Opened in the Coles District, the $54.9 million project was fully funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The project was first considered in 2019 and under contract in 2020, according to Department of Transportation Director Rick Canizales.
Coles District County Supervisor Yesli Vega attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 25 and was excited about the new bridge.
“I always refer to my district as the heart of Prince William County. You cannot connect the east and the west without the Coles District. This is a project that has been long overdue and in the making,” Vega said.
Prince William County Trails and Blueways Council Coles District Representative Joe Marshall said he was excited about the new bridge because it now presents a safer option for pedestrians.
“Biking over this pedestrian bridge is so much better than dodging traffic coming off of a high-speed roadway,” Marshall said. “This is an awesome bridge and hopefully the first of several needed throughout the county to realize the mobility trail network in the county’s comprehensive plan. I believe my neighbors and I, and many in the county, will feel the benefits of this intersection for years to come.”
Howison Homestead Soccer Complex’s expansion and renovation project kicked off on July 25 with a gathering of county leaders.
Located at 14716 Minnieville Road, the soccer complex has three large soccer fields, two open-play fields and two playgrounds. The planned expansion of the complex includes an additional 1,200 square feet to the facility’s sole building, accessibility improvements and new sidewalks.
The additional square footage to the building will include more space for public restrooms, team locker rooms, a storage room and a large meeting room. Around the complex visitors will see two pavilions, new bleachers and benches, a new LED scoreboard and improvements to the parking lot, including restriping spots, new lighting and asphalt work.
Prince William County Parks and Recreation Director Seth Handler-Voss said in the press release that his staff and Prince William Soccer Inc. were instrumental in bringing these changes to fruition.
“This project is particularly gratifying because it’s been about six years in the making,” Handler-Voss said. “They say that good things come to those who wait, and I would argue that great things come to those who wait a little bit longer. And this project is indeed great.”
The Parks and Recreation Department confirmed the timeline for construction will be around 18 months from the start of construction, but the three fields will remain open. The concession building will be closed during this time.
Prince William County is extending its sustainability partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP).
VEEP is a program that encourages Virginia businesses “to go beyond compliance and embrace pollution prevention in their day-to-day activities,” its website states. The program was designed to encourage organizations — both public and private — to make environmental sustainability a part of their culture.
According to a press release from Prince William County, the county has been a VEEP partner for more than 10 years.
“Every year we aim to improve our programs and impact from our fire station vegetable garden installations to our efforts to meet our climate goals,” Office of Sustainability Director Guilia Manno said.
Organizations must go through an application process with VEEP. According to VEEP’s website, highlights of Prince William County include the Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Goals adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2020 and the Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan in 2023.
Other sustainability partners in the state include:
- Alexandria Renew Enterprises
- City of Charlottesville
- Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program
- Liebherr USA, Co.
- Prince William Water
- U.S. Army Fort Gregg-Adams
- Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.
Jason Williams and Rich Wilson became fast friends when they started riding in the same areas and found one another on a fitness app, which fueled their competitive spirits to break one another’s records.
Both had been riding at Andrew Leitch for years and separately thought of ways to expand and clean up the trail. As volunteers with Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) — a nonprofit of local DMV mountain bikers that aims to increase access to natural surface trails — the two realized they could get this project off the ground.
Williams and Wilson helped clean up and build the trail at Locust Shade Park in Triangle. It took a few years to get the Andrew Leitch project started, but after an event with Keep Prince William Beautiful, the project really started.
“While we were walking through the woods, we discovered so much trash that we were shocked,” Wilson said. “Apparently, residents had just been dumping back there instead of taking things to the dump.”
According to Wilson, work is never done on the trail, but it is already being enjoyed by residents and neighbors alike.
The Manassas School Board approved an amendment 5-1 to the 2024-2025 grading policy at Tuesday's (July 23) meeting. School Board Member Robyn Williams was the only dissenting vote.
The Board approved Option B, which will give students full credit for assignments completed within two weeks after the initial due date and before the end of the quarter. The three options (A, B and C) are similar, but differ mainly in the deadline for submitting late work.
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The 16 students participated in a two-week intensive career exploration program; they were introduced to county careers within FFM and other county departments including but not limited to the Board of Supervisors, the Office of Executive Management and Human Resources. Within FFM, students explored the major divisions within the department, totaling almost 50 careers.
Students hail from eight county high schools and Caltech University. At the graduation ceremony, County Executive Chris Shorter said working in county government is not just a job, it’s a career.
“It’s important for kids our age to figure out what they want to do, and this is a great place to do that. I think honestly that it gave me a clearer idea of what I want to do in the future, whether I want to go to college or start working immediately,” Brycen Curtis, a rising junior at Woodbridge Senior High School, said.
The program participants are below.
- Michael Akabuno
- Brycen Curtis
- John Eckman
- Marlyn Ferrufino
- Giudici Franco
- Antonio Giuliano
- Jaylin Hart
- Alex Jackson
- Ayse Karati
- Sean Kelley
- Matilda Lee
- Henry Lopez
- Mark Lovett
- Giovanni Mason
- Ama Obeng
Since President Joe Biden announced that he will no longer be seeking a second presidential term on Sunday (July 21) and Vice President Kamala Harris’ announced she’s running for president, elected officials across Northern Virginia have made statements and shared their thoughts on social media.
Prince William Board of County Supervisor Kenny Boddye (Occoquan)
My official statement thanking @JoeBiden & endorsing @KamalaHarris. pic.twitter.com/Yo7rMEksTO
— Kenny A. Boddye (@KennyBoddye) July 22, 2024
Prince William Board of County Supervisor Victor Angry (Neabsco)
“They live well that live for something that will out live themselves”.
Thank you @JoeBiden for your service to humanity all of these years. I fully support your endorsement of @KamalaHarris for President.
“Let’s Finish The Job”.— Victor Angry (@Angry4Super) July 21, 2024
Prince William Chair At-Large DeShundra Jefferson
This is what it means to love your country above all else. Thank you @JoeBiden for your courage and continued service.
I pledge to work hard to support the next Democratic nominee. https://t.co/G06M3uyAmp
— Deshundra Jefferson (@DeshundraTweets) July 21, 2024
City of Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger
It’s now time to unite, pull all our resources and get behind our Vice President @KamalaHarris! President Biden has once again put love of our country first. He has chosen and endorsed who we KNOW can bring home the victory! Let’s get it done with Kamala! pic.twitter.com/vqqJRYn6Kr
— Michelle Davis-Younger (@MDY_MadameMayor) July 22, 2024
Virginia State Del. Michelle Maldonado (D-50)
Thank you @JoeBiden for your decades of service to our country. Today’s decision was not an easy one. I will be forever grateful for all the great work you have done for us as well as the skill, clarity, and grace you’ve shown as you led us through difficult times. #Leadership https://t.co/caKpXI3BlH
— Michelle Maldonado (@MichelleforVA) July 21, 2024
Virginia State Sen. Danica Roem (D-30)
As a first-time candidate for office, Kamala Harris helped co-found the @EmergeAmerica network. She earned election as D.A., AG, U.S. Senator and VP. She’s now on the cusp of making history again. I’m grateful for the kindness she showed me and for stepping up to lead our nation. https://t.co/I4K1jbOMK8
— Sen. Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) July 21, 2024
Prince William County Schools is expanding the Community Eligibility Provision from 44 schools to 68 for the 2024-2025 school year.
The CEP program is a meal service option for schools and districts in low-income areas and offers free breakfast and lunch. The program also does not require a household application from a parent or guardian to enroll in the program; instead, schools are reimbursed.
“Schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),” the USDA website states.
This expansion comes after the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to reduce the percentage of students who qualify for free meals from 40% to 25%.
PWCS media representatives said in a statement that CEP ensures all students receive nutritious meals, regardless of their family’s income.
“CEP improves meal access and promotes a more inclusive environment and equitable meal service,” the representatives said.
In the upcoming school year, PWCS can add 24 more schools — and roughly 26,516 students, according to a press release — to the program.
PWCS representatives also said they will continue to evaluate data and add qualifying schools each year.
The following schools were added for the next school year:
Elementary schools
- Antietam Elementary School
- Chris Yung Elementary School
- Coles Elementary School
- Covington-Harper Elementary School
- Kyle Wilson Elementary School
- Lake Ridge Elementary School
- Mary Williams Elementary School
- Montclair Elementary School
- Pattie Elementary School
- Penn Elementary School
- Rosa Parks Elementary School
- Signal Hill Elementary School
- Springwoods Elementary School
- Tyler Elementary School
- Victory Elementary School
- Westridge Elementary School
Middle schools
- Lake Ridge Middle School
- Parkside Middle School
- Potomac Shores Middle School
- Saunders Middle School
High schools
- C.D. Hylton High School
- Osbourn Park High School
- Potomac High School
- Woodbridge High SchoolÂ
Here is a list of all the qualifying CEP schools in PWCS.Â
Prince William County sold out the first event of their Fatherhood Initiative relaunch this weekend following a pause from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Prince William County Department of Social Services aims to relaunch this initiative to “help fathers more effectively engage with their children.”
“The initiative educates fathers on how to support the mothers of their children, spend quality time with their children and build strong relationships with them,” the department stated in a release.
The initiative was established in 2012 following a review by the state’s Department of Social Services of the county, which demonstrated that the father’s voice was “not heard when making decisions” about children; the county decided to launch this program to ensure fathers became actively involved.
In addition to hosting events, the initiative sponsors support groups to help fathers with any questions they have about becoming more involved in their children’s lives.
“Empowering fathers to actively engage in the lives of their children is crucial for building strong families and a thriving community,” Â Prince William County Department of Social Services Deputy Director Phyllis Jennings-Holt said. “The relaunch of the Fatherhood Initiative holds the promise of not only strengthening individual family units, but also contributing to the overall wellbeing and success of Prince William County.”
