Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce: The Chamber’s Leadership Fredericksburg program graduated its seventeenth class during a May 17th ceremony at the Stevenson Ridge in Spotsylvania.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Stafford County Public Schools: Stafford County Public Schools proudly recognized seven outstanding community partners during its annual Partner Appreciation Breakfast, held on Wednesday, May 15 at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. These esteemed partners have demonstrated exceptional dedication and support to students, staff, and school community throughout the academic year.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Greetings, Prince William – Does your organization have an outstanding volunteer whose service deserves recognition? Serve Virginia has announced nominations for this year’s Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards are now open! It’s a wonderful way you can recognize and thank that special volunteer for all they’ve done to support your organization and its mission! Please visit https://bit.ly/3K2GLT1 for more information. The deadline to submit is June 25 at 5 p.m.

• The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program urgently needs friendly Volunteer Drivers age 18+ to provide rides for local patients who have appointments for treatments on weekdays. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance, pass background and vehicle records checks and complete required training. Not only will you be providing a smile and a ride, you’ll also be helping to save a life! Please visit cancer.org/drive to learn more or email Jen at [email protected].
• You can make a difference in the life of a child! CASA Children’s Intervention Services needs volunteers age 21+ who care about children growing up in a safe, permanent and loving home. The staff will hold their next Virtual Information Session on June 12, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Learn how you can help protect abused and neglected children in your community by becoming a volunteer advocate. Please email [email protected] or call 703.330.8145 to receive the link to the meeting or to inquire about alternate dates.
• Educate America, Inc, a nonprofit startup, is seeking volunteers ages 18+ to assist with providing after-school tutoring and mentoring services within five (5) to ten (10) Prince William County Public Schools during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 school year. Volunteer with Educate America and make a difference in the lives of underserved youth! Your time and expertise can positively impact the academic success and personal development of our youth—contributing to brighter futures for the next generation. Volunteers will need to have background and CPS checks completed by July 15, 2024. Please join them as a volunteer, tutor, mentor, or community partner by completing and submitting the online application form(s) at educateusainc.org/now-recruiting. Questions? Please email [email protected].
• Here’s a “Honey” of a volunteer opportunity! The Manassas Bee Festival is coming June 22 at Liberia House, 8601 Portner Avenue, Manassas and volunteer “Worker Bees” of all ages are needed to support this fun event. Volunteers under 18 are welcome to volunteer with a responsible adult or group leader. Volunteers are needed June 21 help set up the festival at Liberia House. Then, volunteers will help with the 2K Honey Hike 8:45 a.m. on June 22 at Manassas Museum lawn and on shifts during the festival on June 22. Jobs include assisting with set up, helping vendors unload, helping at the welcome tent to show the map or answer basic questions. Volunteers who sign up will get a free green t-shirt but should complete the online form at manassasbeefestival.com/contact-donations-questions/. Please be sure to indicate you are a Volunteer on the form. Please email [email protected] for more information.
• You can help homebound seniors get a hot, nutritious meal! Meals on Wheels has an urgent need for volunteers to deliver noontime meals to homebound older adults weekdays between 10 a.m. and 12p.m. Daily routes take about 1.5 hours to complete; the schedule is flexible! Volunteers must have their own vehicle, valid driver’s license, and current automobile insurance. Volunteers must also pass a background and driving record check. Meals on Wheels operates out of the Manassas and Woodbridge Senior Centers, and you’ll feel great knowing you are helping to fight food insecurity and deliver a friendly smile to our local senior population! Please visit pwcva.gov/department/area-agency-aging/volunteer for more information and volunteer forms, email [email protected] with any questions.
• The 2nd Annual Puerto Rican Festival is scheduled for June 15, 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Harris Pavilion in Manassas, and volunteers age 16+ are needed to make this a success! All sorts of fun jobs are available including setup, assisting vendors, monitoring children’s games, face painting, help with Lost and Found and more! While bilingual skills in Spanish are not required, they will be helpful. This is a family-friendly event, and you’ll feel great as you help support the culture of our neighbor in the Caribbean! Please email [email protected] for more information and to sign up.
• Gardeners, here’s a fantastic volunteer opportunity for you! PWC Office of Historic Preservation is looking for Historic Garden Volunteers to help maintain the garden at Rippon Lodge Historic Site this summer. Help is needed with planting, weeding and harvesting the fruit and vegetables. You’ll enjoy being outdoors as you help the garden illustrate what plants may have been planted by the Ellis family in a Victory Garden during World War II! Please call Rippon Lodge at 703.499.9812 for more information.

--Volunteer Prince William 

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

I-95 Northbound: Exit 110 (Ladysmith) to Exit 118 (Thornburg): Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure at mile marker 117 for bridge washing at Matta River.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

I-95 Northbound and Southbound: Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 148 (Quantico): Tuesday - Wednesday, 9 p.m. - 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Mobile work zone to patch potholes. Expect alternating single and double lane closures at various locations between the two interchanges.

• Exit 130 (Route 3) to Exit 133 (Falmouth/Warrenton): Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating single and double lane closures at 10 p.m. at the four bridges over the Rappahannock River at mile marker 132 for bridge washing.
• Exit 133 (Falmouth/Warrenton): Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating single and double lane closures at 10 p.m. at all the bridges over Route 17 at the exit 133 (Falmouth/Warrenton) interchange for bridge washing.
• Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway): Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closures at the bridges over Potomac Creek near the exit 136 (Centrport Parkway) interchange for bridge washing with double lane closures at 10 p.m.
• Exit 140 (Courthouse Road): Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closure at the bridges over Courthouse Road at the interchange for bridge washing with double lane closures at 10 p.m.
• Exit 143 (Garrisonville): Sunday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closure at the bridges over Aquia Creek with double lane closures at 10 p.m. at mile marker 145 near the exit 143 (Garrisonville) interchange for bridge washing.

I-95 Northbound: Exit 126 (Spotsylvania): Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Bridge work. Single lane closure at 9 p.m. followed by double lane closures at 10 p.m. between mile markers 125-126. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Construction of a new overpass of I-95 at Route 17 (Mills Drive).

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

This Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 9 to noon, the annual Manassas Reads Festival will take place at the Harris Pavilion in downtown Manassas.

Hosted by the City of Manassas and Manassas City Public Schools, the event encourages guests of all ages to stop by and take home some free books.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Russell Smith of Stafford was among the 368 Lewis University student-athletes honored for academic excellence on April 22 with the Brother David Delahanty, FSC Award at the Convocation Hall located on the Romeoville Campus.

Incoming students have enrolled at McDaniel College as members of the Class of 2028. This list includes students who have deposited as of May 3, 2024. Micah Hagander and Sydney Turner of Stafford.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Northern Virginia Community College: Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) will proudly host its 58th commencement ceremony to celebrate the remarkable dedication and achievements of this year’s graduating Nighthawks as they fulfill their dreams of higher education.

• When: 1 p.m., Sunday, May 12.
• Where: George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax).
• Commencement Speaker: JR Bontrager, director of technology at 3D Herndon.

JR Bontrager is an inspiring example of resilience and determination. At 46, he recently returned to NOVA, where he is studying engineering while also working full time as director of technology at 3D Herndon. As this year’s commencement speaker, JR is eager to share his personal journey, hoping to inspire others to take advantage of NOVA at any age or stage in their careers. Access to continuous education, he argues, is especially crucial in today’s dynamic and ever-evolving workplace.

An artist by nature, JR has a gift for designing and crafting creative solutions. At 3D Herndon, he specializes in 3D design, printing and scanning. The company is known for its innovative projects, including:

• Adaptive prosthetics for medical use.
• Renderings of ancient bones in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.
• Other cutting-edge product designs for a range of clients.

Beyond his work, JR is an advocate for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), a cause close to his heart due to his own battle with the condition. He loves leveraging his engineering expertise and passion for technology to improve the lives of others.

NOVA’s Commencement Ceremony:

• Will be live streamed Livestream | Northern Virginia Community College (nvcc.edu).
• Will be recorded and closed-captioned for viewing purposes.
• Will be made available on the NOVA website.

For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the Spring 2024 Commencement page.

Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation: Mason Neck State Park will host the 26th Annual Eagle Festival on May 11 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Park staff along with many exhibitors will be on the visitor center lawn for a full day of animal shows, hands-on activities, and outdoor recreation clinics that aim to highlight the rich natural history of Northern Virginia as well as foster stewardship of our environment.

“Guests will be able to see animals such as hawks and owls up close as well as learn about the majestic bald eagles, with the hopes of seeing one in flight during the event,” said Mason Neck State Park Chief Ranger Jamie Leeuwrik,

Parking for the event this year will be located offsite at Pohick Bay Regional Park at the Pirate’s Cove Waterpark. Shuttles will be provided to and from the festival at Mason Neck State Park and will run about every 15-20 minutes from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The family-friendly event is free and will include a variety of food vendors, musical performances, and a puppet show.

“Caroline Seitz, the star of Kids Nature Shows, puts on such a fun and interactive show for kids and adults to experience the animals they might see at the park,” said Leeuwrik. “There will be a musical performance at 11 a.m. and another at 1:45 p.m. Eagle Festival is a great way to bring together the local community for programs and activities all in the name of conservation and preservation.”

Almost 60 years ago, Elizabeth Hartwell led a successful grassroots effort to preserve more than 5,000 acres of wetland habitats on the Mason Neck Peninsula in Fairfax County. Today her legacy lives on – especially through the annual Eagle Festival at Mason Neck State Park.

This event celebrates the decades of conservation work that has taken place on the Mason Neck Peninsula. Had it not been for the work done by individuals like Hartwell, nicknamed “The Eagle Lady” and for whom the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is named, the area would look drastically different than it does today.