Transurban, the company that owns and operates the 95 and 495 Express Lanes, has announced a new grant program that will award $1,500 grants to local non-profits.

According to Mike McGurk, a spokesperson for Transurban, the program will award $1,500 grants to three organizations on a quarterly basis as a way to give back to the communities along the Express Lanes.

“[This] is what we’re trying to do to stay invested in the communities where we operate,” McGurk commented.

McGurk stated that this new grant program mirrors another program that Transurban offered back during the construction of the Express Lanes.

“Before this grant program was launched we had two different grant programs during the construction of both the 495 and the 95 Express Lanes. And those were intended to support the directly impacted communities that were along the corridor on 95 and 495…we wanted a way to give back to those communities that were impacted by the construction,” McGurk said.

Any area non-profit can apply for one of the grants online.

The next round of grant applications are due to Transurban by the end of June, McGurk said.

“We’ll begin to review the applications in early July, with an aim to have a decision made with the organization we want to support by the end of the July or early August,” McGurk stated.

Non-profits can apply to the program each fiscal quarter, but if a non-profit receives a grant, they need to wait another calendar year before applying again, commented McGurk.

The first Smoothie King location opened at Merchant Plaza in Woodbridge on March 20 and is looking to provide a healthier alternative for meal replacements.

Smoothie King is a business that offers smoothies and athletic supplements in locations in the United States and abroad.

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On May 2 at 8 a.m., Chapel Springs Church will be hosting its first 5K race in Bristow to raise funds for three charity organizations.

The race will take place at the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park.

According to a release, the church is expecting 1,000 participants, and around 500 runners in the race.

Doug Dreeson, a minister with Chapel Springs Church, said the church felt motivated to go out and help the larger community by hosting the race.

“This year we said ‘Let’s do this’…our first thing was that this was not just going to be to raise money for the church. We really thought, whatever we’re doing, it’s got to be for something outside of [our church],” Dreeson said.

The church will be donating all of the race proceeds, including $17,250 raised by corporate sponsorships to the SERVE Homeless Shelter, Christ in Action Disaster Relief and Ahki’s Place Shelter.

The corporate sponsorships for the event included Freedom Bail Bonds, Wegmans, Bristow Dental Care, The Running Store and Chick-fil-A.

Dreeson commented that the church gave a lot of thought about the charities they wanted to aid, and decided to include a local, national and international charity that reflects the interests of the community.

One of the charities, Ahki’s Place Shelter, is located in Southeast Asia. The charity seeks to get women and children out of the human trafficking trade in the area, into safer situations.

“They’re in a densely populated and extremely poor part of Asia, and they are rescuing kids and women from human trafficking. Where they are – once a woman has been in prostitution, there’s no other option for her,” Dreeson said. 

There is still space for runners that want to register for the race.

The registration fee is $40.00 and includes a t-shirt, according to a release. 

Rod Hall, a former congressional advisor, and FAA advisor has announced his candidacy for delegate seat in the 2nd district.

Delegate Michael Futrell currently holds the seat. Futrell will not be seeking re-election as a delegate and will be running in a three-way Democratic primary for Chuck Colgan’s Senate seat.

Hall, a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, has served as the head of Congressional and legislative affairs for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as the Chief Advisor for transportation policy for a representative in Texas.

“I am no stranger to working in a bipartisan fashion, working to build consensus with both sides of the aisle for our nation’s premier aviation safety regulator,” Hall said.

In the community, Hall has served as treasurer for the Woodbridge Democratic community, as a life member of the Kappa Alpha Phi fraternity, and a member of the Budget Advisory Council for Supervisor Frank Principi. He was also a participant in the Prince William County Adopt a Stream project.

According to Hall, he is seeking the delegate seat because he feels qualified to handle the issues the district is facing.

“I am running because it is my very firm view that this district is deserving of a delegate that will have a laser light focus on some of the most pressing challenges facing this district and this area,” Hall commented.

During his candidacy, Hall intends to address economic development, expanding education offerings, and more fully supporting the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as a transportation solution.

“I think increased transportations solutions to ease some of the commuting burden on the residents of this district will be paramount. I think it’s imperative that in terms of increased transportation solutions – if we’re not serious about ensuring that we have transportation and infrastructure and a network that mirrors a 21st century economy, that could have an adverse impact,” said Hall.

Hall lives in Woodbridge with his wife and two sons.

The Republican challenger running against Hall will be decided on June 9 during the Republican primary. The current Republican primary candidates are Mark Dudenhefer and Tim Ciampaglio.

The Bottle Stop Wine Bar and Shop, located in Occoquan, offers a mixture of local artisan drinks and small tapas style food plates for a unique dining experience.

Owned by Emil and Kim Wigode, the wine bar opened up a year and a half ago.

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Residents should expect to see increased lane closures in the coming months at the intersection of Route 1, Route 17 Business and Route 218 in Stafford’s Falmouth district.

The closures are a part of the $22.1 million dollar construction project being completed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), according to a VDOT release.

Construction on the intersection began back in March 2014 as part of an improvement project. Tavares Concrete, Inc is completing the project.

Currently, construction on the project is at 50% completion. The project includes building new turn lanes and travel lanes, as well as sidewalks, which will be open for use in September 2015, said a VDOT release.

According to a VDOT release, the purpose of the project is to unclog the intersection, as it is an important alternate route for Interstate 95, and local passage between Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg.

 “We appreciate the cooperation and patience of drivers over the past year during the demolition, utility relocation, and early construction work. We look forward to wrapping up construction over the next six months to deliver this project in September,” said Michael Coffey, P.E., VDOT’s Assistant District Administrator for Construction, Fredericksburg District in a release. 

Residents should expect single lane closures near the intersection most evenings, Sunday through Thursday. VDOT stated that they will avoid lane closures during peak traffic times including rush hour on weekdays, Friday nights, and weekend days.

As Indiana moves forward with implementing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Virginia may follow suit in the upcoming legislative session, which could have an impact on the state's business climate.

The RFRA in Indiana will allow private companies to have legal cover and an option not to serve those whose sexual orientation or lifestyle does not align with a business owner’s religious beliefs.

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On May 16, Occoquan will be hosting a ‘Sail Occoquan’ board parade.

From 9:50 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be 10 to 12 boats led by a fire boat, parading along the Occoquan River, according to a release. 

Residents will be able to view the parade from the Occoquan Town Boardwalk, located behind Madigan’s Waterfront Restaurant, down to Mamie Davis Park.

The Occoquan River Maritime Assocation is sponsoring the parade.

During the event, residents will be able to search for eight marine flags in town, and be entered into a drawing to win four round trip tickets for a Miss Rivershore cruise, according to a release.

Miss Rivershore cruises will be running until 4 p.m. that day, for residents that want to get on the water themselves.

On April 11, the 7-Eleven convenience store chain will be allowing customers to bring their own cups from home to fill with Slurpees.

And when they say any cup – they mean it.

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