PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION
Volume 122 No. 21
Happy New Year! DECEMBER 28, 2013 - JANUARY 3, 2014
Jets’ David Nelson The nation’s Capitol lights up the holidays! Delivers Game-Day Thrills to Teen Guest catching two touchdown passes in the Jets’ 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. EAST RUTHERFORD, “I hope it brought joy to N.J. — David Nelson pointed his life.” to the sky after his first Nelson formed the touchdown catch, sending a nonprofit i’mME with his two message to his new buddy. brothers last January to aid And giving him a thrill orphaned children. He invited he’ll never forget. Only to New York for “a The New York Jets wide crash course in Christmastime in the city” after hearing about how the boy stood in front of a church congregation and begged for a family to love him. Nelson, Only, plus one of the New York Jets wide receiver David boy’s friends and Nelson and Davion Only a guardian spent Saturday touring receiver hosted Davion Only, Rockefeller Center and FAO the 15-year-old Florida foster Schwartz, among some of boy who made headlines with New York’s top holiday his heartfelt adoption plea destinations. During the visit, in October, for a memorable Nelson asked Only if there weekend that included was anything special he could stops all over Manhattan do for him during the game on Saturday and MetLife Sunday. Stadium on Sunday. “He told me that after my “I think the way I played first catch to point to the sky,” today, I hope it made him said Nelson, who had four proud,” Nelson said after receptions for 33 yards. “My By Dennis Waszak Jr. The Associated Press
INSIDE A4
Prince George’s Junior Sensation Francis Tiafoe Makes Tennis History
B3
Best Black Books of 2013
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“My first catch just happened to be a touchdown and I made sure to honor him at that moment.” –Nelson
first catch just happened to be a touchdown and I made sure to honor him at that moment.” Only, wearing a green Jets jersey with Nelson’s No. 86, spent the afternoon in the stands after watching the players warm up from the sideline before the game. Nelson also posed for pictures with Only before getting ready to play. Turned out, Only might have been a bit of a good-luck charm for Nelson, who scored his first two touchdowns of the season — against the team that cut him after training camp. “I haven’t scored all year,” Nelson said, smiling, “so who would’ve thought I’d score two?” Nelson made the highlight clips a couple of years ago when he had a TD catch for Buffalo against Dallas, then trotted the length of the field to present the ball to his girlfriend, a Cowboys cheerleader. After these two touchdown grabs, the former college roommate of Tim Tebow at Florida was eager to get out of the locker room to rejoin Continued on A3
Photo by Travis Riddick
Md. Picks MGM for New Casino Near Nation’s Capital By Brian Witte Associated Press
MGM Resorts International on Friday won a license for a large casino and resort in Maryland near the nation’s capital. A state commission voted 5-2 in favor of Las Vegasbased MGM’s proposal to build a $925 million resort near the Potomac River at National Harbor with a 300-suite hotel, casino and seven restaurants. The casino plan includes 3,600 slot machines and 140 table games such as blackjack and roulette. “I want to build the most beautiful, iconic and successful resort,” said Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International. “I think outside of Las Vegas, this will be the most profitable commercial resort in the United States, and I want to bring that here.” Murren said the resort will create 2,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs. Maryland voters approved a casino in the county last year after lawmakers agreed to expand gambling in a special session. Before the vote, MGM spent about $40 million to help get the ballot question passed, while Penn National spent more than $42 million to defeat the expansion — a move largely viewed as an effort to protect a large casino in West Virginia owned by the company near Maryland’s border. The license is the sixth granted in five years in Maryland,
and four casinos have already opened. This casino could not open until July 2016, or 30 months after a casino being built in Baltimore opens. A Harrah’s casino there is expected to open next year, not far from where the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens play. Penn National, based in Wyomissing, Pa., had proposed a $700 million casino at the company’s Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George’s County, about 13 miles from Washington. The Hollywood Casino Resort at Rosecroft Raceway would have included slot machines, live table games and a poker room. The plan also included a hotel with a pool and spa and a multipurpose event center. Rosecroft also would have featured horse racing. Maryland Casino LLC, a subsidiary of Greenwood Racing, proposed the $800 million Parx Casino Hotel & Spa on a 22-acre parcel in Fort Washington with a hotel and entertainment venue. Greenwood Racing owns and operates Pennsylvania’s highest revenuegenerating casino, Parx Casino. Don Fry, the chairman of the state’s Video Lottery Facility Location Commission, said he believed the amenities at the MGM proposal were stronger. Commissioners who supported the MGM proposal also said it would raise more money for the state. “I think that it is truly a destination resort, which is one of the criteria that we take into consideration, and the Continued on A4
4 Arrested on Murder Charges in N.J. Mall Carjacking By Samantha Henry The Associated Press
AP Photo
Basim Henry(top left), Hanif Thompson (top right), Kevin Roberts (bottom left), Karif Ford (bottom right).
Four men have been arrested on charges of murder, conspiracy and other counts in the carjacking death of a man shot in front of his wife outside an upscale mall in northern New Jersey last weekend, authorities said Saturday. The suspects were identified at a news conference as 29-yearold Hanif Thompson, of Irvington, and 31-year-old Karif Ford, 32-year-old Basim Henry and 33-year-old Kevin Roberts, all of Newark. They are accused in the Dec. 15 carjacking and killing of Dustin Friedland outside The Mall at Short Hills. The 30-yearold lawyer from Hoboken was shot in the head in the mall parking garage after being confronted by two carjackers, authorities said. The assailants drove off in his silver Range Rover, which was found the next morning in Newark, about 10 miles from Short Hills. The four face charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. They were arrested between late Friday and early Saturday. Three of them were taken into custody at their residences in New Jersey, and Henry was arrested by an FBI task force at a hotel in Easton, Pa. The suspects are being held on $2 million bail each but Continued on A3
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