Manassas VA City Public Schools (MCPS) will host an open house to celebrate the grand opening of its Special Education Parent Resource Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19.

Manassas VA Mayor Harry "Hal" Parrish and aviation officials took a six-minute inaugural flight on the now 6,200 foot 16L-34R runway at Manassas Regional Airport. his runway extension project has been more than 10 years in the making and brings the Manassas Regional Airport into a new aviation arena.

Discharged military veterans and their families can have a tough go of it once they reunite. The state of Virginia tries to smooth the transition through the Virginia Wounded Warrior program operated by the Virginia Department of Veteran Services. While many of the veterans the program serves saw duty during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Wounded Warrior program is open to veterans of any conflict as well as members of the National Guard and Reserves.

A Manassas city official says a phone scam is being used on some city residents. Residents are being telephoned by a fraudulent caller who says he or she is from the "utility company and is going to shut off the person's power unless a credit card number is given to the caller.

Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services offers food safety tips for preparing food & cooking a full course Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, so everyone stays well and happy this holiday season.

Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly will hold his annual Open Season Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 17, at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax VA to assist federal employees and retirees in navigating through the many changes in the 2013 Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP), dental and vision insurance programs, and flexible spending accounts.

Beginning Nov. 19, the U. S. Social Security office on Center Street in Manassas will close to the public at 3 p.m. each day instead of 3:30 p.m. Beginning Jan. 2, the Social Security office will close at noon on Wednesdays.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a consumer alert about possible scams taking place in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Following major disasters, it’s common for scam artists to impersonate charities to get money or private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, email or in-person solicitations.