The Laurel Independent

08/07/2025

By VALERIE BONK, courtesy of WTOP More than 1,400 certificates approving lead inspections have been revoked in Maryland after three children tested positive for elevated lead levels. The action calls for the reinspection of tenant-occupied rental properties as a result of an “inspector’s failure to comply with work practice standards,” the Maryland Department of the Environment said in a news release....

By VALERIE BONK, courtesy of WTOP More than 1,400 certificates approving lead inspections have been revoked in Maryland after three children tested positive for elevated lead levels. The action calls for the reinspection of tenant-occupied rental properties as a result of an “inspector’s failure...

08/06/2025

This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring landfills, food waste and methane emissions in Prince George’s County and neighboring jurisdictions. The series is partly supported by an Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On July 1, the city of Laurel entered what can be called the third phase of food recycling, with an ecological policy too bold for many other jurisdictions to consider....

This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring landfills, food waste and methane emissions in Prince George’s County and neighboring jurisdictions. The series is partly supported by an Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  On July 1, ...

08/06/2025

The city of Laurel will hold a general election Nov. 4 to fill five city council seats. All five of the city's current councilmembers filed their intent to seek reelection by the July 25 deadline. Two challengers also filed: former Councilmember Brencis Smith for the At-Large seat, and Shelia Carroll for a Ward 1 seat. Councilmembers Clark and Mills are running unopposed for their Ward 2 seats....

The city of Laurel will hold a general election Nov. 4 to fill five city council seats. All five of the city’s current councilmembers filed their intent to seek reelection by the July 25 deadline. Two challengers also filed: former Councilmember Brencis Smith for the At-Large seat, and Shelia Carr...

08/06/2025

Tobias Dorzon once played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans in the NFL, but now he’s a seasoned chef with two restaurants located in Hyattsville. Huncho House, located at 6451 America Boulevard, Suite 101, is an Italian and Asian fusion restaurant that opened in 2022. Dorzon, who is also the head chef, created the restaurant to bring fine dining to the community, he told the…...

Tobias Dorzon once played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans in the NFL, but now he’s a seasoned chef with two restaurants located in Hyattsville. Huncho House, located at 6451 America Boulevard, Suite 101, is an Italian and Asian fusion restaurant that opened in 2022. Dorzon, w...

08/06/2025

BY JADE TRAN The Prince George’s County Planning Board released the third draft of the West Hyattsville-Queens Chapel Sector Plan this spring, aiming to set a 25-year vision for housing, transportation and development around the West Hyattsville and Hyattsville Crossing Metro stations. But for some residents, the newest draft raises more questions than answers, reigniting concerns about how community voices are being included in the conversation....

BY JADE TRAN The Prince George’s County Planning Board released the third draft of the West Hyattsville-Queens Chapel Sector Plan this spring, aiming to set a 25-year vision for housing, transportation and development around the West Hyattsville and Hyattsville Crossing Metro stations. But for som...

07/31/2025

When the Trump administration announced the closing of the Beltsville Area Research Center last week, local environmentalists worried about the huge open space being sold to developers. Local legislators are say such a move would be illegal.

By JOE MURCHISON Maryland elected officials believe that the Trump administration will not be able to sell the 6,000-acre Beltsville Agricultural Research Center to developers. They say the land will remain open space. State Sen. Jim Rosapepe (District 21) said that he and other state legislators fr...

07/17/2025

Your local Laurel newspaper just won some national awards for our 2024 coverage! Read all about it here:

By KIT SLACK Missing the summer olympics? Check out your hometown teams’ scores in the National Newspaper Association’s annual competition. Three gold medals. Our Laurel columnist Bob Reilly won first place for best humorous column for his profile of the robot at the local Denny’s. Humor may b...

07/16/2025

Join us for our Friday Night Flicks at Granville Gude Park. This week's movie is The Wild Robot.

Bring a blanket or a chair, pack a picnic or grab something at our concession stand and relax for some great lakeside entertainment!

These movies are free and open to all ages. Movies begin at dusk. This year, each week we will have a food truck at the movies so come hungry! We hope to see you all there!

For more information, please visit our website:
www.cityoflaurel.org/419/Outdoor-Movies-and-Concerts-in-the-Park

City of Laurel - Government
DMV Free Events

07/14/2025

What do you want to ask him the new interim county schools superintendent? Laurel residents can register for an advisory session today: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/superintendent/community-advisory-sessions Learn what he has shared about his plans so far: https://streetcarsuburbs.news/interim-superintendent-reaches-out-before-start-of-school/

The new interim superintendent is holding community and parent advisory sessions this week and next. Laurel (District 1) is tonight, College Park (District 3) is Thursday, and Hyattsville (District 2) is Friday. By LILLIAN GLAROS Prince George’s County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Shawn J...

06/28/2025

https://streetcarsuburbs.news/black-girls-code-summer-camp-concludes-in-laurel/

In a ceremony filled with colorful balloons, loud cheers and proud parents, the DMV Black Girls Code (BGC) Summer Camp presented their certificate handout at the Capitol Technology University in Laurel on Friday, June 27. BGC is a national nonprofit organization established in 2011 to help Black gir...

06/26/2025

Can you do native gardening cheaply with a seed mix? Our expert has answers.

By JIMMY ROGERS It’s easy to imagine: kill your lawn (or pull out a patch of invasive plants), spread a native seed mix and watch an entire garden spring out of the earth, ready to host birds and butterflies. Recently I’ve been bombarded with online ads promising just this proposition. Friends a...

05/02/2025

"The city of Laurel and allied nonprofits are hoping to use a state grant to seed an effort aimed at reducing local child poverty."
Learn more about this local initiative: https://streetcarsuburbs.news/city-launches-anti-poverty-effort/