Laurel city council requires builders to sell homes for less Developers building in Laurel will have to sell some new homes cheaper, under an updated rule that the Laurel City Council approved last week. "We're setting the standards in Prince George County," said Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor as he…

Slightly salty water could come out of your faucet soon in these Maryland suburbs The water coming from your faucet may taste slightly saltier than usual in the coming weeks. WSSC Water — the water utility for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland — said salt used on roads and…

Council adopts early lease ordinance The College Park City Council on Feb. 3 unanimously approved an ordinance that will prevent landlords from asking tenants to renew a lease sooner than 180 days from the end of the current lease. The so-called early lease ordinance, overwhelmingly supported by…

Making a case for values Last month, I wrote about how Laurel might prepare for America’s 250th anniversary. That kind of planning matters. But preparation isn’t only about events or timelines. It’s also about the habits we keep and the values we pass along without much fanfare. I’ve been thinking…

Mastering the Matrix Starting a new native garden from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially that blank page. Fortunately, there is one technique that will get you designing immediately, ease maintenance, and imitate patterns seen in nature: the groundcover matrix. I use a matrix in almost…

Can art in the intersection reduce blood in the streets? According to Zero Deaths Maryland, speeding, distracted driving and other factors drove fatal crashes up 16% between 2019 and 2023 (the latest full year for which data is available). And Prince George's County has the highest accident rate…

WSSC Water Customers Brace for Higher Utility Bills Higher water bills could be on the way for WSSC Water customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties after the utility proposed a 5% rate hike as part of its $1.94 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 during a recent public hearing. The…

From Where We Stand: Empowering youth to fight food insecurity in laurel At Green Grove, we start every project with a simple belief: every child deserves to feel nourished, supported, and seen. As students in Howard County, many of us have grown up hearing about food insecurity, but never…

Committee pushes for changes at school bus stops A citizen-led committee resubmitted a year-old report on school bus stop safety to the College Park City Council in January in an effort to encourage officials to make changes to protect elementary school children. College Park’s Bicycle and…

Students suggest ways to ease neighborhood tensions near UMD Three housing policy students in December suggested that the city and the University of Maryland (UMD) could do more to help undergraduate tenants become better neighbors to the long-term homeowners who live near them. The students, part…

Disc golf fan has played for 50 years For College Park resident Jerry O’Neil, disc golf is more than just a game. It’s a passion of nearly 50 years. “I just like chucking Frisbees,” O’Neil said. “That’s my big thing. I chuck Frisbees everywhere I go.” O’Neil, 77, has been playing disc golf since…

Why Prince George’s Co. schools announced several days of snow closings at once Prince George’s County schools announced Monday that classes would be canceled until until further notice as a result of the weekend snowstorm — a rare step of announcing several days’ worth of closures at once.…

Live, Love, Laurel: Polar plunge postponed to next week (for some) Twenty-three really is a good amount of years for a water heater tank to run. I’m not sure for how long it was leaking, but the puddle in my crawl space indicates that it was for too long. Like most of us, we’re running paycheck to…

Laurel schools have more teachers Prince George’s County Schools in Laurel have led the region in high-volume hiring since the start of the school year in August. Public elementary, middle and high schools in Laurel saw a combined 59% reduction in vacancies, outperforming the 52% countywide…

Your Laurel newspaper has a new editor Managing Editor Joshua Garner will be leading The Laurel Independent starting this month. Garner is a communications professional who has worked in print and digital news as well as corporate marketing, health advocacy, racial justice, and civil rights. As a…

Hyattsville kids make the most of snow week Bruised from sledding on the hard ice, Hyattsville kids are now turning to building igloos and ice skating on soccer fields. Send us pics of how your household is weathering the aftermath of the storm! [email protected].

City considers expanding permit parking College Park City Council members in January asked city staff to conduct a study to determine whether to restrict parking in residential neighborhoods by issuing permits. Some neighborhoods, including those with crowded streets and few driveways in North…

Affordable senior housing to open on Branchville Road The College Park City Council agreed Jan. 27 to recommend that Prince George’s County amend a parking ordinance that would allow a developer to build a four-story, 87-unit apartment building for older residents on Branchville Road. Development…

Residents Confront County Officials on Winter Storm Response Nearly 700 residents joined a special emergency meeting to hear updates from Prince George’s County and state officials on the ongoing response to Winter Storm Fern, which dumped more than 10 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain…

WSSC issues essential-water-use-only alert due to water main breaks Roughly 1.9 million residents in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties are being urged to limit water use to essential purposes after WSSC issued an alert Tuesday morning due to an increase in water main breaks and leaks…

Area schools outpace county in filling teacher vacancies The public schools that serve most of College Park’s children have filled teacher vacancies at a faster rate than the countywide average since the start of the school year in August. Elementary, middle and high schools where most of College…

Councilmember is ‘citizen police’ expert College Park City Councilmember Alan Hew (District 1) doesn’t wear a badge or carry a gun, but he knows an awful lot about the police. That’s because he has graduated from three different citizen police academies, where he learned how officers do their jobs…

Winter storm named Fern continues to hit Route 1 corridor with snow, sleet and freezing rain A dangerous winter storm continued… https://streetcarsuburbs.news/winter-storm-named-fern-continues-to-hit-route-1-corridor-with-snow-sleet-and-freezing-rain/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

5 things to know ahead of the winter storm tonight The Washington region is gearing up for a major winter storm that could bring six to 10 inches of snow and ice, with communities across Prince George’s County among the hardest hit. Here are five things you need to know ahead of the storm. 1. When…

Absent School Board Member Snags County Council Position On November 10, 2025, in an executive session of Prince George’s County Council, then-councilmember Calvin Hawkins made a motion to extend an offer for the position of council administrator to David Murray. It was seconded by Councilmember…

National Harbor Sphere revenues would ‘dwarf’ those from Commanders, Six Flags, Braveboy says Revenue from the proposed Sphere entertainment venue at National Harbor in Maryland would far exceed that generated from the Washington Commanders and Six Flags combined, according to the Prince George’s…

Prince George’s Co. superintendent lays out where things are, and where they’re going It’s a pivotal week for Prince George’s County Public Schools interim superintendent Shawn Joseph, who is giving his State of the Schools Address on Tuesday evening at Suitland High School ahead of a budget…

DMV mid-winter = time for summer camp signups! It’s mid-winter in the DMV, which, oddly, means it’s time to sign up for summer camps! Here’s our guide to local summer camps for your consideration — focusing on those for kids preK through eighth grade. When not otherwise specified, prices reflect a…

Hyattsville Life & Times adds Spanish-language news Starting with the February edition, four pages of Hyattsville Life & Times will be published in Spanish. The insert, Hyattsville Este Mes, will feature news, business and human-interest articles from the English-language pages of the newspaper,…

Laurel volunteers make care packages, celebrate Martin Luther King Over 100 Laurel residents, officials and students came together for the 8th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day of service. The event took place in the Laurel Multiservice Center gymnasium. Organizer Carreen Koubek, special…

Police charge 4 in murder of teen found in College Park Prince George’s County police have charged four suspects, including a 17-year-old who lives in Hyattsville, with the apparent gang-related murder of a 14-year-old whose remains were found in College Park on Nov. 3. According to police, the…

2nd Taste of College Park features 25 restaurants Twenty-five College Park restaurants are participating in Taste of College Park the week of Jan. 16. The city’s first restaurant week took place in July. Ryna Quiñones, the city’s communications and events manager, said the event is a way to help…

More than 3,300 Marylanders were detained by ICE in 2025, twice the number of preceding years The GoFundMe page Julia Leverone created in February for legal fees and bond payments to get Minoska Maldonado-Deras out of Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody was successful, helping to get her…

Miss Floribunda: Handsome Harvest The lot between my neighbor’s house and mine, which used to be a kind of community garden for three families, has been sold and will have a house built on it. My backyard is too shady for most vegetables, and my sunny front yard has always been planted with…

MOM’s employees fail to override mandatory union dues Employees of MOM’s Organic Market in the Hollywood Shopping Center on Monday failed to overturn a clause in their union contract that requires all of the grocer’s workers to pay union dues. During balloting at the store, 19 employees voted to…

Local newspaper adds Spanish-language news Starting with the February edition, four pages of College Park Here & Now will be published in Spanish. The insert, College Park Este Mes, will feature news, business and human-interest articles from the English-language pages of the newspaper, translated…

Science of the City Why is there a pole in the middle of the sidewalk? When Science of the City began investigating barriers that people with disabilities face, neighbors mentioned inaccessible buildings, such as the Hyattsville Post Office on Gallatin Street. We also discovered months-long…

Queens Chapel Barbershop celebrates 85 years Queens Chapel barbershop, at 3108 Hamilton St. near the 711, has been operating for 85 years. One customer, Melvin Franklin ("Frank") Key, has been coming for more than forty of those years, since his father Melvin Key cut hair there. "I'm like his…

Our nation at 250: how Laurel could prepare  Crossing into the new year, we arrive at a milestone. During 2026, on July 4, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial – which means 250th – anniversary of independence. Big events are planned for Washington D.C., Philadelphia and other…

What is a watershed, and why should I care? If you’ve ever stared at a political map of the United States, it may have occurred to you how arbitrary our borders can seem. Because of long-ago charters and treaties, we root for different sports teams, attend different schools, and divide up along…

From Where I Stand: WSSC water main work unsafe I would like to applaud the independent report of engineering firm WSP regarding the WSSC’s 48-Inch Patuxent Raw Water Main Project – BF1582E91 The report, with its 19 scathing recommendations and its identification of four needed major system…

2026 State Legislature Spotlight The Maryland General Assembly will be in session from January 14 to April 13. We thought our readers would want to know what their state representatives will be working on, so Streetcar Suburbs Publishing reached out and asked. Most Hyattsville residents live in…

Hyattsville residents protest ICE shooting of Minneapolis driver Sunday, Jan. 11, Hyattsville residents gathered to hold a vigil and demonstration in memory of Renee Nicole Good and read the names of 30 others who they said died at the hands of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or in…

Prince George’s County planning board approves Laurel day-care, drive thru Jan. 8, The Prince Georges County Planning Board approved the detailed site plan for the development of a 12,750-square-foot day care, as well as site improvements and signage for a future drive thru restaurant. The daycare…

City looks to increase affordable housing Laurel’s mayor and City Council are working to amend an affordable-housing law to require more housing developers to sell homes at below-market rates and to change who is eligible to buy those cheaper homes.  A family of four with household income between…

A New Addition to Hyattsville Vinyl Culture: Fireplace Records Hyattsville has a new spot for music lovers seeking community and tunes — Fireplace Records. Founded by four DJs and lifelong vinyl collectors, the new store, located at 4344 Farragut Street, opened in November 2025 and sells records…

Laurel business leader Fred Frederick Jr. dies S. G. “Fred” Frederick Jr., 94, founder of the Fred Frederick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ramdealership in Laurel and a business and civic leader for many decades, died on Jan. 7,2026. Frederick was a leader of the Laurel business community, serving as…

State’s attorney tells Laurel her focus is on violent crime, truancy, scams The new state’s attorney of Prince George’s County, Tara Jackson, dropped by Laurel on Dec. 9 as part of a county tour to introduce herself to citizens, hear their concerns and talk about scam dangers. At the meeting in…

ICE presence reshapes local food aid efforts Hyattsville church and city programs are adapting how they deliver food and other essentials to struggling families after volunteers and city officials reported fewer residents venturing out for help amid heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs…

2026 Maryland state legislature preview The Maryland General Assembly will be in session in Annapolis from Jan. 14 to April 13. We thought our readers would want to know what their state representatives will be working on, so Streetcar Suburbs Publishing reached out and asked the following four…