SPORTS: High schools in Fauquier County and Winchester have embraced 7-on-7 football. PAGE 9
October 21, 2020 | Vol. 19, No. 43 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
See PrinceWilliamTimes.com for coronavirus updates
Supervisors press school board on in-person learning By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Prince William County schools Superintendent Steven Walts has promised he’ll present a plan to the school board this week outlining when middle and high school students might return to school under the proposed “50% hybrid plan.” But he cautioned it would depend on local COVID-19 numbers and is subject to change. “We will have a plan, but it will be tentative at best,” Walts said. The comments came during the first joint meeting of the Prince William Board of Supervisors and school board since the pandemic hit in March. During the gathering, held Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the
Early voting ‘unprecedented’ in Prince William
See SUPERVISORS, page 2
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/JILL PALERMO
Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-2nd, and Supervisor Margaret Franklin, D-Woodbridge, speak with a voter outside the Ferlazzo building early voting site on Monday, Oct. 19. By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
More than 88,000 people in Prince William County have cast early ballots in this year’s general election bringing the county’s voter turnout up to 30% with two weeks left until Election Day, according to county election officials. The number of early voters, both from people voting in-person at early voting locations and those who have returned absentee ballots, has already surpassed the number of early and absentee votes cast in 2016. Matt Wilson, a spokesman for the Prince William County Office of Elections, said the huge numbers of early votes is both “unprecedented” and “expected” given the new voting laws put in place this year by the Virginia General Assembly making it easier to vote. “It’s going to be close to 100,000 early votes this year,” Wilson said. Three polling places opened in Prince William County on Sept. 18 and another five satellite voting offices opened on Monday, Oct. 19. Wilson said the county elections office is expecting up to
4,000 early votes every day until the election. “The numbers are only going to get bigger and bigger,” Wilson said. As of Oct. 19, 52,000 people have voted early in-person. Another 36,000 have returned absentee ballots at voting site drop boxes, Wilson said. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted earlier this year to fund the five additional satellite voting locations throughout the county to accommodate early voters. At-large board Chair Ann Wheeler said the county’s office of elections has been “knocking it out of the park.” “Kudos to our office of elections for putting in place excellent health safety protocols. They have also been effectively handling what has been a huge increase from previous years and what will possibly be a record-breaking year for turnout,” Wheeler said. Wheeler added that, with new laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly this year, “voting in Virginia has never been easier.” See EARLY VOTING, page 4
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COVID-19 relief money proves hard to spend By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
As of Sept. 30, Prince William County had spent just $36 million of the $82 million it received in federal relief funds to help local government, schools, businesses and residents weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic -- and is running out time to dole out rest. The county received two $41 million installments of federal CARES Act relief, one in March and the other in September. The supervisors were tasked with allocating the funds to help those impacted by the pandemic. Programs initiated by the board included $8 million for emergency housing assistance to pay up to six months of rent, mortgage or utility payments for qualifying residents; $5 million in micro-grants for area small businesses and $5 million for coronavirus testing. The board also allocated $25 million to Prince William County Schools to improve distance learning for teachers, students and staff. See CARES, page 3
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