WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Youth Honor Pan-African Figures Page 39
Vol. 57, No. 39 • July 14 - 20, 2022
Evolving St. Elizabeths East Generates Rising Affordability Concerns Residents Say Housing Possible but Not Easy to Get James Wright WI Staff Writer
5 Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the start of construction on the Interim Retail Village at Parcel 15 on the St. Elizabeths East campus with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 11. (Courtesy photo/Office of the Mayor)
As the St. Elizabeths East campus in Ward 8 in southeast Washington continues to develop, concerns have arisen regarding the affordability of the housing located on the large massive development. “I would like to live here, it seems like a nice place to be,” said Jackie Crenshaw, while attending the festivities surrounding the groundbreaking of Parcel 15 and its Interim Retail Village on the St. Elizabeths campus on July 11. “But I don’t know if I can stay here with what I make on my job?” Zillow.com, a housing website, reported the price of a typical single-family home in the District lists at $717,083 while in Congress Heights, the neighborhood that encompasses the St. Elizabeths East complex, the average price of a home stands at $422,500 according to the Oct. 18, 2021 edition of Urban Turf, a real estate online site. Apartmentlist.com report-
Primary Election Day Approaching in Maryland
What You Need to Know about the Newest COVID-19 Variant, BA.5
Governor, State and Local Offices up for Grabs William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Theresa Crowdy of Upper Marlboro chose to vote early in Maryland’s primary election so she could take her time. It took less than 15 minutes for the school bus driver for Prince George’s County public schools to vote Monday, July 11 at the Kentland Community Center in Landover. Crowdy declined to say who she voted for but said she takes her right to vote “very seriously.” “I believe in voting, even if I chose the person to be in the newer positions who could help us, doesn’t get in. It’s my right to vote,” she said, staring into the bright sunshine
VOTING Page 13
ST ELIZABETHS Page 46
Reinfections Will Become More Common; Vaccines, Boosters Remain Essential Kayla Benjamin WI Contributing Writer
5 Theodore Lilly of Fort Washington places his ballot inside a drop box on July 7 outside the Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Center in Fort Washington. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
Whether it’s a friend who previously managed to avoid getting the virus or a family member surprised and upset to find themselves re-infected, you probably know someone who has been impacted by COVID-19.
VARIANT Page 17
SPELLING BEE Page 12 Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area