Stories of the Decade

From: Potomac News and Messenger

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. - Ten years ago, Bill Clinton was president, words like iPod and Twitter were yet to enter our vocabulary, and everyone was worried about Y2K.

9/11 —The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. on Sept. 11, 2001, affected people across the nation. For Prince William County residents, many of whom work at or near the Pentagon or know someone who does, the day was marked with fear. Nineteen residents of the Prince William County area were killed at the Pentagon and three people with ties to the county died at the World Trade Center that day. The Liberty Memorial was built at the McCoart Administration complex to remember those Prince William County residents and all who lost their lives that day.

Housing Market— Early in the 2000s, the area experienced a housing boom. Housing assessments and prices skyrocketed and affordable housing was in short supply. In more recent years, the real estate bubble burst and the county has seen a rise in foreclosures and a dip in housing prices.

Illegal immigration resolution—In 2007, after a highly attended meeting that stretched into the early morning hours, the Board of County Supervisors passed a resolution meant to crack down on illegal immigration. The resolution instructed police to ask about immigration status, if they had probable cause to do so. The resolution sparked massive opposition in the community.

Sniper attacks —In October 2003, the "Beltway Sniper" terrorized the Washington area. John Alan Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were later convicted of the attacks that left 10 people dead. Muhammad was convicted of capital murder in Prince William Circuit Court for killing Dean Harold Meyers at a Sunoco gas station outside of Manassas. He was executed this year.

Virginia Tech shootings—In April 2007, 33 people were killed in a shooting at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. One of the victims, Daniel Perez Cueva, was a Woodbridge resident and C.D. Hylton High School graduate.

In the days and weeks following the shooting, the effect of the tragedy was felt throughout the area as many in the community worked to honor the memory of Perez Cueva and all those killed at Virginia Tech. The shootings also prompted changes in security and emergency procedures at schools and college campuses throughout the area and across the country.

Population growth— The past decade has seen Prince William County's population skyrocket from 280,813 people in 2000 to and estimated 394,370 people this year, according to demographic information reported by the U.S. Census and county officials. The race and ethnicity of the county's population has also changed, as the number of Hispanic residents in the county has grown. In 2000, 9.7 percent of the county's population was Hispanic. This year, an estimated 19.1 percent of the population is Hispanic.

Election of Barack Obama—In 2008, Prince William County drew national attention when candidates from both presidential campaigns came to the area.

Now-President Barack Obama drew tens of thousands to the Prince William County Fairgrounds the night before the presidential election. In that election, Democrats were victorious in Prince William County and Virginia. But in the 2009 elections, Republicans staged strong victories in the state again.

Obama's inauguration in January 2009 also affected area residents, as people from throughout the country flocked to the area to witness it.