Unity Reed High, a school in Prince William County Schools (PWCS) has partnered with another district school in Manassas, Loch Lomond, to introduce the younger students to organized sports at the Super Scotties Soccer Club.
The club was created to promote respect, kindness, teamwork and sportsmanship in young children at Loch Lomond.
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NVCT is a regional nonprofit founded in 1994 to safeguard the region’s wildlife and natural landscapes. According to the nonprofit’s website, it has protected more than 9,000 acres of land across the region in both urban and rural areas.
Doves Landing is a 308-acre park with access to the Occoquan River. 95% of the land is forested and the area around the river are considered a crucial wetland habitat. The county acquired the land in the 1990s, but remained vacant until the Board of County Supervisors made it a park in 2013.
In 2022, the Board adopted a new master plan for the park and replaced the 2013 master plan. The updated plan now accounts for the additional 73 acres acquired by the county in 2020.
“With the ongoing development pressures and increased population growth occurring in Prince William County, preserving lands for passive recreation and environmental protection are even more important for the health and wellbeing of the county’s residents,” the master plan document states. “Having 500 acres of essentially undisturbed waterfront forest that is available for hiking, biking, fishing and paddling, creates a respite for residents to enjoy the outdoors.”
Doves Landing currently has around 3 miles of trails and 1 mile of shoreline access to the Occoquan River.
“The need to preserve our natural and cultural resources for future generations to enjoy freely from development pressure is stronger than ever and we are grateful for partners like NVCT who make the conservation easement process easy for jurisdictions like ours,” Seth Hendler-Voss, director of the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation, said. “We are proud to serve a community and board of elected officials who prioritize our unique environment.”
Many local residents and groups including the Prince William Conservation Alliance have been advocating for Doves Landing’s conservation since its inception, the county press release stated.
“Local residents spoke loudly and clearly about their desire to see this special place conserved for its natural beauty, and we are committed to working with the dedicated county parks staff to fulfill that promise,” Alan Rowsome, executive director of NVCT, said.
The UVA Health Prince Wiliam Medical Center in Manassas has earned a top spot in the U.S. News & World Report list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, a recent press release stated.
The hospital system’s Manassas campus received a “high-performing” rank from the publication, the highest recognition a hospital can receive. U.S. News & World Report highlighted the hospital’s low unnecessary Cesarean section and newborn complication rates and saw it as a birthing-friendly facility.
“I am incredibly proud to have our teams once again recognized for their hard work and unwavering dedication to providing exceptional healthcare to the families of our communities,” said Michelle Strider, chief nursing officer of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper. “Our teams consistently give their best in our labor and delivery, mother-baby, and neonatal intensive care units. We are deeply committed to offering the highest level of care in the most advanced community care environments, inspiring hope from the very start for our newest little Virginians.” “
Nearly 63% of babies born at the hospital were exclusively breastfed or fed breast milk during their hospital stay, which is above both regional and national averages.
“The average in the South is 38.8% and the national average is 49%. Feeding breast milk boosts an infant’s immune system and brain development and may protect against allergies, asthma, obesity and other conditions,” the U.S. News & World Report’s page said.
According to a press release from the hospital, the Manassas campus delivered 1,932 babies in 2024 and admitted 238 babies for care in the newborn intensive care unit.
“Rankings only catch a glimpse of the daily exceptional work performed by our maternity teams,” Keisha Walker, director of women’s and children’s services, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, said. “I am incredibly proud of the consistency and dedication our team demonstrates every day, providing care during a time that is both exciting and, at times, overwhelming for our patients and their families. This well-deserved recognition reflects our ongoing mission to deliver superior healthcare to people of all ages.”
The Prince William Medical Center joins several other facilities in Virginia that were ranked as “high-performing,” including UVA Health’s Culpeper Medical Center, VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax and the Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach.
The Prince William County Fire and Rescue System warns residents to stay off naturally occurring ice on local waters, as it is often too thin and weak for safe outdoor activities. Unlike ice in colder northern climates, ice in this area is prone to cracks, instability, and variability due to fluctuating temperatures, moving water, and wildlife activity.
Key dangers include rapid ice deterioration, which can outpace its formation, and the risk of falling into icy waters, where hypothermia can occur in less than 10 minutes, making rescues extremely time-sensitive.
Safety Tips:
- Call 911 if someone falls through the ice.
- Avoid attempting a direct rescue on the ice.
- Provide the victim with a flotation device to keep them afloat until help arrives.
Residents are strongly advised to seek ice recreation only at designated facilities like skating rinks. Keep both people and pets off potentially dangerous natural ice.
Here’s the full press release:
Stay Off the Ice – Area Waters Unsafe
Our area rarely produces ice of the quality and thickness necessary for safe outdoor recreation; therefore, recreation on local ice is riskier than in northern climates. Ice that is formed during a continuous, hard freeze, typical of northern climates, is much stronger than ice formed during temperatures that repeatedly fluctuate above and below the freezing mark. Ice that forms where water levels change frequently, or where the water is moving, such as storm water ponds, rivers, and streams is especially dangerous because its thickness will vary with the conditions and may contain cracks. Areas inhabited by waterfowl, such as ducks or geese, can contain patches of very thin ice due to the birds’ swimming and feeding activities which have kept the water “open” longer than surrounding surfaces.
Stay off the Ice! Ice can deteriorate 4 times faster than it forms; therefore, its suitability for recreational purposes is often overestimated. Should an individual or animal fall into icy waters, moderate to severe hypothermia can occur in less than 10 minutes. The window of opportunity for a successful rescue closes rapidly beyond that time. Therefore, the primary challenge for rescuers is time.
Icy Water Safety Tips
If someone falls through the ice, you should:
1) Call 911 immediately.2) DO NOT go onto the ice to rescue them.
3) Safely reach out to the victim by providing them with something that will help them stay afloat.
The Prince William County Fire and Rescue System urges residents that if you see anyone on the ice, highly recommend they get off the ice; it’s not safe. This includes animals, do not allow your animals to walk on the ice. Ice recreation is best sought on skating rinks, pavilions, or other locations specifically designed for that purpose, and not the dangerous, naturally occurring ice that forms on area waters.
Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Prince William County) has introduced a suite of legislative proposals targeting the rapid proliferation of data centers in Northern Virginia, addressing concerns about campaign finance, land use, and energy infrastructure. The legislation, rooted in what Lovejoy calls "common sense reforms," aims to tackle issues of public confidence, community impact, and the strain on utilities.
Curbing Campaign Influence on Local Decisions
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In this Potomac Local News Podcast episode, we sit down with Jeff Joyner, President of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, to explore the hospital’s incredible 50+ year journey – the past 15 years of which have been under Sentara’s watch.
Learn how this community-built hospital has evolved with transformative investments, including freestanding emergency rooms, a cardiovascular surgery center, and cutting-edge AI technology.
From its roots as Potomac Hospital to its role today as a leader in local healthcare, Sentara continues to innovate while staying true to its mission of serving the community. Whether you’re curious about the future of healthcare or want to hear how the hospital has remained a vital part of Northern Virginia, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Topics Covered:
- Sentara’s deep community ties and history
- The hospital’s recent investments and expansions
- How AI and technology are transforming healthcare
- Exciting plans for the future
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In this episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast, Delegate Ian Lovejoy joins us from Richmond to discuss key issues impacting Virginia residents:
Richmond’s Water Crisis: Hear about the ongoing water outage in Richmond, its effects on families, businesses, and schools, and what it means for state leadership as former Mayor Levar Stoney campaigns for Lieutenant Governor.
Data Center Development: Delegate Lovejoy explains his legislative efforts to address the rapid expansion of data centers in Northern Virginia, including:
- Prohibiting officials from voting on projects tied to campaign donors.
- Establishing zoning reforms to protect schools, parks, and residential neighborhoods.
- Proposing a moratorium on new data centers and revisiting tax incentives.
Energy Infrastructure Concerns: Learn how unchecked data center growth could threaten Virginia’s power grid by 2030 and what steps are needed to prevent a crisis.
This in-depth conversation explores the challenges facing Virginia communities and the solutions Delegate Lovejoy is working to implement.
Subscribe for more updates on local news and issues affecting Virginia.
You’ll learn about:
- 1:15 – Richmond’s Water Crisis
- 4:30 – Data Centers and Campaign Donations
- 7:45 – Zoning Reforms and Community Impacts
- 10:30 – Power Grid Concerns and Tax Incentives
Join the conversation and share your thoughts in the comments.
A man wanted in connection with a fatal crash in Nokesville has been arrested. On January 8, 2025, Prince William County Police apprehended James Francis Byrd, 62, of Woodbridge. Byrd faces charges of involuntary manslaughter – DUI related and DUI for his role in the crash that occurred on August 28, 2024, along Bristow Road near Windy Hill Drive.
Police reported that Byrd, the driver of a 2021 Toyota Tundra, had a blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit at the time of the crash. The collision claimed the life of Thomas Spencer Stark, 63, of Nokesville, who was driving a 2003 Lexus GX. Byrd’s court date is pending, and bond information is unavailable.
The crash occurred at 6:24 p.m. on August 28, 2024, when Byrd’s eastbound Tundra crossed the center line into the westbound lane, colliding head-on with Stark’s vehicle, police said. The impact caused Stark’s Lexus to spin off the roadway and rest in a ditch. Stark was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Byrd sustained minor injuries and was also transported to a hospital for treatment.
Following the crash, investigators with the Prince William County Police Crash Investigation Unit issued arrest warrants for Byrd on December 11, 2024. Attempts to locate him were initially unsuccessful.
