Project Freda, a mental health nonprofit, is holding an informational/fundraiser party this afternoon, Friday, July 22, from 4:30 to 6 PM at 9255 Center Street, Suite 200, Manassas 20110. Light refreshments will be served. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

There were 124,878 more Virginians employed in May 2022 than there were in May 2021, an increase of 3.5 percent year-over-year. Although recent trends are encouraging, Virginia has yet to recover more than 133,000 jobs that were lost during the pandemic

Farmers markets also can provide an important connection to families who might not have much access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and allow dollars to stretch farther.

The Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, a regulatory board under the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), has voted to reduce the number of hours required to obtain a cosmetology license by 33 percent, from 1,500 to 1,000.

When Ajay Vinzé took over as dean of George Mason University’s School of Business on July 1, he brought with him a lifetime of experience in higher education. He also brought a plan to help streamline how education is delivered and to reduce the cost of a college degree — a contentious topic that has gnawed at college officials and the public for decades.

One out of every three American veterans has had a scammer try to steal his or her benefits, according to AARP. This statistic highlights how veterans, active-duty service members and their families are nearly 40 percent more likely to lose money to scams and fraud. To help combat these scams, AARP recently launched an online resource center focused on veterans-related scams.

The Alexandria Social Security office at 5510 Cherokee Avenue, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA, will be closed for renovations from Monday, July 11 through Tuesday, July 19 and will reopen on Wednesday, July 20. Manassas, Reston and DC offices are noted as alternatives during the renovations.

The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASI and DI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, one year later than projected last year, with 80 percent of benefits payable at that time.