The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t OMMUNITY EWSPAPER FOR RINCE EORGE S OUNTY SINCE A C N P G ’ C 1932 Vol. 88, No. 4 January 23 — January 29, 2020 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents Harmony Hall Chapter NSDAR Joins With Eight PGCPS Students Awarded Posse Scholarships John Hanson Chapter SAR Posse Scholars receive full four-year college scholarships to select institutions To Honor Local Law Enforcement Officer By oFFiCe oF CoMMUNiCatioNs By DeaNNa lUtZ Prince George’s County Public Schools Harmony Hall Chapter NSDAR Upper Marlboro, Md. (Jan. 16, 2020)—eight prince George’s County public schools (pGCps) high school seniors have been • 2020 award recipient is named posse scholars and will receive four-year, full-tuition college lieutenant patrick hampson, scholarships from the posse Foundation’s partnering schools. Commander of Next fall, posse scholars from across the nation will enter colleges riD/North/rst of the prince and universities in multicultural groups of 10 known as “posses.” George’s County police De - throughout their college career, they will support each other and partment. receive ongoing assistance from the posse Foundation. posse schol - • this award is presented an - ars have a 90 percent college graduation rate and demonstrated po - nually at a joint meeting of tential to positively impact their professions. the harmony hall Chapter each scholarship is worth approximately $140,000. More than NsDar and John hanson 40 pGCps students have received posse scholarships since 2013. sar chapters of Fort wash - posse scholars from prince George’s County include: ington, MD. Name, High School, Posse University Chidera Nnawuba , largo high school, bucknell University Fort washiNGtoN, Md. Endia Scales , Friendly high school, bucknell University (Jan. 12, 2020)—at the joint Joyce Chen , eleanor roosevelt high school, bucknell University January meeting of the har - Delana Turner , academy of health sciences at prince George’s mony hall Chapter NsDar Community College, sewanee: the University of the south and John hanson sar chapters photoGraph CoUrtesy harMoNy hall Chapter NsDar Neziah osayi , parkdale high school, University of rochester of Fort washington, MD, lieu - Pictured left to right is Doug Stuart, President of the John Hanson Chapter SAR; Lt. Patrick Vanessa Velas Romero , high point high school, University of tenant patrick hampson, Com - Hampson, Maj. Sunny Mrotek, and Deanna Lutz, Regent of the Harmony Hall Chapter NSDAR rochester mander of riD/North/rst of Karlos Aguilar Lopez , oxon hill high school, University of the prince George’s County po - the apprehension of two violent County police Department and ing officer, Major sunny rochester lice Department was recog - repeat felons, a loaded hand - safety of the residents they Mrotek of the regional inves - Darius Lassiter , academy of health sciences at prince George’s nized for his leadership, expert gun, and illegal narcotics, serve. Members of lt. hamp - tigation Division, and members Community College, University of wisconsin-Madison investigative skills and sound demonstrating a personal com - son’s family joined in the hon - of both the sar and NsDar For more information on the posse Foundation and the posse police tactics that resulted in mitment to the prince George’s oring, along with his command - chapters. program, visit www.possefoundation.org. Now the Good News: Death Toll Plummeted to Multi-Year Low Along Indian Head Highway (Maryland Route 210) During 2019 Three Persons Lost Their Lives On Roadway Dubbed The “Highway of Death” By press oFFiCer forcement and other factors at play may civic groups. they sounded the alarm for During 2019, more than 30,000 driv - dition, nearly 8,000 drivers were tick - AAA Mid-Atlantic have saved lives otherwise lost. aggressive enforcement on a heavily trav - ers and scofflaws were slapped with ci - eted by a triad of speed cameras along although the number of traffic fatali - eled highway with a history of violent tations for various traffic infractions the MD 210 Corridor inside prince washiNGtoN (Jan. 17, 2020)–– traf - ties tends to fluctuate over a period of and deadly crashes. they also called for along indian head highway. prince George’s County in 2019. fic fatalities dropped to the lowest level time, it is a remarkable sea-change on strategic infrastructure improvements and George’s County police Department of - “Fostering a traffic safety culture in years on indian head highway (Mary - indian head highway. Nearly 70 persons long-term upgrades that engender safer ficers on patrol pulled over nearly along indian head highway has proven land route 210) in 2019. three persons have lost their lives on MD 210 over the passage for all users on the high-risk road - 11,000 errant drivers on the roadway in to be a tedious and tenacious work in lost their lives on the corridor during course of the past dozen years. the death way. residents also issued the clarion 2019 for sundry violations, including 2019, including a pedestrian on a service toll and the carnage along MD 210 mo - call for speed cameras along the high- impaired driving, aggressive driving, road parallel to MD 210. increased en - bilized area residents and community and speed highway. distracted driving and speeding. in ad - See GooD NEWS Page A4 Housing, Guns Bills Priority of New Senate Committee Chairman By ryaN e. little crime,” smith told Capital News service, empha - Capital News Service sizing that “providing economic opportunities” can be an effective tool to fight crime. aNNapolis, Md. (Jan. 14, 2020)—a bill that the 348 deaths in baltimore in 2019 loom over would make it illegal for landlords to discriminate the General assembly’s proceedings. Fighting crime against voucher holders is the top priority of the in baltimore is a top priority of Gov. larry hogan, new chairman of the state’s powerful senate Judicial r, and Democratic lawmakers in both chambers. proceedings Committee. hogan has said that he would put legislation for - sen. william “will” smith Jr., D-Montgomery, ward that would increase penalties against offenders will also push to require background checks for pri - who use or possess illegal guns, require restitution vate sales of rifles and shotguns, appropriate more for crime victims, and crack down on witness in - funds to hire state prosecutors and address racial timidation. smith said he would not comment on disparities in the state’s prison population. the proposals until he had read them. hogan has smith sponsored but withdrew the housing bill also proposed funding 25 more prosecutors. Capital News serviCe photo by ryaN e. little last session, when the committee was led by his the “long guns” legislation was another bill in - State Sen. William “Will” Smith Jr., D-Montgomery, presents an American flag flown over a predecessor, sen. bobby Zirkin, D-baltimore troduced last session that didn’t make it to the gov - United States base in Kabul, Afghanistan, to the Maryland Senate on Friday, January 10, 2020. County, who resigned from the senate in Decem - ernor’s desk. Zirkin angered the bill’s supporters by The flag was flown over the base during his deployment on Sept. 11, 2019. ber. delaying a Judicial proceedings Committee vote if made law, the home act would forbid land - until late in the session. the delay ultimately meant in his first committee meeting thursday, smith smith made news last session when he was de - lords in Maryland from discriminating against lawmakers ran out of time to pass identical bills in said he wanted members from both parties to come ployed to afghanistan 10 days before the end of the would-be renters paying with government housing both chambers. to a consensus, or he would at least “ensure that 2019 session. he is a lieutenant in the United states vouchers. the legislation has yet to be filed in either last year’s sponsor, sen. susan lee, D-Mont - everyone had their fair say.” Keeping things non- Navy reserve. he returned home in october. chamber of the General assembly this year but was gomery, is also a member of the committee. she partisan was “one thing that bobby got right,” he a November report from the Justice policy in - filed in each of the last three years. said the bill—still not filed in the senate this ses - said. stitute found that black people make up 71% of the it has been opposed by housing and real estate sion—is a priority. smith’s commitment to bipartisanship is impor - state’s prison population—the highest disparity in agent associations that have said voucher programs “we need to stand up as a state and pass it,” she tant to sen. Michael hough, r-Frederick and Carroll, the nation and more than double the national average burden landlords with more rules than they would said. a member of the Judicial proceedings Committee of 32%. black people made up 31% of the state’s otherwise face. she expects smith to help get it through. since 2015. 2018 population, according to estimates from the passing the legislation addresses another of “he’s been very good. he understands the is - “we have to be,” hough said. “we are the one U.s. Census bureau. smith’s priorities. sues,” lee said. “i’m very, very happy he is our committee that, if we make a mistake, it can mean “that should raise eyebrows,” smith said. “and “it’s part of a comprehensive approach to reduce leadership.” people’s lives.” no one is talking about it.” INSIDE Kiddie Academy Hosts To Be Equal: Governor Hogan Announces Events Around the County: Banneker-Douglass Museum “STEM