BRENTSVILLE BASEBALL: Tigers win 10th straight, improve to 15-2. SPORTS, Pages 13, 14
May 9, 2024 | Vol. 23, No. 19 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | $2.00 Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
At least 3 die from domestic violence in 4 months A troubling trend from recent years continues, advocates say By Cher Muzyk Staff Writer
When Martha Myers got the call from Sentara hospital that her 24-year-old daughter, Desire Alexandria Buggs, was dead, she said it was a nightmare come true. Myers said her daughter had long had a “toxic” relationship with her husband, Daniel Lawson, also 24, the father of their 4-year-old son. A domestic violence survivor herself, Myers said she’d recognized the signs — isolation from family, control, anger and unpredictability — for years. Buggs was the first of six women murdered in Prince William County since Jan. 1. In at least half the cases, the victims’ husbands or former romantic partners are accused of their murders. All three were young mothers. See VIOLENCE, page 2
COURTESY PHOTOS
Three Prince William County women, all young moms, were killed by their husbands or former romantic partners since Jan. 1. From left: Desire Buggs, 24, had a 4-year-old son and dreamed of designing clothing; she made slippers and had orders waiting to be filled when she died. Center: Brittnee Posey, 30, had a 3-yearold daughter and played adult tournament softball. Right: Taty’ana Cooks, 30, had a 1-year-old son, worked in medical office admissions and loved to travel, her aunt said.
Moms’ pickup soccer club catches fire in Manassas
Group started small in Warrenton but expanded fast By Ashley Simpson Contributing Writer
Less than two years ago, Tara Gollem organized the first-ever gathering of a Warrenton women’s pickup soccer group. It was a sunny afternoon in September 2022, and Gollem had her 8-month-old son on her hip as she kicked a soccer ball around Rady Park with three other moms, each also with a baby or toddler in tow. “My goal was to start a pickup league,” said Gollem, who has been playing soccer since she was a child. “I had lived in Amman, Jordan, where I was part of a women’s pickup league, and as I was getting ready to move to Virginia, I kept saying, ‘if they don’t have a women’s soccer group, I’m bringing one to Warrenton.’” After her third son was born, she
SUBMITTED
Warrenton area moms play pickup soccer at Rady Park as part of an informal gathering that has grown into a weekly event. saw on a local mom’s online group that another mom had posted: “I’m going to kick a ball around; does anyone want to join?” Gollem responded: “Heck, yes.” That started a messaging chain and the first meetup. If six or more women were in attendance, they would square off for games. If there were fewer than six, Gollem would go
home and get to work recruiting more women for the group on the moms’ group page and on social media. “I played every single week from that very first meeting with four people and built up the group,” Gollem said. “I contacted every woman who expressed interest in the moms’ group. By the end of 2022, there were 80 people in the WhatsApp group.”
Haymarket Hives helps when bees swarm, BUSINESS, page 8 News
Dumfries celebrates 275 years, page 7
88 DULLES, VA
What’s your JAM? Check out the news in Just A Minute princewilliamtimes.com/newsletters
The group meets on Thursdays. They’ve played at Rady Park, the indoor location of Northern Piedmont Sports Club and even Gollem’s backyard. These days, they mostly play at Rady Park, unless bad weather forces them indoors at Northern Piedmont Sports Club. The group has expanded exponentially since September 2022. There are now 128 people in Gollem’s messaging group, with a rotation of 14 to 16 women consistently showing up each week. Any woman who is at least 18 years old is welcome to play with the group. There are both experienced players and women who are brand new to the game. “This is a group for women by women,” Gollem said. “I take it seriously, and I want women to come play with me. There are always people who show up, and it’s their first time.” See SOCCER, page 2
Scan below to check out The JAM