Okras is my favorite restaurant to visit in Downtown Manassas.

When I was working at CenterFuse, before covid, I would walk across the street and order the Cajun Chicken BLT, with just the right amount of kick. And I’d always bring something home for my wife, who loves Okra’s Shrimp and Grits.

Well, now I can get that same great Okras taste delivered to my door. And you can, too.

Visit Okras.com to order hot food now, or get Meal Bundles and Special Event Kits delivered to your home.

Order Okras today and find out why, for over 22 years, thousands keep coming back for the best in Cajun and Creole cuisine!

Uriah Kiser
Founder and Publisher
Potomac Local News

Regular eye exams are an invaluable tool in maintaining your eyes’ health by detecting and preventing disease.

• Some diseases develop slowly without causing pain or vision loss.
• Early detection of any problems can reduce the risk of further harm and allow for a choice of treatment options.

Children should have regular tests to ensure the proper development of their vision and prevent any interference with their academic achievements.

• Older adults are often at a higher risk for eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts.
• Even if your eyes are healthy, you should still have a regular eye exam to detect any problems as soon as possible and begin necessary treatment.

Making an eye exam appointment is easy.

• You can do it TODAY by calling our friendly staff in our Woodbridge and Manassas offices at 703-494-1766 or by visiting our website LateefEye.com.

When I started my Potomac Local News 10 years ago, I knew I wanted a job that would allow me to work from anywhere.

That’s why the UPS Store is a great option for a busy guy like me.

At The UPS Stores, they can help me with everything for my business!

The UPS Stores at Sowder Village Square, near to Super Target near Manassas and at Potomac Town Center at Stonebridge in Woodbridge, next to Wegmans, owned and operated by Didlake, are the right choice for all of my printing, packing, and shipping needs.

Whether it’s shipping, faxing, notary services, or a physical mailbox where I can get my mail when I’m on the go, they’ve got me covered with the services you rely on to help my business grow.

Uriah Kiser
Founder / Publisher
Potomac Local News

The health and safety of our patients, families, and team members is a priority here at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

That’s why Sentara Healthcare has enacted policies and procedures regarding hospital visitation. COVID-19 confirmed patients (not at end-of-life) or patients awaiting COVID-19 test results are not allowed any visitors.

These guidelines are subject to change. Please call 703-523-1000 or click here to view Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s visitation guidelines.

Hello, I’m Heather Mitchell. I’m running to represent hard-working citizens in Virginia’s 2nd House District, in Prince William and Stafford counties.

Despite all the recent focus on the pandemic, we can’t forget the need to improve our roads.

• We live in the 5th most-congested region in the country.
• People spend an average of 124 hours a year sitting in traffic.
• That’s a loss of more than $1,800 per driver per year.

In recent months, however, our former Delegate, Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy, voted to take away millions of dollars that would have been used to improve our roads.

Before she stepped down last month to seek higher office, she voted to approve HB 1414 and HB 1726.

• Those two bills undercut our share of the state’s recordation tax money — funds used for transportation improvements in our region.
• Because of those bills, the first $20 million in recordation revenues collected won’t come here to Prince William and Stafford but will instead go to Hampton Roads.

Our former Democrat Delegate voted for both of these bills knowing that Stafford County would lose an estimated $1 million in transportation funding.

There are plenty of transportation improvements to be made in our area.

• We need a Delegate who understands those concerns and does not vote to take away funding from such a crucial need of our community.

I’ve got the experience needed to lead.

• I most recently served as a senior aide to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, where I gained an incomparable amount of knowledge about our region’s transportation, education, and financial needs.
• I also served as a legislative aide to Delegate Emily Brewer.

When my family moved to Stafford from Okinawa, Japan, my husband and I chose to finish raising our children here in Virginia. I know that our area is a miniature version of the entire state.

• Prince William County is a growing community that, for years, has been ingrained in the fabric of Northern Virginia.
• Stafford County, a powerhouse in the Fredericksburg region, is a growing community that doesn’t view itself as fully a part of “NOVA.”

I live and work in these communities, and I know the issues there are essential to you.

• Most importantly, I know how to work with the prominent list of elected leaders from Congress, the Virginia General Assembly, and in the halls of Prince William and Stafford county governments, all of whom have endorsed my campaign.

Before becoming a proud military wife, I worked three jobs to provide a better life for my daughter.

• That experience led me down a path of public service.

And I know what it means to support those who serve our country.

• It’s the most personal level of sacrifice that someone can take to protect our freedom.

I’m asking for your vote in our Special Election on Tuesday, January 5.

Please take a moment to learn more about me and what I stand for.

• Visit my website: mitchellforva.com
• Follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/MitchellforVA
• Connect with me on Twitter: twitter.com/mitchellforva

I Back the Blue because our police officers and sheriff’s deputies work hard to make our community a better, safer place.

The lockdowns have had a devastating effect on local businesses. That’s why I will fight for a Smart COVID Policy in Richmond based on science and common sense.

The lockdowns have also had a substantial negative impact on children, many of whom struggle to learn from home. I’ll fight for working families who want the Best Education for their children and Support School Choice.

Early in-person voting ends Saturday, January 2.

Vote early in Prince William County at the following locations, from 9 a.m. to. 5 p.m.

• Prince William County Office of Elections, at 9250 Lee Avenue in Manassas
• Veterans Memorial Park, at 14300 Veterans Drive in Woodbridge.

Vote early in Stafford County at the following location, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Stafford County Voter Registrar’s Office, at 1300 Courthouse Road at the George Gordon Administration Building next to the county courthouse.

On Tuesday, Election Day, your regular polling place will be open.

• Click here to find your polling place.

Together, we can make our community and Virginia a better place for us all.

Thank you,

Heather

Paid for and authorized by Friends of Heather Mitchell

Let’s be honest. Not everyone is going to like their gift.

Maybe teal polka dots wasn’t the best color choice. Maybe that waist size wasn’t as large as you thought.

Whatever the reason, you can bring your holiday returns to the Certified Packing Experts at the UPS Store. While you’re there, they’ll handle all of the packing and shipping of your holiday returns so you’ll have more time to enjoy the New Year.

There are two UPS Stores in our region to serve you.

• Center At Innovation
  9994 Sowder Village Square
  Manassas, Va., 20109
• Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center
  15000 Potomac Town Place
  Ste 100
  Woodbridge, Va. 22191

On July 4, 2017, Janiela Montalvo-Linares and her husband were demolishing the flooring inside of their Woodbridge home, taking it all the way down to the joints in their son’s second-floor bedroom.

While it looked a mess, they were making progress, until Janiela made a horrible misstep.

In Spring 2020, Janiela made an appointment, but she worried too much time had passed to fix her chronic condition. Board-certified Chiropractor Dr. Kenneth May, at the Sentara Therapy Center, was undeterred.

If you’re like Janela and have been living in pain, it doesn’t have to be this way. See her whole story to learn more.

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, Stafford County government offices, departments and facilities will be closed on Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, 2020.

The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and the General District Court in Stafford will close at noon on Wednesday, November 25, and all day on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27. The Circuit Court will be closed Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, 2020.

The Regional Landfill and Belman Road Recycling Center in Fredericksburg will be closed only on Thursday, November 26. The landfill and recycling center will follow normal operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25, and Friday, November 27. They will be open during normal operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on both Saturday, November 28, and Sunday, November 29, 2020.

All offices of the Rappahannock Area Health District will close at noon on Wednesday, November 25, and will be closed all day on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, 2020.

The following offices and facilities will remain open:

Fire and Rescue Information (540) 658-4400

Emergency 9-1-1

Sheriff’s Office Information (540) 658-4400

Emergency 9-1-1

Magistrate (540) 659-2968

All parks will be open for the regular winter operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

When it comes to home improvement, Janiela Montalvo-Linares and her husband are do-it-yourselfers.

On July 4, 2017, the Woodbridge couple was demolishing the flooring, taking it all the way down to the joints in their son’s second-floor bedroom. While it looked a mess, they were making progress, until Janiela made a horrible misstep.

“I was moving around the room and instead of stepping on flooring supported by a beam, I stepped on drywall and went right through the floor,” said Janiela.

Janiela fell from the second floor to the first. Initially, she couldn’t walk. She was rushed to the hospital where she stayed for three days with a fractured tailbone, severely bruised ribs, joint damage, and a host of other cuts and bruises.

While her injuries healed, she was left with chronic pain.

“The pain was always there. I couldn’t stand or sit for more than 30 minutes without being in agony. Bending, exercising, walking for long periods of time hurt. This went on for years,” she says.

Janiela had gone to other doctors, but their solutions never seemed to work. That’s when her Sentara Primary Care Physician, Dr. Benedict Sales, recommended she visit board-certified Chiropractor Dr. Kenneth May, at the Sentara Therapy Center.

In Spring 2020, Janiela made an appointment, but she worried too much time had passed to fix her chronic condition.

Dr. May was undeterred.

“When dealing with any injury or condition that has been present for a long time, six months or more, it just means the recovery, or response, to care is going to be slower, not impossible,” he said.

From the start, Janiela noticed a change.

“From the beginning Dr. May was different,” says Janiela. “He started adjusting my back and pelvic area. After the first appointment, I felt a lot better.”

Dr. May showed Janiela exercises she could do on her own, outside of her appointments, which would help her muscles get stronger and help decrease her pain.

In no time, Janiela’s life started to change.

“By the fourth week of treatment, I was 100%. I’m able to walk and run for long periods of time now. The pain is gone!” she exclaimed.

In addition to helping her physically, Dr. May also supported her emotionally.

“Dr. May not only helped me with my pain, but he also helped me gain my confidence back. He encouraged me to set goals, and together we achieved them. I will be forever grateful and thankful for the help he gave me,” she says.

For his part, Dr. May is proud to have made such a profound effect on Janiela’s life.

“That’s exactly what I want to hear. It’s not only my duty to help people heal, it’s also my responsibility to help them feel like it’s possible to heal and make it a positive experience,” explains Dr. May.

If you’re like Janiela and have been living in pain, Dr. May says it doesn’t have to be this way.

“The best way to describe my role is “Primary Spine Practitioner” this means you should make me your first choice when seeking care or direction on what to do with your spinal health unless it’s an emergency situation,” explains Dr. May. “But, in my opinion, it’s never too late to say never.”

Janiela agrees.

“Don’t give up. A person shouldn’t live in pain. There are resources and treatments that work, you just have to find the right one.”

To learn if Dr. May can help you, call 703-523-1680 or visit sentara.com/therapy to schedule your appointment today.