Stafford will hold its annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Friday, May 26, at 10 a.m. at the Armed Services Memorial located on the campus of the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford.
This year’s ceremony is dedicated to the armed service members who died serving our country during the Gulf War. All families of fallen service members and veterans are asked to identify themselves to the greeters for special seating.
“As a tribute to the families, friends, and fellow armed services members, we want to honor and recognize the sacrifice of armed services members who were lost.” said the Stafford Board of Supervisors Chairman Dr. Pamela Yeung. “We are privileged to have General Craig Crenshaw, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, as our keynote speaker.”
Craig Crenshaw is a retired Major General in the United States Marine Corps and the former president of Claxton Logistics, a Stafford business. He is also a veteran of the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stafford County Public Schools will provide the National Anthem and special music. Pastor Chris Brown of Cornerstone Church and Chaplain for Stafford County Fire and Rescue will give the invocation. Marine Corps Base Quantico is providing a Color Guard.
Rolling Thunder Chapter VA 3 will be special guests and present a special formation. All those with motorcycles who would like to honor the fallen are welcome to the ceremony and asked to park in the front row of the parking lot next to the Memorial.
The Crime Prevention Unit of the Prince William County Police Department will host a presentation on the Neighborhood Watch program on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 6 p.m.
Participants will learn how to work with the Police Department to keep their neighborhoods safer.
The free presentation will be at the Potomac Community Library, 2201 Opitz Boulevard in Woodbridge.
For more information, please call the Crime Prevention Unit at 703-792-7270 or email [email protected].
A memorial and tribute service – including a candlelight vigil for fallen law enforcement officers who lived or served in greater Prince William County – will be held on Monday, May 8, at 7 p.m. at Grace Life Community Church, 9560 Linton Hall Road in Bristow.
This annual event – free and open to the public and sponsored by the Prince William County Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association – honors the lives and service of 20 men and women who lived or served in Prince William County and died in the line of duty. Read More
The 25th Annual Eagle Festival at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton returns on May 13.
This family-friendly event is free, and there will be two early morning bird walks led by volunteers from the Audubon of Virginia. Both walks begin at the Bay View Trailhead near the picnic area.
The first bird walk is at 8:15 a.m., and the second is at 9 a.m. The walks are free to the public but limited to 15 participants for each walk. Registration will be required, and to register, interested guests should visit mnsp.eventbrite.com.
The Eagle Festival includes live animal shows, hands-on educational opportunities, and outdoor recreation clinics that all aim to highlight the rich natural history of Northern Virginia and foster stewardship of our environment.
“New this year will be a special performance by Janice the Griot, a multi-cultural storyteller based out of Maryland,” said Mason Neck Park Chief Ranger of Visitor Experience Jamie Leeuwrik. “Weather permitting, we will be bringing back the Boating Bonanza at the paddle launch, where participants may use a canoe, kayak or paddle board on Belmont Bay.”
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 Elizabeth Hartwell, nicknamed “The Eagle Lady” and for whom the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is named, the area would look drastically different today. Eagle Festival is an opportunity to unite the local community for programs and activities, all in the name of conservation and preservation.
“Conservation efforts began to save the bald eagle, but there have been so many other species of flora and fauna that have benefitted from the thousands of acres of public land preserved along the peninsula,” said Mason Neck State Park Manager Lance Elzie. “Eagle Festival is a day where we can all come together to celebrate the work that has been done in the past and learn how to continue that work in the future while also having fun.”
Guests will have the opportunity to see live reptiles, hawks and owls up close as well as learn about the park’s resident bald eagles and see them fly overhead. There will be live music, food, pony and wagon rides and exhibits from conservation partners.
For more event details visit virginiastateparks.gov/
Mason Neck Park sits at 7301 High Point Road in Lorton.
I-95 Northbound
Exit 130 (Route 3) On-Ramp
Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m., and Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. The on-ramp from Route 3 in Fredericksburg to Interstate 95 northbound will have a single lane closed for construction on the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project, but the ramp will remain open to traffic at all times.
Exit 133 (Route 17) to Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. and Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension. Crews will work at mile markers 134-135 throughout the week, and at varying locations for barrier work between mile markers 133-140 on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
I-95 Southbound
Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. and Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 133 (Route 17)
Monday – Thursday, 6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. and Monday – Tuesday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. and Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Single and double lane closures at mile marker 125. Single lane closure begins at 9 p.m. followed by double lane closures at 10 p.m. for construction to replace the Route 17 (Mills Drive) overpass of I-95.
Stafford County
Route 3
Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Mobile single lane closures between the Blue & Gray Parkway and the King George county line to install rumble strips along the pavement edge at various locations, and pavement markings.
Route 3
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lane closures and shoulder closures for utility work between Dairy Lane and Rumford Road.
Route 17, Northbound and Southbound
Wednesday – Friday, 7 p.m. – 6 a.m. with full, intermittent traffic stops possible between midnight and 3 a.m. Single lane closures near the Interstate 95 overpasses to install new traffic signal equipment, including a signal mast arm pole.
Route 610 (Garrisonville Road) at Salisbury Drive and Mine Road
Sunday – Thursday, 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closures at the intersections of Route 610 and Salisbury Drive and Route 610 and Mine Road. Law enforcement will assist with traffic control. Crews are installing new traffic signal equipment.
Route 1486 (Austin Ridge Drive)
Monday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Thursday, 7 a.m. – midnight. Single southbound lane closure on Austin Ridge Drive at Sunflower Drive for waterline work under permit.
Spotsylvania County
Route 1 and Harrison Road
Sunday – Thursday, 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closures at the intersection of Route 1 and Harrison Road. Law enforcement will assist with traffic control. Crews are installing new traffic signal equipment.
Route 208
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Intermittent stops between Smith Station Road and Lake Anna Parkway for overhead utility work.
Route 627 (Gordon Road)
Sunday – Tuesday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure on Gordon Road with one-way, alternating traffic directed by flagging crews. Work will be underway on Gordon Road between the intersections with Brock Road and Smith Station Road. Pavement marking work in connection with road resurfacing.
Secondary Road Resurfacing
Wednesday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mobile lane closures along multiple routes in the Heatherstone, Oakridge and Woodside subdivisions for road resurfacing.
Cat Johnson, a Stafford tattoo model, artist, and owner of Dark Horse Tattoos, at 395 Garrisonville Road, has competed for weeks to win Inked Magazine Covergirl 2023, along with 102,000 other tattooed models scattered across the country and worldwide.
Johnson, whose stage name is Cat Irezumi, has been in first during the previous six rounds and placed second in the semifinals.
She is an experienced model with an impressive full body tattoo by celebrity tattoo artists Chris Garver (former star of Miami Ink and guest judge on Ink Masters ) and Rose Hardy (former guest judge on Ink Masters and star on Tattoo Redo).
The 2023 Inked cover girl will win $25,000, experience a photoshoot with celebrity photographer Christopher Kolk and receive a two-day tattoo session with Ryan Ashley, who was the first woman to win reality TV’s Ink Masters tattoo competition.
Voting is open, and family, friends, and fans can vote once every 24 hours for free. Avid supporters of Miss Johnson can also donate to a great cause MusiCares, while casting paid votes for her to advance. MusiCares supports musicians in need of mental healthcare.
“Love Island USA,” Â a TV show currently the Peacock streaming service, is currently casting for its upcoming season, which will stream this summer.
The show seeks a new group of singles to participate in the competition, where islanders will take up residence in a villa in hopes of finding love and winning a $100,000 prize.
Manassas resident Kat Gibson became a contestant on Love Island USA in 2022 when she joined during the third week of the competition. Gibson featured for two weeks before being left without a partner, which forced her off the island. Gibson is still waiting for her soulmate, a show producer tells PLN.
Living in isolation from the outside world in a sprawling villa, islanders “couple up” with one another and compete together in a series of games and challenges. Any Islander who remains single after each re-coupling ceremony risks elimination and being dumped from the island. Viewers are also given the opportunity to play along, voting for their favorite islanders and influencing the action in the villa.
The Love Island USA casting team is searching for relatable people who represent all parts of the country, from big cities to small towns. The team is looking for down-to-earth, charismatic ‘singles-next-door’ who may have never considered going on a dating show before but are open to giving it a shot.
Love Island USA hopefuls must answer over 80 questions about social media presence, names, and pronouns. Applicants must be over the age of 18.
Visit loveislandusa.castingcrane.com to apply. The show was named Peacock’s most-streamed Original Unscripted Series when it debuted on the platform in the summer of 2022.
In April 2023, the Manassas City Police Department will host a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class.
Instructors aim to teach women self-defense tactics, techniques, and strategies that can help them protect against rape or sexual assault.
Attendees will master these skills through lectures, discussions, and physical demonstrations., according to a press release.
The class will be administered by certified instructors who are held to the national standard for self-defense.
This class will be a two-day program held on April 15 and 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although there is a maximum of 15 attendees, there will also be a waiting list.
Register online. For the safety of all attendees, the location of the class is only disclosed after registration.
Manassas had 20 reported rapes in 2021.
The Fredericksburg Nationals announced Eric Bach as the new play-by-play voice of the FredNats.
Bach replaces Joey Zanaboni, who left for a position in Major League Soccer last month. Bach will call all 132 games on the FredNats Baseball Network and all home games on MiLB TV and the free Bally Sports App. He will also head up the team’s media relations efforts.
“The Fredericksburg Nationals are thrilled to welcome Eric Bach as our lead broadcaster and voice for the 2023 season,” said Nick Hall, Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We are looking forward to him showcasing his talent and energy, which will bring our games to life both locally and beyond. Our fans can tune in to Eric Bach’s dynamic play-by-play commentary on the free Bally Sports app, along with MiLB TV.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to return to Fredericksburg for the 2023 season,” Bach said. “I’m so thankful to Nick Hall, Robbie Perry, and the Silber Family for trusting me to take the reins of the FredNats broadcast and bring it to new heights. I can’t wait to re-engage with a community and fan base that I fell in love with in 2022. This season should be a memorable one both on the field and in the booth in Fredericksburg, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
A native of Coldwater, Mich., Bach returns to Fredericksburg for a second season in the booth after serving as the Broadcasting and Media Relations Assistant during the 2022 season, where he was a part of the broadcast that led all of Single-A and High-A in MiLB TV unique viewership. 2023 marks Bach’s third season in baseball.
Bach graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 and served as the voice of the Spartans on WDBM, the award-winning MSU student radio station. He won seven Michigan Association of Broadcasters awards for play-by-play while in college and began his baseball career in the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League in 2021 with the Morehead City Marlins before joining the FredNats in 2022.
FredNat fans can listen to Eric Bach on the FredNats Baseball Network, MiLB TV and the free Bally Sports App on Opening Day at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Friday, April 7 when the FredNats take on the Lynchburg Hillcats.
