The five levels of spicy chicken is a feature at Crimson Coward, so at the recent opening of this area’s first restaurant, they put it out there that the “Burrrrn Baby, Burn” variety is only for the super spicey palettes.

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Imagine being with the late Colin Powell, who was Secretary of State and a U.S. Army general, traveling around the world looking out for U.S. interests while maintaining diplomacy at nearly all costs. It’s tough to imagine everything he faced that shaped the 1990s and beyond.

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Three Fredericksburg parks were under the microscope at a recent public meeting where planners were there to hear suggestions for the future of these parks in the wake of floods, funding shortfall, and changing outdoor trends.

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Suppose the latest idea on the Interstate 95 E-ZPass Lanes comes to fruition. In that case, drivers can access lanes in both directions during rush hours, creating a busier highway transportation system while offering more choices to drivers.

In the plan, there will be two lanes heading in the rush hour direction and one the opposite way. The details for this more accessible travel plan, as are many other factors, including construction, are still in the works.

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George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, died in 1789 and was buried in Fredericksburg near a monument that resembles the Washington Monument but on a lesser scale.

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There was a time in the 1970s when kids would get a plastic hockey blade, screw it on a broomstick, and run around the street, hitting the ball into the homemade goal.

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With a road project as significant as the Interstate 66 Express Lanes, having an office open to the public is ideal for those wanting to ask questions to an actual person and discuss future initiatives that impact hundreds of thousands of people in the I-66 corridor.

There is a certain level of complications, too, with the switchable HOV E-ZPass, so an office along I-66 outside the beltway is ideal. Only it’s not open and doesn’t appear to be in operation.

Is it all just for show?

One I-66 E-ZPass Express Lanes driver, identified on Facebook as Lesser Will, showed up at an office on Balls Ford Road near Gainesville to inquire about the rules recently and the pricey tickets that are sent to the so-called violators, and the office was like a ghost town. (insert the echoing HE-LLL-OOOOOO reverberating off the canyon walls here)

“When I got there, I saw no dumpsters or work trucks, which are typically prevalent when you are having work done on a building. In fact, the lobby, which is referenced as being worked in, looks pretty untouched,” states Lesser Will, who also posted photos of a seemingly empty office in the Western Prince William Chatter Facebook Group.

When a driver is initially charged with a toll violation, they are charged the toll plus a $1.80 fee if they pay within five days of the violation. If they pay after five days but less than 35 days, the fee is $12.50. Between 45 and 89 days, the fee goes up to $25; after 90 days, the fee is $100. It gets worse 180 or more days after missed toll (court proceedings): $100 fee + toll + court fees + civil penalties, all set by Virginia law.

In this case, the driver had the “EZ-Pass Flex,” an EZ-Pass with the HOV option. He had it switched off so the toll would be charged, but he got a ticket anyway. In his case, the empty, dark office was a disappointment.

I-66 Mobility Partners operates the office, which spokeswoman Nancy Smith said is temporarily closed to the public while the walk-in customer service center is renovated. That center is the only office near the Balls Ford Rd park-and-ride lot on I-66 in Manassas.

“We look forward to re-opening it as soon as possible,” she said via email. The information is posted at the building’s entrance and on their website, ride66express.com.

On that website, an orange banner at the top states, “66 Express Outside the Beltway Service Center is closed until further notice for walk-in customers due to area improvements/renovations.”

In the meantime, she recommends, “Our Customer Service Team is continuing to meet with customers by appointment, and our agents are answering calls to 1-833-643-2867 within 45 seconds on average. We remain committed to assisting all our customers with their questions and concerns.”

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County have another medical option with the recent opening of the Harrison Crossing emergency clinic at Plank Road and Harrison Road.

The “Emergency Department at Harrison Crossing,” the 11,000-square-foot facility, is on the southern end of the Harrison Crossing Shopping Center and has two ambulance bays, a walk-in emergency entrance, and parking in the front and rear. Inside is an office for walk-in medical emergencies and a separate emergency clinic.

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After a round of unsuccessful bids the first time around, Stafford County put out another proposal on a county skatepark to get a place the county skateboarders are missing.

The new park design includes all the basics of Skateboarding 101, including a vertical wall, which is like a half-pipe in the skating world, grinding rails, grinding ledges, skate stairs, a quarterpipe, and a round cone thing in the middle. These features are standard for skateparks of this level. The proposal Bids will only be accepted via eva.virginia.gov.

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