Stafford Sheriff’s office: “Who does the Daily Planet call when Superman isn’t available? The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office! A mobile health van for the Richmond-based business “Daily Planet Health Services” was recovered yesterday in Stafford County, and a suspect was arrested for the theft.”

“On January 25 at 1:04 p.m., Deputy S.C. Martin responded to the old Carlos O’Kelly’s restaurant at 2860 Richmond Highway for a possible stolen vehicle. An alert Stafford County resident had seen a social media post about the stolen van and recognized it in the parking lot. Deputy Martin located the unoccupied vehicle and called in other Super Heroes to canvas the area.”

“The deputies observed bottles of Steel Reserve in the stolen van as they began searching the business park. They wouldn’t have to look far (or up, up, and away), as Deputy Martin and Deputy G.W. Motley V noticed a suspicious subject walking near the McDonald’s and trying to hide behind the dumpster.”

“As deputies confronted the dumpster diver, they beheld a Steel Reserve bottle in his possession. While this was great evidence, the real Kryptonite was the stolen van key in the suspect’s pocket.”

“The suspect was identified as Alvaro Garcia, 35, of no fixed address. He was charged with grand larceny and held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The stolen van was returned to staff of the Daily Planet who requested a photo of the deputies involved with the case.”

Country Ridge Subdivision vehicle break-ins

“Yesterday morning [January 25, 2024], deputies responded to a suspicious person call in the Country Ridge Subdivision. While searching the area, deputies discovered approximately 16 vehicles that were tampered with and rummaged around in. Wallets, purses, and knives were taken from some of the victim’s vehicles. The suspicious person was described as a male with a zipped-up jacket with a hood wearing gloves. If anyone has any information, please contact the Sheriff’s Office.”

“We encourage residents to conduct a lock-up routine prior to going to bed. This includes removing valuables from vehicles, locking all vehicles and access points into a residence, as well as activating an alarm system if you have it. Anyone who sees suspicious activity in their neighborhood is encouraged to notify the Sheriff’s Office, so together, we can prevent crimes like these.”

Stafford County Sheriff’s Department: “On January 24 at approximately 6:05 p.m. the Sheriff’s Office received a reckless driver complaint. The caller advised a gray Chevy van with Washington DC tags was traveling on Warrenton Road in a less than desirable manner. This included driving between lanes, driving on the sidewalk, and even striking a road closure barrier sign.”

“When the call was broadcasted over the radio, First Sergeant D.W. Fetterolf and Sergeant E.E. West discovered they were behind the swerving vehicle at the intersection of Warrenton Road and Banks Ford Parkway. Having somehow forecasted the future better than your local weatherman, the duo activated their emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop. Instead of pulling over to the right like many would when involved in a traffic stop, the driver continued rolling at a slow rate of speed before finally stopping in the middle lane of Lichfield Boulevard.”

“The driver had signs of intoxication, including, glassy, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. The driver originally admitted to consuming one beer prior to driving, but would later change his answer to two. He would also advise the last time he drank was 7:00 p.m. today. Considering the driver did not have a Doc Brown’s flux capacitor or Hermione’s time turner, it was hypothesized his ‘two’ beers were affecting his judgment.”

“The driver was charged with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content between .15 and .2, reckless driving, as well as, hit and run. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,500 secured bond.”

Press Release: “Before Christmas, Grace UMC announced their plan to donate $10,000 to medical debt relief and invited the congregation to grow that total by participating in the Christmas Eve offering. The total offering came to $32,011.”

“Because RIP Medical Debt forgives debt in bulk, these gifts stand to impact more than $3 Million in medical debt just in the state of Virginia. Previous years’ Christmas donations from the church have included Flood Disaster Relief in Florida and support for building projects in Haiti.”

“This year, Grace UMC worked with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based charity, to erase medical debt and continue its tradition of providing direct relief to others through the Christmas Eve offering.”

“Founded in 2014 by two former debt collectors, RIP Medical Debt has acquired–and abolished–more than $6.7 billion of burdensome medical debt, helping over 3.6 million families and addressing a major social determinant of health.”

To learn more, and get involved, visit ripmedicaldebt.org.

Grace UMC is at 9750 Wellington Road in Manassas.

Stafford County Sheriff’s Office: “Two 18-year-old Stafford men received an early morning ride to Rappahannock Regional Jail after chasing, assaulting, and brandishing a firearm towards a victim.”

“On January 23 at approximately 12:51 a.m. Deputy S.A. Edwards responded to the area of the England Run North Apartments for a disturbance call. The victim online with our Communications Officers advised a group of people chased her, broke the rear window of her vehicle, and brandished a firearm. Fearing for the victim’s safety, Deputy Edwards quickly arrived on scene and made contact with the victim and her friends.”

“The juvenile victim advised while finishing a food delivery, she observed a vehicle filled with known acquaintances following her. Two of the suspects were 18 years old, while the other two suspects were juveniles. Trying to avoid a confrontation, the victim attempted to meet up with nearby friends. In the process of that, the four suspects chased the victim down. The two juvenile suspects assaulted the victim as the two 18-year-old suspects encouraged them. The victim’s friends arrived and began taking the victim out of harm’s way, but not before one of the 18-year-old suspects broke the victim’s rear window, brandished a firearm, and made threats.”

“The first 18-year-old suspect was charged with destruction of property, brandishing a firearm, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The second 18-year-old suspect was charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as well as, it was discovered he was wanted out of Stafford County for another charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Suspect one was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,000 secured bond while suspect two was held on a $1,000 secured bond. Criminal complaints for assault by mob are pending for both juvenile suspects.”

Press Release: “The Prince William County Solid Waste Division will hold a free document shred event for Prince William area residents on Saturday, March 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until trucks reach capacity).”

“The shred event will be held in the Pfitzner Stadium parking lot area, 7 County Complex Court, Woodbridge. This event is for residents. Only confidential documents such as bank statements and tax returns will be accepted.”

“Paper clips (regular size) and staples do not have to be removed. Non-confidential documents such as junk mail should be recycled at the curb or at a Solid Waste facility customer convenience center or recycling drop-of trailer.”

“Residents may bring the equivalent of up to four boxes (18”x12”x15”) of paper for shredding on-site at no charge. No business or commercial shredding will be accepted. Customers should stay in the vehicle. All items for shredding should be placed in the rear of the vehicle (trunk, hatchback, or truck bed) before coming to the shred location.”

For additional material limits and guidelines, see Events at www.pwcva.gov/trashandrecycling.

On January 13, 2024, El Salvador’s vice president, Dr. Félix Ulloa, Jr., visited Woodbridge, one of his stops on his U.S. tour.

Since beginning his term in June of 2019, Ulloa has helped promote peace within Salvadoran communities in favor of seeking reverse migration of people back to his country.

In his visit to Woodbridge, which took place at El Ranchon Steakhouse at 13638 Richmond Highway., He highlighted the many successes that have occurred so far with his administration. With zero homicides in more than 300 days, Ulloa promoted the policies of the current Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, in the upcoming term.

During his meeting, Ulloa met with multiple community leaders, including Manassas Councilwoman Sonia Vasquez Luna and Prince William County Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega. An open meeting with the public then followed.

According to Fred Cooper, Vega’s chief of staff, both politicians hope to continue decreasing gang and crime rates. And with El Salvador recently opening overseas electronic voting for the first time, Ulloa hopes to encourage voters abroad to re-elect Bukele in the 2024 election.

Ulloa has visited various states in his U.S. tour, including Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, and Nevada. He is still traveling and meeting with public officials following his journey here.

“Ice that is formed during a continuous, hard freeze, typical of northern climates, is much stronger than ice formed during temperatures that repeatedly fluctuate above and below the freezing mark. Ice that forms where water levels change frequently, or where the water is moving, such as storm water ponds, rivers, and streams is especially dangerous because its thickness will vary with the conditions and may contain cracks.”

“Should an individual or animal fall into icy waters, moderate to severe hypothermia can occur in less than 10 minutes. The window of opportunity for a successful rescue closes rapidly beyond that time. Therefore, the primary challenge for rescuers is time.”

If someone falls through the ice, you should:

• Call 911 immediately.
• Do not go onto the ice to rescue them.
• Safely reach out to the victim by providing them with something that will help
  them stay afloat.

Check your local listings for locations in which to safely ice skate.

Stafford County Public Schools: "The Stafford County School Board selected its new chair and vice-chair during the January 18, 2024 annual organizational school board meeting. The 2024 school board chair is Ms. Maureen Siegmund and Ms. Maya Guy will serve in the vice-chair position."

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