The City of Manassas Declaration is effective as of 12 p.m. on March 17, 2020. This will allow the City to prioritize resources, seek intergovernmental resources, handle procurement issues, coordinate an effective response and work to help City residents respond to this pandemic emergency, according to Patty Prince, communications manager for the city.

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the financial hardships the illness is causing, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) is suspending electric service disconnections for nonpayment for 60 days, effective March 16, 2020. The suspension delays, but does not cancel, payment of outstanding balances.

The drinking water the PWC Service Authority provides is safe from COVID-19. The Service Authority’s drinking water suppliers, Fairfax Water and the City of Manassas, use multiple barriers in their water treatment processes that protect against COVID-19. Further, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the virus has not been detected in drinking water.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) will shift to remote learning for students out of an abundance of caution and with a goal of supporting CDC guidance regarding social distancing during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a NOVA news release.

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives are offering higher-education scholarships to public, private, and home-schooled high school seniors whose families receive electricity from electric cooperatives. Online applications at novec.com for NOVEC's scholarships are due Sunday, March 15, 2020. VMDAEC applications are due Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Students may apply to both organizations.

Battery Day is a time to recognize this special energy source, which powers the things that make our life more convenient and safer. Daylight savings time is the day recommended by emergency preparedness experts to change the batteries in life saving devices such as smoke detectors.

Jeanine Lawson, Brentsville District Supervisor, has announced that she will host a town hall regarding the Devlin Road development proposal on Monday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Chris Yung Elementary School. The application includes 516 homes built on 269 acres, bordered by Linton Hall and Devlin Roads.

Manassas National Battlefield Park will implement its second year of deer management to protect and restore native plants, promote healthy and diverse forests and protect historic landscapes Feb. 3 through March 31, 2020.