Required Reading is a simple, daily roundup of news coverage relevant to Prince George’s County and its Route 1 communities. In our Jan. 11, 2019, edition: Details of a Capital Bikeshare expansion in Greenbelt; Delays in Purple Line construction; How a government shutdown affects a new Hyattsville distillery, and more stories after the jump:
Key quote: “The private consortium’s reports don’t say how much it would cost in additional labor, equipment and other expenses to open the line in February 2023. The negotiations have focused on who — the state or team of companies — is to blame for which delays and who should pay to offset them.”
Capital Bikeshare plans Greenbelt expansion – Greenbelt News Review
Key quote: “According to the proposal, the five locations being considered in Greenbelt are: Greenbelt Station Parkway and North Center Drive; Breezewood Drive and Cherrywood Lane; Roosevelt Center; Crescent Road and Ridge Road (near the police station), and on Hanover Parkway near Eleanor Roosevelt High School”
Board of Public Works awards state tax system overhaul contract – Prince George’s Sentinel
Key quote: “The comptroller’s office currently uses various systems to collect taxes – one of which is a mainframe business tax-collection system that dates to 1987 and another system for individual income taxes and the sales tax, which began use in 1992.”
Government shutdown puts dent in Hyattsville distillery’s business plans – The Hyattsville Wire
Key quote: ““We’ve got an apple brandy label and an aged gin label that need approval,” co-owner co-owner Nate Groenendyk told the Hyattsville Wire. “They’re still aging in barrels for the meantime, but we can’t order labels until they’re approved”
Government shutdown strains region, leaders warn – WTOP
“The anecdotal realities are out there…In our dry cleaners, our restaurants, all of your Uber drivers, you name it — there is a strain on this region.”
195 year sentence issued for gunman in PGPD headquarters shooting that left officer dead – WRC
“A prosecutor said even though Ford didn’t fire the fatal shot, he created a ‘combat zone’ outside the station and caused [the officer’s] death.”