Long lines are expected to form outside polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. That’s when voters across our area will not only cast their ballot for President, but also for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

In our area, Incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D) is looking to fend off a challenge from Daniel Gade (R) for a Virginia Senate seat. In the House of Representatives, locally, we have these races:

1st District

• Rob Wittman (R) Incumbent
• Qasim Rashid (D)

10th District

• Jennifer Wexton (D) Incumbent
• Aliscia Andrews (R)

11th District

• Gerry Connolly (D) Incumbent
• Manga Anantatmula (R)

Use this page to learn what candidates will be on your ballot.

One way to avoid the line on Election Day: Cast your ballot absentee in-person. A new law passed earlier his year by Gov. Ralph Norham now allows no-excuse in absentee in-person voting. Before, residents had to claim a hardship — like commuting, or out of state travel on Election Day — to qualify to vote absentee.

Each jurisdiction we cover will have its own absentee in-person polling places set up. Here’s a breakdown:

Prince William County

Starting Friday, Sept. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., residents may visit any one of the following locations to cast their ballot:

• Prince William Office of Elections, 9250 Lee Ave Ste. 1, Manassas
• Woodbridge Department of Motor Vehicles, 2731 Caton Hill Road, Woodbridge
• Haymarket Gainesville Community Library, 14780 Lightner Road, Haymarket

Starting Monday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 31, five more locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Piney Branch Elementary School, 8301 Linton Hall Road, Bristow
• Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School, 13833 Dumfries Road, Manassas
• Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive, Woodbridge
• James J. McCoart Administrative Building, 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge
• Dumfries Community Center, 17755 Main St., Dumfries

Stafford County

Voters may vote on election days in their regular precincts from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.  at the following lcoations:

• Voter Registrar Office – George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center, 1300 Courthouse Road
  
• Voter Registrar Satellite Office – Stafford Regional Airport, 95 Aviation Way
  

Manassas 

Early in-person voters may vote at 9025 Center Street in downtown Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 24 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The city will also have a dropbox for city residents to drop off their absentee ballots. The box will be located behind the registrar’s office at 9025 Center Street where it will be monitored 24-hours a day, 7-days a week by surveillance cameras, and emptied several times a day by the Registrar, according to city spokeswoman Patty Prince.

On election day, there will be drop boxes at each precinct for voters’ convenience for use only by city resdients. Those who live in Prince William County or Manassas Park, or anywhere else outside Manassas should not use these boxes.

Fredericksburg

Early in-person voters in the City of Fredericksburg can vote at 601 Caroline Street on Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the end of October. And also on two extra days: Saturday, October 24 and Saturday, October 31, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Voters are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Bring voter I.D. List of I.D. options required for voting

Absentee Ballots for the November 3, 2020 Election will begin to be mailed out the week of September 18, 2020 to those voters who have submitted an application. Absentee ballots will be mailed continuously through the application deadline, October 23, 2020. Absentee ballot applications are processed daily.

Fredericksburg residents may return their own absentee ballot, absentee application, or voter registration in a drop box located in front of the Executive Plaza, 601 Caroline Street. The box is monitored by surveillance cameras and checked seven days a week by the registrar.

Manassas Park

The city’s general registrar told PLN they’re working to post information about absentee voting in that city on its website.

Mail-in voting

Friday, September 18 also marks the date that absentee ballots will begin to be mailed to vogters. Here’s an FAQ provided by Stafford County officials for those who choose to vote by mail:

Who can vote absentee?
Anyone can vote absentee. After new legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly went into effect July 1, 2020, Virginia voters no longer need an excuse to vote absentee. Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot or go vote early in person. Absentee ballots will begin being mailed out on September 18, the same day early voting begins in all localities throughout the Commonwealth.

How do you request an absentee ballot?
Voters may request an absentee ballot safely and securely by completing a request for an absentee ballot from the Voter Registrar or the Virginia Department of Elections website, both of which are listed below. You may also request an absentee ballot by contacting either office by phone. The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 23, 2020.

How do you return an absentee ballot?
You may deliver the ballot by hand to the Voter Registrar’s Office. You can mail it back using the envelope with prepaid postage that arrived with the ballot. It is essential to use that envelope as it has a built-in barcode that allows you to track your ballot as it goes through the system. You may deliver your ballot to a secure drop box located outside the Registrar’s Office and the satellite voting location located at the Stafford Airport ONLY during working hours. There will also be drop boxes located at each precinct on voting day in which you may drop your ballot.

Will my absentee ballot count?
Yes. Virginia law allows officials to pre-process ballots as they come in before the election. It may take a few days to learn who won the election.

The last day to vote absentee in person is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.

During Rail Safety Week, taking place September 21-27, the Manassas City Police Department will be participating in “Operation Clear Track”.

Manassas City Police, along with numerous other law enforcement agencies around the country, has partnered with the Amtrak Police Department and Operation Lifesaver to help reduce the number of railroad crossing and trespassing incidents. These incidents seriously injure or kill more than 2,100 people in the U.S. and Canada each year.

Due to the on-going pandemic, this year’s “Operation Clear Track” will be a virtual event and will focus on raising rail safety awareness. Railway safety information will be posted throughout the week on the Manassas City Police Department’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

• Railway Safety Tips:
• Never drive or walk around lowered grade crossing gates.
• Never attempt to outrun an approaching train.
• Never stop your vehicle on a grade crossing waiting for traffic to move.
• Only drive across tracks if you know you can get all the way across.
• Remember a train can take a mile or more to stop.
• Slow down and stop your vehicle prior to the train track when lights begin to flash.
  Visit Operation Lifesaver’s national website (oli.org) for safety tips and statistics and visit stayoffthetracks.org for more information on “Operation Clear Track.”

About 50 people who had hoped to speak to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors were turned away.

The county’s top elected officials held their meeting in a small conference room on Tuesday, September 15. The room was outside of the eight-member board’s regular meeting chambers, and due to coronavirus restrictions, seating inside the conference room was limited to less than 20 people.

Meanwhile, dozens of mostly Hispanic residents who stand to lose their homes due to the planned four-lane extension of Godwin Drive in Manassas — which would create a bypass around the heavily-congested Route 28 — say they were shut out.

“We were cut off,” said Chris Griffin.

Residents who wanted to speak to the Board of County Supervisors were allowed to put their names on a sheet of paper. When the meeting began at 2 p.m., residents said the paper was removed, and the window to sign up to speak closed.

About 10 residents addressed the Board, voicing opposition to the $300 million bypass road, which would lead to the demolition of about 54 homes. The road is slated to be built through a swath of wetlands in the Bull Run Regional Park, and that would need approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.

If built, the road would carry drivers four miles, from Prince Wiliam Medical Center in Manassas to Bull Run on the Fairfax County line.

Residents thought the bypass project was dead when, on August 4, the Board of County Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of widening Route 28 between Liberia Avenue to Fairfax County line. On September 8, county leaders cast a 5-3 party-line vote reversing their action, with Democrats favoring to bring back the bypass road.

Yesterday, when those on the speaker list had finished, Ann Wheeler, Chair At-large did not call for any additional speakers as she normally does. PLN has received no response from Wheeler’s office as to why she chose not to call for additional speakers.

Republicans on the board had hoped to convince their Democrat colleagues to move the meeting to the regular Board Chambers so that more people could particpate, but that motion failed on a party-line vote. They also failed to win their support for a revote on the bypass road.

“Today was our only shot for reconsideration,” said Yesli Vega, while addressing the largely Hispanic crowd of people that stand to lose their homes.

“And none of them would allow it?” shouted Sharon Jones, who lives in the path of the would-by roadway.

“You saw it with your own eyes,” replied Vega.

Many residents were frustrated and cursed at Vega, who is their representative on the Board of County Supervisors, and demanded to know why the board reversed its decision on the project, and what type of compensation they will receive for their homes.

County Transportation Director Rick Canizales told PLN none of the affected homeowners have received offers for their property. If they do, those offers will be based on fair market values similar to offers made to business owners affected by the ongoing widening of Route 1 in Woodbridge, about 20 miles east of the proposed bypass project.

“We won’t know for about two years whether or not they’re going to take our house,” said Carol Blaser.

During that time, the county will spend some of the $89 million awarded to it by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to design the bypass road. About halfway through the process, it will submit the design to the Army Corps of Engineers for approval.

Many of the Hispanic residents urged their neighbors to continue to come to the Board of County Superviosrs meeting to speak out agains the board’s deicsion. “Don’t let your immigration status keep you from attending the meeting,” a Spanish-speaking woman shouted. “You saw they tried to silence you.”

Leaders in Manassas this week also reversed their decision on supporting the bypass project. After failing to endorse the project in July, the City Council threw its support behind the project on Monday, September 14.

That was after Loudoun County Chair At-large Phyliss Randall on September 8, who also serves as the chair of the regional transportation authority, threatened to pull a portion of the $89 million in funding from Prince William County and allocate it to other projects in the region. Shortly afterward, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors changed its position and voted to move ahead with the bypass.

Investigators will review how Fredericksburg police handled a series of riots in the city over the summer. During demonstrations following the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, police used tear gas to disperse protestors who descended on the city.

Demonstrations in the city lasted for more than a month.

More in a press release:

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is independently reviewing the City of Fredericksburg’s response to the mass demonstrations between May 31 and June 2 in Fredericksburg. The research team visited Fredericksburg on August 24-27 to conduct a series of meetings and focus groups with members of the community to get a sense of the public perceptions of these events.

The researchers would like to continue to receive feedback from community stakeholders, and they invite members of the public to email their written comments now through September 30, 2020. All are welcome to share any thoughts, perceptions, eyewitness accounts, and general impressions of the events of May 31 – June 2 and their impact on the community.  Please send all comments to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.

PERF’s scope of work is outlined in the public document <https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/11676?fileID=9549> presented during the July 14, 2020, City Council meeting and is expected to take 6-8 months. The work is being handled by a six-member team PERF specially selected for Fredericksburg that includes two law enforcement professionals, including a certified training expert, and four civilian members specializing in criminology, use of force, research, data analysis, and public policy. PERF was selected for its unique ability to evaluate the City’s policies, procedures, practices, tactics and training on mass demonstrations and less-lethal force. PERF is a recognized leader in the industry with more than 40 years of experience, inclusive of hundreds of studies with police agencies throughout the U.S. Read more about the PERF team here fredericksburgva.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/11676?fileID=9549.

Cynthia E. Hudson, a Richmond attorney who is the chair of Governor Ralph Northam’s Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law and former Virginia Chief Deputy Attorney General, assisted the City in identifying PERF as the best-qualified third-party review firm.

Please be sure to submit all comments to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> before the end of September. For more information about the Police Executive Research Forum, please visit policeforum.org.

Authorities are investigating reports of fraud

More in a press release:

DRUGS Carnaby Street/Valdosta Drive, 9/12, 3:56 a.m. Deputy E.E. West responded to a suspicious person screaming and hitting cars near the playground in this area. She located Asiel Butler, 27, of Stafford, coming from the playground hitting himself and screaming. Deputy West learned Butler had an active warrant in Spotsylvania for fraud. Butler was taken into custody and a cut straw with powder residue was found in his pocket. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, public intoxication and the Spotsylvania warrant. Butler was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,000 secure bond.

DUI Mine Road Commuter Lot, 9/11, 10:38 p.m. Deputy K.P. Hall responded to Larkwood Court for a hit and run accident. An unoccupied dark colored SUV was damaged on the street and Deputy Hall located a white fender panel left on the scene by the suspect vehicle. Just after midnight, Deputy A.T. Leckemby located the suspect vehicle in the commuter lot. Samantha Bunch, 45, of Stafford, was found inside the vehicle with a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath. Field sobriety tests were offered and she was arrested for DUI.

Bunch was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $3,500 secure bond for hit and run, DUI second in five years and driving after forfeiture of license. Warrenton Road/Cambridge Street, 9/12, 7:03 a.m. Sergeant J.J. Kreider observed a Chevrolet Impala weaving in the lane of travel. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was identified as Kevin Jackson, 33, of Warrenton. Jackson had bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from him. He was arrested for DUI and a search warrant for blood was executed. Jackson was charged with DUI third in ten years and driving after forfeiture of license.

He was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $5,000 secure bond. Greenbriar Apartments, 3366 Jefferson Davis Highway, 9/12, 8:21 p.m. Deputy E.E. West responded to an unknown problem at the apartments. As she pulled into the parking lot, she was nearly struck head on by another vehicle. That vehicle parked in the lot and Deputy West identified the driver as Victoria Rupprecht, 51, of Stafford.

Rupprecht had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath and slurred speech. Field sobriety tests were administered and she was arrested for DUI. Rupprecht was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,500 unsecure bond. Warrenton Road/ Cambridge Street, 9/12, 9:24 p.m. Deputy A.J. Deasy responded to the area for a subject that was asleep in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in southbound traffic.

The driver was identified as Michael Melone, 30, of Spotsylvania. Field sobriety tests were administered and Melone was arrested for DUI. A suspected controlled substance was found in Melone’s pocket. A search warrant for blood was executed at Stafford Hospital. Melone was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond for DUI second in ten years and possession of a controlled substance.

100 Block of Mine Road, 9/13, 2:19 a.m. Deputy T.A. Vasquez stopped a vehicle in this area that was unable to maintain the lane of travel. The driver was identified as Nashara Jacques, 34, of Stafford. Jacques had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Field sobriety tests were administered and she was arrested for DUI. Jacques was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,500 unsecure bond.

FRAUD Kellogg Mill Road, 9/11, 9:45 a.m. Resident reported two unauthorized charges on her Lowe’s credit card totaling over $1,000. The transactions took place at Lowe’s stores in Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg. The incident is under investigation. Ford T. Humphrey Public Safety Building, 1225 Courthouse Road, 9/11, 1:12 p.m. Resident came to the Sheriff’s Office lobby to report unauthorized charges on his credit card. There were four unauthorized charges totaling $600 that were made in Boston, Massachusetts. The incident is under investigation.

LARCENY Cardinal Forest Subdivision, 9/13, 10:54 a.m. Two residents in the subdivision reported their vehicles were entered overnight and personal property was stolen. The incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact First Sergeant J.D. Floirendo at 540- 658-4400.

ROBBERY 7-Eleven, 25 Solomon Drive, 9/13, 5:46 a.m. Deputies responded to the convenience store for a report of an armed robbery. They learned a suspect produced a handgun and ordered the clerk to put money and tobacco products in a bag. The suspect then fled on foot through the parking lot. The Sheriff’s Office Unmanned Aircraft Systems team and K-9 responded to search for the suspect, but were unable to locate him. The suspect is described as a black male, 20-30 years old, 6’ tall and approximately 165 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective K.W. McBride at 540-658-4400.

WEAPONS Excel Inn and Suites, 594 Warrenton Road, 9/11, 1:04 p.m. Deputies responded to the hotel for a disturbance with a weapon. Deputy C.C. Lee learned that De’Andre Proctor, 23, of Stafford had brandished a handgun during an argument with another guest at the hotel. He also threatened to shoot through the window of the hotel room. Proctor was reported to be inside a room of the hotel. Deputies established a perimeter and Proctor eventually surrendered peacefully. He was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,100 secure bond for brandishing and threats. A .38 revolver was seized from the hotel room as evidence.

Any resident with information on these events should contact the sheriff’s office at 540-658-4400.

Manassas has a new fire chief.

During Monday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Hal Parrish swore in a new fire chief, William Garrett.

Garrett’s wife pinned the badge on her beaming husband after Mayor Parrish swore him in.=

Garrett has over 32 years of experience in public safety. Chief. Garrett will be replacing Chief Rob Clemons, who retired on August 28, Potomac Local News previously reported.

According to the City of Manassas website:

He has served in many different capacities: Fire Prevention, Emergency Medical Services, Operations, Support Services, and Strategic Planning. As Fire and Rescue Chief, Chief Garrett manages a highly progressive and professional agency and staff of 62 career members. He works in collaboration with the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company and the Greater Manassas Volunteer Rescue Squad leadership teams in providing oversight of the Fire and Rescue System.

It appears a plan to put a homeless shelter in Dumfries has hit a snag.

Prince William County officials have asked that a request before the Dumfries Town Planning Commission tonight, to approve an amendment to the town’s zoning ordinance to allow homeless shelters in the town’s B1 zoning district, be removed from the agenda.

Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who was the project’s biggest advocator, is expected to make a statement about the project tonight. Bailey called each member of the Dumfries Town Council to push for the project, we’re told.

The county was expected to have a signed purchase agreement on the building that was to house the 60 to 80-bed shelter — Grace Church, at 1006 Williamstown Drive in Dumfries — by tomorrow. That’s the same day the Dumfries Town Council was expected to take a vote on whether or not to approve. A conditional use permit for the shelter.

The Grace Chruch building has been for sale for more than a year, as a Real Estate listing database shows the property has been “off of the market” since late March. Prince William County began purchasing negotiations with the property owners on August 14.

The shelter was slated to be for single men and women, with no children allowed. Currently, the county is housing homeless at a motel at the intersection of Van Buren Road and Route 234 near Dumfries, and in a gym at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge.

It would have been located in Williamstown, a neighborhood known for crime and drug use. Police are still searching for the person who shot a 14-year-old boy in Williamstown on September 5.

From Prince William police:

Shooting Investigation –On September 5 at 2:06AM, officers responded to the area of Brockenbrough Dr. near McDowell Ct. in Dumfries (22026) to investigate a shots fired call. Residents reported to police that gunshots were heard in the above area. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, a 14-year-old male juvenile, suffering from a gunshot injury. Officers rendered aid to the victim before he was transported to an area hospital with significant injuries.

“Putting a homeless shelter there is a terrible idea,” said Chuck Feldbush, a retired Prince William police officer who spent 25 years working the eastern side of the county. “You have an open-air drug market, and you want to put a place where people can go and hang out there?”

Dumfries Town Councilman Charles Brewer said the county “jumped the gun” on the putting the new shelter.

Multiple councilmembers told PLN the shelter became an issue only after someone on the town council made in passing to Prince William County leaders asking for more health and human services resources from the county to be made available to town residents.

“Why did they act on the request of a single town councilperson,” asked Brewer. “The town council has not formally addressed you about this, nor have we discussed it, and now, all of a sudden it’s on our agenda for [September] 15.”

Typically, town residents must travel about four miles outside of the town to the county’s socail services office at the Ferlazzo Buidling to receive help.

The Dumfries Town Council is set to hold a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.

The Charlie Boone Trails Memorial Bike and Skate Park is coming to Lake Ridge and designs are underway.

To design the park, the Charlie Boone Trails Memorial Foundation partnered with Pillar Design Studios and Artisan Skateparks. 

“They’re [Pillar Design Studios] the first part of the process of getting a skatepark done. We’ve had meetings and talked about what we wanted this to look like and they have a great reputation throughout the country, and actually internationally too for building skateparks. We knew we had the best company working with us,” said Wendy Boone, president of the Charlie Boone Memorial Foundation.

Pillar Design Studios is a Landscape Architecture firm that specializes in Action Sports design, planning, construction, and process services. Artisan Skateparks is a collaboration of contractors specializing in skatepark design and construction.

The Foundation first met with Artisan Skateparks in 2017, who then connected them to Pillar Design Studios. Artisan Skateparks will handle construction of the park while Pillar Design will handle financing, materials, and design.

“Artisan Skateparks is the first place that I contacted with and as it turned out, they worked with Pillar Design Studios. Pillar does the frontwork basically, the actual design of the skatepark. Artisan does the building, Pillar does the design,” said Boone.

Pillar Design informed the foundation about fundraising and grants, and gave them a list of materials and costs. They came up with eight designs for the Park.

The skatepark will be built on 5.6 acres of land. It will have features such as: 

• A pump track 
• BMX trails, 
• Dirt trails that zigzag through the woods
• Walking trails
• Cement riding and skating structure
• Dirt jumps
• Sitting and picnic areas
• A memorial wall for kids in the community who have died.

“We want this to be a family park so that families can come. Parents can come with their kids and watch them skate and bike and have someplace to sit and have a picnic,” said Boone.

In addition, the Foundation also created a:

• Fire and rescue plan 
• Cultural resources plan 
• Police plan analysis
• Water plan analyses
• Sanitary sewer plan analysis
• Transportation plan analysis

The Foundation currently needs $500,000 before they can begin construction.

The Charlie Boone Trails Memorial Bike and Skate Park is being built to honor the memory of Charlie Boone, who passed away in 2012. A year after his death, the land where he and other BMX bikers and skaters used to ride was about to be sold and would be subject to trespassing. Hearing this, the Charlie Boone Trails Memorial Foundation was created, and partnered with the Prince William County Parks Department, along with Supervisor Ruth Anderson, the BMX track, and many other community members to create this park. 

“Charlie loved biking and skating, and when he passed away, we wanted to do something to honor that part in his life and to give other kids in the community to make friends and make memories of their own,” said Boone. 

More information about the Park can be found at cboonetrailsmemorialfoundation.org.

The new 5.5-acre park will be located at 12490 Everest Peak Lane, near the Old Bridge Festival Shopping Center in Lake Ridge.

Edgar Steven Lopez Hernandez was born on November 22, 2010 and passed away on September 14, 2020. Edgar was a resident of Alexandria, Virginia. To view the service on Saturday, September 19th, please click on the following link: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/36970500

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