The City of Manassas and Historic Manassas Inc. are pausing October’s First Friday — the Pumpkin Palooza event set for Oct. 9 — after the Sept. 4 shooting that killed 16-year-old Patriot High School student Ashley Intihar.
The city announced the decision Monday.
Prince William County detectives on Sept. 14 arrested a 16-year-old male juvenile of Manassas on second-degree murder and firearm charges in the June 25 shooting death of Michael Sakyi Jr., 18, of Bristow, in the 7900 block of Community Drive near Manassas. Also today: Prince William police arrested a Manassas man on an aggravated malicious wounding charge after a family member was stabbed multiple times early Sept. 12 near Manassas; in Spotsylvania County, a traffic stop led to a DUI arrest and recovery of a stolen firearm from a convicted felon; Stafford County deputies reported several DUI arrests, warrant services and fraud complaints.
A death investigation in Woodbridge preliminarily showed no signs of foul play. Additional Prince William cases included a juvenile stabbed by three unknown men, an aggravated assault with a glass bottle, and an indecent exposure report.
Event location
Harris Pavilion
9201 Center Street
Manassas, Virginia 20110
Manassas Latino Festival is the oldest Hispanic/Latino, family-centric festival in the area! Held during National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), join in the celebrations with live music, dance performances, diverse foods, and fun for the whole family! Come enjoy this premier annual tradition filled with cultural heritage and contributions of the Latin American community.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Stafford County supervisors are scheduled to hold a public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, on a proposed Business, Professional and Occupational License tax. The letter below is from Michael Nelson of Atlas Living Group LLC in Stafford County. Potomac Local has not independently confirmed every figure in the letter.
Chairman Diggs, Vice Chair Guy, and Members of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors:
A Spotsylvania man was sentenced to 12 years for torturing his wife, Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge urged Catholics to vote no on a Nov. 3 abortion amendment, and Fairfax officials moved to restore high school crossing guards.
According to The Free Lance-Star, Jason Louis Robbins, 42, of Spotsylvania was sentenced Friday to 62 years in prison with all but 12 years suspended after pleading guilty to child endangerment and three counts of malicious wounding. Judge Sarah Deneke called his conduct “horrendous” and said “the cruelty goes beyond anything I’ve seen in recent years.” The active term exceeded state sentencing guidelines, which capped the recommended prison time at just over seven years.
