A rising musician who plays for Huntley, made famous on NBC’s “The Voice” is due in a Prince William County courtroom on November 4, 2024, charged in the shooting death of his father and his dog.

Christopher Tyler Rose, guitarist for Season 24 ‘The Voice’ competition winner Michael Huntley, of Fredericksburg, aka Huntley, was taken into custody in the early hours of October 28 on charges related to a deadly shooting that left his father and the family dog dead.

Known professionally as Tyler Rose, he is a guitarist with songwriting and music hits. Rose has been a Fredericksburg area music scene staple with his cover band, the Virginia Rum Runners. His association with the Season 24 winner of The Voice, Huntley, has made him a recognized figure in the broader national music scenes.

After Huntley’s win earlier this year, Fredericksburg planned a celebration honoring the singer and his band, which regularly performed at city venues.

Rose and singer Grant King recently recorded a cover of Hurricane, which The Band of Heathens initially performed. Rose’s career and musical talent, however, are overshadowed by the charges he faces.

According to a report released following the incident, Prince William County Police responded to a residence in the 2500 block of Paxton Street in Lake Ridge at 2:39 a.m. A family friend of the accused had reached out to authorities after receiving information indicating that a shooting had occurred at the home. Upon arrival, officers found Rose and detained him without resistance.

Police confirmed that the accused and the victim, Rose’s 56-year-old father, shared the residence. An investigation revealed that there was an altercation between the two, culminating in the fatal shooting. Additionally, the family’s dog, a Labrador Retriever approximately one year of age, was reportedly also killed during the incident. Both Rose’s father and the dog were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have disclosed that no other individuals were present in the home at the time of the incident, indicating the altercation and subsequent shooting involved only Rose, his father, and the dog. As of now, the motivations and circumstances leading up to the incident remain under active investigation. Detectives are currently working to reconstruct events that may have contributed to the escalation, and they are encouraging individuals with relevant information to come forward to aid in the investigation.

Prince William Police Spokesman Lieutenant Jonathan Perok said, “Alcohol and drugs were not a factor, [but the] motive was a family dispute.”

Rose’s connection to the music industry, specifically his role as a guitarist for Huntley, has brought public interest to the case. Known in musical circles as a talented musician with a promising future, Rose’s arrest has led to mixed reactions among fans and industry professionals, many of whom have expressed shock and disbelief over the allegations.

Tim Lumber, who worked with the older Rose, spoke positively about the Rose in a Facebook post, “I worked with Chris [as a bus driver for OmniRide] for 5 years, and we became good friends. All he ever did was brag about his son being a great singer. He was a good guy. He was so proud of his son. So sad that his son apparently took his life.”

Prince William Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth and the Huntley Management team have not responded to a request for comment. We will update the article when they respond.

On October 29, a Prince William Circuit Court judge denied an appeal for bail for Dr. Latoya Crabbe, who stands accused of second-degree murder in the shooting of her husband, Curtis Crabbe Jr.

Prosecutors allege that Crabbe admitted to the October 21 shooting. Her attorney, David Daughtery, maintains it was an act of self-defense. With Judge Kimberly A. Irving’s ruling, Crabbe will remain in the Prince William County jail without bond.

Judge Irving challenged aspects of the prosecution’s argument, particularly regarding the number of wounds and the gun’s ammunition count. Prosecutors claimed that four wounds indicated a need for Crabbe to reload, given the gun’s seven-round capacity. Daughtery countered that two of the wounds were caused by a single bullet passing through the body.

Judge Irving left open the possibility for a renewed bail request pending further investigative reports from the Medical Examiner or Manassas Police Detectives.

A Woman on the Move

Crabbe graduated from Osbourn High School in Manassas in 2008. Due to her academic record and high SAT score, she was awarded a full tuition scholarship to Hampton University, where she received her doctorate in Pharmacology in 2014. In her last year of school, Crabbe began dating Curtis and returned to Manassas after graduation.

In 2015, Crabbe took a position as the Clinical Pharmacist for Indian Health Services in Chinle, Arizona, as part of her role in the uniformed U.S. Public Health Service. She continued the long-distance relationship she had started in college with Curtis, using FaceTime and text as a substitute for traditional dating.

After returning to Virginia in 2018, Crabbe took a position with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, where she was a cadre instructor for newly commissioned medical professionals entering the National Health Service. Crabbe currently holds the rank of 0-4 Lieutenant Commander.

In 2020, she took a full-time position as a Program Manager at the Food and Drug Administration and went to a part-time position in the Public Health Service.

Crabbe’s best friend and fellow Hampton University alum, Alicia Banks, accompanied the defendant’s family to court to support her friend. In the courtroom, Banks described Crabbe as a patient woman.

Banks said Crabbe was always giving back to the community In addition to the time she spent on the Navajo Reservation deployed with the U.S. Public Health Service as a Clinical Staff Pharmacist for the Indian Health Services, “this is homecoming week at Hampton. She took a vacation from her job so she could be at Hampton to be a mentor to students.” Banks said she’s had to tell several alumni and faculty at Hampton about what she’s accused of since the arrest has kept her away from the school.

“When I tell people about this, even former professors, they can’t believe [Crabbe] was involved because she’s never even raised her voice to people. She doesn’t get angry. I don’t think she’s even yelled at her kids,” said Banks.

 

On the Rocks

The Crabbes were married in 2018 and had their first of three children a year later. The couple moved to a 10-acre home in Ruther Glen, but Crabbe found it difficult to commute to her U.S. Public Health Service job in Maryland four hours a day and raise children without the support of her family. According to Crabbe’s mother, Marilyn Martin, even though Curtis objected, Crabbe moved the family into her mother’s basement in Manassas. Martin, a former Prince William County foster parent, babysat the Crabbe children during the day while Crabbe worked. Martin alleges Curtis’ insistence on moving nearly 70 miles away from her family in Manassas home was a way to control her.

According to court testimony by Daughtery, Crabbe filed for divorce in July, the second such filing for the couple. Martin showed reporters a copy of an eviction notice she issued Curtis on October 9. Martin said Crabbe ended the first divorce proceeding when Curtis threatened violence “because she was scared for the safety of all of us, especially the children,” she added, “[Crabbe] knew of his violent history and knew he wasn’t bluffing.”

Martin showed reporters a six-page document that she claimed showed emails Crabbe sent to a domestic violence counselor this summer in which she spelled out the physical and emotional abuse she and her children suffered under Curtis. Martin also showed reporters an internal security video showing Curtis slapping his three-year-old child on the side of her head because she was crying in the days before his death. Martin provided that video to investigators but did not provide the emails to reporters, as she said her attorney had not yet reviewed the documents.

Martin shared text messages allegedly from Curtis to one of her other daughters in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic that appeared to show a late-night text where Curtis wanted to go to the other daughter’s home because he was “try[ing] to chill for a few,” and he “didn’t want tonight to end.” Still, his wife “went to bed before [he] got home.” The unnamed daughter called his request “strange,” and Curtis later wrote to ensure she “didn’t get the wrong impression” of his late-night text request.

A text exchange allegedly from Curtis in 2019 blames Martin for the marital problems saying Crabbe “is always stuck up under [Martin’s butt] everyday. If I don’t go upstairs, I wouldn’t ever see her. I did 3.5 years of [a] long distance [relationship]… and I see her about as much as when she lived in AZ. I’m ready to roll all the way out!!!!”

A Violent Past

In 2006, when Curtis was 18, he was found guilty of felony charges related to a violent armed home invasion robbery in Stafford County. Details in the court record are slim because most are sealed, but public records show that he was sentenced to 40 years in the Virginia Penitentiary. All of his sentence was stayed pending him completing a youthful offender program, paying fines and restitution to the victims and completing 20 years of probation.

In 2014, Curtis violated probation after receiving a DUI. Records show that three years later, the commonwealth attempted to revoke his suspended sentence for violating the probation, but instead of sending him to prison as the initial order required, in May 2018, a Stafford Circuit Court judge only ordered him to pay $186 in court costs and put back on the original probation.

When reached for comment, the victims of the 2006 home invasion robbery refused to answer questions because they still feared the potential ramifications of talking about the violent crime.

Martin said Crabbe had confided in her that she learned after they were married that Curtis was violent with previous girlfriends and had pulled a weapon on one of his family members. Martin said that Curtis’ family chose not to report the crimes to the police due to his probation status and the knowledge he would go to prison should he be arrested.

Rising Tensions Leading to the Shooting

The living situation was “contentious in the months leading up to the shooting,” said Martin. Curtis was sleeping on a basement couch during the day because he worked the night shift at a Stafford County manufacturer. Curtis only occasionally stayed at the Martin home as he spent much time with his family in Stafford, which was closer to his work.

The Martins issued an eviction notice on October 9 to Curtis. Martin says that he got angry when Curtis came by several days later. In an unanswered text message to Crabbe, Curtis allegedly wrote, “I’m going upstairs to talk to your mom about this notice too[.] I got some [stuff] to get off my chest.” Martin said that when Curtis confronted her, he refused to leave the home and stated that Crabbe only needed space in the relationship.

On October 19, two days before the shooting, while Crabbe was on a business trip to New York City, in another unanswered text, Curtis allegedly wrote, “stop [messing] with me and answer my call or I’m going to go to the house and punch your mother in the face… I’m not playing around[,] I will hurt everyone in the house then set it on fire,” then he added, “I’m taking the kids and you will never see them.”

Martin said the family added additional locks to the home to prevent Curtis from following through on his threats. Martin said that although her daughter had her gun, she also acquired a gun as well because she was afraid of Curtis as she believed Curtis blamed her for a lot of the couple’s marital problems.

The Day of the Shooting

On the morning of Monday, October 21, Crabbe and Martin were at a bus stop when Curtis drove up to the home on Brinkley Street. Crabbe later told Martin that she had recorded two hours of Curtis alternating between threatening her, threatening suicide, and begging for reconciliation that day.

According to a timeline of the day provided by Martin, Curtis ultimately fell asleep on Crabbe’s bed as she worked on her computer in the same room, barely big enough for a double bed, dresser, and small desk. Crabbe put her children down for a nap and returned to the basement to retrieve and work on her laptop in the children’s room.

Martin, who was out running errands, received a frantic call from Crabbe, who said she shot Curtis after he cornered her behind her desk when she went downstairs. Martin claims Crabbe told her that Curtis would not let her out of the room and was frantic about the relationship, showing “extreme aggression” in such a way that she felt she was about to die because he relayed that if he couldn’t have her, no one could. Martin immediately called Manassas Police, who arrived shortly after that.

In court testimony, it was revealed police found a knife not belonging to the home on the floor of the basement and two guns in his car parked outside the house. Prosecutor Burke Walker said there was no evidence of a struggle and no evidence that Curtis brandished the knife despite the defense’s claim that he had.

Curtis’s 20-year felony probation precluded him from possessing weapons of any kind. Martin said that he would regularly leave both knives and guns unsecured in the home where his young children could access them, and this is one of the concerns Crabbe listed in her letter to the domestic violence counselor.

Martin said Crabbe is being isolated at the Prince William Adult Detention Center. “She doesn’t even know what day it is. They don’t let her out of her cell. She doesn’t know if it’s day or night. She can hear other inmates but can’t see any of them from her windowless cell. They’ve only allowed her one shower in the nearly 10 days she’s been there” said Martin, who is allowed only two 30-minute visits per week.

Prince William Adult Detention Center officials haven’t responded to requests for comment about Crabbe’s treatment in their facility. With Irving’s ruling, Crabbe will remain held without bond until the conclusion of her trial. A date for that has not been set, but is expected to happen in 2025. Should a new bond hearing not happen, her next appearance is not until November 21.

Domestic Violence Statistics in the Area

Statistics from Stafford and Prince William counties show an alarming rate of Domestic Violence calls for service.

Prince William domestic-related calls for police service have risen year over year, and 2024 looks to continue the upward trend, with 2023 setting a record 31% more calls than 2020. In 2023, nine people were victims of domestic-related murder. So far, in 2024, there have been four.

A similar situation exists in Stafford, where calls are up year over year, with 2023 seeing a more modest 4% increase over 2020. Last year, Stafford had two domestic-related murders, and so far in 2024, only one.

While overall domestic violence calls for service have fallen in Manassas, the Curtis Crabbe homicide is counted as a domestic homicide, the only one on record this year. Speaking to the projected uptick of domestic violence-related crime calls in nearby Manassas Park. However, a body has not been located; Manassas Park officials are considering Mamta Kafle Bhatt, missing since July 2024, as a domestic violence murder.

In an August reporter huddle following the arrest of Kaflle Bhatt’s husband, Naresh, for felony concealment of a dead body, Police Chief Mario Lugo said, “Because of the excessive amount of blood found at her home, we don’t believe she is alive.”

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence, there is help available. In Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park, ACTS offers a 24-hour hotline at 703-221-4951. In Stafford, Empowerhouse has a 24-hour hotline at 540-373-9373.

The National Domestic Violence hotline is staffed 24 hours a day and has 200+ language support, reachable by calling 800-799-7233.

If you are in immediate need of assistance, please call 911.

In an unusual move, the Town of Dumfries sued its Mayor because it alleges his business, Dyvine BBQ on Acts Lane, has consistently failed to comply with the ordinances the Mayor had voted to enact. The manager plans to take further action soon.

In a February 2024 complaint to Prince William Civil Court, the town of Dumfries says Mayor Derrick Wood’s business, Dyvine BBQ, violated 12 separate ordinances regarding permitting, signage, customer seating, trash removal, and insurance requirements.

Prince William General District Court Judge William E. Jarvis agreed with the Town and issued an order requiring Mayor Wood to pay a $400 fine and comply with the Town’s Ordinances.

Mayor’s Ordinance Violations Spark Controversy

The Town code was first adopted in 1995 and updated and approved by Mayor Wood in 2018 to specifically prohibit temporary food vendors from operating more than 12 hours a day at any one location and prevent food trucks from remaining parked overnight with all trash and signage removed daily—something the Town says Mayor Wood’s own business has not abided by.

The Town claims that Dyvine BBQ has violated the ordinance for some time. In an October 2023 Town Council meeting, Councilmen Tyrone Brown and Brian Fields motioned to remove parts of the ordinance that Dyvine BBQ was not compliant with.

Town Council Rejects Exemption for Dyvine BBQ

At the October 2023 meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Selonia Miles said, “We have to be very intentional about how we grow Dumfries, to amend this zoning amendment for one business is not the way to do that. That business should probably just pursue another avenue.”

After consultation with the Virginia Ethics Board, Mayor Wood recused himself from the discussion and did not participate in the vote. Ultimately, the council voted against changing the zoning in favor of the Mayor’s business, and the Town advised Mayor Wood to correct his company’s deficiencies.

Local Business Owners Protest Unequal Treatment

Other business owners claim Mayor Wood’s business has violated town ordinances for years, and it wasn’t until business owners threatened to quit complying with town ordinances that the town finally took action against the Mayor. Kay Vickers, owner of Kay’s Citrine Soul Food, said she got fed up and told town officials that she would no longer “pay for a permit until the Mayor pays for a permit.”

Vickers said her civil disobedience forced the town to begin enforcement actions against Mayor Wood’s business. “My husband and I had a vision to grow our business in Dumfries, but my biggest fear is investing more money into my business in a town where the Mayor can do whatever he wants and can block my ability to do business because he’s the mayor and I’m a competitor to his business,” she adds.

County records show Dyvine BBQ’s landlord, Johnson Commercial Realty, purchased the property once occupied by Reid Funeral Home in October 2019. The funeral home owner, Shaun Reid, was accused of using the property to store human remains and perform embalming without a license illegally. A cursory look at historical street views shows that Mayor Wood’s food truck appeared at the property sometime between the 2019 purchase and 2021. Judge Jarvis tossed out a separate fine from the Town against the landlord.

Town Manager Tangela Innis said she “can’t speak for what happened before her tenure,” but under her watch, “all businesses will be held to the same standards.” Innis, who came to Dumfries in April 2023 after over a decade in multiple roles at the city of Petersburg, vowed to run the Town of Dumfries professionally.

Mayor Wood has paid his fine and said he’s “corrected all the Ordinance violations, and [he’s] in full compliance.” Town officials say that assertion is false, and the original violations still exist at the property on Acts Lane.

In an email statement, the town is resolute in bringing Dyvine BBQ into compliance with Town Ordinances: “The Town of Dumfries is anticipating issuing new citations this coming week, as we have allowed [Dyvine BBQ] some time to rectify the violations after receiving payment of the fine issued.”

Town Ordinances allow the Town to treat the violations as new violations each day, allowing the fines to accrue until the Ordinance violations are corrected. So far, the town has only issued the $400 fine from the February inspection. Outside counsel was hired explicitly to remove the appearance of impropriety as town officials navigate the unusual process of holding the Mayor accountable.

Previous Lawsuits Highlight Mayor’s Financial Troubles

This is not Mayor Wood’s first brush with civil action against him or his businesses. In February 2024 R&A Design Studio obtained a judge’s permission to garnish the wages Mayor Wood received from the Town Council to pay $14,564 in past rent on his defunct events center. A recent filing in the Prince William Civil Court states that although garnishments started in February, Mayor Wood still owes nearly $13,000. The Mayor was not present for his court date on October 23 to respond to the latest garnishment request, and Judge Che C. Rogers dispersed the previously collected garnishment to the legal counsel for R&A Design Center without Mayor Wood or his representative being present.

In August 2023, Dyvine BBQ was sued for $25,000 after a 53-year-old customer from Springfield claimed a 23-year-old employee assaulted her after the customer attempted to get burned chicken remade. The claim resulted in a non-suit because the plaintiff failed to secure legal representation before the hearing. In a phone interview, the customer, Monica Souter, was frustrated because she felt that lawyers did not want to represent her everywhere she went after hearing that Wood was the defendant.

“They told me I’d never see a dime from him,” Souter said. Souter alleges the assault has left her with a rotator cuff injury that still affects her today. “I’m a grandmother. I didn’t go there to fight. I had my granddaughter and her friend with me. I thought it was a professional business, but the way I was treated said something completely different.” Souter said she’s hopeful an attorney would pick up her case. “It’s not right, the way I was treated,” she said.

In September 2020, a debt collector sued Mayor Wood on behalf of Paul Davis Design of Ashburn to collect money owed after Mayor Wood contracted the company to repair a leak in his basement. The suit was dismissed without reason, but a representative of Paul Davis Design said they still have not received the $414.51 payment for the work they performed in 2019.

Ebony Lofton, a candidate for one of four candidates vying for three council seats up for election this November, said, “It is concerning that someone with so many lawsuits filed for monies owed can be in charge of the budget of our town.”

Overspending Scandal Adds to Mayor’s Challenges

The town’s budget is $11 million. In Dumfries’s system of government, the Mayor does not have direct control of where the money goes, but he does have the power to suggest how the money is spent, and ultimately, he and the council vote for the expenditures.

The Mayor’s ability to suggest how money is spent was on full display earlier this year, and our report showed that the town overspent an eye-popping 135% of its allocated $100,000 budget for the Town’s Anniversary Gala.

Days before the event, the council had to approve $35,000 in emergency funds for items Mayor Wood and the Gala contractor had agreed to outside the council’s vote. During that meeting, council members argued over who was responsible for the overspending.

Vice Mayor Monae Nickerson and Councilman Tyrone Brown pointed fingers at Mayor Wood, who claimed to have overseen the citizen committee responsible for the celebration and worked closely with the planning contractor hired to plan the event.

“You are a chef; you should have known that braised beef and salmon is more expensive than chicken,” said Nickerson, citing Mayor Wood’s personal business at Dyvine BBQ.

Mayor Wood is serving his second term as Mayor of Dumfries. He was first elected to the Town Council in 2014 and as Mayor in 2018.

Mayor Wood lobbied to bring The Rose, a soon-to-open gaming resort, to the town. Most recently, he’s been a fixture at White House parties and is featured in a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee urging people to vote for Kamala Harris and down-ballot Democrats who will support gun control.

During his tenure, Mayor Wood used the council chambers as a private broadcast studio for a YouTube show titled “Spotlight Dumfries,” where he interviewed Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) and Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey and promoted sponsorship opportunities on his show. For $1,200, a podcast sponsor could receive a “key to the city” of Dumfries, part of three different sponsorship packages available.

As construction continues on an Amazon Web Services data center on Technology Boulevard in Manassas, local businesses are raising concerns about the project's impacts on their operations. Among the most vocal is Mike Post, owner of Baker-Post Funeral Home, a 130-year staple of Manassas.

The server farm will be one of four in Manassas and will have three buildings. Post says that the construction has caused significant issues for his business. “The blasting has caused our sprinkler standpipe to shift in the ground, and a truck damaged our portico. It has cost me $2,900 in repairs,” he said. “There have been instances where the blasting has disrupted funeral [ceremonies]. During a funeral, a minister was giving a eulogy, and without any warning, they let off a giant explosion. Then, the fire alarm went off right after the blast and sounded throughout the funeral.”

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The first four days of early voting statistics for 2024 in Prince William County, Stafford County, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Fredericksburg show varying trends compared to the 2020 figures.

So far this year, Stafford County reported the highest number of early ballots cast among the listed jurisdictions, with 4,682 votes, showing a significant increase from 2,779 in 2020.

Manassas saw a decrease in early voting numbers, with 2,652 ballots cast in 2024 compared to 3,051 in 2020. Prince William County also experienced a notable drop, with 1,022 early votes in 2024, down from 3,096 in the previous election cycle.

In Fredericksburg and Manassas Park, where no early voting data is available from 2020, 688 and 966 ballots were cast in 2024, so far.

Prince William County Voter Registrar Eric Olsen shared his expectations for the turnout on the first day of early voting, Friday, September 202, 2024, emphasizing the expanded capacity at the polling location. “I would say at least 1,000, probably as many as a couple thousand [voters today],” Olsen said. “We’ve expanded our capacity inside, so we have more check-in stations. We can get through a couple thousand people today if we need to.” Ultimately, when polls closed at 4:30, a little over 1200 voters cast their ballots in Prince William County.

While Olsen noted the potential for a solid early turnout, he said early voting activity often happens closer to Election Day. “We saw 80% of our voting happen in the last three weeks [of early voting in previous years],” he explained. “We contracted the early voting period [in the first few weeks], but expanded the number of locations, weekends, and extended hours during the last three weeks because that’s when people most commonly vote.”

Olsen encouraged residents to use official sources of information to plan their voting, stating, “Go to pwcvotes.org to get all the hours, locations, and dates. You can apply for a mail ballot online if you’d rather not wait in line.” As of the opening hours on the first day, Olsen estimated that about 30 to 40 voters had already lined up. “So far this morning, maybe a 10 or 15-minute wait at the start, which isn’t too bad.”

Prince William County Supervisor for the Coles District Yesli Vega, made a point to be at the polls today because “Voting is the most important thing we can do as citizens. I encourage every eligible voter to get out and vote as early as they can.” Vega was the only County elected official observed at the poll site although Chair Deshundra Jefferson did put out a social media post inviting citizens to vote.

First-Day Voter Experiences

Susan Dunn, a voter from Bristow, was among those who cast her vote early. She said the process was smooth, but practical considerations influenced her decision to vote early. “Once you vote, they take you off the [mail] register. So all those mailers you get will save [campaigns] money, and that way they can focus on other people,” Dunn explained.

When asked about concerns over voter fraud, Dunn acknowledged the lingering doubt some voters feel. “I always wonder whether my vote counts after the last election fiasco, but I’ll do what I have to do to get it in,” she said. “I would hate to hear my voice if I got there to vote and they said, ‘Sorry, our records show you voted already,’ that would not be the end of it.”

For those still considering when to vote, Dunn encouraged early participation. “I’d suggest they come out early, get their vote in, make it count. Do it sooner rather than later,” she said.

Manassas Candidates Share Their Views

As early voting got underway, several local candidates also shared their perspectives on the key issues facing voters in the region. Tom Osina, a Manassas City Council candidate running for re-election, highlighted the economic growth efforts in the city. “For us, it’s things like we brought commercial air service, we have done several land purchases that are going to bring continued prosperity here,” Osina said. He pointed to projects such as the redevelopment of the Mathis Avenue Shopping Center and the construction of new facilities like the Marstellar community center and a new firehouse. “The vision for the future is not only continuing that work here, but actually trying to now use those pieces as catalysts to do better services for the public.”

Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, also running for re-election, stressed the importance of voter participation. “It is so important to exercise that right, no matter what,” Davis-Younger said. “I often say it doesn’t matter [your] party because we all want what’s best for this country and locally here, so just exercise the right because it is your voice.”

On the issues facing Manassas City, Davis-Younger identified the city’s rapid development as a central concern. “The growth, how we’re handling the growth of the city, making sure that the infrastructure is here and that we’re able to handle the new developments that we’re doing,” she said, adding that maintaining coordination between the City Council and the School Board is essential to the city’s progress.

Lynn Forkell Green, another candidate for Manassas City Council, expressed concerns over education, infrastructure, and public safety. “Our infrastructure needs to be addressed in a proactive nature,” Green said. “We have a lot of growth happening right now. We have data centers that have already been approved and we’re going to need to really assess our needs, our grid capacity, and what we’re going to have to do so that we’re not being reactive down the road.” Green also called for reforms in the city’s schools, criticizing their current performance and pushing for new leadership on the school board. “No matter how much money we’re throwing at the schools, they’re just not performing. We have to address that.”

On public safety, Green noted a rise in crime, pointing to recent incidents in the city. “We need to do a lot of evaluation,” she said, suggesting that more police officers may be necessary. “I think the answer is probably yes.”

Voting Logistics and Information

Prince William County

Residents can vote at 9250 Lee Ave, Suite 1, Manassas. Voting hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Weekend voting will begin on October 13.

Manassas

Early voting occurs at 9025 Center Street, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The office will be closed on Monday, October 14, in observance of Columbus Day.

Additional in-person early voting dates have been scheduled for Sunday, October 13, from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, November 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – the final day for early in-person voting.

Stafford County

Early voting will occur at the Registrar’s Office at 124 Old Potomac Church Road, Suite 205, Stafford. Voters are reminded that early voting is not being held at the Government Center this year. The early voting period runs until Friday, November 1, with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Saturday voting will also be available on October 26 and November 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters should note the office will be closed on October 14, and November 2 is the county’s final day for early voting.

Fredericksburg

Residents can vote early at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 601 Caroline Street, Suite 500. Early voting starts on Friday, September 20, with regular hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Extended hours will be available on Thursday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday voting is available on October 26 and November 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Manassas Park

Residents can vote early in person through Saturday, November 2, 2024. To cast their absentee ballot, voters can visit the General Registrar’s office at City Hall. No prior application is needed to vote absentee in person.

City Hall will be open for early voting Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition, drop boxes will be available for voters to submit their mailed absentee ballots, including on Election Day, November 5, 2024.

City Hall will offer two Saturday voting days for those who prefer to vote on weekends. The first will be on October 26, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a final Saturday voting opportunity on November 2, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will be the last chance to vote early in person before Election Day.

Residents can apply for absentee voting through the Virginia Department of Elections at vote.elections.virginia.gov/voterinformation.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, and polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

 

A proposal to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) tracking for traffic and pedestrian safety in Prince William County was deferred after a contentious discussion during the Sept. 19, 2024, Board of County Supervisors meeting. If approved, this initiative would mark the first time the county government has used AI technology to track and analyze citizens’ movements.

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In her first interview with Potomac Local News since being elected four years ago, Mayor Michelle Davis Younger (D) shared her vision and priorities for her November 2024 re-election campaign.

Davis Younger emphasized the importance of voter participation, urging residents to exercise their right to vote. “It’s so important to get out and vote,” she stated. “No matter what, we all want what’s best for our community.” Davis Younger is vying for a second term as mayor and is challenged by longtime city businesswoman  Xiao-Yin “Tang” Byrom (R).

Declining schools 

The mayor addressed ongoing concerns regarding Manassas City schools and acknowledged their performance. In a report released last month by the Virginia Department of Education, the average pass rates for city schools have declined in history, math, and reading, improved in science, and stayed the same in writing.

The most significant decrease was in history, from 62% in the 2022-2023 school year to 58% in 2023-24. That should be a concern for every leader,” she said, pointing to efforts to provide additional funding, including $1.5 million for teacher pay to attract and retain quality educators. Davis Younger highlighted the need for support for students learning English as a second language and stressed collaboration between the city council and the school board.

“We have been putting money aside… so that we can build a school every 10 years,” she noted, clarifying the city’s approach to funding education.

In almost every subject, the city schools lag more than 20% behind state averages. While the city school board manages the school division, Incumbent Democrats Mark Wolfe, Tom Osina, and newcomer Ashley Hutson, all running for city council on the Democratic slate with Davis Younger, told Potomac Local News they would not be open to discussing school improvement benchmarks when the city council decides on how much funding it will provide the school system during Spring 2025 budget deliberations.

“Spending more money is not necessarily a guarantee of improved performance. Less funding will almost guarantee less performance. What’s going to happen if less funding is the people who make a difference? Your high-quality teachers are going to bail, and it becomes a race for the exits,” Wolfe told Potomac Local News.

Economic development, data centers, rising tax bills 

Regarding downtown development, Davis Younger is credited with brokering the nearly $6 million deal for the city to purchase and demolish the Old Towne Inn, a 1960s-era motel in the heart of downtown. She expressed optimism about a potential new hotel on the city’s vacant footprint, stating, “We had community meetings, and that’s what the community said they want.”

The hotel property is one of several that the city has bought and sold under Davis-Younger, including the Manassas Shopping Center, which the city aims to sell to its preferred buyer for use as a mixed-use development with affordable housing, and the Marsteller Middle School property on Sudley Road, which will be used to build a new fire station and convert the old school into a community center.

Discussing Manassas’s growth, the mayor acknowledged the addition of data centers, of which the city has four so far. “We’ve been very thoughtful about where we place them,” she remarked, emphasizing that the developments would bring economic benefits and jobs, which are crucial for the city’s growth.

The mayor explained that the city’s approach to handling these new funds would depend on various factors, including the timeline for when all the data centers are fully operational. “It’ll happen, but it’s several years from now when they’re all in place,” she noted.

Over her four years as Mayor, both residential and non-residential properties have faced rising tax assessments, resulting in larger tax bills for homeowners and businesses alike. The average residential bill increased by $878 between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, while the average commercial bill grew by $2,393 during the same period.

Mayor Davis-Younger acknowledged the significant financial impact data center projects could have, potentially generating millions in annual revenue for the city. However, she was cautious in discussing any direct plans for tax cuts.

“I didn’t say that,” Davis-Younger emphasized when asked if she planned to reduce taxes. “I’m just saying when those revenues come in, those are things that we have to look at.”

The server farms are located on or being built on Godwin and Dean drives and at the city’s regional airport. The number of server farms in the 10-square-mile city pales compared to the number of data centers in neighboring Prince William County, which has seen a proliferation of server farms over the past 10 years and will soon have more than anywhere else in the world.

The mayor pointed out that while data centers often face criticism for their limited job creation, they offer substantial economic benefits, including revenue generation for the city. “These developments can bring in three to $6 million annually,” she explained, indicating that such income could eventually contribute to potential tax adjustments or other community improvements.

Davis Younger emphasized the importance of balancing economic growth with community needs. “We know the concerns of people with noise and different things like that,” she stated, noting that the city is committed to addressing these issues as development progresses.

Vacancies

Under Davis Younger, several city department leaders have left the city, including longtime City Manager Patrick Pate, who served for an unprecedented decade. Mayor Davis Younger acknowledged that high turnover can challenge effective governance and service delivery. “It’s a concern for us, as continuity in staffing is vital for maintaining quality services,” she stated.

She explained that the city has focused on retention strategies to improve employee stability. These include competitive compensation packages, professional development opportunities, and fostering a positive work environment. “We want to ensure our staff feels valued and invested in, which ultimately benefits our community,” said Davis Younger.

Police Chief Douglass Keen has served as interim city manager for a year and told Potomac Local he wants to return to his role as police chief as soon as the council hires a permanent city manager. “I will be honest in my opinion, in retrospect, we probably dragged the process out a little bit more than we should have just because of where the calendar was and different things. However, as we went through the process, we had 50 or 60 people apply. So we had a large pool. But we didn’t find a good fit…” said Wolfe.

Keen has recently been charged with reclaiming the city’s popular First Friday events for families. In text messages, Keen said underage drinking and alcohol violations had plagued the monthly event. Meanwhile, the city council has discussed potential changes in managing the event.

Davis Younger has received criticism for putting her political party above streetlight issues and shunning others who posted support for her political appointments on Facebook. She has become a fixture at the White House locally and took credit for luring the then-Biden-Harris campaign to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in January 2024 for the duo’s campaign kickoff.

Davis Younger is an entrepreneur who owns a human resources consulting firm, The1FORHR, LLC.

Prince William County Government employees were urged to leave their regular jobs temporarily and serve food and drinks to guests at a prestigious golf tournament now underway in the county while still being paid their government salary.

The Solheim Cup, an internationally recognized LPGA golf tournament, is taking place now at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Gainesville. From September 13 to 15, the event is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the region.

A whistle-blower shared an email from the county government’s top brass encouraging employees to volunteer during their duty days at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club from September 10 to 15, 2024. This arrangement has raised several concerns about using taxpayer resources and the impact on county services.

Volunteer Solicitation and County Response

The county’s email solicitation for volunteers invited employees to sign up for shifts at the tournament, where they will serve food and drinks to attendees. The county did not answer questions about employees serving alcohol, but an attendant at the golf course said alcohol will be available wherever food is served. Volunteers are paid their regular county salary to work at the LPGA event. The communication also highlights that 8% of gross revenues from catering tents and tips will benefit a local charitable organization.

County government spokeswoman Nicole Brown responded to inquiries, stating that the goal is to support the event’s success and promote Prince William County as a prime location for major sporting events. According to Brown, participation in this volunteer program is optional, and volunteer employees will receive regular wages for working at the event.

The Prince William County Government was one of several area non-profit organizations seeking volunteers to serve food and drinks to golf spectators. Organizations like Volunteer Prince William and the Prince William County Parks Foundation recently pleaded for volunteers to help a hired caterer serve food and drink.

Potomac Local News contacted the LPGA for information on the catering services at the tournament and why volunteers are needed to support a catering company. We received no response.

Prince William County Director of Economic Development Christina Winn discussed the broader context of the event’s impact. She noted that the Solheim Cup is expected to attract around 150,000 spectators and generate significant economic benefits for the county. However, she admitted that the specific details about the volunteer arrangements and their implications were not fully within her purview.

Winn indicated that the county had attempted to involve various nonprofit organizations to fulfill volunteer needs but faced challenges when those groups could not provide sufficient volunteers. This led to the decision to extend the opportunity to county employees.
The Solheim Cup, run by the for-profit LPGA, will benefit from the taxpayer-funded labor. The tournament’s entry fees range from $65 to $515 daily.

Prince William County has added nearly 500 full-time employees since 2020, and the county’s budget has consistently increased. Meanwhile, the potential liability for any injuries sustained by county employees while volunteering, whether on-site or en route, remains unclear. While the county will compensate employees for their work at the event, including overtime, the broader implications for employee safety and county liability remain in question.

There are concerns about diminished services for residents as county employees work the event instead of the jobs for which the county hired them. The high ticket prices and parking fees for the Solheim Cup limit access for many county residents, raising questions about the tangible benefits that the county will receive from putting so much effort into the event.

Event literature recommends that those traveling stay at hotels in Fauquier and Loudoun counties. Winn said, “The county simply does not have enough hotel rooms.”

On Friday, the LGPA issued an apology for failing to provide adequate shuttle bus transportation from Jiffy Lube Live to the tournament.

Public Transparency and Accountability

The conversation around this initiative highlights a broader issue of public transparency and accountability in allocating taxpayer resources. Winn says the event is “expected to inject $60 million into the economy,” but her numbers include the broader Northern Virginia, as tax revenue from hotels and airports outside the county stays within the county the business is in does not trickle down to Prince William County.

Winn acknowledged that the decision to involve county employees was made with positive intentions, aimed at supporting a high-profile event and showcasing Prince William County on a global stage. However, she admitted that the details of the arrangement and its broader implications need further clarification.

The Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course 1 Turtle Point Dr, Gainesville, VA 20155 runs through Sunday September 15. Tickets can be purchased at solheimcupusa.com.

 The Prince William County Police Department hosted its fourth community fair, dubbed “Diversity Day,” on Saturday, September 7, 2024. The community came together to celebrate the things that make Prince William County unique. The event, created in 2020, is held every year to humanize the badge and introduce the community to those entrusted to keep the community safe.

Prince William County Police has consistently received high marks from the public in annual customer satisfaction surveys.