Those who were seeking a test for the coronavirus in Prince William will have to wait. Testing sites that were scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, will be closed due to Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to affect our region throughout the day on Tuesday.

Here are the locations that will be closed:

James S. Long Regional Park located at 4603 James Madison Highway in Haymarket. Original start time was scheduled for 8:30 a.m.

Cloverdale Park located at 15150 Cloverdale Road in Dale City. Original start time was scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

For more updates on testing sites and Prince William’s response to the pandemic can be found on pwcgov.org.

A tropical storm warning is now in effect for our region as Isaias makes its way up the east coast from North Carolina.

A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for much of central and southern MD, DC, as well as portions of northeastern VA along the I-95 corridor. Flooding rain, wind damage, and tidal flooding are all threats to the area. See https://t.co/NrmMNLJviC for further details. pic.twitter.com/6PFGukknRh

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 3, 2020

Emergency officials in Prince William County told told us today they are monitoring the storm and plan to open shelters if they’re needed.

Social-distancing measures will be in place at the shelters, which will most likely be at area school buildings.

A Virginia State Police trooper suffered minor injuries after his patrol car was rear-ended by another in Springfield early Friday, July 31.

Police stated that Trooper J. Kim was seated in his patrol vehicle and finishing up a crash investigation on Interstate 395 when a 2019 Jeep traveling south ran off the interstate and slammed into the back of the patrol car at 4:21 a.m., just north of Edsall Road.

The trooper was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and has since been released, according to police.

Police in Fredericksburg held a public meeting to describe the steps it will apply to improve policing efforts and actions from law enforcement.

On Wednesday, July 29, Fredericksburg Police Chief Brian Layton announced several changes enacted by the department’s leadership, dubbed “8 Can’t Wait.”

The new policing policy developed under the Obama Administration bars police from actions like putting suspects in choke-holds, as well as shooting at moving vehicles.

More in a press release:

“Our goal is to build strong and transparent relationships with the communities we serve, and this event was the first in our ongoing efforts to do just that. It was important to me that we communicate updates and improvements directly to the public first so that we may answer questions and hear their feedback. I am proud of our police force for adopting this first set of changes to ensure that we are safely serving our entire community and in the best interests of everyone,” said Chief Layton, according to Cantu’s email.

A total of 60 attendees who had the opportunity to learn about the department’s complaint process, the training staff receive to provide exceptional service, the agency’s national approval, and more.

Participants were also the first to hear several major recent advancements applied by the Department.

A press release continues:

· Adoption of the “8 Can’t Wait:” is a national police reform campaign outlining eight policy changes police departments can make that greatly reduce the number of negative law enforcement incidents. Before the movement, the Department fully complied with six of the eight policies advocated. After careful research, directive revisions, and roll call training to ensure officers understood the directive changes, the Police Department now fully complies with all eight policies advocated. To see the revised directive, click here.

· Provided Update on Internal Review of Civil Unrest on May 31 – June 2: Chief Layton emphasized to participants the Police Department is committed to completing an internal review of the use of force incidents concerning police response to incidents of civil unrest from May 31 through June 2.

By the end of this week, Chief Layton will receive the completed use of force review from the Professional Standards Office and a synopsis of the after-action reports. Chief Layton intends to provide the public with a written preliminary report regarding these topics next week on Thursday, August 6.

This information will then be handed to the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) for a thorough third party review. PERF plans to be in the City of Fredericksburg for initial community engagement on August 25 to 27.

· Expansion of the Citizen Advisory Panel: Chief Layton excitedly announced he is expanding the Citizens Advisory Panel and will begin taking applications on next Tuesday, August 4, to fill five spots. He emphasized his commitment to ensuring the panel is inclusive and includes people from schools/universities, young adults between the ages of 18 to 30, the business community, racial, social, or economic justice organizations, the faith-based community, and the LGBTQ community. More information about the application process will be available on the Police Department website next week.

· Department Planning a Second Informational Event on Wednesday, August 19: The Department is committed to transparency and educating the community it serves about its practices, policies, and procedures. Topics for the next Informational Event will be announced publicly at a later date.”

Participants were allowed to submit questions ahead of and during the event. Due to limited time, the department was not able to answer all the questions submitted at the event, a city spokeswoman tells us.

Fredericksburg police will provide answers to all questions submitted and make them available on their website for everyone to this week.

IKEA in Woodbridge donated 100 gift boxes to area senior care centers with residents affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

More in a press release:

“IKEA Woodbridge is excited to share the “Christmas in July” donation for residence at the Envoy of Woodbridge-Consulate Health Care.

IKEA is committed to being a good neighbor in the community. When we found out that the residence at Envoy of Woodbridge have had a hard time during this COVID 19 pandemic, missing their families, we decided to give them presents and provide the residence with a “Christmas in July” along with Santa’s helpers.

The 100 residence received a plastic container filled with a blanket and slippers to keep them warm. As well as a package of markers to bring out the artist in each of them.

The staff received bags of Swedish chocolates for all that they do to provide a wonderful stay at the Envoy.
For more information, please contact: IKEA Woodbridge, 2901 Potomac Mills Circle, Woodbridge, VA 22192 [email protected] [or by cell] (703)492-1222 x1336.”

If you are looking for ways you can help out your community like IKEA during the pandemic, please check out Potomac Local News’ Call to Action posts where you can find local volunteer organizations looking for your help.

Drivers in Fredericksburg and Stafford County will be seeing some closures and construction this week.

From a Virginia Department of Transportation press release:

In Stafford County:

Route 1: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a single lane closure on Route 1, northbound and southbound between Route 17, also known as Warrenton Road, and American Legion Road for mowing.

Route 608 (Brooke Road): Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be pipeline installation. VDOT states to expect a one-way, alternating traffic, between Andrew Chapel Road and Raven Road.

Other construction in Stafford County: Construction project to replace the route 1 bridge going over Potomac Creek was started on June 1 and is expected to finish in July 2022. Four lanes of travel will continue to be open with only periodic single lane closures required.

City of Fredericksburg:

Chatham Bridge is closed because of an improvement project taking place on the bridge. Drivers who come to that bridge will have to follow detour signs to go around the bridge closure.

The bridge will reopen to the public in October of 2021 with construction being completely finished in April of 2022, according to VDOT.

I-95 Northbound

Exit 118 to Exit 126: Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will have a single lane closure at the mile marker 119 for bridge inspection at the Po River.

Exit 130: Monday from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. will have single lane closure close to Exit 130 for inspection of route 3 bridges over I-95.

Exit 130 to Exit 136: From Monday to Friday from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., there will be mobile single lane closures between the interchanges to collect soil samples as part of the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing Project.

Exit 133 FULL TRAFFIC STOP: From Wednesday to Thursday, from 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Starting at 10 p.m., double lane closures will occur overnight near Exit 133 for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project. Between midnight and 3 a.m., there will be brief, intermittent full traffic stops to allow crews to remove an overhead sign.

All I-95 northbound traffic will be stopped up to 30 minutes at a time. Virginia State Police will assist with traffic control.

If this work zone is canceled for inclement weather, it will be rescheduled for 10 p.m. Thursday to 4:30 a.m. Friday.

I-95 Southbound

Exit 140: From Monday to Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m., and Friday to Saturday, from 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single-lane closure near the Exit 140 interchange for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project.

Crews will be installing a work zone barrier.

Exit 133 to Exit 130: Monday, Midnight to 10 a.m., with Monday through Friday, from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. will have single lane closure. Crews will shift the work zone barrier as part of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

Exit 130: Monday from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. will have a single lane closure due to inspection of route 3 bridges over I-95.

Exit 126 to Exit 118: Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., there will be a single lane closure at the 119-mile marker for bridge inspection at the Po River.

Exit 118 to Exit 104: Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., there will be single-lane closures between mile markers 111 and 108 for milling and paving. Access to the Exit 110 interchange ramps and Safety Rest Area at Ladysmith will remain open.

All the work above is scheduled weather permitting. Any real-time changes can be seen and tracked on 511Virginia.com.

A Dumfries man is now in police custody and charged with robbery following a two-month search.

The suspect was found at his home and taken into custody without a struggle on Tuesday, July 28. Banks was involved in a robbery at a Walmart at 17401 Jefferson Davis Highway near Dumfries, and were on the run until now, police said.

The victim, a 20-year-old man, told the police that he was forced to get money for an acquaintance after refusing to participate in a scam.

The two men met at Walmart after the suspect threatened to harm the victim, according to police. When the two met, the suspect got into the victim’s vehicle and threatened, then forced him to drive to an ATM and withdraw money, police said.

The suspect then told the victim to go into a Walmart and obtain money orders. The victim and the suspect argued in the parking lot and as it escalated, the suspect hit the victim, according to police.

The suspect had also damaged the victim’s car and fled the scene on foot before police could arrive. Police obtained arrest warrants and arrested the suspect on Tuesday, July 28.

Gerren Deshun Banks, 19, of 16924 Gentlewood Lane in Dumfries is charged with robbery, abduction, credit card fraud, assault, and destruction of property.

The driver of a motorcycle and crashed into a guardrail was died.

Police were called Thursday, July 30 at 7:57 a.m. to the area of Nokesville Road and Fauquier Drive in Nokesville to investigate a crash. An investigation revealed that the driver of a blue, 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 650 motorcycle was traveling north on Nokesville Road near Fauquier Drive when he operator lost control and crashed into a guardrail.

Two off-duty officers and other motorists nearby performed CPR on the cyclist until rescue personnel arrived at the location. The driver was pronounced dead on the scene.

The victim is identified as Daniel Cody Starr, 32, of Catlett.  Investigators want to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the collision or Starr’s driving behavior prior to the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Prince William Police Department tipline at 703-792-7000 or submit a webtip to pwcgov.org.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police have released dashcam footage of a motorcycle crash that killed a Woodbridge man on Sunday, July 26. Nibeya Tesfaye, 24, was killed when his bike hit a wall on an entrance ramp taking drivers from the Capital Beltway to Interstate 95 south in Springfield.

“Virginia State Police Trooper M. Spalding observed a group of six motorcycles traveling west on I-495 at a high rate of speed. As the trooper pulled in behind the pack of motorcycles, two of the motorcycles accelerated in speed and pulled away from the group. At this point, the trooper activated his lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop on the speeding vehicles. The motorcycles accelerated again and took the Exit 170C ramp from westbound I-495 to southbound I-95,” Virginia State Police said.

Police did not locate the other bikers. Online commenters accuse the pursing Virginia State Police trooper of colliding with the victim, causing the crash. The video shows otherwise.

Police are searching for a man who assaulted a woman in Woodbridge.

Prince William police were called on Tuesday, July 28, at 12:44 p.m. to Potomac Ridge Apartments located at 2800 block of Woodmark Drive in Woodbridge. The victim, a 22-year-old woman, told police that she and a man were involved in an argument that escalated on July 12.

Police said that during the altercation, the woman tried to leave an apartment to seek help when the suspect grabbed her by the throat and pushed her to the ground. The suspect then dragged the woman toward the apartment door and began to hit her multiple times, according to police.

The woman sought treatment for her injuries at the time of the incident and didn’t report on the incident until recently. As a result of the investigation, police obtained arrest warrants for a suspect, but attempts at finding the man have been unsuccessful.

Rashaan Hassein-Hameed Edwards, 22, of 2800 block of Woodmark Drive in Woodbridge, is described as black, 5’11 tall, 195 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. He’s wanted for malicious wounding, strangulation, and domestic assault and battery.

A man was found passed out in front of a business and police said to have found drugs in his possession along with outstanding warrants for not showing up to court.

More in a press release:

“DRUGS
7-[Eleven], 378 Garrisonville Road, 7/27, 11:54 p.m. Deputy Richardson responded to the convenience store for a suspicious person that had been found passed out in front of the business. The subject was identified as Richard Harper, 38, of Fredericksburg. Deputies found that Harper had an active warrant from Fredericksburg for failing to appear [in court]. A search incident to his arrest revealed a suspected controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Harper was held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and the outstanding Fredericksburg warrant.

FRAUD
Fiddlers Court, 7/27, 8:02 p.m. Resident reported that she was selling her vehicle over the internet and a potential buyer sent her a check for more money than she requested, asking that she send him the difference back. When the resident attempted to deposit the check, the bank returned it and advised the check had bounced. The incident is under investigation.”

Anyone with more information on any of the above events is asked to call the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 658-4400.