Author Archives: DorothyRowley

Teachers in the District of Columbia Public Schools system this week overwhelmingly approved their latest contract, a measure which now poises them to become among the highest paid instructors in the region. The vote to ratify the controversial contract would give DCPS instructors their first salary increases in three years, an 11 percent hike that […]

A program which helps medium- to maximum-security inmates at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections acquire skills needed to pursue productive lives beyond prison walls, has been lauded for outstanding achievement. The acknowledgment, announced in light of a 57 percent GED attainment rate among participants, highlights the “Don’t Forget Us Peer Tutorial” program that […]

Nationally, the job market appears to be on the mend from the recent years-long recession that struck a devastating blow on the United States’ economy. But for out-of -work residents in large urban areas such as Washington, D.C., trying to land a job amid this economic climate remains a tedious, arduous task. At-large Councilman Michael […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bus vs. rail. That very well could be the dilemma among Metro commuters in the wake of a vote taken last week by its board to increase fares. Overall, rail fares will be increased by 15 percent while bus fares will cost 20 percent more and will take effect July 1. The […]

Howard University officials have announced their interest in purchasing 62 acres of prime real estate that will be vacated by the Walter Reed Army Medical Center once it consolidates with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., in September 2011. The university’s interest has been spawned by the need to expand its own hospital, […]

Nationwide, the mail-back response rate since the 2010 Census forms found their way into the postal system in early April has been 72 percent. For the District of Columbia, the count was 69 percent, which according to Census officials, has made for a good response. “D.C.’s mail-back rate was 3 percent higher this year than […]

For the past month, Daycon Products, a leading janitorial service with headquarters in Upper Marlboro, Md., has turned a deaf ear to workers who’ve been protesting the company’s uneven pay scale. “It’s about dignity and respect,” Doug Webber, business agent for Local Teamsters 639, told the AFRO. “The problem is that their wage structure is […]

Except for the highly anticipated contention for the mayor’s seat and City Council chairmanship, the upcoming City Council elections probably won’t stir much excitement, a political analyst said. Ron Walters, retired University of Maryland political science professor, added that at this point, both races appear to be a toss-up. “As far as I’m concerned, Gray […]

Since the 2001 closing of the D.C. Correctional Facility at Lorton, Va., convicted felons from the District have been serving their sentences in facilities hundreds of miles away from their loved ones, who sometimes find it hard to visit. “In fact, over 20 percent of these felons are housed more than 500 miles from their […]