood this Friday, May 7, 2021. The event’s theme will be Downtown Derby, in honor of the Kentucky Derby. It will feature stick horse races and derby hat parade and contest at the Harris Pavilion, as well as Mint Juleps and sales at participating downtown businesses.
“These [First Friday] events are held outdoors… We’ve tried to support our businesses in the downtown sector, and it’s worked out well so far,” Manassas Police Chief Douglas Keen told the city council.Â
Adding to the good news, the city is planning to bring back more events over the summer and into the fall.Â
- Railway Heritage Festival, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Jazz Festival, Â June 19 from noon to 7 p.m.Â
- Celebrate America, July 4, from 3 to 10 p.m.Â
- Bands, Brews, and Barbecue, September 4 from noon to 6 p.m.Â
- Fall Jubilee, October 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Â
- Haunted Happenings, October 30, 10 a.m to noon.
- Merry Old Town, weekends December 3 to December 19 at 4 p.m.
On April 26, the city council ratified its list of city “sanctioned” events. For the past eight years, the city has given priority to the events on this list, including many of the ones listed above.Â
The city plays host to more than than just the events on the list, said Keen. However, if someone applies for a permit to hold an event on the same day as a city-sanctioned event, the city event will get preference, Keen explained.
A unique concept in convenience stores, that includes two new restaurants inside of a 7-Eleven store, opened near Manassas.
Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair At-large reports:
Thursday, April 29, Chair Wheeler attended a ribbon cutting for 7-Eleven’s new Evolution Store in Manassas. Located at 10601 Lomond Drive, it is the first Evolution Store to offer customers two restaurant options operating side by side inside the store, with separate ordering counters and shared indoor and outdoor seating. Its popular Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits restaurant, which opened its first location a year ago in Manhattan, will be joined at the Manassas store by Parlor Pizza, an onsite pizzeria with hand-tossed made-to-order pizzas.
One of just eight experiential stores 7-Eleven operates in the U.S., it has several other exclusive features. There is a well-stocked Wine Cellar and Beer Cooler, fresh-baked-on-site croissants and cookies, customized espresso drinks, and artisan craft sodas and sparkling waters.
It is also the first store to serve as a real-world testing ground for 7-Eleven’s Sips and Snacks emerging brands program. Since 2018, 7-Eleven has hosted an invitation-only showcase for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to present their most innovative products. Franchisees and company employees vote on their favorites, and the winners land on store shelves where customers have the ultimate say.
Update from Virginia State Police
Virginia State Police Trooper A. Biffany is investigating a two-vehicle crash in Stafford County. The crash occurred Monday, May 3rd, at 11:48 a.m. along Interstate 95 at the 146-mile-marker.
A 2015 Mazda CX-5 was traveling South on I-95 when it rear-ended a 2018 Freightliner tractor-trailer, that slowed due to heavy traffic.The driver of the Mazda, a 37-year-old male, of Winchester, VA, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital. The male was wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 61-year-old male, of Burlington, NC, was not injured in the crash. The male was wearing a seatbelt.Charges are pending.
The crash remains under investigation.
Original post
One person was seriously injured today in a crash on Interstate 95 near Quantico.
Crews extracted at least one person who became trapped inside of their car after it collided with a tractor-trailer, pinning the car underneath the rig.
The injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, according to Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Brent Coffey.
The crash occurred about 12:45 p.m. and forced the closure of the southbound portion of the highway. The road reopened about 2 p.m.
Here’s more from the Virginia Department of Transportation:
Interstate 95 southbound is closed in Stafford County at mile marker 146, south of Exit 148 (Quantico), for a crash involving a tractor-trailer.
Southbound I-95 motorists can expect significant delays approaching the Exit 148 area, with approximately three miles of congestion approaching the incident scene.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority released the study, which claims that recent investments in the improvement of Northern Virginia’s multimodal transportation infrastructure are paying off, especially in terms of economic development for the area.
According to the study made by the Richmond-based Chmura Economics and Analytics, it was found that from the initial $3.3 billion in investments that have been made since 2014, NVTA and Northern Virginia have seen a return of $7.1 billion, making it more than 150% return.
Included in this investment are projects such as the $8 million North Woodbridge Improvements, the $193 million Route 1 widening, and the $70 million corridor roadway improvements on Route 28.
According to NVTA Public Relations Manager Erica Hawksworth, one of the factors that have been considered in the analysis has been the expected reduction in traffic congestion as a result of the projects funded by the NVTA. The expected decrease is expected to be more than 225 million hours of congestion which, when considered to a $15 an hour medium wage for the region, would translate to $3.12 billion in value of time saved through 2030.
When combined with other factors such as the direct impacts such as labor and construction, indirect impacts such as rental and support services, induced impacts such as retail services, NVTA considers their investment well spent.
Another highlight of the report is that the projects have created 30,000 jobs in the Commonwealth, with about 90% of those jobs staying in Northern Virginia. These jobs range from the direct result of the projects such as construction and transportation operation to those that have been impacted by the projects, such as jobs related to consumer industries such as retail and restaurants.
The report estimates that those jobs will be generated over several years between 2015 to 2030, some of which will continue as support services such as infrastructure maintenance and other related services.
“NVTA’s transportation investment also has broader economic and social benefits, including increasing economic productivity, attracting businesses, better access to business and services, improving safety and regional quality of life, and environmental benefits. These benefits are not considered in the monetary calculations,” says Hawksworth.
Several Democratic candidates were recently disqualified from running for state offices in Virginia.
Dumfries Town Council member Cydny Neville planned to run to represent Prince William County's 52nd District in the House of Delegates, challenging longtime incumbent Luke Torian (D).
Neville filed some of her paperwork with the Prince William County Board of Elections. It had offered to pass it on to the Virginia Board of Elections.
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Dr. Steve Pleickhardt, a dentist residing and practicing in Manassas, will be the GOP's candidate to take on incumbent Lee Carter (D-50, Bristow, Manassas) -- Virginia's first self-avowed socialist -- in November.Â
Pleickhardt won a firehouse primary on Saturday, May 1, running against Mike Allers Jr., a Loudoun County school teacher who also lives in Manassas. The primary, which was held at Metz Middle School in Manassas, saw Pleickhardt take the win in the overall election with 266 votes to Allers' 169 votes.
Allers had taken the majority of votes from Manassas City with 124 to Pleickhardt's 116. But it was in Prince William County itself where Pleickhardt picked up the lion's share of support receiving 150 votes to Allers' 45.
In a video on the Committee's Facebook page, Allers conceded and congratulated Pleickhardt for his victory in the primary. Allers caused some consternation in the local GOP in the week leading up to the Primary Election by sending out a flyer that insinuated that Pleickhardt had "foreign ties" which could make him vulnerable to outside influence as well as mentioning the doctor's personal financial woes from back in 2017.
Allers' concession also included a pledge to support Pleickhardt in his campaign against Carter.
Pleickhardt's opponent for the seat of the 50th District in the House of Delegates with bt incumbent Lee Carter who will be running for his third consecutive term in office. Carter has found himself at odds not only with Republicans but also with police as last May Carter was teargassed during a protest near Manassas. Carter confronted police, refusing to leave the protest area, following a riot that saw several businesses damaged, four police officers injured, and five people arrested. The charges on all five individuals were later dropped.Â
"The big issue is we have to defeat Socialism, we have to defeat Lee Carter, and even if it's not Lee Carter, his policies. So that's what's going to be important in the fall," said Milke Allers Jr. in his concession video.
Pleickhardt and Carter will face off in the General Election on Tuesday, November 2 to see who will represent the 50th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
In addition to running to keep his seat in the House of Delegates, Carter has also mounted a campaign for Virginia Governor. Democrats will have their say in a statewide Primary Election on Tuesday, June 8, as to who their candidate will be.
So far, former Virginia Terry McAuliffe, who's making his second bid to be state governor, is leading the race, topping Jennifer Carroll Foy, who represented residents in Virginia's 2nd House District (North Stafford, Woodbridge) until she stepped down from the office in December to concentrate on her gubenatorial campaign.
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Prince William County
Arrest made in Manassas area shooting
On April 30, the suspect sought in connection to the shooting that was reported to have occurred in the 8000 block of Coachcrest Court in the Coverstone neighborhood near Manassason on April 29, was arrested. The suspect, Joel Thomas Schrank, was taken into custody by members of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia.
Shrank, 20, of the 500 block of Colony Court in Warrenton, is charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, police tell us.
On April 29 at 11:36 a.m., officers were called to the 8000 block of Coachcrest Court to investigate a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, identified as a 20-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police told us.
The investigation revealed that the victim and an acquaintance, identified as the accused, were inside a vehicle when a verbal altercation escalated. During the encounter, the accused retrieved a firearm from inside the vehicle and fired a round, striking the victim.
The victim got out of the vehicle and contacted a family member who notified the police. The accused fled the area in a 2013 grey Nissan Sentra prior to police arriving.
Shooting victim appears at Haymarket hospital
On May 1 at 2:33 a.m., officers responded to the Novant Health Haymarket Medical Center located at 15225 Heathcote Blvd. in Haymarket to investigate a shooting. The investigation revealed that a 22-year-old man was dropped off at the hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
The acquaintances who dropped the man off left the hospital prior to police arrival. The man who was shot was not initially cooperative with officers in the investigation.
Boys 12, 16, forced at gunpoint to withdraw cash from ATM
On April 30 at 4 p.m., officers responded to the 10400 block of Sudley Manor Road. in Manassas (20109) to investigate a robbery. The investigation revealed that while in the parking lot, the victims, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old male juvenile, were approached by an acquaintance and four unknown male individuals.
During the encounter, one of the unknown male individuals brandished a firearm before demanding the victim’s property. At one point, the 16-year-old victim was forced to enter a nearby business and withdraw money from the ATM inside.
Eventually, all of the suspects fled the area on foot and the victim’s reported the incident to a family member who contacted the police. No injuries were reported. An undisclosed amount of money was reported missing.
Suspect Description:
A white male, possibly a juvenile, 5’3”, 110lbs., with long wavey black hair
Last seen wearing a black hat backwards, and an unknown color t-shirt and shorts
A black male, possibly a juvenile, 5’9”, 160lbs., with short wavey black hair Last seen wearing a blue jean jacket and jeans, and carrying a firearm
The other three suspects were only described as black males.
Shots fired in Triangle
On May 1 at 8 p.m., officers responded to a residence located in the 18400 block of Woodland Dr. in Triangle (22172) to investigate a shots fired call.
Residents in the area reported to police that gunshots were heard before a vehicle fled the area. The investigation revealed that rounds were fired from Woodland Dr., which struck a nearby residence and a parked vehicle.
No injuries or additional property damage were reported. Officers located shell casings in the roadway.
Attempted burglary at Gainesville medical center
On May 3 at 3:14 a.m., officers responded to the Gainesville Medical Center located at 14370 Lee Hwy. in Gainesville (20155) to investigate alarm activation.
Upon arrival, officers observed damage to the front door. The investigation revealed that entry was made into the building through the front doors and one of the rear business suite doors was found unsecured. No property was reported missing.
Stafford County
A wanted man who was arrested yesterday afternoon added to his problems by assaulting deputies during the arrest, Stafford authorities told us.
On May 2 at 1:47 p.m., Deputy J.A. Hinson responded to a home on Frasier Drive for a disturbance. Upon arrival, he encountered Emmanuel Anyidoho, 44, of Stafford, in the front yard of the residence in an agitated state, states the sheriff’s office. Deputy Hinson determined that Anyidoho had an active warrant in Fairfax for attempting to disarm an officer.
Deputy A.W. Sypolt arrived to assist and the deputies informed Anyidoho he was under arrest. Anyidoho resisted the arrest and began grabbing at the equipment on the deputy’s duty belt. The deputies used OC spray and physical control techniques to get Anyidoho into custody. Both deputies sustained minor scrapes during the arrest, states the sheriff’s office.
Anyidoho was charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and he was served the outstanding warrant. Additionally, Deputy Hinson obtained a warrant for assault based on the circumstances of the disturbance deputies were originally called for. Anyidoho was held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
Stolen car
Walt Whitman Boulevard, 4/30, 1:01 p.m. The victim reported the rear license plate on his vehicle had been stolen while it was parked in the area. The theft is believed to have occurred between 2 p.m. on April 29 and 1 p.m. on April 30.
Theives clear Walmart shelvesÂ
125 Washington Square Plaza, Walmart, 4/30, 1:23 p.m. The loss prevention employee reported he reviewed security footage and found three male suspects removed miscellaneous items and electronics off of the store shelves. They then removed security devices from the electronics and concealed all items in a backpack. The suspects left the store without paying for the merchandise. The theft occurred on April 27 at 2:55 p.m.
Cartons of smokes liftedÂ
105 Garrisonville Road, Wawa, 5/1, 2:40 a.m. A store employee reported a male suspect went behind the checkout counter and stole a box containing several cartons of cigarettes while she was in the back of the store. The suspect fled with the box and was seen leaving the scene in a dark colored sedan.
