| Top News |
Firm to bring 2,300 high-tech jobs
By Caryn Goebel
Media General News Service
GAINESVILLE Officials with a California-based company have finalized a deal for an Internet campus at Virginia Gateway, a project that will create more than 2,300 high-tech jobs and the largest business investment ever in Prince William County.
U.S. Data Port announced it has purchased 188 acres from The Peterson Companies to build a campus of 15-20 data center buildings, complete with its own power system. When complete in about five years, and with tenants and equipment in place, the project could reach an investment value of nearly $800 million.
The news that U.S. Data Port would come to Gainesville comes only three days after an America Online announcement to build a second technical center there, also on Linton Hall Road. A small portion of the U.S. Data Port property will touch the AOL perimeter. [more]
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Celebrating Hindu festival
Photo by Amy Drewry
Manassas Journal Messenger
Manassas Park High School junior Denesh Kapoor, 17, lights candles for the Hindu festival of Deepwali at his Manassas Park home on Thursday. Deepwali is a Sanskrit word that means “row of lights,” and the festival celebrates the beginning of a new year. The lights are set out to welcome Lakshimi, goddess of wealth and prosperity and consort of Lord Vishnu. The festival is celebrated for five days. “We say ‘God bless everybody.’ We don’t just pray for ourselves,” said Denesh’s father, Raj Kapoor, a native of New Delhi.
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PWC awaits vaccine for flu
By Aileen M. Streng
Media General News Service
The Prince William Health District and many doctors offices have not yet received their supply of flu vaccines. They are waiting and hoping it wont be much longer.
We were told it would be the middle to the end of October when we received it, said Cheryl Myers, a nurse at Manassas Family Medicine. Were still waiting.
And patients are beginning to call, she said.
They also are calling the health district, said Linda Woods, the health districts immunization coordinator.
We havent been given any real dates, but we are being told it will be within the next couple of weeks, Woods said.
Woods said the health district is encouraging the general public not to panic about the delay. [more] |
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Lawyers speak on pro bono work
By Tiffany Schwab
Manassas Journal Messenger
A poverty-striken family in need of legal assistance need not give up hope. Nor should victims of domestic abuse who can’t find anyone on their side.
Often, they can qualify for pro bono services from local attorneys willing to volunteer their time free of charge.
That was one message conveyed at a reception celebrating pro bono services Thursday at Hero’s American Restaurant.
Keynote speaker Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico said the only way to provide as much legal service as needed is through the voluntary efforts of local bar associations.
“I want you people to be missionaries and spread pro bono,” Carrico said to a room full of attorneys, judges, delegates and others. [more] |
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First houses of Sumner lake get approved
By Chris Newman
Manassas Journal Messenger
Sumner Lake’s first section of single-family colonial homes was approved by the Manassas City Council Wednesday night.
As part of the plan for the 78-home section which will conform to the general development plan the city approved in June the Airston Group will contribute to the city $2.4 million for sewer/water bonds, $200,000 for roads and $250,000 for schools.
The 78 homes are the first of four sections to be built. Most of the trees in the development will be removed, but the city has lobbied to save some of the more valuable trees. A 36-inch oak was saved by readjusting a lot line, and a group of boxwood trees was relocated to an area by the Jennie Dean Memorial where boxwoods had originally grown. [more] |
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Superintendent shows off school system at round table
By Aileen M. Streng
Media General News Service
The Prince William County public school system, like any good business, is successfully working to keep its customers happy, its superintendent said Thursday.
We really are focusing on serving our customers the children and their needs. It really is working better today than ever, said Superintendent Edward L. Kelly to the group of business and community leaders who attended the Inaugural Superintendents Breakfast Roundtable.
The roundtable was held at Westminister at Lake Ridge by the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation.
Kelly outlined several initiatives taken in recent years that continue educational improvements, including performance measures and standards that ensure accountability in all aspects of the district, from transportation and purchasing to teachers and students. [more]
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PWC schools just a few years away from accredidatin, officials say
By Kevin Killen
Manassas Journal Mesenger
While eight Prince William County schools achieved full accreditation from the state Board of Education for the first time this week, none were high schools.
Bristow Run, Marshall, Henderson, Lake Ridge, Montclair, Mountain View, Rockledge and Springwoods elementary were the only county schools to achieve full accreditation.
None of the seven county high schools made the list, but officials say that it’s not far off.
Roger Dalleck, principal of Gar-Field high school, said his school is well on its way .
“We will achieve full accreditation fairly soon. It’s not that far down the road,” he said. [more]
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Boy and mother robbed of PlayStation 2
By Kate Bissell
Media General News Service
It took him most of the year, but 12-year-old John Yelton saved up $440 of allowance to put toward a PlayStation 2, the Sony video game system that has taken the country by storm.
He knew it was what he wanted for his 13th birthday in November and convinced his mother to preorder the PlayStation 2 in January 10 months before it hit retail stores on Thursday.
Fifteen minutes after the Woodbridge Toys R Us on Telegraph Road opened, John and his mother, Vicky Yelton, picked up the $300 game system, plus a few games and accessories, and headed home with the prized possession.
But before they even reached their car in the parking lot, two men armed with a baseball bat snatched the PlayStation 2 out of Johns hands and ran. [more]
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| Watch |
| Working overtime for halftime
 Marching bands are as much a part of the high school football culture as referees, coaches and cold bleachers. Sometimes there is more to the half-time performances than meets the naked eye. Band members at Stonewall Jackson High School practice two hours a day, four days a week, and then perform at Friday night home games. This is just their school routine, and doesn’t include practice at home or the occasional Saturdays when they march off to competitions. [more] |
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| Opinion |
| Winners and losers
Winners: … Chinn Park Regional Library which put on a Mexican show, complete with food, music, dancers, games for about 600 people last Saturday to celebrate the Cultural Heritage of Mexico.
Losers: … A thief or thieves who broke into two houses under construction at Haymarket and made off with appliances valued at nearly $6,000. The missing items included a refrigerator, a double oven, an ice maker, dryer and two propane heaters from one of the houses and three stoves, a microwave and dishwasher from the other. [more] |
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| Pets |
| Waiting at the shelters
It’s a buyers’ market at the PWC Animal Shelter, which is great for the visitors, but not so great for the animals, which are in abundant supply this time of year. Simply put, there are more animals than there are homes to go around. [more]
A brand new canine good citizen
We have a new citizen at our house, a Canine Good Citizen, and she has an official certificate to prove it!
Josie, our little 2-year-old German shepherd mix, who was once an unwanted, neglected and homeless puppy with no self esteem is now an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen, having passed all the requirements of the Canine Good Citizen test. It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving or hard-working animal. [more]
Halloween kitty
 Picture me sitting with a jack-o-lantern in the window of your home. I’d be perfect and you’d have a living window display. But now I wait sadly alone in my cage at the PWC Animal Shelter. I could be so much fun to be with. Happy Halloween! [more]
Kitten prison
 “Which way is out? Is this any way for a kitten to start life? I’m all alone in my cage at the Prince William COunty Shelter and I need some company and someone to play with me.” [more]
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| Sports |
| Prep Volleyball: Forest Park upends Stonewall in 3
WOODBRIDGE Forest Park had already clinched home court advantage in the upcoming Cardinal District tournament, but the Bruins were after a higher seeding Thursday night.
They had to fight to get that chance after outlasting Stonewall Jackson 20-18, 17-15, 15-7 in both teams’ regular season finales at Forest Park last night.
A game behind Gar-Field (9-4) entering last night, Forest Park (9-5) would claim the No. 2 seed if the Indians lost to top-seeded Woodbridge (11-2) yesterday by virtue of tie breaker. But a Gar-Field victory would give the Indians sole possession of second while Forest Park would get third. [more]
DAC Soccer Tournament: Conquistadors get close call
 MANASSAS Seton got a taste of something Thursday afternoon that it hasn’t had much of this season fear.
The Conquistadors found themselves scrambling on defense as Highland scored three unanswered goals in an eight-minute span of the second half. And if not for two big plays by goalkeeper Matt Parriot in the waning moments, they wouldn’t have escaped with a 4-3 win over the Hawks at Ben Lomond Park. [more]
Local Heroes, where are they now?
Matt Grey and B.J. Treuting
 WINCHESTER One is a 6-7, 300-pound offensive tackle. Coaches often say there are two things you can’t teach: speed and size.
The other was one of the area’s top quarterbacks last season, while he was a senior at Manassas Park.
So why would two successful players both attend a Division III college that is fielding a football team for the first time?
There are different reasons, but the timing was right: a new program offered both a chance to play right away and hone their skills for later in their careers. [more]
The Prognosticator
Hello kind folks out there in Prince William County land, the Prognosticator here would like to congratulate the Brentsville girls basketball team. They are now 17-3 and tied for first-place in the Bull Run District. Prove all those doubters wrong, much like the Prognosticator tries to do every week.
Anyway, the Fearless Forecasting bunch is still pretty much a three-man game, with Bennie Scarton, Randy Jones and Jim Crowley way out in front. New sports guy Brian Hunsicker has a .700 winning percentage, but he is not eligible to be ranked until next week. The big pick of the week award goes to Randy and Brian for correctly foreseeing the Tennessee romp over the touchdown impaired Ravens. If anyone noticed the Prognosticator was in on that one too.
So on with the picks. [more]
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Police briefs
It’s My Town
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