From Prince William police: 

Stabbing Investigation | Assault & Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer [LEO] – On July 9 at 9:47AM, officers responded to a residence located in the 230 block of 4^th Ave in the Town of Quantico (22134) to investigate a possible domestic involving a knife.

 

A third party caller reported to police that an unknown woman was seen holding a knife and threatening a man as they were standing on a balcony of the residence. Officers arrived and confronted the woman who was still holding the knife and threatening the man.

 

When officers challenged the woman, she ignored officers’ commands and went back into the residence. The woman eventually came to the door without the knife and refused to cooperate with officers. When officers attempted to detain the accused, she resisted.

 

Officers deployed pepper spray and, after a brief struggle, the accused was detained without further incident. Upon further investigation, officers determined that the victim, a 61-year-old man, and the accused, an acquaintance, were both intoxicated and became involved in a verbal altercation while standing on the balcony.

 

During the encounter, the accused retrieved a knife and stabbed the victim in the hand before officers arrived. Minor injuries were reported. Following the investigation, the accused was charged.

 

Arrested on July 9:

Jennifer HENRY, 45, of 15238 Wentwood Ln in Woodbridge
Charged with aggravated malicious wounding, assault & battery on a LEO, intoxicated in public, and obstruction of justice
Court Date: July 24, 2018 | Bond: Held WITHOUT bond

QUANTICO — Runners and members of the Prince William police and sheriff’s office and Manassas police handed off the torch to military police. 

The torch made its way to Quantico about noon on Thursday. Runners made their way south along Route 1 from the Prince William County Police Eastern District Station to the Marine Corps Base. 

Police directed traffic so the runners could safely use Route 1 south to hold the torch high. 

Runners are on their way to Richmond to light the torch at the Special Olympics Virginia Summer games that will start Saturday. 

The torch will pass through Stafford County along Route 1 starting 6 a.m. Friday.

QUANTICO — A massive power outage has left the crossroads of the Marine Corps in the dark today.

Dominion reports 445 customers both in the Town of Quantico and on the Marine Corps Base without power.

The utility says they are working to restore power and should have the lights back on sometime after 2 p.m.

The outage was reported at 9 a.m. today. The cause of the outage is being investigated, according to Dominion.

Officials on base have been posting updates to Twitter:

Quantico is experiencing a widespread power outage which has effected the following areas: Mainside, Quantico Town and Hospital Point. #DominionPower is aware of these #outages and is working diligently to restore power. Anticipated timeline is 4+ hours. https://t.co/0WX1DcD9Ut

— MCB Quantico (@MCB_Quantico) May 29, 2018

From a press release: 

On Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, our country honors our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have fallen, fighting for our nation.the ones who gave all, and those who are still unaccounted for. This year, plan to attend the Memorial Day Ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery (QNC).

Major General Niel Nelson, USMC, will provide the keynote address. Maj Gen Nelson is currently the Deputy Commanding General Quantico Marine Base, VA. The Chairman of the Potomac Region Veterans Council, Charles P. “Chuck” Wilson, Colonel USAF Ret., is the Master of Ceremonies. Wilson is also the Commander VFW District 10 Virginia.

The U.S Marine Corps Band will begin playing a musical prelude at 10:30 AM with the ceremony starting promptly at 11:00. The Ceremony is planned to last 45 minutes.

The Potomac Region Veterans Council (PRVC) has conducted both Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies dating back to 1983. PRVC represents 26 Veteran Service Organizations and as many as 15,000 veterans across Northern Virginia.

From Quantico Marine Corps Base public affairs office: 

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Catherine G. Murray will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 23, 2018. Murray was recognized on Nov. 30, 1962 as the first enlisted female Marine to retire from active duty after serving honorable for nearly 20 years.

Murray passed away with dignity and peace at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. on Dec. 20, 2017. She is survived by her companion and caregiver of 22 years, Mark Adkins, along with her many dear friends.

Murray enlisted in the Marine Corps reserve in 1943 and was assigned to motor transport duties until 1946 where she drove both sedans and five-ton trucks for the Marine Corps during her service in World War II.

When the armed forces demobilized their ‘Force of Women’ at the end of the war, Murray was retained on active duty with the Marine Corps.  In 1948, she was authorized to integrate into the regular service.

During her enlistment, Murray was stationed overseas in London and Hawaii and even spent some time in Quantico, Va., where she was instrumental in the planning and writing many of the military examinations used by female Marines at the time.

Murray’s decorations included the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (six awards), the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Official services for Murray will commence at the Arlington National Cemetery administration building on Jan. 23 at 12:30 p.m. Burial service will begin at 1:00 p.m.  Directions to the administration building can be found here: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit/Getting-Here/Directions.

A portion of an email from Quantico Marine Corps Base spokesman Major Andrew Borman: 

My office was contacted by the lead coordinator/program manager for the regional Toys for Tots warehouse serving the National Capital Region, Wilma Vaughn. She was in desperate need for volunteer support due to the warehouse being overloaded with toys which needed to be organized for distribution to the children around the area. Without the required organization, the toys would not be ready to be shipped out in time for Christmas.

In an effort to help, Marine Corps Base Quantico posted a ‘Call to the Community’ and the community answered!

Please see attached image for Facebook Analytics. Our average post on a good day is about 7K with an audience of approximately 70K. This post has exceeded 101K which has resulted in Wilma not being able to keep up with emails of support and she has experienced a flood of volunteer support from the local community.

On Friday, the warehouse at Quantico was filled with 50 volunteers who showed up after reading the Facebook post. That’s about 30 more volunteers than Toys for Tots normally has on hand. 

Fewer toys were donated to the charity this year, so some children, especially girls between the ages of 11 and 14 years old, went without a toy.

A decline in toy donations also meant that children that normally receive two toys from the program only got one this year. Some organizations that distribute toys from Toys for Tots were also left empty-handed.

“People just waited until the last minute to donate toys this year,” Vaughn told Potomac Local. 

Those last-minute donations led to Vaughn and her volunteers being overwhelmed at the last minute. The Toys for Tots donation drive ends Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. 

Vaughn said it was “phenomenal” to see such an outpouring of support from the community at the last minute. 

“The camaraderie between the community and the Marine Corps is what makes this program a success,” she added.

The Manassas Park Community Center offers a variety of martial arts programs for kids of all ages. Master Geoff Mann teaches all of the martial arts classes here at the Community Center. He received his first black belt in 1992 and is a fifth-degree black belt.

Master Geoff has been an instructor at the Community Center for 13 years. That gives him more history at Parks and Recreation than the actual building itself!

Master Geoff explains that the term martial arts initially means “military way of.” The history of martial arts dates back to ancient Greece, Rome, and China. The military of these countries took the fighting and defensive systems of the peasants, adapted, and then incorporated these fighting styles to suit their military needs.

Fast forward to the 1970’s where martial arts legend Bruce Lee became famous for his skills and beliefs that the best fighter is someone who is adapted to any martial arts style while incorporating individual style and not limiting themselves to one practice.

“When I started training in 1985, the MMA club where I was training introduced us to all MMA practices at the time, so we learned a real variety! Now, I teach modern Karate, traditional Tae Kwon Do and I add a little Kempo, Akido, and Jujitsu. My own background and training is inspired by Bruce Lee because we both believe in individual style while emphasizing various martial arts,” he explains.

DAGPAW

Master Geoff tells everyone, students, and parents, that he firmly believes teaching karate and other martial arts is his tool to teach discipline, courtesy, and respect.

“Parents rarely come to me and say they want their kids to defend themselves. Instead, what parents want is for their kids to stay focused and to use their energy learning skills they can use in life. I teach these kids to become better citizens using the concepts of discipline, courtesy, and respect,” he points out.

Master Geoff teaches a theory called, DAGPAW, which stands for discipline, a’s and b’s, goal setting, perseverance, attitude (a good, can-do attitude) and work ethic. To Master Geoff, these are the real benefits of Karate and other martial arts.

“With MMA, the more involved you are, the better off you are. I am also a big believer in having consequences for actions,” he says.

The martial arts uniform is a useful tool to help discipline and focus the children. Mann encourages parents to purchase the uniform to help children achieve their goals. He gives students incentives through the patches on their uniform.

Master Geoff teaches his three to seven-year-old students how to kick properly and gets them to follow those guidelines as closely as possible. He admits there is no one true art form and encourages mixing to adapt to students’ needs and preferences.

“Traditional ways are great, but they might not be practical such as the high jumping kick. This particular kick was originally used to knock people off horses and is not something I use in my classes,” explains Mann.

The MMA classes at the Community Center begins with the Dragon Tots class for students, ages three to four, to learn basic martial arts skills with special emphasis on courtesy, discipline, and respect. This class is on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 12:55 p.m.

WCRB Mixed Martial Arts are specifically for children, ages six to 13, with or without prior experience, to learn martial arts while emphasizing respect, courtesy, and discipline! This class also combines Master Geoff’s Academic Excellence program to help maximize your child’s learning. The class is on Mondays, from 5 to 5:50 p.m. or 6 to 6:50 p.m.

The Manassas Park Community Center is located at 99 Adams Street in Manassas Park, VA. Managed by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation, the facility is home to basketball courts, a swimming pool, wellness areas, special events, and recreational classes. For more information visit us at www.ManassasParkCommunityCenter.com or call at 703-335-8872.

Updated Dec. 14, 2017

Tscherch was assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall in Arlington. He was working in aviation, Yvonne Carlock, a deputy communications strategy officer at Quantico, tells Potomac Local.

Original post 

QUANTICO — We’ve learned that Lt. Col. Kevin Tscherch was a decorated Marine with three deployments to Iraq.

Tscherch was found dead at Quantico Marine Corps Base early last week after police reported him missing from his Stafford County home.

NCIS is investigating Tscherch’s death and has released few details in the case.

We do know Tscherch was promoted to his rank of Lieutenant Colonel on May 1. He joined the Marine Corps in March 1991.

Tscherch was most recently assigned Headquarters and Service Battalion on base. The battalion, among other things, includes working on suicide prevention efforts, as well as working with Marines who are leaving the corps, awaiting disciplinary action, or hospitalized.

While Tscherch was assigned to this battalion, he worked in aviation.

Tscherch served three tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom from February to September 2003, August 2004 to March 2005, February to August 2006.

He also had these honors:

-National Defense Service Medal (x2)
-Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
-Presidential Unit Citation
-Iraq Campaign Medal (x2)
-Navy Unit Commendation
-Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (x2)
-Humanitarian Service Medal
-Joint Meritorious Unit Award
-Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
-Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (x3)
-Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (x3)
-Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (x3)
-Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (x3)
-Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

QUANTICO — A man who was reported missing over the weekend was found dead at Quantico.

Kevin Tscherch, 48, was found on the Marine Corps Base, according to a Prince William County Police Department spokesman.

Tscherch went missing at noon on Sunday from his home on Savannah Court in Stafford County. It’s unclear what led to his death.

Prince William police say the NCIS is investigating his death.

On Sunday, police said Tscherch might be in the area of Quantico Marine Corps Base. They added he might be in need of assistance, which would qualify him as a missing endangered person.

We’ll update this post with new information once we have it.

During the holidays, the Historic Downtown of the City of Manassas becomes an iconic winter wonderland full of charm and excitement. As visitors wander down Center Street, the buildings are outlined in twinkling lights, shop windows are filled with homemade Gingerbread houses and one can smell the season in the air.

This holiday season; spend some time in Downtown Manassas. December 1 at 5:15 p.m., Santa Lights Manassas. Santa will arrive by VRE train to light the City. There will be hayrides, ice-skating, holiday performances and fun for the whole family.

December 2 brings the 72 nd Annual Greater Manassas Christmas Parade. More than 100 floats, dancers, marching bands and assorted characters will travel along Center Street, heralding in the season.

Visitors are invited to take in the holiday charm with free horse-drawn carriage rides on Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Shopping and dining in the Historic Downtown is sure to bring on the holiday cheer, especially with the new Secret Santa registry available in downtown stores. And, if there’s someone on the list who is hard to buy for, why not get them a ManassasOpoly game.

For more information on these and other events in the City of Manassas, visit visitmanassas.org. Hope to see you around the City of Manassas.

WOODBRIDGE — When it came time to approve the consent agenda at last night’s meeting, the Brentsville District Supervisor stopped the show.

“What is this?” asked Jeanine Lawson.

The elected leader questioned a proclamation to praise the founder of Baha’i Faith, Baha’ullah, 200 years ago.

“I had never heard of it,” said Lawson. “I’m not questioning its existence, but I’ve not seen something like this in the past three years during my time on the Board.”

Lawson said she was concerned that the county Board of Supervisors would proclaim one religion, opening up the floodgates for proclamations to other faiths.

“With all due respect Supervisor Lawson, just because we haven’t recognized the Bellu’i Faith since you’ve been on the Board doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start now,” said Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi, who brought the proclamation to the Board.

Prince William County Attorney Michelle Robl was asked to weigh in. She said the proclamation was in line with what the Board had supported in the past.

“I don’t think this is putting the board behind a certain religion,” she said.

Lawson threatened to bring forward a resolution to requesting the Board of Supervisors honor Jesus Christ if this Board approved this particular resolution.

It did, with Lawson being the only leader to vote Nay.