Prince George's Officials Monitor Boston Explosion, But No Threat Seen in County

Several agencies are monitoring the news surrounding explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, but there's no reported threat locally.

Updated, 11:14 p.m.: In the wake of explosions at the Boston Marathon that left three people dead and more than 144 people injured, Prince George's county officials are monitoring the situation in Maryland and coordinating with state and federal agencies to identify any local threats. However, at this time, there's no threat identified in the region, officials report. "We’re monitoring intelligence from local, state and federal partners," Prince George's County Police Lt. Bill Alexander said in a statement Monday. "The PGPD is increasing patrols near all critical infrastructures in the county in response to the Boston Marathon explosions," PGPD Communications Director Julie Parker tweeted Monday.  The Maryland Transit Administration and …

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Top Tips for a Safe Halloween

Keep your children, pets and house safe this October 31st.

Oct. 31 is the one day a year on which kids (and many adults) let loose and have fun – dressing up as their favorite sports and music personality, movie star or the more traditional zombies, vampires, ghouls and ghosts. The Montgomery County and Prince George’s Police Forces and Fire Departments as well as the ASPCA have issued a number of tips for keeping children, adults and even pets safe this Halloween. For trick-or-treaters: For Halloween party-goers: For pets:

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Back-to-School Safety Tips for Kids and Parents

An 'ounce of prevention' is the key to safe travels to and from school.

With the start of a new school year, school safety is heavy on the minds of parents—which these days may mean worrying about possible violence at school. But studies show school-age children are nine times more likely to be unintentionallly injured—on the playground or elsewhere—than to be victims of violence at school, according the National Safe Kids Campaign (Safe Kids USA). The group estimates that each year 2.2 million children ages 14 and below are injured in school-related accidents. School-related accidents can be prevented, if parents prepare students and stay on the lookout for potential hazards. Here's a list of safety tips from Safe Kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Maryland Safe Routes Program: Walking to and …

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Pr. George's Schools Open Monday, Motorists Should Stay Alert

Last school year, the Prince George's County Police Department issued 349,233 speed camera tickets in the county's school zones.

  Motorists will need to keep their lead-foot in check starting Monday, when children across Prince George's County return to school. Many children walk to school with the help of parents or crossing guards, so drivers will have to be on the lookout for traffic slowing down in school zones across the county, not only to prevent injury to pedestrians but also to prevent from getting snapped in a speed camera's image. According to the AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Prince George's County Police Department issued 349,233 tickets last school year in the county's school zones. Each violation cost a motorist $40 and the county raised more than $5 million dollars in revenue from the tickets. The state raised around $13.9 million, the auto club reported…

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Plans Set for National Night Out

Community, officials, law enforcement to join for crime prevention and safety awareness event.

Residents of College Park will soon have the opportunity to meet with local law enforcement and learn about crime prevention.  The city’s National Night Out events will take place the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 2, with the main gathering hosted at the College Park Aviation Museum. Neighborhoods within the city will also hold their own events. Residents are asked to turn on their porch or lamppost lights from dusk to midnight. City of College Park Where: College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Features: Free light refreshments, self-guided tours of the museum and visits by police from local agencies. A police helicopter and fire department equipment will be on display. City of College Park elected …

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Parenting on a Tightrope

What are You Grateful For?

I didn't expect to have a personal lesson in gratitude this week, but I did.

I teach Vinyasa Flow Yoga Classes at the College Park Woods Pool House. Each week while the students lay in savasana, I lead the class into meditation. Monday, I talked about the word gratitude. I stretched my own body into downward dog pose, fingers wide pressing into the mat, and I spoke to the class about having gratitude for being here on our mats each week, gratitude for this moment. “During class when your mind drifts to self doubt and feelings of inadequacy … stop and remind yourself that there are other people who wish they could be here physically on this mat.” Little did I know that the next day I’d have a personal lesson in gratitude. Tuesday, after picking up some paint from the Home Depot, I was the first car at the …

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Do You Feel Safe Living in College Park?

College Park residents share their feelings on safety in the city.

College Park Patch asked residents whether they felt safe living in College Park. Some have never had a problem; others were less confident. Watch the video to hear what these residents had to say, and read more about safety in College Park here. And most importantly, tell us what you think: Do you feel safe living in College Park?

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