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VOLUME 27, NUMBER 29
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VIEWPOINTS, PAGE 6 | PUZZLES, PAGE 13 | CLASSIFIEDS, PAGES 14, 15
OCTOBER 2, 2015
INSIDENOVA.COM
Residents see new proposal for 630 interchange TRACY BELL
Stafford County Sun
Maureen Johnson, of Stafford County’s Search and Rescue, gets enough emergency kits for her family from Jerome O’Brien and Marijane Dicello on Saturday. ALEKS DOLZENKO/ STAFFORD COUNTY SUN
Preparedness expo preps citizens for emergency situations AMANDA MOTLEY
For the Stafford County Sun
Are you ready if a disaster strikes? Do you know what do in the case of a hurricane, earthquake or natural disaster? Stafford County’s first ever preparedness expo, “Are You Ready,” could answer those questions. The expo took place Saturday in the Ford T. Humphrey Public Safety building, in order to provide citizens’ information and supplies related to disaster preparation. The free event was part of September’s National Preparedness month. The Stafford County Sheriff ’s Office, Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department and their partner organizations were in attendance. “Disasters can occur at any time, and it is important for people to prepare as much as possible in advance so that they will be in a better position to take care of themselves
and their families,” said Stafford County Supervisors’ Chairman Gary Snellings, R-Hartwood. At the event, spectators were able to move from table to table learning how to prepare, respond and recover from large-scale emergencies including earthquakes, snowstorms, hurricanes and floods, as well as manmade and technological emergencies. Activities and displays included a Stafford Alert registration, evacuations and sheltering as well as public safety response. A community response and recovery vehicle, a mass casualty support unit, a search-andrescue trailer and an animal rescue trailer were also on hand, as well as vehicles from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, according to a report from Mark Doyle, the county’s assistant fire chief. Mark Stone, the fire-rescue department’s
deputy emergency management coordinator, pointed out that emergency preparedness is a legal matter. “I work equally with offices such as the fire department and sheriff ’s office.” said Stone. “However, I also work with offices such as human services, the American Red Cross, and other non-traditional firstresponders to coordinate in the event of disasters.” Preparedness involves different organizations that work together to create a cohesive system through the county, state and federal governments. Community Emergency Response Teams, a branch of emergency management, were featured at the expo. CERT is a group of volunteers that educate people about disaster preparedness and teach the basic skills PREPARE PAGE 11 necessary in responding to
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Stafford residents attended a public meeting Tuesday about proposed changes to Courthouse Road projects in the works. The open house was held to let residents in on potential changes to the Interstate 95 interchange at exit 140 and the widening of Courthouse Road. About 200 people stopped by during the three-hour session. The Virginia Department of Transportation held the meeting at Colonial Forge High School. It included a brief presentation, project maps to review and VDOT officials on hand to answer questions. A design public hearing was held on the proposed Interstate 95/Courthouse Road Interchange Relocation project, regarding reconstruction of the interchange at exit 140 by way of a diverging diamond interchange. To do this, the intersection of Courthouse Road and U.S. 1 would be moved south to align with Hospital Center Boulevard. The work is set to begin in late 2017 and end in mid-2020. It is expected to cost nearly $150 million. At the same time, VDOT will hold a citizen information meeting on the Courthouse Road widening project. A nearly 2-mile stretch of the road will be widened from two lanes to four lanes west of I-95, between Cedar Lane and Ramoth Church Road/Winding Creek Road. The project is expected to cost more than $35 million. Anyone who’d like to comment on the projects should email a statement by close of business Oct. 15 to fredericksburginfo@ vdot.virginia.gov with “I-95/Route 630 Interchange Project” in the subject line. Comments may be mailed to Michelle Shropshire, project manager; Virginia Department of Transportation, 87 Deacon Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. Tracy Bell can be reached at tbell@staffordcountysun.com.