Setback for Disabled Veterans Exemption Reimbursements
Senator Jeremy McPike’s SB 1312, which sought supplemental payments for localities heavily impacted by real estate tax exemptions for disabled veterans, has died in committee. On January 23, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted 7-6 to pass the bill indefinitely, effectively halting its progress this session.
The bill aimed to support communities like Stafford in maintaining essential services while accommodating a growing veteran population.
Fair Education Funding
Delegate Josh Cole’s HB 2164 proposes adjustments to the Local Composite Index (LCI) to account for tax-exempt property values. The measure would ensure education funding better reflects a locality’s true financial capacity. The bill was effectively defeated when the House Appropriations Subcommittee recommended laying it on the table on January 20, 2025, with an 8-0 vote. Alternative approaches, including budget amendments by Delegate Paul Milde and Senator Tara Durant, remain under consideration.
1% Sales Tax Referendum for School Construction
The county also supports SB 1307, which would allow localities to hold voter referendums to enact a 1% sales tax increase dedicated to school construction. The full Senate has passed the measure with a substantial majority. It now moves to the House, where it faces further scrutiny.
A similar bill passed both chambers last year but was vetoed by Governor Glenn Youngkin. Advocates are cautiously optimistic about its prospects this session.
As Stafford pushes for these legislative measures, the General Assembly approaches crossover, the session’s midpoint when each chamber must finalize and send its bills to the other chamber for review. This year, crossover falls on February 4, adding urgency for Stafford’s legislative team to gain traction on key bills.
The county also addressed concerns about panhandling regulations and roadway safety. A proposal from Delegate Milde would impose fines on exchanges between motorists and pedestrians in medians. While the majority of board members supported the measure as a public safety tool, Aquia Distirct Supervisor Monica Gary raised concerns about its potential impact on vulnerable populations.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is testing a new way to manage parking at commuter lots through the innovative ParkZen app. Initially launched in November 2024, the pilot program has been extended through May 2025 to further evaluate the app’s effectiveness in providing real-time parking availability at six commuter lots in Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg.
What Is the ParkZen App?
ParkZen uses crowdsourcing technology to provide users with parking availability updates. Unlike traditional parking systems reliant on sensors, ParkZen counts a sampling of mobile phones in parking lots, using advanced algorithms to estimate vehicle occupancy. To participate, users download the app and grant location permissions.
Joel Ticatch, Vice President of Consulting at Kapsch TrafficCom which advises VDOT on this project, emphasized the app’s goal: “It helps travelers determine ahead of time whether parking is available at selected commuter lots.” This feature aims to address pre-pandemic parking challenges and encourage commuters to use transit or rideshare options.
Pilot Locations
The pilot includes six commuter lots, chosen for their strategic locations and varied configurations:
- Prince William County: Horner Road commuter lot
- Stafford County: Brooke and Leeland Road Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station lots
- Fairfax County: Saratoga and Stringfellow Road lots
- Fairfax County: Backlick Road VRE station lot
Encouraging Usage and Privacy Protection
While participation in the app is voluntary, Ticatch highlighted the benefits of user engagement, including access to parking availability and other lot features. He reassured users about data privacy, stating that ParkZen is contractually prohibited from selling user data to third parties.
The pilot is part of VDOT’s Regional Multimodal Mobility Program (RM3P), which integrates advanced technologies to improve transportation options. Future plans may include dynamic incentives, such as discounts on parking or transit for app users who adjust their travel habits.
If the pilot succeeds, VDOT plans to expand the program to over 50 commuter lots in Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg, creating a more seamless parking and commuting experience for residents.
Ticatch underscored the importance of innovation in transportation, citing VDOT’s use of the Innovative Technology Transportation Fund to test forward-thinking solutions. “Not everything may succeed,” he noted, “but the goal is to push boundaries and find ways to better serve commuters.”
For those interested, the ParkZen app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Commuters are encouraged to download the app and contribute to shaping the future of commuting in the region.
Armed Robbery in Manassas
On January 26, around 11:33 p.m., two men, ages 19 and 21, were robbed at gunpoint at the Gardens of Crestwood Village on Provincial Drive. Suspects, described as Black males with thin builds, brandished firearms and stole various items, including a camera and recording equipment, before fleeing in a Toyota Camry. One victim was struck with a firearm and sustained minor injuries.
Brandishing Incident in Dumfries
Police responded to the Red Roof Inn on Dumfries Road on January 25 at 4:00 a.m. after a man reported being threatened with a firearm by an acquaintance of a female companion. The suspect fled before officers arrived. No injuries or shots were reported.
Reckless Handling of a Firearm in Woodbridge
On January 24, officers investigated a shots-fired report on Blackburn Road near Wentwood Lane. Shell casings were found, but no injuries or property damage occurred.
Series of Commercial Burglaries
Several commercial burglaries occurred between January 25 and 27:
- Two Smoke Hut stores in Woodbridge were broken into using hammers. Tobacco products were stolen.
- A filing cabinet was stolen from Woodbridge Auto Auction on Horner Road.
- Forced entry was reported at Pep Boys and Tobacco & More locations, with varying levels of property damage and theft.
Residential Burglaries in Dumfries and Woodbridge
Two residential burglaries occurred:
- A home on Cherry Hill Road was broken into via a kitchen window, but nothing was stolen.
- Another residence on Silvia Loop was damaged but not entered, and no property was reported missing.
Arrests
- Domestic Violence Arrests:
- Yvonne Watson, 43, of Fredericksburg, was charged with malicious wounding after striking a family member during an altercation on January 25.
- Yeni Carolina Suria, 31, of Manassas, was charged with malicious wounding after biting a family member during a dispute.
- Juvenile Shooting Arrest:
- A 17-year-old male was charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle on January 23. No injuries were reported, and the suspect is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center.
Stafford County Crime News
Rocks are thrown at cars
On January 25th, around 9:30 p.m, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center began receiving calls about suspects throwing rocks at vehicles in the England Run area. Deputies quickly saturated the area and identified the suspect vehicle as a white Hyundai.
Deputy M.A. Pearce located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop as it pulled into Gayle Middle School. Deputy D.S. Jett assisted, identifying the driver as Camryn McEntire, 19, and the passengers as Jake Hill and Luis Arias Oliart, both 18.
The investigation revealed the trio had not only damaged unoccupied cars but had escalated their crime spree by throwing large rocks at a pedestrian and an occupied vehicle. Deputies found rocks in the suspect vehicle that matched those used in the incidents.
- Jake Hill and Luis Arias Oliart were charged with felonious assault, throwing a missile at an occupied vehicle, conspiracy, and vandalism.
- Camryn McEntire was charged with conspiracy.
All three suspects were placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
The investigation is ongoing. Deputies have generated 24 reports in the England Run and Cardinal Forest neighborhoods but are asking additional victims to contact the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office at 540-658-4400 if their vehicles were damaged.
Kudos to the deputies for stopping this dangerous crime spree. Now it’s up to the courts to decide their fate.
Assault Incidents
- On January 24, at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, a fight between two inmates resulted in minor injuries. Inmate one initiated the altercation but was overpowered by inmate two, a former boxer. A warrant for assault and battery was issued against inmate one.
- On January 25, deputies responded to an assault on Potomac Crest Circle. A suspect assaulted the victim during a conversation that escalated while drinking. The incident, captured on camera, led to charges of assault, battery, and strangulation. The suspect is being held without bond.
DUI Arrests
- January 24: Deputies stopped a driver swerving off the road on Liberty Hall Drive. The intoxicated driver admitted to consuming wine before running errands and was charged with driving under the influence.
- January 25: Deputies encountered a truck stopped on Anderson Drive. The 20-year-old driver, covered in mud, admitted to consuming beer before testing his truck. He was charged with underage drinking and stopping on a highway.
Larceny Reports
- On January 24, a suspect stole a case of Truly Hard Seltzer from Wawa. Deputies identified the suspect through surveillance footage and obtained a warrant for larceny.
- Later that day, at Sheetz on Wyche Road, a suspect attempted to steal various alcoholic beverages, including Buzz Balls and Fireballs, for what seemed like a planned wild night.
- On January 25, a business phone was stolen from Sheetz. Deputies used camera footage to identify the suspect and secured a larceny warrant.
Threats at Amazon
Two staff members at Amazon on Centreport Parkway reported receiving threatening messages from a recently fired employee on January 25. The suspect made bomb threats and threatened employees’ lives, using multiple phones. Deputies issued warrants for threats of death and threats to bomb.
Just before 10 p.m. on Sunday, January 26, 2025, Stafford County Fire and Rescue (SCFR) units responded to a reported large boat fire at Hope Springs Marina on Hope Springs Lane.
Crews arrived on the scene within 10 minutes to find a large vessel, still attached to the dock, fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters acted swiftly, extending lines along the dock to contain the fire. Simultaneously, personnel used Fire Boat 1500 at Hope Springs Marina to attack the flames from the water.
To minimize environmental damage, booms were placed in the water to prevent the spread of hazardous materials.
No injuries were reported, and no other vessels sustained damage in the incident. The cause of the fire is under routine investigation by the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Tim Leclerc, deputy finance director for the county, gave a broad presentation at the Jan. 14 meeting, first discussing the state of unemployment.
"According to the National Bureau of Economic Research the [COVID-19] pandemic drove the economy into a deep but short recession lasting only about two months wherein more than 21 million Americans lost their jobs," Leclerc said.
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The Virginia House of Delegates Subcommittee of the Cities, Counties, and Towns Committee rejected a bill that sought to regulate the siting of data centers near schools, parks, and residential areas. Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Prince William County) presented HB1984, which would have required local government approval for data center developments only if they were located at least a quarter mile away from such properties. The subcommittee voted 8-0 to “lay the bill on the table,” effectively killing it.
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A bill to protect individuals experiencing homelessness by prohibiting criminal penalties for seeking temporary shelter in legally parked vehicles failed to advance in the Virginia House of Delegates Subcommittee of the Cities, Counties, and Towns Committee. HB2602, introduced by Delegate Joshua Cole (D-65, Fredericksburg), sought to address homelessness by ensuring humane treatment and temporary shelter solutions.
The bill would have prohibited localities from enforcing ordinances penalizing individuals for sleeping or seeking refuge in legally parked cars. Additionally, it required localities to make reasonable efforts to provide temporary shelter, including using government-owned property and stipulated that no individual could be detained solely for public camping unless they posed an immediate public threat or were offered alternative shelter.
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On January 24, 2025, the Virginia House of Delegates Cities, Counties, and Towns Committee reviewed several critical bills advanced. A charter amendment for the Town of Dumfries was unanimous, while a proposal to protect unhoused individuals seeking shelter in vehicles was rejected.
Dumfries Charter Amendment Advances
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In a recognition at the school board meeting, Healy was lauded for her commitment to students, families, and educators. Throughout her tenure, Healy has served alongside 33 board members and held leadership roles, including seven years as chair and one year as vice chair. Her guidance has been instrumental in navigating the board through significant growth, challenges, and transformations within the school system.
"Mrs. Healy’s wisdom and dedication have ensured that our decisions remain student-centered and focused on our future," said school board chair Maureen Siegmund. Healy’s legacy includes the opening of one-third of the county’s schools during her tenure, as well as overseeing renovations and rebuilds across the district. She will continue to serve through the current term, which concludes in 2028, marking an unprecedented 28 years of service.
