Sentara Lake Ridge, a 24-hour emergency room facility affiliated with Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, was due to open today on Minnieville Road in eastern Prince William County VA. In addition to emergency services, the facility will provide CT imaging services, digital mammography, bone density scanning, ultra-sound and x-ray, for emergencies and during the day by appointment.

Spring forward. Fall back. The annual rite of March is this weekend when it's time to turn clocks forward to get an "extra" hour of daylight at the end of the day.

Fifteen firms and US government agencies are signed up as of March 5 to participate in an April 2 job fair in Loudoun County VA arranged by Congressman Frank Wolf.

Does anyone celebrate his or her birthday on the third Monday of a month? "Of course not," huffed Rep. Frank Wolf. "So why do we diminish the memory of the greatest American by turning his birthday into nothing more than a three-day weekend," Wolf asked a Congressional subcommittee today. There's a move afoot in Congress to observe the Feb. 22 birthday of George Washington, the Father of Our Country and First President of the United States, on Feb. 22 instead of on the third Monday in February. Wolf and Rep. Gerry Connolly, who represent areas of Prince William County and Manassas, and Rep. Jim Moran,, who represents the area that includes Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, are co-sponsors of the bill.

Prince William County VA emergency personnel as well as workers from the Department of Social Services and school bus drivers joined with personnel from the Prince William Chapter of the American Red Cross late last night in relocating 50 senior citizens–some in wheelchairs–and 20 pets to the Dale City Recreation Center from an apartment building at 13900 Hedgewood Drive near Minnieville Road and Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge VA. Flooding caused by a burst hot water pipe forced the relocation, according to a Prince William County VA press release.

Officials of Prince William County VA Public Schools say a faulty smoke detector alarm caused the evacuation of Neabsco Elementary School in Woodbridge VA earlier this afternoon. All are safe and have returned to school, according to Irene Cromer, spokesman for the school division.

Threat of critical fire weather is forecast for Prince William County VA on Feb. 24. The Fire Marshal issued a temporary ban on all outside burning starting on Feb. 23

The "no open burning ban before 4 p.m." is now in effect in Virginia. The threat of dangerous wildfires is a scary part of spring, and 95 percent of the fires have been found to have been caused by humans. According to the governor, the wildfire threat is more pronounced than usual due to the mild winter.