Breaking News: Judge Stays Closing of BARC
In a 40-page order issued October 13, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California ordered defendants USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins and their officers and agents to stay from closing or consolidating the resources of any Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratory or facility including the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). The […]
New Treasurer Maisha Williams Stresses Transparency, Efficiency
At the September 14 Greenbelt City Council meeting, City Manager Josué Salmerón introduced Greenbelt’s new City Treasurer. “Today’s a great day,” said Salmerón. “I’m really excited to welcome our new city treasurer, Maisha Williams.” Williams, who comes to Greenbelt fresh off her role as city manager for New Carrollton, boasts an extensive resumé. “I come […]
Stop Sign Violations Decrease, Though Still Around 2,000 Daily
Stop sign violations have dropped by 37 percent since Greenbelt installed cameras at six specific locations in the city in March. The city has not yet broken even on the program, Police Chief Richard Bowers told the News Review this month. Three months of data from the program show weekly violations have dropped from around […]
Sharing Worldwide Art Through Film: The 22nd Utopia Film Fest
This weekend’s 22nd annual Utopia Film Festival presents Greenbelt with 44 films. They range from a five-minute U.S. short directed by a middle schooler to an 88-minute Paraguayan feature about a search. “Our motto is seeking a better world through film, and since 2005, that’s what we aim to do,” said Frank Gervasi, the festival’s […]
Bond Questions on the Ballot
As we reported last week, there are 10 county questions on the ballot. To read about the charter amendments, see the article in the October 8 issue. Below is information on what to expect from the five remaining questions, which are all “bond issue” questions, meaning they request authorization to borrow money. These questions will […]
City Acts on ICE, Recognition Funding and Staff Authority
This article focuses on the September 14 City Council discussion of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the county, funding of recognition groups and a clarification of authority in managing the city’s relationships with local homeowners’ associations (HOAs). Another story in the October 1 issue discussed city reports and other actions for this council […]
Greenbelt Embraces Its Hispanic Culture with Brand New Festival
Through dance, music, food and more, Greenbelt Unidos, meaning United Greenbelt, brought together residents to celebrate the city’s Hispanic community on Saturday, October 3. “I put this together because the city has never hosted an event for Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Gizelle Alvarez, the City of Greenbelt’s constituent services coordinator and organizer of the event. […]
Election 2026: Five County Charter Amendments Among Ten Questions on Ballot
This November there will be 10 questions from the county on the ballot for voters to consider. Five are charter amendments that range from “harmful business” taxes on liquor stores and self-storage units, for example, to eliminating at-large county council members, to redistricting, purchasing and arbitration. A further five deal with bond issues and will […]
City Council Votes to Establish New Tenant Advisory Board
The Greenbelt City Council met on September 28. A major item on council’s agenda was the second reading and adoption of a resolution creating a Tenant Advisory Board. (Other discussions and actions at the meeting will be reported in a separate article.) As the resolution’s title states, the purpose of the board is to “provide […]
2026 Fall Pumpkin Festival Is On, with Future Uncertain
Pumpkin Queen Stacy Stewart has spent the past three years coordinating the Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival. This year’s Pumpkin Festival will be her last as an organizer, and without potential coordinators to take over, the nearly four-decade-old tradition could end sooner than expected. “We’ve been looking for someone to take over; so far, no takers,” Stewart […]