2015 Motor Vehicle Crashes Up 7.2 % from 2014

(Map shows 2013-2015 fatality locations. Click on the image for the overview)

The Nation lost 35,092 people in crashes on U.S. roadways during 2015, an increase from 32,744 in 2014. The 7.2-percent increase is the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years.

The Accokeek Library: More than Books!

(Click on the image for information on Comic Con)

70% of residents opened their homes to this undercover fake utility worker

(Click on the image for Horace Holmes' ABC7 report)

If a person knocked on your door wearing a hardhat and a vest, holding a clipboard, and donning a badge around their neck, would you let them in if they said they wanted to check your water pressure?
Be honest.
7 ON YOUR SIDE sent a producer posing as a utility man to knock on doors in Prince George's County to see how many people would open their doors to him. He was wearing a press-pass around his neck, a hardhat with no company logo on his head and had parked a pickup truck with no company branding outside the homes. When residents came to the door, he said he was there to check the water pressure.
Out of the ten doors we knocked on, seven residents opened their homes to our producer. He didn't go in, but they offered him to.

Guidance For Drone Operators in Prince George’s County

(Click on the image for more information)

In light of Monday's arrest of a 24-year-old College Park man whose personal drone almost collided with a Prince George's County Police Helicopter while in flight, we would like to remind the public of the following critical information.  
While drones are easily acquired for purchase, drone operators must adhere to strict rules surrounding their actual use.

PGPD Officers Honored at Annual Valor Awards Ceremony

(Click on the image for the Police Blog posting)

"Prince George’s County Police officers and our public safety partners proudly work for the people of Prince George’s County. These first responders perform with honor and distinction every day – their good works often going unnoticed.  Earlier today, a group of police officers and other first responders who went above and beyond in the line of duty were honored at the 40th Annual Valor Awards ceremony. Here are the Prince George’s County Police officers who were recognized for their heroic efforts."
[WUSA9 anchors Lesli Foster and Adam Longo served as Masters of Ceremony. Click here for their report.]

Fort Washington Homeowner Says Third-Party Gas Supplier Doubled Her Rate Without a Contract

(Click on the image for Susan Hogan's News4 report)

Karen Franklin, who has lived in her Fort Washington home for 24 years, said her typical gas bill in winter is $200, but that jumped this winter.
“I think the bill was for like $341, and I looked at it and I was like, 'Why is this so much?'” she said.
She looked at the back of the bill.
“I saw this little, tiny print,” she said. “It said ‘Smart One Energy.’”
[See Susan's tips for avoiding 'Slamming' here.]

Good Advice!

MGM National Harbor Gaming Taxes: Dec 2016 - Feb 2017

(Click on the image for the full report)

Since MGM National Harbor opened on December 8, 2016, Prince George’s County has received approximately $4.9 million in payments from the State for Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) (e.g. “local impact grants”)1 and Table Game (TG) local taxes in FY 2017 through February 2017 operations.

Weed and feed just feeds the weeds

(Click the image for Mike McGrath's article on WTOP)

• Mark in Stafford writes: “Every year I typically ‘wake up’ my lawn with a dose of weed and feed followed by another dose eight weeks later.
  “But this year, because of the warm temps, I already have lots of dandelions and other weeds in my lawn.”
  Don’t blame the warm weather, Mark. You have lots of dandelions and other weeds because you are relying on unreliable — and really unhealthy — chemicals instead of caring for your lawn correctly. The only thing those herbicides are killing are frogs, toads, earthworms and you.
• Mark in Stafford double-doses his lawn with weed and feed and still has lots of weeds. So of course he asks: “Can I put down weed killer and a pre-emergent crab grass mix at the same time? Can you offer any advice?”
  Yes I can, Mark — beginning with the advice to step away from your Spreader of Death, because you’re looking to drop your money on a sucker bet. The more toxins you toss on your turf, the more tattered it turns. The only way to reduce the number of weeds in your turf is to care for the grass correctly.

What Every Parent Should Know about Prom Night . . . and After

(Click on the image for advice for a safe and lower stress prom)

If you host a prom party at home, make sure alcohol is not available to minors.

Be a parent - not a buddy! 

Homeland Security hotline number used in phone scam

(Click on the image for John Aaron's report on WTOP)

A fraud alert has been issued by the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Inspector General after scammers altered caller ID systems to make it appear they were calling from an official phone number.
The callers claimed to be from “U.S. Immigration,” told victims they had been affected by identity theft, and then asked victims to provide or confirm personal information.
The calls were made to appear as if they were coming from the hotline number for Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, 1-800-323-8603. (The office is the department’s independent oversight arm, and the hotline is used to receive calls about fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.)

Guide to Mosquito and Tick Diseases

(Click on the image for the report)

From Consumer Reports: "There are proven ways to protect yourself (and your family) from all of these diseases: Keeping your grass cut low, ridding your yard of standing water, tucking your pants into your socks on long walks, and wearing an effective insect repellent on your exposed skin are all good places to start.
But it also helps to know which diseases are spreading where, and what signs and symptoms to watch out for in your particular neck of the woods."
Related is the New York Times article, 'Why the Menace of Mosquitoes Will Only Get Worse': "The traps that health departments bought to catch Culex mosquitoes are not attractive to Aedes. The spraying with pesticide by trucks and airplanes that knocks down nuisance mosquitoes cannot reach ones that have sneaked into buildings. The best defense against Aedes mosquitoes turns out to be not big municipal gestures but small individual actions: destroying their habitat by emptying the pools of water where they reproduce, and keeping them from eating by repairing windows screens and wearing bug repellent."

Prince George's County Cracking Down on 'Zombie Foreclosures'

(Click on the image for Darcy Spencer's report on News4)

Council Member Mel Franklin "is introducing legislation to hold people and banks accountable for foreclosed properties that are neglected." Mel's press release on his bills is here.

Fort Washington Pool Summer Season

Prince George's Residents Get Chance to Review Once-a-Week Trash Pickup

(Click on the image for Mel Franklin's survey)

From News4: Prince George's County, Maryland, residents have a chance to let the county know what they think of once a week trash pickup.
The county switched from twice a week pickup last year.
Since then, there have been numerous complaints about trash not being picked up and delays in getting the new trash cans.
The service reduction reportedly saved the county $6 million and increased recycling.
Councilman Mel Franklin is conducting a 45-day online survey to gauge whether residents approve of the change and to guide future decisions on the policy.

DC VA Medical Center Inspection Finds Dirty Sterile Storage, $150M in Unaccounted for Items and Unavailable Supplies

(Click on the image for the News4 video report)

By By Scott MacFarlane and Matthew Stabley:

• Veterans Affairs reassigned the director of its medical center in Washington, D.C., after a scathing report revealed dirty sanitary storage areas, more than $150 million in unaccounted for equipment and supplies, and supply shortages that could affect treatment of patients.
• Eighteen of the medical center's 25 sterile storage areas were found to be dirty, according to the report by the VA Office of the Inspector General. In five storage areas, the clean equipment and supplies were mixed with the dirty. Seventeen areas lacked ways to monitor pressure, temperature and humidity.

Gambling Addicts Find Voluntary Maryland Casino Ban Unhelpful

(Click on the image for the News4 video report)

By Scott MacFarlane, Rick Yarborough and Steve Jones:

• A program through which people voluntarily ban themselves from Maryland’s six casino is being criticized as toothless and unhelpful by local gambling addicts.
• “We take every reasonable opportunity to ensure that people on the Voluntary Exclusion Program list are not on our property engaging in gaming," MGM said in a statement. "We do not ID every person through the door but we provide the photo and description for each person in the program to Surveillance and Security. We also upload it to into our Internal customer databases so as to flag any gaming activity under the person's name.”

The Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT)

(Click the image for a map of the complete trail)

Projected County Revenue from MGM National Harbor

(Click on the image to download the briefing)

• MGM National Harbor revenue projections will be fluid until the facility has been operational for at least 24 months
• Final County VLT Taxes primarily depend upon  VLT revenues at the Big 3 facilities due to the “split evenly” and “hold-harmless” provisions under State Law
• The Baker Administration will be providing monthly reports on VLT and TG performance starting with the February 2017 reporting period
• After the fiscal year-end close, the Administration will provide both revenue and expenditure reports for all MGM-related revenues

How Do I . . .?

(Click on the image for the NDC brochures)

The Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) has 9 brochures you can download including:

• How Do I Plant a Tree?
• How Do I Design & Build a Rain Garden?
• How Do I Pick Suitable Native Plants?

Litter Free PG

(Click on the image for Jessica Brown's blog)

My name is Jessica Brown, and I am currently a Girl Scout Ambassador.  I am working on my Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve.
During my  time as a resident of Prince George’s County, I have seen litter cover roads, ditches, and other areas.  The trash on the side of my home’s fence line has been trifled with fast food packaging, liquor bottles, and countless tobacco products.  My mom gave me and my brother the task of picking it up.  Eventually, I got sick and tired of picking up other people’s trash. Service and volunteerism are values key values learned as a Girl Scout.  I thought to myself, “If no one else will stop this problem, I will”.

Family Fights To Preserve Cemetery Next To MGM Casino

(Click on the image for Chris Gordon's News4 report)

"A family with deep roots in the area wants to preserve a cemetery that is the final resting place of founding figures of Prince George's County. News4's Chris Gordon reports on the family's fight to protect its legacy."

[Also read ‘Hiding real black history’: Lawsuit fights plan to move historic cemetery at MGM casino’s doorstep in the Washington Post]

Beware: Spring brings scammers to your door

(Click on the image for Kristi King's report on WTOP)

Now that the weather is warming up, realize that all the door-to-door vendors who come calling might not be legitimate.
“They’re going to tell you that your driveway needs to be fixed, that your trees need to be trimmed. They may even offer to do lawn service,” said Kelsey Owen of the Better Business Bureau, serving metro Washington D.C. and eastern Pennsylvania.
“Not everyone is a scammer that comes to your door, but there are definitely some red flags to look out for,” Owen warned.
You probably should be suspicious when offered a limited-time deal that expires if you don’t commit right away.
“Just tell them no. Close your door [better yet, don't open your door],” Owen said. “You don’t need to make any decision right away before you’ve had time to think it over.”
BBB warns that common scams involve magazine subscriptions, alarm systems and “storm chasers.”

Do Your Doody

By Jennifer Rutherford in John Kelly’s April 4, 2017 Washington Post column:

Ta Rah Rah BOOM Dee AY
I picked up POOP today
Not my pup’s POOP — But HEY!
I scooped it ANYWAY!
Ta Rah Rah BOOM Dee AY
Let’s all be good today
And POOP IT FORWARD — Yay!
Keep our park clean, HURRAY!