Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Department (LJVFD) Chief, Walt Davis, is retiring after 24 years of service to the community.

Earlier this year, Davis decided to step down after 14 years as department chief so he could spend more time with his grandchildren and to focus on the last few years of his career before retiring. His replacement has not yet been decided upon as the fire department will be holding elections for the new chief in September.

Originally, Davis was going to leave and the end of spring, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the volunteer fire department’s board of directors asked him to remain. Davis answered the call to continue to serve.

Davis’ interest in his profession started as a young child

Seeing the engines, watching firemen put out blazes, and helping people all interested him. During his time as a student at Woodbridge High School, he had a number of friends who served in the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton (OWL) Volunteer Fire Department, something that heavily influenced him to become a firefighter, he told Potomac Local News.

When Davis moved to the Lake Jackson community, his wife Cathy joined the LJVFD auxiliary to support the fire department in fundraising. In 1995, a young woman lost her life that occurred in the community. A press conference was held afterward, and Davis went and listened to reporters being briefed on the incident.

After learning about those who answered the call, and being urged from his wife to serve, he agreed to join as a volunteer with LJVFD. With his newfound passion, he was able to get 20 other individuals to join as well.

After taking hours of classes and responding to calls for help from the community, he started to move up the ranks. He was named chief of the department in 2006.

Being the chief of a volunteer fire department is a multifaceted role that requires a large amount of dedication and commitment, Davis said. Not only do volunteer fire department chiefs have to oversee all the volunteer firefighters called to emergencies, but they also support the fundraising activities for the department and community events.

LJVFD hosts breakfast with Santa Claus each December that draws large crowds from the community. It also hosts several car shows which not only bring in revenue but also raise awareness for the department’s mission to serve the community.

Davis said that county residents are more aware of fire safety now than when he started 25 years ago. LJVFD hosts community events that educate residents about fire safety and sends volunteer firefighters to go into the schools to teach children about the job of a firefighter.

As the population in Prince William County continues to grow, Davis sees a challenge in recruiting new volunteers.

“Most families in Prince William County need dual incomes to live here, so most families have both parents working. On top of that, the requirements for training has gone up as firefighters take on more and more in the field. Lake Jackson is committed, though, to recruiting and continuing volunteering in Prince William County” said Davis.

LJVFD remains open to the retired military, career firefighters from surrounding jurisdictions, and other members of the community who want to volunteer close to home. Volunteers are asked to serve one night a week and one day every third weekend

As he spends his last few weeks as chief, he recalled many of the incidents that kept him busy all of these years, to include. house fires, car accidents, and a wide range of medical issues that now include a global pandemic.

“Through all the difficulties of serving as chief, riding on a rig to help someone always continues to bring me back to why I did this in the first place,” Davis said.

LJVFD is one of eight volunteer fire departments in Prince William County.

A 27-year-old man has died after he was struck while walking along Route 28 last month.

Prince William police tell us:

Fatal Crash Investigation – On June 29 at 9:52PM, investigators from the Crash Investigation Unit responded to the area of Nokesville Rd. and Golf Academy Dr. in Bristow (20136) to investigate a crash involving a pedestrian.

The investigation revealed that the driver of a 2013 Ford Fiesta was traveling southbound on Nokesville Rd., just past the intersection with Golf Academy Dr., when the vehicle struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian, identified as a 27-year-old man, was walking within the roadway. The striking vehicle remained on scene and the driver was not injured.

The pedestrian was flown to an area hospital where he died as a result of the crash on July 19. Speed, alcohol or drug use were not factors in the collision with the driver of the vehicle.

Identified:

The deceased pedestrian was identified as Tyler Joseph THOMA, 27, of No fixed address

The driver of the 2013 Ford Fiesta was identified as a 24-year-old man of Bristow

Looking for ways to get out of the house and help out your community at the same time? Here are some local volunteering opportunities in need of help:

Support your local health department and your community during a public health emergency! Volunteers for Medical Reserve Corps are needed to support several missions including public health education and outreach, disease investigation, vaccine clinics, and more! Medical experience is not required; Medical Reserve Corps have roles for everyone! Bilingual volunteers are especially needed. Volunteers must be 18 years of age, complete minimum training, and pass a state background check to serve. Please fill out an online application at vdh.virginia.gov. Questions? Please email Amy at [email protected] for more information.

* Ready to get out of the house and back into the world? ACT’s Hunger Prevention Center needs help in distribution on Wednesdays and Fridays, receiving on Monday through Friday, and drivers to pick up donations from grocery stores on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Note that all volunteers must complete and submit the online volunteer application found at actspwc.org prior to volunteering. Please contact Shirley at [email protected], or call 703.441.8606 ext. 212 for more information on how you can get involved.

* The Alzheimer’s Association is searching for volunteers to lead easing in some existing support and early stage groups in Manassas once the pandemic calms. Volunteer Support Group & Early Stage Facilitators help group participants develop coping methods, and encourages caregivers and family members to maintain their personal, physical and emotional health. Support groups provide a place for friends and family to share valuable information, caregiving tips and concerns about their loved ones with Alzheimer’s. Experience working with Alzheimer’s patients is desirable, but training will be provided. Please email [email protected] to learn more.

* Habitat for Humanity has announced starting their Neighborhood Revitalization at East End Mobile Home Park in Manassas! This big project is in the early planning stages, but volunteer help will be needed. Please visit habitatpwc.org or email [email protected] for more information.

* You can hold a food drive and help House of Mercy re-stock their bare food pantry shelves! They have seen a big increase in clients seeking food assistance and urgently need donations of nonperishable items such as veggies, soups, mac and cheese, canned meats, etc., to re-stock their shelves. It’s so easy to conduct a food drive, even during this pandemic, and you’ll be helping to feed hungry families! Please call 703.579.0279 or email [email protected] to learn how you can help.

* Keep Prince William Beautiful is happy to announce that Community Litter Cleanups are returning! The first cleanup is scheduled for July 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Potomac Community Library. The cleanup will focus on the surrounding public roads and spaces near the library. Social distancing will be practiced, with check-in times at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.. Only 10 volunteers allowed for each check-in time. Face masks are required and KPWB will supply clean and sanitized supplies to volunteers. Please call 571.285.3772 or email [email protected] for more information.

* Prince William Food Rescue (PWFR) can still use volunteer Food Rescue Heroes as the program is super busy delivering food to both ACTS and SERVE homebound clients. Home food deliveries are no contact and follow social distancing guidelines. PWFR is an app-based program enabling volunteers to pick up viable, close to expiration food from supermarkets, restaurants, food pantries, etc., and then deliver it to a program that can immediately use the food. More info on PWFR may be found at pwfoodrescue.org. Please contact Shirley at [email protected] or call 703.441.8606 ext. 212 for more information.

* The Salvation Army is collecting items for seniors and other vulnerable populations. You can help by creating care packages from the security of your own home and safely drop off items at their Prince William location in Woodbridge. Food items such as canned soups and other dry or canned foods are requested. Non-food items such as socks, toiletries, diapers, baby wipes, and sanitizing supplies are also needed. Donated items can be dropped off at 1483 Old Bridge Road, Woodbridge Suite 102, Lake Ridge 22192. Please email Angela at [email protected] or call 202.345.2238 to learn more.

* SERVE needs donated canned vegetables to provide healthy choices for their food assistance clients! Donations can be brought to SERVE’s Hunger Resource Center loading dock on weekdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., where they will be safely accepted. All veggies are welcome, but they have a big need for canned corn. Please contact Navara at [email protected] to learn more.

* Serve Our Willing Warriors in Haymarket needs volunteers age 21 and up to directly assist Warrior families during their check-in and check out at the Warrior Retreat in Bull Run. Volunteers should be available Wednesday and/or Friday mornings. Just an hour of your time will be a meaningful way to thank our veterans who have given so much for our country! Please contact Sarah at [email protected] for more information

* StreetLight Community Ministries urgently needs donations of nonperishable food for their Food Pantry so they can continue giving aid to our homeless and impoverished neighbors during this pandemic. Donations will be accepted every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please email [email protected] to learn more.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call the wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William at 703-369_5292. You can also visit their website at volunteerprincewilliam.org.

For those who missed out on the previous opportunity, here are more locations available for free coronavirus testing for those who live and work in Prince William County, City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park.

According to a Prince William County Government press release, to obtain free coronavirus testing and results, citizens must provide full name, phone number, and a home or work address that proves residence in the stated above areas.

According to the Prince William press release, here is where free testing locations can be found:

“Saturday, July 18, 2020
Development Services Building
5 County Complex Ct.
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Start Time 8:30 AM

Monday, July 20, 2020
Woodbridge Senior Center
13850 Church Hill Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22191
Start Time: 9:00 AM

Splashdown Water Park
7500 Ben Lomond Park Road
Manassas, VA 20109
Start Time: 9:00 AM

Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Metz Middle School
9950 Wellington Road
Manassas, Virginia 20110
Start Time: 9:00 AM”

These sites can accommodate drive-thru or walk-up testing. According to Prince William County Government, citizens should arrive to the testing sites early as testing is only available until testing kits are gone.

More information about testing and the county’s response to the coronavirus available at pwcgov.org.

The G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge was once home to minor league baseball, but it will soon become a temporary drive-in theater. 

The idea, called ‘Movies at the Pfitz,’ was conceived by Ben Hazekamp, a financial advisor, and Valerie Meale, a business development manager at Whitlock Wealth Management in Lake Ridge. They contacted Seth Hendler-Voss, Director of Prince William County Parks and Recreation, who supported the idea and aided in making it possible.

The event, which will span over four weeks, will serve as a fundraiser for the service budgets of the Woodbridge and Lake Ridge Rotary clubs. The clubs will be donating all profits gained from car pass sales, sponsorships, and advertising to local nonprofits in Prince William County. The two Rotary clubs also are providing 10 and 15 volunteers for the drive-thru.

“During these trying times for many in our community, we wanted to find a way to give back and support both our community as well as our local nonprofits. We came up with ‘Movies at the Pfitz’ to deliver some much needed entertainment for many stuck inside for months, while giving those same people an opportunity to support local nonprofits who are serving so many in our community. This four-night drive-in is our way of giving back to the community we love,” said Hazekamp.

The event secured a partnership with A2Z Entertainment, who will be both supplying and operating equipment for the drive-in show, as well as sponsorships from multiple companies. Comcast, for example, has given the event a $5,000 sponsorship. 

To decide on the proper films, Hazekamp and Meale hosted an online survey asking the public to vote for the movies they want to watch. They currently have four movies lined up and are trying to get the rights to air them. The movies are:

• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Grease
• Field of Dreams

The fourth movie has not yet been announced.

Car passes will cost $30 per vehicle and the stadium will have a limit of 115 vehicles, and there will be two food trucks and a restaurant on-site for patrons. To keep with social distancing guidelines, each vehicle will park in every other parking space and each patron is encouraged to wear a mask outside. 

The films will be shown on July 25, August 1, August 15, and August 22.

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) students won't be headed back to the classroom to school in fall, but they will likely return later in the school year.

During its six-hour meeting on July 15, the county's school board unanimously approved a return to learning plan in which students participate in solely virtual learning for the first quarter, starting on September 8 and ending October 30. A goal of transitioning into a hybrid of in-person and virtual learning later in the school year remains in place, with the option for students to stay virtual.

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The Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department has updated its tourism master draft plan for 2020, a document focused on projecting community needs in the next 10-15 years.

The plan discusses in part how historic sites are assets for tourism and looks into how to utilize these sites to boost economic gains.

The plan, which is apart of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan, now includes the mergers of Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Division and Office of Tourism into the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

The Historic Preservation Division has been a part of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for almost two years, but this is the first time the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan includes historic sites in the planning process.

The expansion of the Master Plan to include tourism and historic preservation comes If the department is folded into parks and recreation, it would come three years after the department took on the role of tourism promotion after county leaders voted to dissolve “Discover Prince William/Manassas,” a partnership between the county and Manassas City that aimed to promote the region to visitors.

The tourism plan now under consideration addresses improving visitor experiences at the county’s parks, recreational facilities, historic sites, and promoting heritage and sports tourism. It also focuses on securing public and private partnerships as well as private development investments that benefit county residents and the economy.

Heritage tourism focuses on showing the history and heritage of an area through experiences, structures and historic sites. Prince William County has 15 historic sites managed by the Historic Preservation Division. Some sites are open daily, while others are open by appointment only, and others are currently closed to the public. In 2019, almost 150,000 people visited the county’s historic sites, with 35% of visitors being from out of the county.

Sports tourism draws visitors from across the east coast to the county’s 472 sports venues that host sports events and tournaments. This includes youth, amateur, collegiate, professional, minor league, and motorsports. It also offers 11 public golf courses, 2 indoor Olympic pools, an ice arena, and fields for softball, baseball, and soccer.

Furthermore, the county currently owns 63 developed parks, which offer a number of activities for visitors, including:

• Two 18-hole golf courses
• One 9-hole leisure golf courses
• 116 sports fields
• Two waterparks
• 6 outdoor pools
• 2 aquatics and fitness centers
• A skate park
• A marina
• A dog park

“The plan provides an opportunity to fully realize the synergies created by the mergers such as incorporating new historic interpretive storytelling into the Department’s recreation program and developing outdoor recreation, sports tourism, culture, history, heritage, agri-tourism opportunities and more,” said Ann Marie Maher, Director of Tourism in Prince William County.

Due to changes in consumer travel patterns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the state and Office of Tourism’s COVID-19 recovery plan now includes a primary marketing focus on the local and drive markets. 

“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.

The planned budget for the Office of Tourism this year is $1.5 million, funded by the county’s hotel tax. Budget spending will focus on supporting the coronavirus tourism industry’s economic recovery efforts.

The tourism discussions are master plan is part of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Systemwide Master Plan.

“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.

The draft is available to the public online at pwcgov.org/parks.

Prince William County’s tourism economy currently ranks 9th in the Commonwealth in total visitor spending, and in 2018, over 6,662 hospitality and tourism professionals were employed in Prince William County. 

Six people are displaced tonight after a fire broke out near Manassas.

Fire crews were called to 9626 Henrico Street, just off Lomond Drive, at 5:53 p.m. after a garage caught fire inside of a single-family home. The fire quickly spread to homes on either side of the structure.

Four people who lived in the home where the fire started are displayed, while two others who live next-door are also sleeping elsewhere tonight. The American Red Cross was called to assist the victims.

No one was injured.

A third house sustained damage to its siding. The homeowner tells Potomac Local News his family is shaken up, but thankful no one is injured.

A Prince William County fire marshal is working to determine the case of the blaze.

Citizens and businesses struggling to pay real estate taxes during the coronavirus pandemic will have a payment extension to October 15, 2020, due to a decision from the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.

According to an Office of Communications press release, the board has decided to postpone the first-half real estate tax payment due date from July 15 to October 15, 2020, giving citizens an extra three months to gather their finances. This decision will help businesses and residents by providing penalty and interest relief from unpaid real estate taxes during the difficult times of the pandemic, according to the press release.

“This action […] allows the public three additional months of time before they need to remit their 2020 first half real estate payment, potentially alleviating approximately $3.8 million in penalties plus interest,” said Sherrie Johnson from the Prince William County Office of Communications in a press release.

Johnson stated that this decision, however, does not apply to any delinquent taxes, penalty, or interest that was due before July 15 nor does it mean that any 2020 first-half real estate taxes already paid will be refunded.

One man is dead and another in a local hospital after reports of a shooting in Lake Ridge.

The crime happened on Tuesday, July 14, at 10:15 p.m., when officers responded to Valleywood Drive and Colebrook Lane in Lake Ridge to investigate reports of gunfire. According to a Prince William County Police Department press release, one man was located nearby on Oakwood Drive suffering from a gunshot wound.

Police said officers began to use trauma kits and conducted CPR on the victim until rescue personnel arrived on the scene. The wounded man was identified as a 19-year-old and was transported to a local area hospital where he later died from his injuries, according to police.  The suspect and motives against victims have not been announced.

Police stated that while they were investigating the incident, another man arrived at a local area hospital, who was also suffering from gunshot injuries. Detectives from the Violent Crimes Bureau are actively investigating the incident to determine what led up to the shooting.

Police have determined that this incident appears to be isolated to the aforementioned intersection and does not appear to be a random event.

More information will be released when available. The investigation continues.

Police urge anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703.792.7000 or submit a web-tip to pwcgov.org.