As Prince George’s County continues its efforts to bring transit-oriented development (TOD) to the county, the Coalition for Smarter Growth – a regional nonprofit supporting both community revitalization and historic area conservation – has devised a new plan that may attract developers. TOD refers to residential or commercial areas designed to maximize access to public […]
Author Archives: George Barnette
Special to the AFRO
Posted inPrince George's County News
Metro’s Performance in Prince George’s Angers Some Residents
Prince George’s residents are becoming increasingly frustrated with Metro service. Increasing prices, service delays and other issues have residents wondering if using the service is even worth the trouble anymore. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) fiscal troubles have infringed on riders who now say commuting by Metro is increasingly becoming a pain rather […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Obama, Maryland Leaders Rally for Maryland’s Vote
Click here to view more photos of the rally at Bowie State University. President Obama joined an assortment of Maryland politicians at Bowie State University on Oct. 7 to campaign for the state’s incumbent Democrats, Gov. Martin O’Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Congressman Elijah Cummings, and others. “Right now you have […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Metro Area Urges Domestic Violence Awareness
With Domestic Violence Month already underway, there’s a push locally to bring light to one of the most overlooked issues in the African-American community. Howard University and Prince George’s County are both using different events to address this silent nightmare. In conjunction with Verizon Wireless and the Verizon Foundation, the university helped launch the Red […]
Posted inNational News
A Diverse-One Nation Rally- Descends on National Mall
Click here to view a slideshow of the impressive turnout and speakers at the One Nation Working Together rally. An estimated 175,000 people descended upon the National Mall on Oct. 2 for the One Nation Working Together rally. It was the first major stand-alone rally for progressive groups who’ve seen Tea Party groups loudly take […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Alternative School Set Up to Keep Kids in School
A new concept has been adopted in Prince George’s County to address the needs of students who need to learn in an alternative environment. The county has now partnered with Connections Academy to bring a hybrid online learning curriculum to Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). “Virtual education affords us the opportunity to craft distinctive […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Metro, State Officials to Give Prince George’s First Major Transit Center
Officials from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) are about to give Prince George’s County the kind of transit-oriented development (TOD) it desires. The two organizations are spear-heading an effort to develop the land around the New Carrollton Metro station. “It’s good for smart growth and it […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Franchot Defends Position, Slams Examiner
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to responded to a Washington Examiner story that gave the impression he thought the Purple Line might be a waste of money. Franchot, in a statement sent to the press, blasted the Examiner for questioning his loyalty to the project. The article quotes Franchot from a Sept. 22 Board of Public […]
Posted inNational News
Affordable Care Act Looks to Close Hole in Health Disparities
On Sept. 23, six key provisions of the Affordable Care Act went into effect, which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said will make health disparities in minority communities start to disappear: *Young people will be allowed to stay on their parent’s plan until they turn 26 years old. This new provision does […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
New-Look Democratic National Committee Looks to Retain Political Control
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) unveiled a new logo and tagline during the week of Sept. 20 as part of an effort to protect the party’s congressional majority in this year’s midterm election. Party leaders said they’re trying to let voters know that the Democratic Party is truly the party of the people. DNC Chairman […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Capitol Heights Standoff Highlights County’s Recidivism Problem
When David E. Williams, a convicted felon, barricaded himself in a Capitol Heights home on Sept. 14, it once again highlighted a disturbing problem in Prince George’s County: What is being done with citizens re-entering society upon release from prison? According to Prince George’s County Police, the standoff ended at about 7 a.m., Sept. 15, […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Green Party Candidate Tragically Killed in Accident
Green Party candidate Natasha Pettigrew died on Sept. 21 from injuries she suffered after being hit by a car in the early morning hours of Sept. 19. Pettigrew, 30, was attempting to unseat 24-year veteran Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D). Pettigrew, in training for a triathlon, was out riding her bike early in the morning when […]