Prince William Times - 01/18/2024

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SPORTS: Gainesville High girls basketball team is 14-3 and looking dangerous. PAGES 11, 12

January 18, 2024 | Vol. 23, No. 3 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | $1.00 Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

TIMES STAFF PHOTO

Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School, the county’s 12th high school, could see an addition due to overcrowding, while the 14th high school, planned for the Lake Ridge area, could be pushed back until 2029.

School board mulls another delay for the 14th high school Birth rate dip, out-migration prompt first regional population decline since 1970 By Shannon Clark Times Staff Writer

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD

Myles Lanier, a senior at Manassas Park High School, delivers his speech at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Competition on Monday, Jan. 15.

‘To remain a great nation’

Manassas Park H.S., Rippon, Reagan M.S. students take top prizes in MLK Day oratorical event By Jill Palermo

Times Staff Writer

On what would have been the civil rights leader’s 95th birthday, local middle and high school students offered speeches Monday that were inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and pondered this statement: “If America is to remain a great nation, we must …” The students were not at a loss for ideas. Six finalists in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical Contest, now in its 34th year, gave rousing speeches urging changes in education, voting rights, the criminal justice system and social ills such as racism and homelessness

that are needed to ensure the U.S. remains great. The event, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Prince William County Alumnae Chapter, is an annual tradition that once again drew a crowd in the hundreds. This year’s competition was the first held in person since 2020 and took place Monday, Jan. 15, at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School. Myles Lanier, a 17-year-old senior at Manassas Park High School, took home the top awards in the event, winning both the “best before the judges” and the “best before the audience” prizes at the high school level. The awards came with about $400 in prize money.

See DELAY, page 4

Triangle couple dies in murder-suicide while 3-year-old at home By Jill Palermo

Times Staff Writer

A Triangle couple died Sunday night in a murder-suicide that occurred while their 3-year-old girl was inside the home. The child was uninjured and is being cared for by family, according to Prince William County police. See MURDER-SUICIDE, page 6

See MLK DAY, page 2

Residents file lawsuits against PW Digital Gateway, page 3

Prince William County’s planned 14th high school could be delayed two more years, pushing its opening to 2029, while several other schools get additions or renovations — the result of changing demographic trends that suggest Northern Virginia is set to have its first population decline in about 50 years.

Libraries offer memory cafes for older adults, page 8

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