Prince George’s County Delegate Takes Action On Community Concerns/ Community News/ Big News
Members from the Maryland Department Of Transportation, Prince George’s County Department of Public Works & Transportation, and Prince George’s County Police Department met virtually on Aug. 23 to discuss their progress on various problems affecting the community. Prince George’s County Delegate Nick Charles (district 25) led the meeting.
The meeting allows community members to add their concerns in the Zoom chat. A team (or person) documents community members’ concerns by placing them into a spreadsheet. That data, according to Charles, is given to DPW, MDOT, and the PGCPD. The various government institutions have 30 days to correct the problems. (You can reach out to Delegate Charles’s office here: t.ly/BvOa4).
During this meeting — Charles and members from each institution discussed each issue and how institutions remedied the problem. However, there were some problems — like information about two pedestrian fatalities in North County — that officials needed more information from other departments, and therefore could not immediately provide answers. Officials said they would update attendees at the next meeting.
One issue that was addressed was the litter problem and “high grass” along Route 5 near Iverson Mall in South County. An MDOT official said the roadside team collected the litter at the beginning of August. Additionally, the grass will be mowed sometime in the upcoming week, which falls within the next mowing cycle.
In terms of statewide litter cleanup, the MDOT official said the organization would be starting the third phase of Operation Clean Sweep. This phase of the initiative, according to the MDOT official, starts on Aug. 28 — Sept. 1st, and Sept. 5–8.
“This is where we do nothing but pick up litter within Prince George’s County — and statewide,” said the MDOT representative. “We do an extra week in Prince George’s County.”
The MDOT official showed the group a new machine roadside workers will use to collect litter faster, and, perhaps, in larger quantities from Pennsylvania Avenue, Branch Avenue, and Silver Hill Road.
“ You will be seeing these out on the roadways,” the official said.”
The group also talked about issues that involved trucks parking along Temple Hills Rd, and the completion of adding signals on Old Marlboro Pike and Woodyard Roads.
Community Meetings
Life After Release Expungement Clinic
The criminal record’s expungement clinic is a chance for members of the community to meet with an attorney to have their criminal records expunged. The goal is to have a petition for expungement drawn up after meeting with an attorney. If you are a member of the media and have questions about this, please contact Life After Release at 240.200.4472 or lifeafterreleasemd@gmail.com.
Time: Tuesdays and Saturdays 1–3 p.m. EDT
Location: 4719 Silver Hill Rd Suitland-Silver Hill, MD 20746
PG Change Makers
A community conversation about food in the Prince George’s County jail.
Time: August 30 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Sign up: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qorzkiHtBKy7VrlkWVgYJmL4u_bJiD#/registration
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland Prince George’s County Town Hall
Please RSVP to join the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland’s Prince George’s County members for a Town Hall discussion about the 2023 Legislative Session and bills passed that impact Black Marylanders on Wednesday, September 6 from 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm at the Bowie State University Student Center.
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland’s 2023 Legislative Priority Areas Include:
- Increasing Black Wealth
- Improving Health Outcomes
- Access to Housing
- Education Equity
- Advancing Justice Reform and equitable Cannabis Legislation
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12GRUoVpMJQJsTjRbw4e7EJlUGV36r7P2FWTVHDN9xbk/viewform?edit_requested=true
Central Maryland Hate Bias Reporting Forum
The Hate Bias Reporting Forum will provide community leaders and members of law enforcement with important information in response to the 2021 Hate Bias Report for the State of Maryland. The forum will engage local law enforcement, elected officials, and community leaders in discussions and information sharing on methods to facilitate more effective reporting as well as responding to bias incidents and hate crimes.
Time: Tuesday, September 19 · 8 am — 4 pm EDT
Location: Montgomery College Germantown Campus 20200 Observation Drive #4067 Germantown, MD 20876
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/central-maryland-hate-bias-reporting-forum-tickets-703442002967?aff=oddtdtcreator
Metro Forward
Join us from 10:30 AM -12:00 PM at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church Omega Room (408 Addison Rd S, Capitol Heights, MD). Can’t make it in person? Register to participate virtually. Link: t.ly/hE1DZ
Your voice matters in shaping a better Metro experience. Mark your calendars and be there (in person or virtually) to contribute your ideas and make a difference! Find more information at wmata.com/BOSstudy. #wmata #YourMetro
Prince George’s County Farm Bureau
Annual Farm: Come For Food And Drinks August 27 2 to 5 p.m.
10140 Piscataway Road, Brandywine, Maryland 20613
RSVP by August 21st email pgcfb@yahoo.com for more details!
Enacted Legislation
Bill: CB-050–2023
Status: Enacted
Sponsors: Thomas E. Dernoga, Wala Blegay
Title: AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING GENERAL PROVISIONS-DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE PRIOR ORDINANCE-LIMITATION AND PROHIBITION ON TOWNHOUSE AND ONE-FAMILY ATTACHED DWELLINGS IN THE FORMER R-A ZONE for the purpose of limiting and prohibiting the authority in the Zoning Ordinance for development of Townhouse and One-family attached dwellings as a use, under certain circumstances, in the former R-A (Residential Agricultural) Zone of Prince George’s County, utilizing the prior Ordinance Table of Permitted Uses in Section 27–441 as enacted under CB-17–2019.
Bill: CB-051–2023
Status: Enacted
Sponsors: Krystal Oriadha, Jolene Ivey, Wala Blegay, Edward P. Burroughs, Ingrid S. Watson, Thomas E. Dernoga, Calvin S. Hawkins
Title: AN EMERGENCY ACT CONCERNING LANDLORD RETALIATION FOR RENT STABILIZATION for the purpose of declaring certain actions by Landlords as retaliation to include the termination of a lease in order to force a pre-existing tenant into a new lease for the purpose of avoiding the rent increase limitation established by the Rent Stabilization Act; and defining the term pre-exiting tenant for this section.
Bill: CB-053–2023
Status: Enacted
Sponsors: Wala Blegay, Thomas E. Dernoga
Title: AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING GENERAL PROVISIONS-DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE PRIOR ORDINANCE-LIMITATION AND PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN USES IN THE FORMER RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL ZONES for the purpose of limiting and prohibiting the authority in the Zoning Ordinance for certain uses, under certain circumstances, in the former R-E (Residential Estate) Zone, R-A (Residential Agricultural) Zone, C-O (Commercial Office) Zone and I-1 (Light-Industrial) Zone of Prince George’s County, utilizing the prior Ordinance Table of Permitted Uses for such Zones as enacted under CB-08–2021, CB-50–2021, CB-54–2020, CB-88–2018, and CB-89–2018.
Big News
Health
Redirecting Food Waste In Prince George’s County
Excerpt:
DH: What is your hope for the Food Rescue Program?HJ: A lot of nonprofits, food pantries, and shelters are in dire need of food. With this program, we hope to streamline that process a little bit better. We want to keep listening out for the organizations that have food so that they can donate it. We are also constantly recruiting new donors.
Furthermore, we do this by connecting people to The Food Rescue US app. It is a free app. It’s available for all residents to sign up. This is a mechanism to get community participants to volunteer their time transporting the food from one place to another. It really takes a village to feed the community and to better our environment.
More than 100,000 Marylanders have lost Medicaid coverage since May
Excerpt: With the so-called “Medicaid unwinding” process well underway in Maryland, there have been at least 100,435 Marylanders who have rolled-off of Medicaid coverage since May, according to new Department of Health data released in Mid-August.
That’s due to a change in federal policy which prohibited states from disenrolling people off of Medicaid, a federal health care plan aimed to assist low-income people, during the global health crisis.
But that ended this year, and Medicaid renewal is not automatic, leading to what health care advocates call the Medicaid unwinding period.
New study suggests people who tested negative for Covid-19 can still develop long Covid
Excerpt: Of the 103 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the U.S., an estimated one-third have led to long Covid — a condition that ranges in severity, but can be debilitating. A new study suggests that even more people may be suffering from the post-viral syndrome without having ever received an official diagnosis of Covid-19.
The study, published Wednesday in Neurology, Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, was small, examining only 29 patients. But it offers unique insights into how many cases of long Covid may go unidentified because the patient’s Covid-19 infection wasn’t detected.
Politics
Everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s arrest and booking in Atlanta this week
Excerpt: Former President Donald Trump says he will surrender at the Fulton County jail on Thursday in the fourth criminal case against him — and the second for conspiring with others to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost in Georgia.
Here’s what might happen, and when — including whether he’ll get his first mug shot.
Maryland’s high court sides with Bowie airport in development fight
Excerpt: Maryland’s highest court has narrowly sided with the developers hoping to turn an airport that sits along a busy highway into more housing. But the high court even admitted the ruling handed down Wednesday will only lead to more litigation in the future.
The 4 to 3 ruling by the Maryland State Supreme Court overturns a lower court ruling, which itself overturned a law passed by the Prince George’s County Council. It stems from a change in the zoning of the land that Freeway Airport sits on, so that hundreds of town homes could be built — though the current county council has already repealed that law.
New inspector general for Prince George’s County discusses policing reform
Excerpt: “Nobody likes bad officers. Bad officers make it really hard for good officers,” said Anthony Bennet, new IG for Prince George’s County. News4’s Tracee Wilkins reports.
Here’s what to know about new federal policies for repaying student loans
Excerpt: Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments.
The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month.
Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled a new repayment plan for those with federal student loans, known as Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE. The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a borrower’s income and family size and forgives balances after a set number of years.
Tech
Excerpt: The owners of the Washington Nationals plan to transform the site of the old Landover Mall in Prince George’s County, Maryland, into a data center if it is not selected as the new location for the FBI headquarters, NBC Washington reported.
The 80-acre property near FedEx field, owned by the Lerner Corporation, a private real estate company, is one of two sites in the county being considered for the FBI’s new home. The other site is in Greenbelt, and a third one is in Springfield, Virginia.
The Dark History Oppenheimer Didn’t Show
Excerpt: Earlier this summer, I was invited to a screening of the blockbuster. The film’s director, Christopher Nolan, was there too. In a recurring scene, meant to symbolize the inching along of the scientists’ efforts, Oppenheimer fills an empty glass bowl with marbles — first one at a time, then in handfuls. The marbles represent the amount of uranium that has been successfully mined and refined to power the nuclear reaction. The outcome of World War II, and the future of humanity, hinges on who can create that monster first — the Axis or the Allies. The closer we get to the bomb’s completion, the more marbles go into the bowl. But there’s no mention in the film of where two-thirds of that uranium came from: a mine 24 stories deep, now in Congo’s Katanga, a mineral-rich area in the southeast.
As the marbles steadily filled the bowl onscreen, I kept seeing what was missing: Black miners hauling earth and stone to sort piles of radioactive ore by hand.
Papà was born in 1946 at Mission Ngi, a tiny Belgian missionary outpost. He told us how, growing up, the Belgians taught the Congolese to worship God; how the Belgians addressed Congolese adults with the informal French tu, not the formal vous; how the Belgians said eating with your hands, as Papà did at home, was uncivilized. The Congolese were backward and ancillary to modern life, Papà learned in school. So did I. And yet, Papà said, the Congolese were the essential ingredient, the sine qua non, of arguably the most consequential creation in modern history.
