The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t A C OMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR PRINCE GEORGE ’S COUNTY Since 1932 Vol. 85, No. 37 September 14 — September 20, 2017 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents PGCPS Kicks Off 2017 –18 School Year Highlighting Investments In Education and Innovation By PRESS OFFICER ness and community partners, PGCPS our students have access to in - novative academic programs UPPER MARLBORO, MD— that prepare them for real-world Prince George’s County Public opportunities. These invest - Schools (PGCPS) ushered in ments support our mission to the 2017 –2018 school year with prepare every student for the innovative education invest - world beyond our doors.” ments as more than 132,000 stu - Dr. Maxwell started the day dents filled classrooms across at the new Fairmont Heights the county. High School, located at 6501 “As we start a new school Columbia Park Road in Lan - year, we are excited to expand dover. The original Fairmont academic offerings and com - Heights, the first in the county plete our largest facilities proj - to serve African American stu - ect in recent years,” said Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kevin M. Maxwell. “Thanks to our busi - See INNOVATION Page A 7 CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE PHOTO BY CHARLES MITCHELL PG County Government Ranks Participants watch a slideshow at an opioid overdose awareness event in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on Thursday, August 31, 2017. 5th Among the Top Ten Digital Counties in the United States For a Night, Anne Arundel Center for Digital Government Survey Recognizes Most Innovative Digital Counties of 2017 Rises Above Heroin Epidemic By PRESS OFFICER government services, encourage By ALEX MANN period a year prior, according crease over the 157 deaths in tions. Or as the event’s director, PG County Government collaboration and shared serv - Capital News Service to the Maryland Department of the first three months of 2016, Carol Boyer said, “the people ices, enhance cybersecurity and Health’s preliminary first-quar - health department data show. left behind, those left grieving.” UPPER MARLBORO , even reduce carbon emissions. GLEN BURNIE, MD (Sep - ter overdose death report. Meanwhile, hundreds gath - Recovering addicts attended MD—Prince George’s County “I’m proud of this technolog - tember 1, 2017)—Heroin and While the epidemic has been ered at Arundel Christian Church in droves, with many donning was recently named one of the ical recognition. Technology is opioid overdose statistics in relentless, it’s also evolved. in Glen Burnie Thursday to tell T-shirts from sober homes. top ten Digital Counties in the integral and will continue to be Maryland tell the story of a mer - Heroin and prescription opi - another story. That of promise, Being at the vigil with others United States, ranking 5th in the a game changer that will posi - ciless epidemic. oids have not been responsible hope and resilience in spite of who have had similar experi - 15th annual Digital Counties tively impact education, eco - State and local governments, for the surge in fatal and non- the imminent long-term battle. ences was very comforting, said Survey. The survey, conducted nomic development, and provi - police departments and health fatal overdoses. Fentanyl—a August 31 was International Chris Vaughn, 32, who said he’s by the Center for Digital Gov - sion of government services,” officials have collaborated to potent synthetic opioid up to Overdose Awareness Day. Anne been clean since Aug. 12 and just ernment (CDGCDG Logo) and said Prince George’s County Ex - expand and evolve in an effort 1,000 times stronger than mor - Arundel County expanded upon moved to a sober living home in the National Association of ecutive Rushern L. Baker, III. “I to meet the growing challenge. phine—has ravaged the state, last year’s edition in an effort Pasadena, Maryland. “It’s a good Counties (NACo), identifies the want to thank the Office of In - Yet there were 123 more opi - Maryland health statistics show. to destigmatize substance abuse reminder of what we’re battling.” best technology practices among oid-related deaths in Maryland There were 372 fentanyl-re - for current and former addicts, U.S. counties, including initia - in the first three months of 2017 lated deaths between Jan. 1 and and families who have lost tives that streamline delivery of See DIGITAL Page A 5 than the same January –March March 31, a 136 percent in - loved ones to crippling addic - See EPIDEMIC Page A 5 Joint Base Andrews Air Early August 2017 Hypoxia Report Water Quality Monitoring Program Reports Better Than Show Returns for 2017 Average Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Joint Base Andrews Air Show: America’s By PRESS OFFICER ters with higher temperatures also MDNR hold less oxygen. Air & Space Expo Takes Place This Weekend In the beginning of June, the Na - After a One Year Hiatus ANNAPOLIS , MD (August 21, tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad - 2017)—Dissolved oxygen conditions ministration, U.S. Geological Sur - in Maryland’s portion of the Chesa - vey, University of Maryland Center By DELANO SCOTT peake Bay mainstem were much bet - for Environmental Science and Uni - Senior Airman, 11th Wing Public Affairs, JBA ter than average for early August, re - versity of Michigan scientists pre - PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. RYAN SONNIER, COURTESY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE ports the Maryland Department of dicted a slightly larger than average JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD On Saturday and A UH-1N Iroquois flies an American Flag during the 2015 Natural Resources. hypoxic volume for the bay due to (September 7, 2017)—After a one year Sunday, September Joint Base Andrews Air Show, Sept. 19. The helicopter is The hypoxic water volume (areas higher spring flows (January –May) hiatus, the Joint Base Andrews Air 16 –17, JBA will currently assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at JBA with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) was 0.91 and nitrogen loading from the Show: America’s Air & Space Expo, open it’s gates to the and will be one of the many featured aircraft at the 2017 cubic miles, which is much smaller Susquehanna River. is returning September 15 –17 as a way public. No general JBA Air Show. than the early August 1985-2016 av - Scientists and natural resource to build upon the longstanding rela - admission tickets erage of 1.31 cubic miles. No anoxic managers study the volume and du - tionship between JBA members and are required to see the show. Attendance the pedestrian entry; visitors must re - zones (areas with less than 0.2 mg/l ration of bay hypoxia to determine the local community. is free and open to the public. main with escorts. Personnel without oxygen) were detected. possible impacts to bay life. Each This year’s air show features a vari - No public parking will be available DOD ID cards will be directed to Crabs, fish, oysters and other crea - year (June-September), the depart - ety of aerial demonstrations, including on the base. Shuttles to the Andrews FedEx Field. tures require oxygen to survive with ment computes these volumes from performances by the Air Force Thun - Air Show will run from FedEx Field. Prohibited Items at the Air Show: levels above 5 mg/l considered opti - data collected by Maryland and Vir - derbirds, Army Golden Knights and the In-bound buses to the event will begin Guests will not be able to bring food or mal to support aquatic health. ginia monitoring teams. Data col - Air Force F-22 Demonstration Team. shuttling guests at 8 a.m. and stop run - beverages. Both will be available for The better-than-average conditions lection is funded by these states and Featured static displays will include an ning at 1 p.m. The Morgan Boulevard purchase as well as hydration stations follow similar results from early July. the Environmental Protection F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-17 Globemas - Station on the Silver or Blue Line is the where free water will be available. While hypoxic volume estimation Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program. ter III, and a NASA Super Guppy—a closest station to the stadium. Drones and radio scanners will not be was not available for late July, con - Monitoring and reporting will con - new addition to the JBA Air Show. For FedEx parking, those requiring permitted on the installation. Any illegal ditions could be more favorable due, tinue with late August and Septem - The air show kicks off Friday, Sept. Americans with Disabilities Act parking items or substances, and items perceived in part, to lower than average tem - ber reports. 15, with a full program open to Depart - access are encouraged to use the Mor - to pose a threat will not be allowed. peratures in the week leading up to More information on Maryland’s ment of Defense cardholders and spe - gan Boulevard entrance to the arena. For the most current information on sampling. Higher temperatures gen - Chesapeake Bay water quality moni - cial invitees only. There will be special Pedestrian Entry to the Air Show: the air show, visit andrewsairshow.org erally cause more stratification of the toring program and results can be parking on base for DOD cardholders Valid ID cardholders walking onto or follow them on Facebook at water column, which inhibits oxygen found at http://eyesonthebay.dnr.mary - and their guests. JBA can escort 10 personnel through www.facebook.com/jointbaseandrews. from mixing into deeper waters. 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