Congressman Gerry Connolly will hold his annual Open Season Workshop on Nov. 18, at the Fairfax County Government Center to assist federal employees and retirees in navigating through the many changes in the 2018 Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP), dental and vision insurance programs.

On Nov. 16, the co-founders of KO Distilling in Manassas rang a merchant ship’s bell celebrating the completion of a $900,000 expansion which has more than tripled their production capacity and will create more jobs.

Parents and students from across Prince William County can get all of their financial aid for college questions answered at “Super Saturday” events to be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, 9 a.m. to noon at: Stonewall Jackson High School, 8820 Rixlew Lane, Manassas; and Freedom High School, 15201 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, the Flory Small Business Center, Inc. in partnership with Stratford University in Woodbridge will facilitate a Start-Up Small Business Workshop presented by Linda Decker, President and CEO of the Flory Small Business Center, Inc.

Oyster farmers are as important to Virginia agriculture as the farmers who plant corn and soybeans or raise beef or chicken on dry land. While all of agriculture contributes $91 billion a year to Virginia’s economy, the dockside value of the oyster harvest alone was $35.8 million in 2016, up from $28 million in 2014.

Prince William area residents can sign the recycling pledge at the library, or visit https://americarecyclesday.org/pledge/ and take the pledge on line by November 20.

Manassas City School Board will hold a public hearing for residents to attend and express their views on the draft Capital Improvements Plan on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

DRPT, in collaboration with Amtrak, the City of Roanoke, and Norfolk Southern, has worked to bring intercity passenger rail service back to the Roanoke area for the first time in four decades. The Northeast Regional service will provide a same-seat trip to and from Roanoke and to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and other cities along the Northeast Corridor.