🌱 School Board Considers Weapon Scanner + Bills Address Drug Epidemic

Hello again, everybody! It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Dale City Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town, including...

• Prince William County School Board considers scanners to detect mass-casualty weapons
• VA lawmakers address rising fentanyl overdoses with bills
• Northern Virginia high school students depression and anxiety report

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Milder with decreasing clouds. High: 62 Low: 36.
• Wednesday: Partly sunny and mild. High: 63 Low: 49.
• Thursday: A.M. showers; mostly cloudy. High: 67 Low: 41.
• Friday: Cooler with periods of rain. High: 47 Low: 35.

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I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top five stories today in Dale City:

1. The Prince William County School Board is considering installing Evolv Express scanners at all 30 middle and high schools starting next school year. The detectors use machine-learning capabilities and are trained to detect "mass-casualty" weapons, such as guns and explosives while ignoring items like keys, cell phones, and medical devices. Parents and students are largely positive about the new weapons-detection system, which does not produce biased results and provides multiple levels of sensitivity. (Subscription: Prince William Times)
2. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, lawmakers, and experts have acknowledged the need for solutions to address the increasing number of drug overdoses in the state, with fentanyl being involved in more than three-quarters of these deaths. During the current legislative session, the General Assembly passed seven bills aimed at addressing the epidemic, including measures to increase charges for dealers who distribute fentanyl knowingly, redefine the drug as a weapon of terrorism, expand the administration of naloxone, and create funding opportunities for treating opioid use disorder. While Republicans argue that imposing harsher penalties for drug dealers would act as a deterrent, Democrats remain wary that overcriminalization could prevent people from seeking help. (Subscription: Prince William Times)
3. A report by The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia has found that 37 percent of high school students in Northern Virginia experienced clinical anxiety or depression in the past year, with one in 10 students contemplating suicide. Girls and students in the LGBTQ community experienced sadness at twice the rate of their peers, and those dealing with food insecurity also had elevated rates of persistent sadness. The report also found that students with moderate amounts of after-school activities and homework, and those who slept more, showed lower rates of sadness. (Inside NoVA)
4. The Crime Prevention Unit of the Prince William County Police Department is hosting a free presentation on the Neighborhood Watch program at the Paul T. White Jr. Western District Station on Mar. 7, at 7:00 p.m., where participants will learn how to collaborate with the Police Department to improve their neighborhood's safety. For further information, you can call the Crime Prevention Unit at (703) 792-7270, or send an email to [email protected]. (Patch)
5. Full- and part-time job opportunities are available in the Dale City area. Available positions include furniture sales administrator, receptionist customer service, account coordinator, merchandiser, and more. More details about companies hiring in the area are available at the link. (Dale City Patch)

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Coming up in and around Dale City:

Wednesday, March 1

• TREX Recycle Program At Dale City Neighborhood Library (All Day)

Thursday, March 2

• Trivia Night At Doug's Deli & Tap Room, Manassas (7:00 PM)

Saturday, March 4

• LEGO Club At Dale City Neighborhood Library (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• New homes have been listed for sale in the Dale City area! Get all the property details at the link. (Dale City Patch)
• The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free tax preparation services to individuals and families making less than $60,000 in 2022, with volunteer tax preparers available every Saturday until Apr. 15 at the VCW - Prince William Center in Woodbridge. (Prince William County Government, Virginia via Facebook)
• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Prince William County area at the link! (Prince William County Animal Shelter)

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. She is a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.