Operators of the Interstate 95/395 Express Lanes will temporarily close the lanes in preparation for the opening of new on-ramps in Stafford County and Woodbridge.

• If you rely on us for local news and haven’t already, please support us by becoming a member!
  • Join our Locals Only Membership Today! In a world filled with everyday heroes and extraordinary tales, Potomac Local is your trusted source for news and stories that matter in our community.
  • Our Local Spotlight Membership is perfect for businesses and non-profits to increase sales, donations, and branding awareness in the community.
  • Sign in here if you're already a member, and Thank You!

Prince William Living: “Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care has doubled the number of its locations over the past year. Today the urgent care network celebrated the opening of its 14th center in Lake Ridge, off Old Bridge Road. The 15th center has opened in Ashburn.”

“The new Lake Ridge center is conveniently located in Dillingham Square next to Food Lion, Gold’s Gym and Inova Health Care Services. It features an award-winning center design. With bold colors, warm wood accents and an open floorplan, the new center fosters a comfortable experience for the whole family.”

Update 5 p.m.: The road has been reopened.

Original post 11 a.m.: The Stafford County Sheriff’s office reported the crash on Route 17, near the Fauquier County line, at about 8 a.m.

Stafford sheriff’s office: “You may be a little latte this morning if your commute includes the 3000 block of Warrenton Road. There is a back-up brewing after a tractor trailer hauling coffee overturned in the median near the Fauquier County line. There are no injuries, but one lane is closed in each direction at the scene.”

More as we have it.

The Manassas City Council accepted an early Christmas gift from Amazon Data Services.

• If you rely on us for local news and haven’t already, please support us by becoming a member!
  • Join our Locals Only Membership Today! In a world filled with everyday heroes and extraordinary tales, Potomac Local is your trusted source for news and stories that matter in our community.
  • Our Local Spotlight Membership is perfect for businesses and non-profits to increase sales, donations, and branding awareness in the community.
  • Sign in here if you're already a member, and Thank You!

The Center Square:  “A [Stafford County] middle school chose “Palestine” as their country to represent as part of a school district-wide multicultural fair, omitting any recognition of the State of Israel – including maps.”

“The fair was recently presented by the Stafford County Public Schools “to empower multicultural awareness” for students and the community. All 33 schools in the district participated, with nearly 1,000 in attendance. Schools “were able to choose the country they wanted to represent,” according to the school district.”

“Stafford Middle School chose to represent “Palestine,” spearheaded by an English as a second language teacher. The booth included a map, religious landmarks, descriptions of traditional foods, music, clothing, and agriculture, including interactive handouts.”

“Notably absent from display was any reference to the State of Israel, including a map of the country labeled “Palestine.” The Jewish State wasn’t spotlighted by any school at the fair. Among the handouts was a coloring map of the country, known as the pre-1947 Palestine Mandate map.”

“The Stafford Middle School booth was led by an ESOL teacher, who did not intentionally leave out representation on her map. It is worth noting that 52 countries are represented by students attending this middle school, and that flags representing all 52 countries (to include both Israel and Palestine) are hanging in the school,” Sandra Osborn, chief communications officer for Stafford County Public Schools, told The Center Square.

“In no manner was there ‘a deliberate attempt to erase the recognition of the State of Israel by school educators and administrators,’” Osborn said in response. “We take antisemitism very seriously. The school district routinely works with the Anti-Defamation League and we treasure both our Jewish and Islamic families. Last year in fact, we incorporated both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur into our school calendars.”

Transurban: “Transurban North America, operator of the 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes, announced today the final access points of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension will open at 10 p.m. on December 7, 2023, ready for northbound rush hour the morning of December 8, 2023. Completion of the extension creates the longest reversible facility in the nation, with additional access and capacity improvements for the corridor underway.”

“Regional travelers will have new access to the 95 Express Lanes via a reversible ramp from Courthouse Road/Route 630 in Stafford County, and a northbound exit from and southbound entrance to I-95 general purpose lanes near Marine Corps Base Quantico. Access will also be available at the southern terminus for northbound traffic entering from Route 3 and Route 17.”

“The $670 million public-private partnership is generating an estimated 9,000 jobs, has invested over $75 million in small, disadvantaged, and minority- and women-owned businesses, and distributed grant funding to more than 80 local non-profit organizations. Delivering 66% more capacity, the Fredericksburg Extension is used by over 15% of 95 Express Lanes users—one in four of them new to the Express Lanes in the last three years.”

“Additionally, at 10 p.m. on December 7, 2023, the southbound ramp from the I-95 general-purpose lanes to the 95 Express Lanes near Opitz Boulevard Bridge project in Prince William County will be closed permanently. During daytime reversal on December 8, the new southbound Dale Boulevard ramp will open replacing the previous access point.”

The 10-mile I-95 E-ZPass lanes extension from Garrisonville Road to Route 17 on August 17, 2023. Now, drivers with three or more occupants and an E-ZPass Flex transponder affixed to their windshields may ride free on the lanes between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C.

Vehicles with two fewer occupants and an E-ZPass Flex transponder affixed to their windshields may opt to pay a toll to use the lanes

Update on I-95 tractor-trailer crash

Virginia State Police: At 9:20 p.m., Virginia State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 95 at the 143 mile-marker in Stafford County. A tractor-trailer was entering southbound I95 when it overturned on the entrance ramp and came to rest on its driver’s side, blocking the entrance ramp as well as the right lane. As the tractor-trailer overturned it collided with a second tractor-trailer that was traveling southbound. The driver of the overturned tractor-trailer suffered minor injuries and was transported to Stafford Hospital for treatment. The driver of the second tractor-trailer was not injured. All southbound lanes of I-95 were blocked for approximately 1 hour due to debris and fluid spill. Traffic was able to get by on the left shoulder.

Update on fuel spill Route 1 and Hospital Center Boulevard

Stafford County Sheriff’s Office: At approximately 6:20 p.m. deputies located gasoline being leaked onto the roadway. A trailer carrying gallons of gasoline was actively leaking. Due to the leak, there were reports of some vehicles losing control of their vehicle; however, there was no injuries. Hospital Center Boulevard between Richmond Highway and Wyche Road, as well as, Richmond Highway between Centreport Parkway and Hospital Center Boulevard were closed down due to the hazardous conditions. Cleanup was properly executed and the roadway was reopened at approximately 2:47 a.m.

Original post

Two incidents in Stafford County tonight are keeping police and highway crews busy.

A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 95 South blocked all travel lanes at milepost 143 Garrisonville at about 10 p.m. Traffic is getting by on highway shoulders while crews work to clean up the mess.

We don’t have any word yet of injuries or charges filed in the crash.

Meanwhile, about four miles, a significant fuel spill closed Route 1 at Stafford Hospital Boulevard, near the county hospital, just before 7 p.m. Crews were working to clean up the fuel spill, according to Stafford Sheriff’s Maj. Shawn Kimmitz.

We’ll update this post when we have more information about these incidents. Stay tuned.

NTD: “Blue state residents, whose governments have adopted aggressive climate policies, are paying much more for electricity and fuel than their counterparts who live in red states that lack such policies, according to a new report from America’s largest membership organization of state legislators.”

“The report from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), provides a breakdown of energy prices throughout the United States while demonstrating the relationship between big government policies and high energy costs.”

The report comes after Prince William County adopted a sustainability master plan to reduce the effects of climate change by 2025. According to the plan, by 2023, Prince William County will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 50 percent and switch to 100 percent renewable electricity in Prince William County Government operations.

Because of the revenue sharing agreement with Prince William County Public Schools, the actual amount in taxes that would possibly need to be raised to cover these amounts would be north of $960 million by 2030 and over $2 billion by 2050, states Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega.

Virginia is on its way to banning gasoline-powered cars by 2045 after Senate Bill 851, passed in 2020, requires the state to switch to 100 percent renewable energy.

Update Nov. 29, 2023: The tree lighting has been postponed until Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, due to the threat of inclement weather.

More info here.

Original post

Stafford County Government: “Welcome the holiday season with Stafford County’s 3rd annual Tree Lighting Festival held at the George Gordon Government Center on Friday, December 1, 2023. Community festivities begin at 6 p.m.”