One adult occupant was at home and safely evacuated after discovering the fire. No injuries were reported. The structure sustained moderate damage. The American Red Cross assisted the 2 adults and 3 children displaced by Building Official’s determination the townhouse was unsafe to occupy. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was ignited by a burning candle near combustibles.

Committee of 100 will host a dinner, program and discussion of human trafficking in our area on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Montclair Country Club in eastern Prince William.

OmniRide will hold an Extended Season of Giving Food Drive next Tuesday-Friday Jan. 16-19 to be a good partner in service to the community. The food drive will help to replenish shelves at local food pantries – at ACTS on the east end of the county in Dumfries, and at SERVE is in Manassas.

The Coalition to Protect Prince William County, with American Battlefield Trust and other plaintiffs, reports that it will be holding a press conference at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2024 to discuss their legal action on the Digital Gateway Project as a follow up to the December 11, 2023 press conference.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Jan. 11, 2024 that Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals for water-intensive industries, will invest $193 million to expand its operation in the City of Suffolk.

Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth’s Attorney, said “Animal cruelty is a serious offense that will not be tolerated in our community. My office remains committed to vigorously prosecuting individuals who engage in such reprehensible acts, seeking justice for the helpless victims who cannot speak for themselves."

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Dec. 28 that 5 Pillar Meats, LLC will create 12 new jobs and invest more than $1.7 million to build a new, multi-species, meat processing facility in the Prince Edward County Business Park in Farmville. The new facility will provide processing services, under USDA inspection, for southside Virginia producers with a focus on beef, lamb, and goats.

State and federal policymakers, with support from the hospital community, have passed a series of laws protecting patients and families from surprise medical bills, promoting health insurance and hospital price transparency, and enabling people to get good faith price estimates prior to scheduled hospital procedures. Yet the vast majority of Virginians don’t know these consumer-friendly reforms exist to benefit them.