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Chillum fire now homicide scene; Two die in Seat Pleasant fire

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Update; April 15, 2020: Police say they are investigating the Highview Terrace fire as an arson. Police believe the victim, 23-year-old Washington, D.C., resident Zena Nichols was fatally shot by 42-year-old Jerome Harris, who lived at Highview Terrace. Police believe Harris set the fire after killing Nichols. Harris is at large, and has been charged with first-degree murder. Original Story

Two fires in Prince George’s County claimed three lives over the weekend.

Coronavirus

Route 1 group hopes to link local mask-makers with those in need

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An organized volunteer effort to get cloth masks into the hands of vulnerable people to help flatten the curve has launched in Prince George’s County’s Route 1 communities. Called Route 1 Mask Match, the group gives local crafters a way to put their skills to use helping vulnerable people and those who must interact with large populations in the Route 1 communities, from Mount Rainier to Beltsville. “Seniors groups up and down the corridor have already placed immediate requests for more than 50 masks,” said Lissa Bell, one of the organizers of the effort. “There is a great need for volunteers in the area to make these simple masks that will help save lives.”

The CDC now recommends that everyone wear cloth face masks while outside of the home together with social distancing techniques to slow the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. As of April 7, the Maryland Department of Health reports more than 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Prince George’s County and 26 deaths.

News

Prince George’s unemployment ticks down in September

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By Amelia Jarecke

The Prince George’s County unemployment is down compared to last September, matching the lowest rate the county has seen in the past year, according to the Department of Labor statistics released at the end of last month. The 3.6 percent unemployment rate for this September compared to a rate of 3.8 percent in the same month a year earlier. The last time the county’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent was in April. This January, the county’s unemployment rate climbed to 4.7 percent. Since then it has fluctuated, but now is one-tenth of a percent below the unemployment rate of the entire state. 

Maryland’s unemployment rate of 3.7 percent matches the lowest level the state has experienced in the past decade, according to the Department of Labor.

Hyattsville

Hyattsville eyes 2020 Census

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By Amelia Jarecke, contributing writer

Hyattsville is ramping up its efforts to get its residents counted on the 2020 Census. A key focus of the Hyattsville Complete Count Committee, formed earlier this month by the Hyattsville City Council, is to educate residents about the new electronic response option in the 2020 Census. Hyattsville is the latest Route 1 corridor city to launch a Complete Count committee. College Park and Mount Rainier have also taken similar steps. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found 84 percent of U.S. adults intend to participate in the Census.

Education
The logo of Prince George's County Public Schools

Letter to the Editor: Physical education suffers as Prince George’s schools show age

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I have been a physical education and health teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools for nine years. For the last five years, I have had the honor of being a physical education teacher. Our kids can’t wait for more funding. As a teacher, I want my students to have a healthy learning environment. I want to teach my students the importance of creating healthy habits while they are young.