On November 5, 2024, all Stafford offices and courts will be closed for Election Day. However, the R-Board/Regional Landfills will be open, and emergency services along with outdoor parks will still operate as usual.

Press Release:

Stafford offices, departments, facilities, and all courts will be closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, for Election Day.

Both locations of the R-Board/Regional Landfill (Eskimo Hill and Belman Road) will be open on Election Day.

The following offices and facilities will remain open:

Fire and Rescue Information (540) 658-7200

Emergency 911

Sheriff’s Office Information (540) 658-4400

Emergency 911

Magistrate (540) 659-2968

All outdoor parks are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

From the Stafford sheriff’s office:

A 48-year-old Woodbridge woman earned her fourth DUI after deciding to exit I-95 into Stafford County.

On October 25th at approximately 11:50 p.m. Deputy C.A. Osborne responded to a drunk driver complaint. The caller advised a Toyota was serving around traffic and nearly struck two vehicles while traveling South on I-95. Luckily, the driver decided to take the 140 exit and proceeded towards Wonder Road. That is when Deputy Osborne located the vehicle and made contact with the driver.

The driver, identified as Blanca Azucena Herrera Argueta, had signs of intoxication, including glassy, bloodshot eyes and the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath. She would state her cousin was actually the driver, but magically disappeared right before Deputy Osborne arrived. When that lie was dissolved, field sobriety tests began.

Herrera was detained and transported to the Sheriff’s Office for a blood draw. There, she would resist and began rolling around on the floor in an attempt to delay the procedure. After her performance, she was transported to Rappahannock Regional Jail. There she was charged with driving under the influence fourth offense within ten years, second offense refusal, obstruction of justice, driving after forfeiture of her license, and driving while revoked. She was held without bond.

From the Stafford sheriff’s office:

ASSAULT:
Jay’s Sports Bar, 2866 Richmond Highway, 10/27, 2:08 a.m. Deputy R.T. Philippsen responded to an assault. The suspect got a cat-itude with the victim after seeing him with another feline. In response, the suspect brought the claws out and assaulted the victim, breaking his glasses in the process. She was charged with assault and battery, as well as, destruction of property. The suspect was released by the magistrate on pur-sonal recognizance.

DUI:
Area of Richmond Highway and Cranes Corner Road, 10/27, 2:06 a.m. Deputy M.A. Holub was traveling Northbound on Richmond Highway when the Honda next to him drifted towards him, nearly striking him. Fur-tunately, a near cat-astrophe was avoided. Deputy Holub began observing the vehicle as it traveled 11 MPH in a 45 MPH zone and conducted a traffic stop. The driver wasn’t hiss-terical, but advised he was “tired.” Deputy Holub figured the fur real reason for his driving behavior was because of alcohol, considering the driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to litter-ally having “about two beers.” The driver was charged with driving under the influence, the traffic lane violation, and impeding traffic. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Jay’s Sports Bar, 2866 Richmond Highway, 10/27, 2:46 a.m. Deputy J.J. Holetzky was on scene for a different less than claw-some incident when he observed a vehicle quickly park. The driver, dressed as a cat’s best friend, a witch, jumped out of the driver’s seat only to pounce into some bushes. It was discovered the driver was marking her territory for she had to go to the bathroom right meow. The witchy driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to consuming alcohol at a party. She was charged with driving under the influence and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Forest Lane Road, 10/27, 9:09 p.m. Deputy C.D. Quebedeaux was in the area attempting to cat-ch a suspect who disa-pur-ed during a previous incident. Deputy Quebedeaux would observe the suspect vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and using his cat-like reflexes, conducted a traffic stop. The suspect had signs of intoxication, but advised she was pur-fectly good to drive. After conducting field sobriety tests, deputies did not think that was paw-sible. The suspect was charged with driving under the influence and served on her outstanding warrants. She was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,000 secured bond.

LARCENY:
Jin’s Garden Chinese Restaurant, 263 Garrisonville Road, 10/27, 2:49 p.m. Deputy J.J. Holetzky responded to an a-paw-ling crime. Staff advised a male wasn’t there for shrimp tem-pur-a, but instead their tip jar. The cat burglar left in a pickup truck that helped Deputy Holetzky identify the suspect. The game of cat and mouse ended when Deputy Holetzky located the suspect later into his shift. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of something stronger than catnip. He was charged with larceny and possession of a controlled substance. The suspect would have time for a cat nap considering he was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Walmart, 11 Village Parkway, 10/28, 1:22 p.m. We’re not kitten around when we tell you there was another larceny report. Staff advised a male ran out of the store faster than a cat after seeing the vacuum with approximately $300 worth of items. The suspect was accompanied by a feline suspect and Deputy D.J. Ferrell is investigating.
7-Eleven, 201 Garrisonville Road, 10/28, 3:54 p.m. Deputy R.W. Stamm responded to a larceny. Staff advised one moew-ment their phone and credit cards were there, the next, they were whiskered away by an unknown male. It was discovered later on the cards were fraudulently used.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
Area of Richmond Highway and Washington Drive, 10/27, 9:12 p.m. Sergeant M.L. Jacobeen responded to an intoxicated person call. The caller advised a male was stumbling around near traffic, much like Tom after getting hit over the head with a frying pan by Jerry. Sergeant Jacobeen located the suspect in the middle of the road with signs of intoxication. While the suspect advised he paw-fered to walk home, un-fur-tunately that would not be a safe option. He was charged with public intoxication and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

From The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

ASSAULT:
Area of Garrisonville Road and Staffordboro Boulevard, 10/26, 6:38 p.m. Deputy X.D. Bates responded to an assault. It was advised a female was assaulted in a Jeep. When deputies arrived, the suspect was gone. He did not go too far, as he was located at Hardee’s, located at 20 Prosperity Lane. The suspect had signs of intoxication and was discovered to be wanted out of Culpeper County. He was charged with assault and battery, public intoxication, as well as, served on his outstanding charge. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

DUI:
Area of Richmond Highway and Austin Park Drive, 10/25, 12:30 a.m. Deputy C.T. Richardson was traveling in the area when he observed a Corolla struggling to stay in its lane and nearly sideswipe another vehicle. Deputy Richardson conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, no driver’s license, and admitted to consuming “a beer” at home. Despite only having “a beer” the driver was found to be in possession of receipts from two different restaurants earlier in the evening, both where alcoholic beverages were purchased. The driver was charged with driving under the influence, second offense driving without a license, refusal, and the traffic lane violation. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Garrisonville Road, 10/25, 9:37 p.m. Deputy C.A. Osborne responded to a drunk driver complaint. The caller advised a family member drove home in an intoxicated state. Deputy Osborne made contact with the juvenile driver, who had signs of intoxication and advised he consumed cotton candy vodka at a football game. A criminal complaint for driving after illegally consuming alcohol was submitted.

Colonial Avenue, 10/26, 1:13 a.m. Sergeant E.E. West was traveling on Butler Road when she observed a vehicle traveling 55 MPH in a 35 MPH. She conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, admitted to consuming alcohol “but not too much,” and open beers were located inside the driver’s door pocket. The driver was charged with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content between. 15 and .2, drinking while driving, speeding, and failure to maintain the lane of travel. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Area of Richmond Highway and Eskimo Hill Road, 10/26, 2:56 a.m. Deputy P.J. Leon was traveling on Richmond Highway when he observed a vehicle in the intersection. The vehicle was stopped past the stop bar before accelerating through the red light and began traveling Northbound in the Southbound lanes. For obvious reasons, Deputy Leon conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, a previous DUI in Mississippi, and three bottles of gin within the vehicle. The driver was charged with driving under the influence second offense within five years with a blood alcohol content above .2, drinking while driving, stopping on a highway, failure to obey a traffic light, and failure to drive on the correct side of the road. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

500 block of Cambridge Street, 10/26, 10:56 p.m. Deputy K.P. Hall was traveling in the area when he observed the Jeep in front of him failing to maintain the lane of travel. Deputy Hall conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to consuming “three glasses of wine” at a Halloween party. The driver would be allowed to trick-or-treat at Rappahannock Regional Jail where she was charged with driving under the influence and the traffic lane violation. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond.

FRAUD:
Lowe’s, 1330 Stafford Market Place, 10/25, 7:16 p.m. Deputy R.A. Kehoe responded to a possible fraud. Staff noticed a female attempting to purchase a large amount of gift cards while on the phone. It was discovered the person on the other end of the phone told the victim there was an issue with her bank and she needed to transfer funds into gift cards. Deputy Kehoe informed the victim of the scam and staff helped refund some of the gift cards.

Knollside Court, 10/26, 1:50 p.m. Deputy A.J. Layug responded to a fraud. The victim advised she received a call from someone posing as a Captain with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The Conning Captain advised the victim missed jury duty and could either be arrested for ten days or pay a fee using Zelle.

LARCENY:
Walmart, 217 Garrisonville Road, 10/25, 9:10 a.m. Deputy C.D. Sullivan responded to a larceny. Just like how the Washington Commanders stole a win yesterday, staff advised a male stole from the business. The male, sporting a Commanders hoodie, was identified and a warrant for shoplifting was obtained.

Kohl’s, 1220 Stafford Market Place, 10/26, 2:24 p.m. Deputy A.E. Epps, Deputy C.M. Ramirez and Deputy S.M. Craig responded to a larceny in progress. Staff advised three suspects were actively concealing items. The three were stopped and detained after they left the business. The three juveniles were discovered to be in possession of nearly $900 worth of stolen goods. All three were issued a criminal complaint for shoplifting.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
Denali Drive, 10/26, 2:45 a.m. Shiver me timbers! Deputy K.F. Bierfeldt responded to a pirate who hit land ho at the wrong residence. The caller advised an unknown intoxicated female, dressed as a pirate, was refusing to leave their yard. Deputy Bierfeldt made contact with the scallywag, who was stumbling around and not because of her peg leg. She was charged with public intoxication and set sail to Rappahannock Regional Jail where she was held until sober.

7-Eleven, 3623 Richmond Highway, 10/26, 11:34 p.m. Deputy R. Tully responded to a disturbance. It was advised a male was drinking outside the business, yelling at females, and refusing to leave. When Deputy Tully arrived, it was clear the suspect wanted nothing to do with him, for he attempted to flee the scene, even after being directed he was not free to go. Due to the obvious signs of intoxication, Deputy Tully attempted to detain the suspect. The suspect would resist, but eventually was taken into custody. During his one-way trip to Rappahannock Regional Jail, the suspect would make threats towards Deputy Tully. The suspect was charged with obstruction of justice by force, obstruction of justice by threats, and public intoxication. He was held on a $1,000 secured bond.

As early voting continues across the area, the voter turnout for 2024 reflects shifts in participation compared to previous election cycles, with mixed trends between mail-in and in-person ballots.

Manassas Park Overview

Patricia Brendel, the Director of Elections for Manassas Park, provided data showing a decrease in mail-in ballots from the 2020 presidential election, attributing the drop to the heightened demand for mail-in voting due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.

In comparison:

– 2016 Mail-In Ballots: 485
– 2020 Mail-In Ballots: 2,013
– 2024 Mail-In Ballots (as of 10/28): 801

Despite this, in-person voting turnout has been robust. With increased opportunities for early, no-excuse voting, in-person turnout remains stronger than in 2016.

– 2016 In-Person Early Voting: 752
– 2020 In-Person Early Voting: 2,718
– 2024 In-Person Early Voting (as of 10/28): 1,894

Brendel anticipates a strong turnout on Election Day itself, potentially surpassing 2020’s 1,618-voter turnout in the election-day precincts.

Stafford County Trends

Stafford County also shows a solid early voting response, though, like Manassas Park, numbers remain below 2020 levels. General Registrar Anna Hash reports that 23,777 residents have voted early in person as of yesterday, while 7,113 mail-in ballots have been returned.

Although specific comparative figures from 2020 are unavailable, Hash maintains that turnout levels indicate healthy voter engagement.

As the 2024 election approaches, both counties are preparing for continued voter activity. Election Day turnout could potentially close the gap in 2020 figures.

We also asked Prince William County, Manassas, and Fredericksburg cities and will post information from those locations upon receipt.

Election Day is in one week, Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Press Release:

ANIMAL CRUELTY:
Grants Court, 10/23, 6:04 p.m. Deputy T.G. Croson responded to an animal cruelty call. The reporting party advised bleach was poured into a fish tank, killing multiple fish and destroying coral. The investigation is ongoing.

DUI:
Amercia’s Best Value Inn, 605 Warrenton Road, 10/23, 9:27 p.m. Deputy R.T. Philippsen responded to a hit and run. Staff advised a guest struck the motel’s staircase with her Volkswagen. Deputy Philippsen made contact with the driver who had signs of intoxication and admitted to chugging a Corona. After conducting field sobriety tests, she was detained. She was charged with driving under the influence, as well as, hit and run. She was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,000 secured bond.

LARCENY:
Virginia ABC, 50 North Stafford Complex Center, 10/23, 7:51 p.m. Deputy J.A. Albright responded to a larceny. Staff advised out of all the things to take, a male suspect stole two mini-bottles of Fireball. Deputy Albright was able to identify the suspect and located him later into her shift. He was charged with larceny and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

THREATS:
North Stafford High School, 839 Garrisonville Road, 10/23, 1:15 p.m. Deputy A.N. Taormina was conducting his SRO duties when he was informed of a possible threat. Students were discovered passing a note regarding a threat to the school. The threat was investigated by deputies, school administration, and school security and discovered to not be credible. Out of abundance of caution, additional deputies are patrolling the school.

WARRANT SERVED:
Entrance ramp to Northbound I-95 from Centreport Parkway, 10/23, 7:35 p.m. Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit observed a wanted suspect behind the wheel of a Hyundai. The suspect was wanted through Stafford County for possession of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and contempt of court. With the assistance of Deputy W.A. Bolinsky, a high-risk stop was conducted and the suspect was detained without incident. He was served on his outstanding warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

From Stafford County Government:

In advance of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, Stafford County announced plans to illuminate the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center and the Stafford Armed Services Memorial green from October 24 – November 11 as part of Operation Green Light for Veterans, a nationwide effort uniting counties to support military veterans. The initiative, led by the National Association of Counties (NACo), raises awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources available at the county, state, and federal levels to assist veterans and their families.

Residents can help honor veterans in two ways – by shining a green light or by posting on Stafford’s social wall.

From Stafford County Fire and Rescue:

Just before midnight Saturday, October 26th, SCFR units were alerted to a reported structure fire in the 500 block of Wyne Drive, near Warrenton Road. A Stafford County ambulance returning from the hospital spotted the fire and relayed information to dispatch, while additional calls came in. Other SCFR units arrived on scene approximately five minutes later to find three detached buildings, including a chicken coop, on fire. The fire was brought under control in approximately 10 minutes, with minor impact to the adjacent residence.

None of the occupants in the residence reported injuries. While multiple chickens did not survive, several others did. The fire is under investigation by the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Stafford County’s DMV Select, housed within the Treasurer’s Office, will temporarily close for renovations starting Monday, October 28, 2024.

While the DMV Select services will be unavailable during this period, the Treasurer’s Office will remain operational and continue to provide regular services such as real estate and property tax collections, dog license fees, permit fees, and utility charges.

The renovations, approved by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on October 1, 2024, aim to bring the office into ADA compliance, enhance safety features, and optimize the workspace to accommodate the needs of Stafford’s growing community. The $299,201 renovation project is expected to conclude by January 2025, though the Treasurer’s Office hopes to reopen DMV services before then, depending on construction progress.

Treasurer Michael Sienkowski emphasized the importance of the updates: “Our current lobby and DMV Select area are not ADA-compliant for both customers and employees. This project will address that while also improving the safety and security of the office.”

Minimal Disruption to Services

Although the DMV Select will be closed during renovations, the Treasurer’s Office will remain open, and staff are taking steps to minimize service disruptions. Due to ongoing construction, there may be occasional delays in accepting payments at the office. To avoid these delays, residents are encouraged to use Stafford’s online payment portal at staffordcountyva.gov/epay. Additional staff will be available by phone to assist with any inquiries.

“We appreciate the public’s patience as we work to improve the facility and ensure it meets ADA standards,” Sienkowski added.

Background and Financial Allocation

The renovation project was approved with a budget of $299,201, sourced from a combination of Capital Improvement Funds and the General Fund. A portion of the funds, $49,201, is allocated from the Capital Improvement Funds for space needs, while $250,000 comes from the DMV funds held by the Treasurer’s Office.

Centennial Contractors Enterprises is overseeing the renovation, and the county’s construction manager is ensuring the project stays within the authorized budget and timeline.

Q&A with Treasurer Michael Sienkowski

Potomac Local News called on Treasurer Michael Sienkowski to provide further insight into the project. Here are some highlights from the conversation:

Q: What is the projected completion date for the renovation?

Sienkowski: We anticipate completion by the end of the year, hopefully reopening DMV services before January, depending on the progress.

Q: When were the last renovations to the office, and what improvements were made?**

Sienkowski: The last renovation was in 2015, focusing on the collections section of the office, not the DMV Select area. The final cost was $111K.

Q: How is the current project being funded, and who is overseeing the budget?

Sienkowski: Less than 20% of the project is funded by the county. The remainder comes from DMV partnership funds, not tax dollars. The county has assigned a construction manager to oversee the project and ensure it stays on time and within budget.