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Parents call for overhaul of Ardmore n
Water being tested as repairs awaited for floor tiles and blacktop BY
EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER
Parents at Ardmore Elementary School in Springdale are anxiously awaiting the results of a water sample test that will tell them whether there is lead present in the school’s pipes. Ardmore students have been drinking bottled water for several years after a school system-wide investigation launched in 2004 found lead in the school’s classroom sinks and fountains, according to information provided by the Prince George’s County school system. Parents of children attending the school petitioned for the new lead test in November, and say possible water contamination is one of several problems at the school that have them frustrated and
See SCHOOL, Page A-7
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Kym and James Bridges of Fort Washington shops on Black Friday at the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor.
Largo teen buzzes in for ‘Jeopardy! Kids Week’ n
Bowie fire sparks questions about smart meters Officials request copy of BGE internal review
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Thirteen-year-old student one of 15 nationwide chosen for show BY
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STAFF WRITER
KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER
Cotie Jones, 50, of Largo said he watched “Jeopardy!” in high school, continued to tune in while dating his wife and went on the raise what he calls a “Jeopardy! household.” But he’s never been on the show himself — his daughter, Courtney, beat him to it. “I already knew she was incredibly bright. She showed me grit and determination and I was so impressed,” Jones said. Courtney Jones, 13, of Largo beat out thousands of children to earn one of 15 spots in the “Jeopardy! Kids Week” series. Her episode airs Thursday on ABC.
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EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY
Courtney Jones, 13, of Largo competes with other youths during “Jeopardy! Kids Week.”
JEOPARDY PRODUCTIONS INC.
A Bowie fire Sunday morning has city officials asking for more information regarding whether an electric meter, known as a “smart meter,” could have caused the blaze. Lynn Beiber of Bowie, who said she has been researching utility company Baltimore Gas and Electric’s smart meters for four years, is convinced the meters could be the cause of some building fires, she said. “I started reading about [the meters] and thought this is some sort of crazy conspiracy theory,” Beiber said. “But the more I researched it trying to disprove it, the more I found out, uh oh, this is happening. I’m not saying every building that has a smart meter is going to have a fire, but it does greatly increase the risk.” Although BGE representative Michael Fowler
See FIRE, Page A-7
D’Arcy Road community asking Prince George’s County for bus service Residents say adding route should be easy due to nearby county transit complex n
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KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER
Every morning, Sheleia Brooks, 21, of Upper Marlboro says she starts her journey to work by hiking half a mile up D’Arcy Road to the bus stop at
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. It’s wrong,” said William Murry, 64, of Upper Marlboro. “How can you put a bus company in the neighborhood and not pick up the neighborhood?” Residents living on the two-mile road have access to The Bus Route 24 at Ritchie Road and Route 20 at Pennsylvania Avenue, but commuters may need to walk more than a mile to get to either bus stop. The county’s transit operations complex, which holds all of the
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First Hispanic members of school board are sworn in. A-4
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county’s buses, is at 8401 D’Arcy Road. Tomika Monterville, chief of transit services for the DPW&T, said historically, there has not been a demand for bus service on D’Arcy Road and the department would need to conduct a survey to determine the need. “A lot of that area in Upper Marlboro going south and east of the bus facility is a little residential and a lot of industrial,” Monterville said. “We’ve never had bus service there.” Still, residents and commuters say
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Ritchie Road. Brooks says she and her neighbors must make this trek, rain or shine, because there is no bus service on D’Arcy Road, even though Prince George’s County’s transit operations complex is only blocks away. Now, Upper Marlboro residents and commuters are calling for the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation to improve bus access for neighborhoods along D’Arcy Road by adding bus service.
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RECYCLE
bus service on D’Arcy Road, which is heavily residential toward Forestville Road and includes the D’Arcy Woods and Forestville Estates neighborhoods, is much needed and long overdue. Brooks, who has asthma, said sometimes she has to stop halfway up the hill to catch her breath. Her mother, who also rides the bus, has arthritis in her knees, Brooks said. “I have such a long journey going to
See BUS, Page A-7