Following months of heated discussion about Grace E. Metz Middle School's declining Standard of Learning (SOL) scores and school culture, new Principal Juliet Finnegan vows to lead the school toward improvement. Finnegan, who took over in July 2024, replaces Gary Morris, who left earlier this year after just two years. Her appointment comes amid ongoing debates about tackling the school's challenges.

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Simone Reddington, co-host of the “Until They Kick Us Out” podcast, sat down with Uriah Kiser, publisher of Potomac Local News, to discuss local politics, business, and the pulse of Manassas. Simone and her co-host, Nikki France, have used their platform to spotlight the city’s political landscape while celebrating its small businesses and tight-knit community.

The interview explored Simone’s evolving involvement in local politics, an area she didn’t initially set out to cover. When asked about Manassas’s state, Simone expressed her optimism and concerns.

“I would be ignorant if I didn’t acknowledge that there hasn’t been a lot of improvement over our city in the past three years… But I’m seeing it go in a direction where I don’t believe it’s being led healthily,” she said. Reddington emphasized the disconnect between local government and business owners, sharing her frustration over land purchases, the lack of effective leadership, and the underrepresentation of small businesses.

Simone also touched on the city’s Real Estate purchases, including the controversial acquisition of properties like the Mathis Avenue Shopping Center and the underdeveloped Old Town site. “We’ve been staring at fencing and concrete slabs for almost a year now, and there’s no plan for it,” she remarked.

A major theme in the interview was Reddington’s commitment to amplifying the voices of small business owners in downtown Manassas, particularly as they navigate economic challenges. “They’re suffering. They pull in money on First Fridays, but that’s one day. The rest of the time, many are struggling,” she explained, calling for more government support and collaboration with the community.

Listeners can catch the full interview on Potomac Local News’ YouTube or Facebook page. Simone’s candid take on Manassas’ leadership, her passion for small business, and her call for change in the community make for a compelling listen. Don’t miss this insightful conversation!

On Oct. 26, the Prince William County and Manassas City Police Departments will be participating in prescription drug take-back day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

National Take Back Day is led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which established this day to address the drug overdose epidemic in the U.S. Thousands of people die each year in prescription opioid deaths; in 2022, the number of deaths was 14,716 according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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The City of Manassas is now offering new services to Spanish speakers in an effort to better reach residents.

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Have you got an event coming up? Whether it’s a community gathering, business workshop, charity fundraiser, or festival, you can easily promote it on our Potomac Local News Events Calendar — and the best part? It’s completely FREE!

Simply submit your event through our quick and easy form to get it in front of thousands of local readers. Events posted on our calendar can also be featured in our weekly newsletters, reaching an even broader audience across Prince William County, Stafford, Manassas, and Fredericksburg.

Want even more exposure? You can upgrade to a paid promotion that guarantees your event will be highlighted in multiple news emails and showcased on our homepage for 14 days — giving your event the spotlight it deserves!

Take advantage of this great opportunity and get the community’s attention for your event today!

As construction continues on an Amazon Web Services data center on Technology Boulevard in Manassas, local businesses are raising concerns about the project's impacts on their operations. Among the most vocal is Mike Post, owner of Baker-Post Funeral Home, a 130-year staple of Manassas.

The server farm will be one of four in Manassas and will have three buildings. Post says that the construction has caused significant issues for his business. “The blasting has caused our sprinkler standpipe to shift in the ground, and a truck damaged our portico. It has cost me $2,900 in repairs,” he said. “There have been instances where the blasting has disrupted funeral [ceremonies]. During a funeral, a minister was giving a eulogy, and without any warning, they let off a giant explosion. Then, the fire alarm went off right after the blast and sounded throughout the funeral.”

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The Manassas National Battlefield Park debuted two all-terrain wheelchairs on Monday to provide more access to visitors.

The manually powered wheelchairs have two mountain bike wheels and a manual lever to allow for greater access to visitors who may need the wheelchair to experience the battlefield. The chairs will be available for free each day the park is open.

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In light of Hurricane Helene's damage in southern Virginia and North Carolina, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) sent crews to restore power. The category 4 hurricane hit the southeastern region of the United States in late September and was the deadliest to strike the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Parts of North Carolina had access cut off due to flash floods and landslides. These two teams — one made of five men and the other of four — helped local cooperatives restore power to the more than 1.4 million coop households in these impacted areas. The team of five (pictured above) was first sent on Sept. 27 to southwestern Virginia, then, on Oct. 3, the crew was deployed to Lenoir, N.C. to assist Blue Ridge Energy. The four-man crew began in New Castle, Va., on Oct. 1, before being sent to assist Blue Ridge Energy to join the other crew on Oct. 2. Blue Ridge Energy, according to a NOVEC press release, had 6,800 miles of its 8,500 miles of lines damaged in Hurricane Helene.

“We do know there are parts of our system that will take weeks to repair or rebuild. In many cases, there is no road — not even dirt — where there once was one and our poles are down mountainsides or in the river in some cases,” Renee Walker, director of public relations at Blue Ridge, said.

The cost of Hurricane Helene's damage is in the billions, according to several reports and analyses. The death toll is above 200 people as well.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue Services is hosting an All-County Public Safety Expo on Saturday at Pfitzner Stadium (7 County Complex Court, Woodbridge) from noon to 5 p.m.

There will be several different special guests, performances, challenges and local agencies present at the expo. Read more below for the event schedule.

Schedule

• Noon to 12:10 p.m.: Opening ceremony (Ball Field 2)
• 12:10 to 12:35 p.m.: Prince William County Pipes & Drums
• 1 to 1:30 p.m.: Woodbridge High School Marching Band
• 1:30 to 2 p.m.: Make the Right Call Presentation
• 2 to 2:30 p.m.: Manassas Park High School Drum Line
• 2:30 to 3 p.m.: Egg Drop Challenge (Demo Alley)
• 3 to 3:30 p.m.: Vehicle Extrication
• 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: School of Rock Haymarket House Band (Courtyard)

Exhibitors

FIRE & RESCUE

• PWC Fire & Rescue System
  • Fire Marshal’s Office
  • HAZMAT
  • Life & Fire Safety Programs
  • Office of Emergency Management
  • Department of Fire & Rescue CPAT/Human Resources Office
• City of Manassas Fire & Rescue Department
• Manassas Park Fire & Rescue Department

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Prince William County Police Department
• Prince William County Sheriff’s Office
• Manassas Park Police Department
• Town of Haymarket Police Department
• Town of Occoquan Police Department
• Quantico Police Department
• Dumfries Police Department
• Virginia State Police

LOCAL & REGIONAL AGENCIES

• AirCare 1 (PHI Air Medical Manassas)
• Department of Forestry
• Virginia Forestry
• Civil Air Patrol
• Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital
• Prince William District Scouts
• Prince William County Community Foundation
• NOVA Food Rescue
• PWC Animal Services
• Saving Prince William’s Littles
• Area Agency on Aging
• PWC Public Safety Communications 911
• Office of Executive Management
• Human Rights Commission
• Community Services Wellness & Prevention
• Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court Seals on Wheels
• PWC Building Development Building Code Enforcement
• Prince William Public Libraries’ Mobile Library Unit
• Office of Housing and Community Development
• Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry
• Volunteer Prince William
• Public Works/Solid Waste Management
• Office of Procurement Services
• PWC Department of Facilities & Fleet Management

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• PWCFRS Honor Guard
• Prince William County Pipes & Drums
• Antique Fire & Rescue Apparatus
• MedStar Health – Bleeding Control VR Experience
• PSCC 911 – Make the Right Call Presentation
• Firefighter/EMS Gear Dress Up Station
• Face Painting
• Egg Drop Challenge
  • Rules
  • Registration Form (closes Wed., Oct.9th @ 5 p.m.)

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Sparky the Fire Dog
• McGruff the Crime Dog
• Smokey the Bear

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

• Woodbridge High School Marching Band
• Manassas Park High School Drum Line
• School of Rock Haymarket House Band

FOOD TRUCKS

• Two Smooth Dudes
• Virginia Grill
• Sweet Frog
• Bella’s Cafe

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!