Category: Prince George’s County News

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker released his proposed budget on March 14 for the Prince George’s County Council’s review. In the budget, Baker said he tried to fund key programs even though the county’s economy is still in a downturn. “In order to move Prince George’s County along the path to greatness, we had […]

Seven members of the University of Maryland chapter of Zeta Phi Beta have been criminally charged after a former pledge went to the police, alleging abuse on-line. Amber Bijou, 22, Montressa Hammond 24, Monika Young, 23, Tymesha Pendleton, 26, Kandyce Jackson, 20, Tymesha Pendleton, 26, and Bridget Blount, 24, have all been charged with second-degree […]

In 1974, Clarence and Betty Johnson bought a house on the 600 block of Clovis Avenue in Capitol Heights. Over 35 years later, the couple is out of that house, as the foreclosure crisis engulfed their dream of owning their home outright. While many in the county fell prey to sub-prime mortgages and predatory lender, […]

After the Maryland Senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, most in the state thought the measure’s fate in the House similarly was a done deal. After two co-sponsors of the bill walked off the floor during a committee vote, its prospects became a bit murkier. Del. Tiffany Alston, D-Dist. 24, and Del. Jill […]

The Prince George’s County Council held a town hall budget meeting at Prince George’s Community College on Feb. 28. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the public on the budget process, but it quickly turned into a session to save busing for magnet programs in Prince George’s County. The school that showed up […]

On Nov. 19, 2009, James F. Johnson, no relation to Jack Johnson, was officially sworn in as director of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) after serving in that role as interim head for a year. On that day, there was nothing but effusive praise for a man who was a close friend […]

A bill being discussed in the Maryland Senate could place accountability for the state of foreclosed properties on the owners – the banks. The bill, sponsored by the Prince George’s County’s delegation, would give the County Council authority to collect a $75 registration fee each year from owners of abandoned foreclosed property in the county. […]

A proposed development in Brandywine is receiving a great deal of scrutiny as residents attempt to deal with growth issues and whether rules are being bent to allow the plan to come to fruition. The first issue was the Prince George’s County Planning Board hearing a reconsideration case on behalf of the developer to waive […]

Hercules Pitts, owner of Lake Arbor Golf Club and Marlborough Country Club, finally faced the community at a Feb. 17 meeting, but not many of the people in attendance were any more confident after he was done. Pitts bought Lake Arbor Golf Club in 2005 and Marlborough Country Club in 2006, but both clubs have […]

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has selected Forest City Washington to develop the land around the New Carrollton Metro Station according to the Washington Post. Neither officials at MDOT nor Metro would comment on the process but did admit the selection phase is nearing an end. “Metro […]

Former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson was indicted on federal bribery, extortion and witness and evidence tampering charges on Feb. 14. According to the indictment, the 61-year-old Johnson is accused of conspiring – with developers, political candidates, public officials and Amrik Singh Melhi, owner of Tick Tock Liquors in Hyattsville, as well as other […]

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) recently released a report saying it has failed in awarding contracts to minority owned business (MBE). The study, done by Mason Tillman Associates (MTA), examined the contracts handed out from 2004 through 2009. It says that WSSC significantly underutilized MBE in construction, architecture and engineering, goods and services and […]