The conviction of a retired U.S. Air Force officer who used a racial slur while speaking to a Black store clerk and Black customer was overturned Tuesday by a federal appeals court that found his speech was protected by the First Amendment under the circumstances.

Construction crews are gearing up to repair Russell Road, at the entrance to Quantico Marine Corps Base.

A Prince William County spokeswoman writes PLN:

The work to be done at Russell Rd. is really two different projects. As you enter the base on the right side, there is a slumping of soil happening due to water infiltration and bad soil. This slumping is occurring near the road elevation.

This area will be excavated in several different steps down the slope and new material placed back. The guardrail will be removed and if asphalt needs to be milled due to undermining, it will be milled and replaced. Guardrail will be placed back in the new soil and the road striped if necessary. The new soil will be hydroseeded to stabilize from any further erosion.

The left side of the road has a failing corrugated metal pipe causing a sinkhole. This will be replaced with the same size pipe, however it will be a 0.50” thick steel casing pipe. The new pipe will be bored under the road to avoid open excavation due to depth and traffic issues. Upon installation of the new pipe, the old pipe will be filled with cement and properly abandoned and the sinkhole on the left side of the road will be filled with new soil. New headwalls will be placed on the pipe and all disturbed areas will be hydroseeded.

The work will start within the next few weeks with an authorized task order from the Marine Core Base Quantico.

The work comes as the county has inked a new agreement with the Marine Corps Base to maintain some of its roads.

Prince William County penned some of the details of that agreement in a press release:

The agreement will allow the county to work on drainage and road projects on the base. “This is why this agreement was necessary,” said Tom Smith, the director of the Prince William County Department of Public Works. “This is the mechanism and means to get this done. Quantico approached us and said they would be willing to enter into this agreement. This is an umbrella agreement where, anytime they need some work that we believe is a public benefit, and we have time to do it, they can ask us to give them a price. If everything works out, we would go in and do the work for them.”

Traffic problems at the base can spill out into the community. “We’re bringing about 25,000 people aboard the base every day,” said Marine Corps Base Quantico Base Commander Col. Will Bentley. “Any problem with one of the two main side entrances, for any period of time, will cause a backup out onto I-95, and onto Route 1, so the impact is felt throughout Prince William County. This is really about partnership in particular. We’re part of the neighborhood. Our roads impact Prince William County. People do use the base—people who live out in the town and people who come on the base and even use the base as a transportation mode to get in and around traffic on I-95.”

The base will reimburse the County for the cost to make the repairs to Russell Road and any other future projects.

 

The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in Washington D.C. has just awarded a construction contract to create a wargaming facility at the Quantico Marine Corps base. The U.S. Marine Corps had publicized its intention to create this new facility back in late 2020.

Clark Construction Group LLC, a Bethesda, Md. based company, has been awarded a $79 million contract to build a 100,000 square-foot center to be built on the Marine Corps University Campus. The new state-of-the-art facility will run classified wargame scenarios that are designed to deal with a high-tech enemy.

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The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is offering a spring break scavenger hunt.

Participants will have the chance to explore the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, on the grounds of the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, and safely enjoy the spring weather while learning about the history of the Marine Corps.

Participants can find scavenger hunt directions, clues, and information on how to submit photo proofs online. All who complete the scavenger hunt may enter a lottery to win a special Marine-themed prize package.

Semper Fidelis Memorial Park is a space dedicated to history, remembrance, and reflection. The park features over a mile of trails, monuments, memorials, and the award-winning Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel. Due to current federal and state guidance on coronavirus, social distancing is encouraged on Park grounds.

Participants can enter the lottery beginning March 29, 2021 through April 30, 2021.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps and Semper Fidelis Memorial Park are located at 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway in Triangle.

Good news for commuters: the Joplin Road bridge over Quantico Creek will reopen to through traffic on Friday, April 2, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The bridge was completely rebuilt after historic flooding on Aug. 13 required its closure.

The flood was the highest peak flow that the United State Geological Survey (USGS) gauge adjacent to the bridge had seen in its 69-year existence- classifying it as between a 100 and 200-year event.

Lane Construction was awarded a $932,000 emergency contract for repairs. The work included undergrounding of NOVEC power lines, as well as:

• Removal of the center pier
• Construction of new abutments, wing walls, and parapets
• Replacement of bridge beams and bridge deck (superstructure)
• Repair of bridge asphalt approaches
• Installation of new guardrail

Joplin Road is a popular bypass that links Interstate 95 at Quantico Marine Corps Base with Route 234 at Independent Hill, the location of the Prince William County Public Schools headquarters.

A woman who lost control of her vehicle outside the main gate of Quantico Marine Corps Base was killed in a car crash.

Police said the crash occurred at 10:20 a.m. in the area of Fuller Heights and Old Triangle roads.

The investigation revealed that the driver of a 2016 Ford Focus was traveling east on Fuller Heights Rd, approaching Old Triangle Rd, when the driver began to lose control of the vehicle.

At one point, the vehicle left the roadway, striking two trees before coming to rest. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in the vehicle.

Skye Elizabeth Richardson, 27, of Woodbridge, was pronounced dead on the scene.

On March 5,  a construction worker was injured when the the steamroller he was driving overturned in the same area. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing, police tell us.

Got $600? If so, you can get married or new your vows this year at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is offering a special Valentine’s Day wedding package on the day before the holiday, on February 13, 2021, at the museum’s Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel. Couples will be able to hold a small rustic wedding ceremony or renew their vows in the memorial chapel, located on the museum grounds.

The chapel provides a quiet and rustic experience built to evoke a transparent chapel’s feeling in the woods, said Marine Corps Heritage spokesman Matthew Morrissey.

There are several appointment times available to book, said Morrissey. Reservations may be made by calling (703) 649-2350 or emailing [email protected]

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is located at Quantico Marine Corps Base, at 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway in Triangle.

Hello, I’m Heather Mitchell. I’m running to represent hard-working citizens in Virginia’s 2nd House District, in Prince William and Stafford counties.

Despite all the recent focus on the pandemic, we can’t forget the need to improve our roads.

• We live in the 5th most-congested region in the country.
• People spend an average of 124 hours a year sitting in traffic.
• That’s a loss of more than $1,800 per driver per year.

In recent months, however, our former Delegate, Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy, voted to take away millions of dollars that would have been used to improve our roads.

Before she stepped down last month to seek higher office, she voted to approve HB 1414 and HB 1726.

• Those two bills undercut our share of the state’s recordation tax money — funds used for transportation improvements in our region.
• Because of those bills, the first $20 million in recordation revenues collected won’t come here to Prince William and Stafford but will instead go to Hampton Roads.

Our former Democrat Delegate voted for both of these bills knowing that Stafford County would lose an estimated $1 million in transportation funding.

There are plenty of transportation improvements to be made in our area.

• We need a Delegate who understands those concerns and does not vote to take away funding from such a crucial need of our community.

I’ve got the experience needed to lead.

• I most recently served as a senior aide to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, where I gained an incomparable amount of knowledge about our region’s transportation, education, and financial needs.
• I also served as a legislative aide to Delegate Emily Brewer.

When my family moved to Stafford from Okinawa, Japan, my husband and I chose to finish raising our children here in Virginia. I know that our area is a miniature version of the entire state.

• Prince William County is a growing community that, for years, has been ingrained in the fabric of Northern Virginia.
• Stafford County, a powerhouse in the Fredericksburg region, is a growing community that doesn’t view itself as fully a part of “NOVA.”

I live and work in these communities, and I know the issues there are essential to you.

• Most importantly, I know how to work with the prominent list of elected leaders from Congress, the Virginia General Assembly, and in the halls of Prince William and Stafford county governments, all of whom have endorsed my campaign.

Before becoming a proud military wife, I worked three jobs to provide a better life for my daughter.

• That experience led me down a path of public service.

And I know what it means to support those who serve our country.

• It’s the most personal level of sacrifice that someone can take to protect our freedom.

I’m asking for your vote in our Special Election on Tuesday, January 5.

Please take a moment to learn more about me and what I stand for.

• Visit my website: mitchellforva.com
• Follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/MitchellforVA
• Connect with me on Twitter: twitter.com/mitchellforva

I Back the Blue because our police officers and sheriff’s deputies work hard to make our community a better, safer place.

The lockdowns have had a devastating effect on local businesses. That’s why I will fight for a Smart COVID Policy in Richmond based on science and common sense.

The lockdowns have also had a substantial negative impact on children, many of whom struggle to learn from home. I’ll fight for working families who want the Best Education for their children and Support School Choice.

Early in-person voting ends Saturday, January 2.

Vote early in Prince William County at the following locations, from 9 a.m. to. 5 p.m.

• Prince William County Office of Elections, at 9250 Lee Avenue in Manassas
• Veterans Memorial Park, at 14300 Veterans Drive in Woodbridge.

Vote early in Stafford County at the following location, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Stafford County Voter Registrar’s Office, at 1300 Courthouse Road at the George Gordon Administration Building next to the county courthouse.

On Tuesday, Election Day, your regular polling place will be open.

• Click here to find your polling place.

Together, we can make our community and Virginia a better place for us all.

Thank you,

Heather

Paid for and authorized by Friends of Heather Mitchell

Visitors who want to visit the exhibit halls of the National Museum of the Marine Corps will be turned away starting Monday, November 23.

The museum announced it will temporarily close its building to the public due to the rising number of cases of coronavirus in Virginia. The museum details its plans in a press release.

The health and safety of visitors, staff and volunteers is the Museum’s first priority at this time.  The Museum grounds, to include Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and the playground, will remain open.

Visitors will still be able to stroll the museum grounds and visit the playground.

The closure comes 11 weeks after the museum had reopened to the public following the coronavirus lockdowns in March. Visitors were required to wear masks during their visit.

A total of 2,544 new coronavirus cases were reported in Virginia today, with about 23 new cases reported each day over the past week. A total of 99 new hospitalizations were reported today, for a total of  1,159 people hospitalized with the disease — 70 fewer than yesterday.

The museum is located at 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway just outside the main gate of Quantico Marine Corps Base.