From VDOT: 

Motorists will observe visible construction work beginning this week on Bells Hill Road in Stafford County, where a portion of the road is closed to through traffic between Virginia Belle Drive and Belle Vine Lane.

Bells Hill Road has been closed to through traffic since June 4, 2018, after heavy rain caused a 250 ft. section of slope to fail. The failure also damaged a portion of the travel lanes.

The road is anticipated to remain closed to through traffic until mid-September 2018.

Starting this week, motorists and area residents should be alert for construction activity in the work zone. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews will begin early construction activities, including clearing brush and trees, removing guardrail and moving utilities.

Several contractors will be used to rebuild the slope and road.

By early August, a project contractor will mobilize in the work zone. Due to the steep terrain, the contractor will use a soil nail launcher to create a retaining wall. The soil nail launcher will drill holes beneath the road and insert steel rods into the ground. The rods are covered with a mesh wire net and anchored with bolts. The entire surface is then covered with a concrete material. This process will take around 30 days to complete. 

After the 250 ft. slope is stabilized, a second contractor and VDOT state forces will work together to excavate and rebuild the damaged portion of Bells Hill Road. Finally, a paving contractor or state forces will prepare the road for traffic by applying fresh asphalt and pavement markings. 

Pre-construction activities to re-open the road have been underway since June 4. VDOT staff worked to start obtaining necessary right-of-entry documents to private property to repair the slope and maneuver construction equipment into position. Staff also secured permits to relocate utilities and carried out several site visits with potential contractors to develop the project’s scope and cost, which is estimated to be $500,000. 

MANASSAS — One man is hurt this afternoon after a construction accident just outside Manassas.

The unidentified victim was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital about 1:40 p.m. The victim was placed in a helicopter that landed at Bennett Elementary School, near where the accident occurred.

Rescue crews were called to Haversack Hunt Way and Caledonia Meadow Drive at 12:55 p.m. for a report of an injury, said Prince William County Fire and Rescue spokesman Matt Smolsky.

Smolsky did not have details about the crash or the extent of the injuries of the victim.

From Prince William police: 

*MISSING ENDANGERED JUVENILE: The Prince William County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing and endangered juvenile, Ana Maria HERNANDEZ-RODRIGUEZ.

The investigation revealed Ana Maria was last seen at her residence on Stafford Street in the Woodbridge area of Prince William County at approximately 1:18PM on July 5. Ana Maria is believed to be missing under circumstances that indicate her physical safety may be in jeopardy, which qualifies her as being endangered.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of this juvenile is asked to contact Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or your local police department.

Ana Maria HERNANDEZ-RODRIGUEZ is described as a white female, 15 years of age, 5’3”, 100 lbs with black hair and brown eyes. Last seen wearing a white shirt and black capri pants.

Updated July 15, 2018

From Prince William police: 

*UPDATE: Ana Maria HERNANDEZ-RODRIGUEZ, who was reported as missing and endangered, has been located and is safe

Good Morning Prince William – Volunteers needed for the Christmas in July event on Saturday, July 21^st.  This event is sponsored by The Philadelphia Tavern, Sinistral Brewing and Volunteer Prince William to benefit The Un-Tim-A-Tree Holiday Gift program for needy kids. Duties include selling drink tickets and checking IDs.  3 shifts available- 12noon-3pm, 3pm-6pm and 6-pm-9pm.  This is a fun, family event on Main Street, Old Town Manassas with raffles, giveaways, games, food, drinks and Santa!  Please sign up to help at mfoley@volunteerprincewilliam.org.  This promises to be great fun!

Prince William Soil & Water Conservation is having their next water quality monitoring event on Thursday July 12^th at Evergreen Acres in Nokesville, 9:30-noon. Come learn about the health of local streams and how they interact with land uses.  Please call Veronica at (571) 379-7514 for more info.

ACTS needs volunteers to remove the flower beds in front of the thrift store on Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting July 10^th. Please email Tamika for more info at: tmartin@actspec.org.

RSVP – The retired and Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteer’s age 55+ to deliver noon meals through the Meals on Wheels Program. Shrifts are just 2-3 hours and available in throughout the greater area.  RSVP members receive a mileage reimbursement and additional insurance coverage at no cost to the volunteer.  Please call Jan at (571) 292-5307 to learn more.

CASA Children’s Intervention Services needs volunteer advocates to help protect abused and neglected children in our community. You’ll receive fantastic training to give you all the skills needed to help these kids.  Please email Suzanne at: smitchell@casacis.org to learn more about the program and register for the next orientation session.

PW Conservation Alliance has several fun workdays coming up.  Please join them on the workdays of   July 20 and August 4^th at Merrimac Farm, 9am-12noon.  It feels good to get your hands dirty.  Please RSVP for these events at (703) 490-5200 or via email at: alliance@pwconserve.org.

Care Net PRCs is looking for bilingual volunteers to help in their office in Manassas.  They are also having a movie event on July 14^th, 7pm at Manassas Baptist Church. Come see the inspiring movie – I can Only Imagine.  Please email Kirk at crc@carenetprcs.org for more info.

K9s Serving Vets in Triangle, Virginia supports the process of partnering the vet with a service dog.  They assist from start to finish that will in the end change the veteran’s life.  Please consider donating to them on line at: k9sservingvets.org.

The PW Crime Prevention Council is looking for new volunteer members to promote safe communities.  The Council meeting the 2^nd. Monday of the month at 7:30pm at 1 County Complex. Please register on the website at: pwcpc.org.

Virginia Cooperative Extension needs volunteers to lead financial seminars in Manassas and/or Woodbridge area.  Please email Victoria for more specifics at: smartmoney@pwcgov.org.

Mark your calendars for Saturday August 25^th for the 3^rd Annual Farm to Table event to support the Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation at Windy Knoll Farm. The event runs from 3-8pm with 2 seating’s for dinner.  Tickets are just $40 for adults, $20 for children 13-18 and free for kids under 12.  There will be local vendors, artisan and farm sponsors and antique equipment.  It promises to fun for the entire family.  You can buy tickets on line at: princewilliamfarm2table2018.eventbrite.com.

The Manassas Senior Center is looking for a volunteer to teach crafts to the members of the center each week.  Come share your love of knitting, crocheting, painting, ceramics and such with others. Please call Jan at (571) 292-5307 for more info.  They also would love a volunteer to teach Sign Language class as well.  It’s a great way to share your skill. Please call Sue at 703-792-7154 to learn more.

Youth for Tomorrow is looking for volunteers to share hobbies and interests with the kids on weekends. If you have a little time please bring your interest to share with them such as sewing, gardening, cooking, golf, arts & crafts, jewelry to name just a few.  Please fill out the volunteer application with your resume at: youthfortomorrow.org.

The Greater Prince William Medical Reserve Corps needs both medical and non-medical volunteers to join their ranks.  These volunteers are trained to respond to public health emergencies as well as day to day health department activities.  They offer tons of training topics to build your skillset.  Please call Isabella at (703) 792-7341 to learn more.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call my wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William. Jan can help you with the Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at (703) 369-5292 ext. 1, Shelley can help with any individual or group projects and send you weekly updates if you’d like. Shelley is at (703) 369-5292 ext. 2, and Bonnie can help you with opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at (703) 369-5292 ext. 3. Please visit our website at www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.

Call to Action is a column written by Volunteer Prince William Executive Director Mary Foley.

From an email: 

OmniRide’s Summer Service Change will take effect on Monday, July 23. New schedule brochures will be available from operators upon request and timetables will be available online starting Monday, July 16.

We recently shared our plans to rebrand our services and you may have already seen hints of our new look and service names. Starting with the July Service Change, we’ll officially be rolling out our new branding! Our new logo and service names will probably seem familiar, but we’re refreshing our look and updating the names to add clarity and better reflect our services.

• PRTC becomes OmniRide. (PRTC will still exist as a multi-jurisdictional public transportation agency, but all of our bus and rideshare services will fall under the OmniRide umbrella name.)
• OmniRide becomes OmniRide Express.
• Metro Direct becomes OmniRide Metro Express.
• OmniLink becomes OmniRide Local.
• Cross County Connector becomes OmniRide Cross County Connector.
• OmniMatch becomes OmniRide Ridesharing Service.

The following routes will change; routes not listed below will not change.

OmniRide Express:

• Dale City-Washington – PM timetable changes; D-103T PM trip extended to serve Dale City Commuter Lot, becomes D-103.
• Dale City-Pentagon/Rosslyn/Ballston – Revised times for some trips, including shifts in trips that serve Rosslyn/Ballston.
• Dale City-Navy Yard – Midday timetable changes; one new D-300P trip added after 7 p.m.; PM bus stop at Dale & Glendale moving 150 feet east, across the street from Comcast.
• Lake Ridge-Washington – PM timetable changes; one PM trip removed.
• Lake Ridge-Pentagon/Crystal City – One early PM L-200P trip added; L-210 will start at the Pentagon; AM and PM timetable changes.
• Montclair-Washington/Pentagon – CL-X trip discontinued; one new trip added to Montclair-Pentagon after 7 p.m.
• South Route 1 – CL-X trip discontinued (see Montclair above).
• Manassas-Washington – M-101 PM, M-103 PM and M-106 PM trips extended to serve Cushing Road Commuter Lot.
• Manassas-Pentagon – M-201G PM and M-202G PM trips will travel via I-395/I-495 to I-66.
• Gainesville-Washington – Some Manassas Express trips extended to Cushing Road Commuter Lot (see above).

OmniRide Local:

• Dale City – Bus stop at Dale & Glendale (toward Chinn Center) moving 150 feet east, across the street from Comcast.

OmniRide Cross County Connector: Eastbound and westbound timetable changes; no longer serves New Directions School.

From Prince William police: 

?Internet Crimes Against Children — On June 26, a Prince William County detective assigned to the Northern Virginia/DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began an investigation concerning an online advertisement posted by an individual, later identified as the accused, who was soliciting minors for inappropriate pictures and for sexual acts.

 

During the investigation, the detective posed undercover as an underage juvenile female and made contact with the accused through electronic means over the course of multiple days. During the course of communications, the accused sent and solicited inappropriate photographs.

 

The accused also requested to meet in order to engage in sexual acts and arranged to meet the undercover detective at a public location in Manassas on July 10. Once there, members of the Prince William SWAT team arrested the individual without incident.

 

This operation was conducted in a controlled environment and at no time involved actual children. Prince William County Police would like to remind parents of the dangers of social media and to take an active role in monitoring what their children are doing online and on their cellular devices in hopes of preventing such acts. 

Arrested on July 10:

Michael Ray RIGGLEMAN, 45, of Mount Savage Rd, Mount Savage, Maryland
Charged with production of child pornography under the age of 15, attempted indecent liberties with children, and using a communication device to facilitate certain offenses involving children under the age of 15
Court Date: September 13, 2018 | Bond: Held WITHOUT bond

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

From Prince William police: 

Armed Robbery – On July 8 at 11:11AM, officers responded to the 7-Eleven located at 7301 Sudley Rd in Manassas (20109) to investigate a robbery. The employee reported to police that a male wearing a mask entered the store and brandished a handgun toward the employee. The suspect then forced the employee to open the cash register to obtain money before fleeing the business on foot. No injuries were reported.

 

A Prince William County police K-9 and helicopter from Fairfax County Police searched for the suspect who was not located. The investigation continues.    

Suspect Description:

A light skinned male, between 19 & 25 years of age, 5’06”, 150lbs, with a thin build
Last seen wearing a facemask, black long sleeve sweater, khaki pants, and black tennis shoes. The suspect was also carrying a red, soft ice cooler

From the Virginia Department of Transportation: 

The realignment of Ramoth Church Road at Courthouse Road in Stafford County has been postponed and will now open early Wednesday, July 11. Ramoth Church Road at Courthouse Road will soon intersect with Winding Creek Road.

Crews will be working overnight on Winding Creek Road as construction advances and crews get closer to opening the realigned intersection in its final configuration.

Drivers should anticipate alternating, one-way traffic on Winding Creek Road starting at 7 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. tomorrow, July 10. Flaggers will direct drivers through the intersection overnight.

After tomorrow morning’s rush hour, Winding Creek Road traffic near Courthouse Road will be slightly shifted to the new section of the road.

On Tuesday night, crews will work on Ramoth Church Road from 7 p.m. ? 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 11.  Drivers should expect alternating, one-way traffic and flagging operations at the intersection during the work zone hours.

Crews will then shift traffic to the realigned Ramoth Church Road and the new traffic pattern is expected to go into effect early Wednesday morning.

The realignment is part of the project to widen Courthouse Road from two lanes to four lanes and rebuild the Interstate 95 Exit 140 interchange to a diverging diamond.

A traffic signal at the realigned intersection is estimated to be installed in summer 2019.

 

Jackie Johnson was born on August 5, 1957 and passed away on July 10, 2018. Jackie was a resident of Triangle Virginia. All cards and any other words of encouragement are to be sent to Mrs. Faatimah Johnson at 3900 Sound View Circle, Apt. 202, Triangle, VA. 22172

GAINESVILLE — Police on Sunday found pamphlets filled with hate speech strewn across Carver Road in Gainesville.

The neighborhood in Prince William County is well known for being one of the first places freed black slaves settled after the Civil War.

Police officers were called to the area at 8:28 a.m.

Prince William police tell us:

“…several suspicious pamphlets depicting hate propaganda found at the ends of multiple driveways in the Gainesville and Bristow areas.

A caller reported to police that they had located a bag that contained birdseed and pamphlets that appeared to be recruiting material for the Ku Klux Klan.

The bags were seemingly thrown at random on driveways sometime during the overnight hours of July 7 into July 8 in the Gainesville area along several residential streets off of Lee Hwy between Carver Rd and Old Carolina Rd.

Similar bags were also located in the Bristow Village neighborhood in the Bristow area. The birdseed appeared to have been used to weigh the bags down, possibly in an attempt to throw the bags from a vehicle.

No suspicious persons or vehicles were reported in the area around this time.

The pamphlets did not contain any threats and did not appear to target anyone specific in the neighborhood.

No property damage was reported. A similar incident occurred on April 28 in the 4500 block of Forestburg Ln in Triangle. The investigation continues. 

Carver Road is a narrow, rural route in Gaienesville connecting Route 29 to Old Carolina Road.