The Prince William County School Board (PWCS) adopted the 2025-2026 school year calendar at the body's Nov. 19 meeting in a 7-1 decision.

The Board approved Option A, which has students starting school on Aug. 19 and finishing on June 12. Teacher workdays in this option begin on Aug. 11 and all major holidays — including Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Presidents Day and Memorial Day, to name a few — will be observed.

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According to a small business report from Prince William County’s Department of Development Services, 24 small businesses opened in September. This marks 283 total small businesses opening in the county since January.

Here are the businesses that opened their doors in September:

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The opportunity for public input on Prince William County’s request for federal funding for the Homeless Navigation Center East project ends Tuesday at 5 p.m.

According to county documents, the federal funding will go toward the demolition of the existing county-owned building at 14716 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge and construction of a new 30,000-square-foot homeless center. The new center will provide overnight, temporary and emergency sheltering as well as a multitude of services for up to 50 adults experiencing homelessness.

The county is requesting $2 million Community Project Funding (CPF) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Community Planning and Development. This funding is given through HUD’s Congressional Grants Division, which is responsible for administering congressionally directed spending grants.

“CPF grants provide investment in a wide variety of projects such as housing, homelessness prevention, workforce training, public facilities, parks, resilience planning and other critical infrastructure and services,” HUD’s website states.

Public feedback on the request for funding is ending on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and can be submitted via email to Anup Adhikari, principal engineer of Facilities Construction Management in the county (AAdhikari@pwcgov.org).

This project was also determined to have no significant impact on the environment, county documents state. 

Happy Sunday, Manassas! Welcome to another City Council preview, this time for the Nov. 25 regular meeting. This week’s meeting will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers at 9027 Center St.

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The Prince William County Police Department is reminding pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists alike to remain “Street Smart” as daylight fades.

More from Prince William Police:

The “Street Smart” education and enforcement campaign, which runs through Sunday, aims to reduce the number of pedestrian and bicycle crashes with motor vehicles.

During the campaign, police officers will focus attention on vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle violations that contribute to these types of crashes: speeding, running red lights, running stop signs and driving without headlights at night or at any time of reduced visibility. Conditions that may reduce visibility include rain, fog or any other situation where drivers cannot clearly see people or vehicles that are 500 feet away, or whenever windshield wipers are in use. Police will stop drivers who fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians.

The “Street Smart” campaign addresses three main goals:

• To change motorist and pedestrian behavior, and reduce injuries and crashes;
• To increase awareness of the consequences of pedestrian and bicycle crashes; and
• To recommend actions to reduce risks, such as: using crosswalks, obeying traffic signals, looking left-right-left before turning or changing lanes, slowing down and stopping for pedestrians.

By working together, we can help reduce traffic crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, making our county a safer one. For more information, call the Traffic Unit at 703-792-7254, or visit the Police Department’s Pedestrian Safety web page.

Welcome (or welcome back) to a Potomac Local News series, “Meet the Principal.”

We started this series at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year with the nearly two dozen new principals in Prince William County Schools, but now let's turn our attention to the new and existing Manassas City Public Schools principals. Potomac Local has asked each principal the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.

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Ezzedin Baryoh was sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison after being found guilty by a Prince William County jury following an April 2023 shooting in Triangle.

According to a release from Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Petula C. Metzler sentenced Baryoh on Friday to serve 93 years with 25 years suspended, leaving 68 years to serve followed by five years of supervised probation.

On Aug. 15, a jury found Baryoh guilty of malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, shooting into an occupied dwelling, shooting from a vehicle, five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and gang participation, the release stated.

According to InsideNOVA, Baryoh was a juvenile at the time of the shooting.

The shooting occurred on April 19, 2023; Baryoh and his co-defendant, Sean Hughes Jr., opened fire at a Triangle residence. According to the release from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, a woman inside the home was struck multiple times. A bystander and Detective S. Davis were nearly struck by gunshots. Baryoh and Hughes fled to Maryland where they were ultimately arrested with one of the guns used in the shooting.

The release also stated that Hughes was convicted by a jury trial on Feb. 2, and was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Carroll A. Weimer Jr. on May 30. Hughes was sentenced to 78 years with 50 years suspended, leaving 28 years to serve. His case is currently before the Virginia Court of Appeals.

The Prince William County Fire & Rescue department has begun collecting toys for the annual Toys for Tots drive for the 2024 holiday season.

Toys for Tots, a national charity program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, collects and distributes toys to less fortunate children across the country during the traditional Christmas season.

New and unwrapped toys will be accepted at the following locations through Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve):

• Prince William County fire stations
• City of Manassas Park fire stations
• City of Manassas fire stations
• Prince William County Public Safety Training Center (Nokesville)
• McCoart Government Center (Woodbridge)

All toys that are collected will be delivered to the Toys for Tots collection site for processing and delivery to organizations who have already requested toys. Fire stations cannot deliver toys directly to local residents.

Clothes and used toys cannot be accepted, but can be donated to churches and shelters in the community.

The program was started in 1947 in California by Maj. William L. Hendricks, who was inspired by his wife’s efforts to donate a doll to a child in need, but couldn’t find an organization to do so. Maj. Hendricks gathered his fellow Marine reservists to coordinate and collect toys for children.

Hendricks asked for the help of his friend, Walt Disney, to design a poster for the national campaign; the same logo has remained to this day.

Volunteer Prince William has several opportunities through the holidays and into 2025, so make sure to check them out below.

Greetings, Prince William: It’s All About a Kid and a Toy! Volunteer Prince William’s program Untrim a Tree which provides holiday gifts for local children in Title I schools is now live and accepting donor forms!  While we’ve been able to get kids sponsored, we still have over 1,300 children who are still waiting on Santa, so your help is still needed!  The online donor form is available to sponsor a child or donate a Senior Basket; please visit our website to fill out and submit a form. The whole family can participate, and you’ll feel great being part of a program which helps so many of our vulnerable children have a happy Christmas! Volunteers will also be needed Dec. 7-10 to help sort/organize toys and deliver Senior Baskets.

• You can help vulnerable families have a holiday meal for Thanksgiving!  ACTS’ Share the Bounty distribution needs volunteers to help with sorting donations and assembling the Share the Bounty bags during November. This will take place in their Food Donation Center, 17958 Dr. David Cline Drive, Dumfries, Monday through Thursday. Volunteer hours are flexible between 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  You’ll feel great knowing your giving spirit will help food-insecure families have a Happy Thanksgiving!

• If you love helping others learn, we have a wonderful opportunity for you! BEACON for English Language and Literacy is recruiting volunteers to teach adult ESOL students for their upcoming Winter session which runs from Dec. 2 to Feb. 27.  No teaching or language experience is required, and training is provided.  To learn more, please sign up for a virtual information session at Info session sign-up or contact Seth at 571-428-2524.

• Brain Injury Services (BIS) has an ongoing need for volunteers to be PALS (Providing a Link for Survivors) for survivors of brain injury.  This is a one-to-one friendship program for brain injury survivors; the program connects BIS clients with volunteers who can help them socialize in the community and rebuild social skills through friendship. Once a month outings for coffee, walks, chess, lunch and more can help a client get their life back on track following such a traumatic occurrence! Please visit their website for more information.

• You can help Manassas City families enjoy a Thanksgiving meal! Light of Life Church is hosting a City of Manassas Friendsgiving Outreach to benefit vulnerable families in the city. The event will be held at Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Road in Manassas. Volunteers are needed to help set up; serve food; hand out coats, personal hygiene products, diapers; and break down/clean up.  It’s a wonderful way to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving by helping our less fortunate neighbors! Please sign up for this meaningful event on their website.

• Ho Ho Ho! Get into the holiday spirit by volunteering for Santa Lights Manassas on Dec. 6 and the 78th Greater Manassas Christmas Parade on Dec. 7 in Old Town Manassas!  These events would not be possible without the support of over 300 volunteers which let them spread holiday cheer to the community! Volunteers are needed to help stage the participants, answer spectator questions and keep everyone safe so they can enjoy the parade and the tree lighting.  What better way to enjoy the Christmas holidays? Please visit this website to sign up and ask any questions.

• Calling all Rembrandts and Picassos! The City of Manassas Animal Shelter is looking for Volunteer Artists to do some murals on their walls which will brighten up the place for two-legged and four-legged friends alike!

• The “Power of A Knock” can help a homebound senior get nutritious meals! Meals on Wheels urgently needs volunteers to deliver meals to homebound senior citizens on weekday mornings. Volunteers must pass a criminal and driving record background check.  Routes take about 1.5 hours to complete, training is provided. You’ll feel great when you find out how inspiring it is to serve this vulnerable population and make their day! Please visit this website for more information and forms.

• The hard-working staff at Prince William County Community Foundation needs volunteers to support their Thanksgiving Food Drive to provide those in need with a holiday meal! Volunteers are needed to pack food boxes on Nov. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. and load food boxes on Nov. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Motiv8 Church, 14654 Joplin Road, Manassas. Volunteers are also needed to hand out food boxes on Nov. 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 17965 Dumfries Shopping Center in Dumfries.  Your help will bring holiday cheer to hundreds of local families dealing with food insecurity! Please email info@pwccfoundation.org to sign up.

• Is your office, club, Scout troop or service group looking for a volunteer opportunity? Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries has opened their hypothermia shelter located at 14716 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge and groups are needed to prepare and drop off meals for 30 adult residents through March 30, 2025.  Meals are needed each night and should be prepared off-site and dropped off at the shelter between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Your group will provide comfort for the homeless with a hot, nourishing meal they can enjoy during the cold winter months! Please visit Meal Train’s website to sign up and get more information.

• If you want to get firsthand experience working directly with the homeless, here’s a perfect opportunity!  Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries needs volunteers age 25+ to assist staff at their hypothermia shelter, 14716 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge.  Two volunteers are needed each evening through March 31, 2025, from 6 to 10 p.m.  Duties include assisting with preparing and serving dinner, passing out supplies as needed and light set-up and/or clean-up.  You’ll feel great knowing you are providing this vulnerable population with a way to get out of the cold for a hot meal and a warm place to sleep! Please visit the sign-up website to sign up.