Prince William Times 01/13/2022

Page 1

SPORTS: Gainesville and Patriot Highs team up to form ice hockey partnership. Pages 11-12

January 13, 2022 | Vol. 21, No. 2 | 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.

Sentara delays non-emergency surgeries COVID-19 hospitalizations reach all-time high By Jill Palermo

Times Staff Writer

ing The Rose. “We will do it by building a topnotch tourist destination right here.” The ceremony was held at the Potomac Landfill, a longtime construction debris landfill located at the southwest edge of Dumfries bordered by Va. 234 and Interstate 95, with the backdrop of dump trucks still hauling trash to the site. About 50 people braved the frigid, 25-degree weather to attend the event. The landfill is closing at the end of January, about 10 years ahead of schedule. It has been in operation since 1984. Work on the new gaming facility will begin with capping the landfill, which Colonial Downs Group must do before construction can begin. That process is expected to begin within the next few months.

Sentara hospitals, including the Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge, suspended all hospital-based, non-emergency surgeries and diagnostic testing indefinitely as of Monday, Jan. 10, as COVID-19 hospitalizations reached record levels across the state. Sentara, which operates 12 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina, made the announcement Friday, Jan. 8 – the same day rising COVID-19 hospitalizations climbed to 3,329, breaking the previous record for daily COVID-19 hospitalizations set in January 2021. The vast majority of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated or less-than-fully vaccinated, according to officials with both Sentara Healthcare and UVA Health System, both of which held calls with reporters Thursday and Friday to discuss rising COVID-19 hospitalizations. Sentara facilities, in particular, are treating more COVID-19 patients than ever before. COVID-19 hospitalizations at Sentara hospitals have more than doubled in the past week and more than quadrupled within the last month, according to a Sentara press release. The hospital will continue all “life-saving and emergency surgeries and procedures” but the move to reschedule non-emergency procedures and tests is necessary to ensure safe and quality care for all patients, as hospital staff “is stretched to their capacity,” the release said. “The current strain on all healthcare facilities is undeniable. We must balance the urgent need to care for large numbers of COVID-19 patients with what is being asked of our dedicated staff,” Mike Gentry, Sentara’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “We cannot care for our community without first supporting our team

See THE ROSE, page 4

See SURGERIES, page 2

PHOTO BY AILEEN STRENG

Groundbreaking for new gaming resort in Dumfries: Dumfries Town Councilman Tyrone Brown, Va. state Sen. Scott Surovell, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler, Brent Stevens and Jonathan Swain, of Colonial Downs Group, Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood and Dumfries Town Councilwoman Monae Nickerson join a Jan. 11 ground-breaking ceremony for “The Rose” gaming facility in Dumfries.

From longtime landfill blooms ‘The Rose’ Officials break ground on Dumfries’ new gaming ‘resort’ By Aileen M. Streng Contributing Writer

Prosperity is coming to Dumfries and Prince William County, according to those who spoke at the ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday morning for “The Rose Gaming Resort,” a nearly $400 million gaming facility, hotel and public park set to open in 2023. “We couldn’t be more excited to take this next step towards bringing more well-paying jobs, increased tax revenues to this region and the commonwealth,” said Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer of Colonial Downs Group, which is build-

Filmmaker Ken Burns warns against data centers near Manassas battlefield See page 3

County offers tips on disposing of post-holiday trash See Page 8

88 DULLES, VA

It’s all about people . . . and always will be. www.vnb.com


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Prince William Times 01/13/2022 by Fauquier Times (52 issues) & Prince William Times (52 issues) - Issuu