I have two reminders for our paid members and those considering becoming paid members for 100% access to our journalism and other exclusives, such as town halls, community discussions, and my publisher’s email update. 

Paid members are going to need to log in again after Monday. 

• I announced last week that we would be switching services from Pico to Memberful to help us manage our paid membership program.
• The new service will be more user-friendly, and will drastically cut down on the number of instances where members are asked to log in.
• We’ll be offering a free trial for new members.
• However, the “leaky” paywall portion of our website — where users may read up to three free articles — is going away.
• The switch is scheduled for tomorrow.
• Once complete, you’ll be asked to log in to resume 100% access to our site.
• They’ll be a change password link in the event you’ve forgotten your password.

Membership rates WILL increase after the switch.

• During these final hours, click here to become a new member today and take advantage of our rates that have remained unchanged since 2018 ($65 annually / $6 a month).
• I appreciate our paid members who have supported our work for these past three years.
• I’m grandfathering our original members at their respective current rates.
• Today is the last day to sign up on our 2018 rates.

As we welcome fall, it’s back to business for area City Councils, Boards of Supervisors, and the School Boards in our communities that make decisions that directly affect all of us.

• Know what’s happening in our communities.
• Don’t be left hunting, searching, or waiting for the latest local news to find you.
• Stop being frustrated by being unable to read the whole story.

We’re accountable to you, our members, who trust us to provide accurate, truthful reporting about our communities.

• An independent press relies on the support of its members so that it isn’t beholden to the influences of politicians, corporations, or cancel culture.

Thank you to all of our members who continue to support Potomac Local News.

Happy Thursday, everyone.

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Hello and Happy Wednesday.

I’m taking a moment to update you on a few things happening locally, as well as a few things happening here at PLN.

More masks

First, the news. I was at the Manassas School Board meeting last night where officials voted unanimously to require facemasks for everyone inside the school buildings, regardless of whether or not you’ve had a vaccination for the coronavirus.

Also, in this story, I talked with a 13-year-old girl who won’t be returning to Manassas City Public Schools this fall after her experience with online learning last year.

• The city was one of the few school divisions in the region that did not return children to the classroom part-time.
• The student provided me with an open and honest take on her virtual learning experience. After hearing about her experience, I understand why school officials are keen on getting students back into school buildings.
• My reporting is possible by our subscribers like you. Thank you.
• Please subscribe today if you haven’t already done so, as it is the best way to ensure I can continue to bring you the trusted local news reporting you come to expect.

Fairfax and Prince William counties and Fredericksburg schools require masks, while they’re optional for children in Fauquier, King George, and Spotsylvania counties.

• Caroline County schools will require masks for children in grades K through 5, optional for grades 6 through 12.

I’ll be at the Stafford County Schools headquarters at 6 p.m. today for a rally where parents are pushing for the option to choose if their child wears a mask.

• The School Board is expected to make a final decision at 7 p.m.

Route 1

It ain’t Jefferson Davis Highway any longer, as the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, last year decided to rename its portion of Route 1, from Quantico to the Occoquan River, Richmond Highway, to match the road’s name in Fairfax County.

• County leaders will now spend $3 million to help affected business owners cover the cost of changing addresses and marketing materials.
• Business owners may apply for funds.

National Night Out

Last night was National Night Out across the region when communities are encouraged to go outside and talk to neighbors and get to know law enforcement.

• I’ve seen photos of celebrations in Prince William County, Manassas, and Dumfries.
• Stafford County, which holds the largest National Night Out festival I’ve ever seen (a personal favorite), will hold its annual event on Tuesday, October 5.

WbtR

Congratulations to Write by the Rails on its 10th anniversary.

• I was at the group’s inaugural meeting at Okras restaurant in Manassas on Aug. 9, 2011, and I couldn’t be more thrilled the group is still going strong.

Coming up here at PLN 

We’ll continue to post our interviews with candidates running for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and Stafford County School Board.  Last month, my contributing reporter Rick Horner and I requested to interview every candidate on the ballot for these seats.

• Election season in Virginia begins with early voting on September 18.

We’re working on improving our news email, which has become the easiest way for me to share our news with you and having a direct conversation with you without interference from social media (you’ll remember Facebook wouldn’t allow us to post new content to its site for more than two months last year).

• I”m always interested to hear from you and get your thoughts on the stories we cover, how we cover them, and what more I can do to include you in our reporting process.
• Anyone interested in a subscriber-exclusive Zoom call to discuss local news and events and preview stories we’ll soon publish?
• Would an ad-free email be of interest to paid subscribers?
• As always, send me a note via email.

I remember the first time I covered a meeting of the Prince William County Planning Commission.

The body, appointed by members of the Board of County Supervisors, meets regularly and is tasked with making recommendations to the Supervisors on land-use matters. Putting simply, if a large development like a neighborhood of homes or a large shopping mall is built, plans for the new development have most likely passed through the Planning Commission.

Back at my first meeting, I remember standing in the atrium of the county’s government center, just outside of the room where the commissioners were holding court. I was surrounded by residents lined up to speak to the commission in what must have been a contentious case (I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the exact case before the commission that night).

Looking up at a TV screen hanging on the wall, I could hear what the commissioners were saying, but I couldn’t see them. “Where’s the video,?” I asked. I had covered countless meetings of the Board of County Supervisors, and there was always audio and video of those meetings.

Just this past week, all of these years later, the county announced, starting next month, it would begin providing full video coverage of the Planning Commission meetings — both audio and video — and making it available to the public during the scheduled meeting time, and on-demand on the county’s website, the following day.

It’s the same luxury afforded to the Board of County Supervisors, and we here at Potomac Local News couldn’t be happier. This speaks volumes for the county as it shows its residents it’s taking an important step forward in transparency.

For reporters like me who often stream multiple meetings at once just to keep a close eye on the community we serve, having this content online makes my job so much easier.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we saw public bodies shift their meetings wholly online on streaming video platforms like Zoom. As the pandemic subsided, we’ve seen a welcomed return to in-person meetings.

However, not everyone can make the in-person meeting, and the county can and should do more with streaming video.

When I look toward the county’s courthouse, where justice is doled out on a daily basis, there is no video window into the very public operation that happens there on a daily basis. And, according to Sheriff Glen Hill, there has been zero discussion about adding video cameras to courtrooms for video steaming.

The court, like so many others across the U.S., has already adopted the use of streaming video technology. A Zoom-like system is used in both the courtroom and jails, allowing the judge to speak to inmates behind bars, saving on the time and expense of transporting the prisoner to the courthouse to be arraigned.

While the public deserves to know what happens inside the courtroom and, just like any Board of County Supervisors or Planning Commission meeting, can come and sit in person to view the proceedings, adding video would go a long way in making even more fo the operations of local government more accessible and transparent in a post-pandemic era.

Uriah Kiser, a 35-year resident of Northern Virginia, is the founder and publisher of Potomac Local News.

I’m excited to announce that, in the coming days you’re going to see even more local news in our regular news email.

• When it comes to local news, we think more is better.
• That’s why you’re going to see more headlines from communities around the region, from Prince William and Stafford counties, and the cities of Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Manassas Park.

The addition of more local news into our local news email comes after we introduced a new adopt pets feature and more local ads into our news email.

• The ads have added great value to our news email, as many of them pull new content directly from our advertisers’ social media accounts.

In the end, we hope you find our news email, and our website informative, easy to use and to be a reflection of the community we serve.

• If you don’t already get our free news email delivered to you, please sign up here.

I know it can be frustrating. When you go to click on an original story and, boom, there it is. A popup message asking you to become a member.

• I’ve been there. Especially when all it seems I wanted to do was to read a short story about my neighborhood, get a quick update about my child’s school, or learn about a new restaurant opening in town.

I can assure you: We here at Potomac Local News love writing these stories for you.

• For us, there is no news more important than local news.

Writing those short, quick, easy-to-read stories takes more resources than you think.

• In today’s world of social media and corporate media, local news publishers have fewer and fewer resources in which to use to produce quality, can’t get it anywhere else local news that you’ve come to expect.

Please, consider becoming a member today by clicking this link.

• You’ll get 100% access to all Potomac Local News content, and you can choose to pay $6 monthly or SAVE 10% by becoming an annual subscriber at $65 per year.
• You can easily cancel anytime.

Still not convinced?

• Check out what your neighbors, our members are saying about us.

Sometimes not everything from an interview makes the news.

This article requires a paid Locals Only Membership to read. Please Sign In or Upgrade to a paid membership. Thank you.

Being a journalism entrepreneur, one of the things I like to do from time to time is talk to — you guessed it — other entrepreneurs and business leaders.

This year, I’ve enjoyed talking to several local business leaders for our series “5 Questions with the CEO.”

• The big idea:  introduce our readers to local business leaders in a fun and easy-to-read format.
• Read our “5 Questions” series.

I’m always looking to speak with more CEOs in our region.

• The process is easy — I ask five questions about business, about lifestyles, and about what makes our region great and unique.
• We’re all short on time these days, so the interview is conducted via Zoom or by phone.

Shoot me an email if you’d like to be featured in our series.

Good evening and Happy Memorial Day.

Please take time this holiday weekend to remember those who fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy every day here in the U.S.

Some holiday weekend notes:

• Local government closures.
• Highway work zones suspended.

Coronavirus restrictions lifted are also lifted as of today.

• Here’s a recap from the governor’s office.

Be safe and have a great weekend.