Manassas

Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) continues to make local history a living classroom through its growing partnership with the Manassas Museum, offering students hands-on, place-based learning that connects curriculum to the community right in their backyard.

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Fredericksburg

At the Fredericksburg City Council meeting on March 10, 2026, a local resident delivered a plea to reinstall the historic slave auction block removed from its prominent location six years earlier, drawing a stark analogy to Holocaust memorials while council members honored a longtime volunteer for her work in guiding the city’s approach to painful historical sites.

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Manassas

Manassas residents are invited to a town hall meeting on Monday, March 16, 2026, to provide feedback on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget, which features a reduced real estate tax rate but still results in higher average residential bills due to surging property values fueled by data center developments.

The town hall is scheduled to take place in the council chambers at Manassas City Hall. It follows a full-day budget workshop held on March 6, 2026, and offers residents a direct opportunity to share thoughts on the city manager’s proposal as council members work toward final adoption.


Manassas Park

The Manassas Park Governing Body approved an ordinance on March 3, 2026, permanently extending the annual deadline for real estate tax relief and exemption applications from April 1 to June 30, providing residents—particularly elderly, disabled, and 100% disabled veterans—more time to file paperwork amid a broader discussion of tax collections led by newly appointed City Treasurer Donald Shuemaker.

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Features

The Manassas Chorale presents “Gathered As One” on Saturday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Merchant Hall in Manassas. This annual Voices United concert unites the Chorale with the Voices United Festival Choir, directed by a nationally renowned guest clinician. More than 150 singers join the Chorale’s instrumentalists for a program of fifteen selections that celebrate shared music and community spirit.

The Manassas Chorale, founded in 1994 as a small group of about 25 singers, has grown into a 100-voice auditioned community choir under the direction of Artistic Director Rebecca Verner since 1997. Based in Manassas, Virginia, the organization promotes appreciation for quality classical and contemporary music through four major concerts each season and community events. It also sponsors the Greater Manassas Children’s Choir, established in 2015 to offer performance opportunities for young singers in grades K-8.


Schools

Severe weather prompts widespread school adjustments across Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg on Monday, March 16, as a strong cold front brings risks of damaging winds over 70 mph and possible tornadoes.

Prince William County Public Schools will dismiss two hours early, Manassas Park City Schools will dismiss two hours early with specific times by level, Manassas City Public Schools will operate on early release with no PreK, while Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, and Fredericksburg City Public Schools will close fully or shift to remote learning.


Manassas

Fire crews from the City of Manassas, Manassas Park Fire Rescue, and Prince William Professional Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 8500 block of Signal Hill Road around midnight on March 14. Units arrived to find heavy flames coming from the garage and attic, with the fire spreading to a neighboring home.

Manassas City Police officers arrived first and quickly evacuated nearby homes, helping prevent injuries. A second alarm was called as a precaution for extra resources. The fire was brought under control, though damage extended to at least two structures.


Fredericksburg

Three organizations in the Fredericksburg area have received grants to help reduce homelessness and boost housing stability.

The funding comes from the Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program. Governor Abigail Spanberger, Democrat, announced the statewide allocation of $14 million for 61 projects on March 11, 2026. The grants support permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and innovative programs for vulnerable groups.