This year’s end replay of Top Stories was prepared by News Review staff members: Anna Bedford-Dillow, Deanna Dawson, Carol Griffith, Erica Johns, Sandra Lange, Diane Oberg, Sandy Rodgers and Pat Scully.
FBI, BARC and BEP
Proposed and existing federal facilities in and near Greenbelt took major hits this year. A multi-year process led to the selection of Greenbelt as the site for a new FBI headquarters, announced in November 2023. That relocation plan came to a grinding halt in March 2025, when President Donald Trump announced his intention to keep the FBI in Washington, D.C., with the Ronald Reagan Building the new proposed site.
Sweeping plans for reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), were announced in July. Researchers were informed that they would likely be moved to one of five locations across the country, with details sparse. Emergency meetings, Senate hearings, criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike and some Fiscal Year 2026 funding have provided some hope for the future of the facility and its hundreds of employees. In December 2025, USDA released a summary of public comments on its reorganization, which revealed strong, broad support for BARC. It remains unclear whether USDA will vacate BARC over the next few years.
A solicitation for the construction of a Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) facility to be built at BARC was cancelled in January due to reported budgetary constraints.
Impacts on Federal Employees
Greenbelt federal employees and contractors have faced an onslaught of upheavals since January 20. The ironically named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) instigated abrupt, chaotic layoffs of probationary employees, offers of deferred resignations (the “fork in the road”) and early retirements throughout the executive branch, with no consideration for the work of those laid off or leaving.
People working for the now-dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development experienced mass firings; many were stranded abroad or locked out of their offices by the abrupt closure.
Protests in support of federal workers drew thousands, with protesters on the Spellman Overpass on most Fridays, but failed to stop the hardships being imposed by the administration. Employees (and contractors) feared reprisals if they spoke out against DOGE actions.
Major employers in and near Greenbelt facing the greatest upheavals and uncertain futures are NASA, USDA, and the National Archives and Records Administration. City, county, state and federal officials offered advice and guidance for jobless residents following cuts; job fairs abounded. Meanwhile, local families faced mounting financial hardship.
And then, on October 1, the entire federal government shut down with a lapse in funding appropriations by Congress. Workers were furloughed; essential workers continued on the job without pay. The October 16 community food distribution by GAIL and SHABACH! Ministries had a turnout of hundreds, with cars in three lines stretching far back along Crescent Road.
SNAP benefits, a program that feeds more than 42 million Americans, lapsed on November 1.
The shutdown ended on November 12. Although SNAP and a few agencies are funded through the fiscal year, most parts of the government are only funded through January 30. Stay tuned.
Maglev Stopped in Its Tracks
In August, the Federal Railroad Administration announced that the project to build the Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation rail line, known as maglev, was cancelled. Officials cited the substantial negative impacts to federal agencies and significant infrastructure. And there was great rejoicing throughout Greenbelt and its environs, as the project had long been opposed here.
Protests, Large and Ongoing
This was a year marked by protests ‒ in Greenbelt and across the nation – beginning on April 5 with the Hands Off! National Day of Action in D.C. in response to the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts to severely reduce federal programs and jobs. Many Greenbelters joined thousands downtown on the National Mall, while some 300 protested in Greenbelt at the Municipal Building and the Spellman Overpass at the Baltimore-Washington (BW) Parkway. The event was one of 17 Hands Off! demonstrations in Maryland and over 1,300 nationwide.
The No Kings march was the next major rally, in protest of presidential overreach. On June 14 a Greenbelt crowd estimated at 500 to 700 filled the Spellman Overpass to capacity. The gathering was one of around 2,000 nationwide, including D.C., that drew millions of protesters into the streets. At a second No Kings Day, a massive crowd, among them many Greenbelters, protested in D.C. on October 18. Back in the city, a large crowd gathered once again in front of the Municipal Building and marched to line both the Spellman Overpass and the Greenbelt Road/BW Parkway bridge.
Smaller gatherings took on the administration’s immigration policies, such as the April 4 vigil at the U.S. District Courthouse in Greenbelt in support of Beltsville resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had been wrongly deported to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador. The Trump administration was fighting a court order to bring him back. He was eventually returned to the U.S., but held in ICE custody. Protests at the courthouse continued throughout the year. As of mid-December, Abrego Garcia was a free man, albeit temporarily, when he was released on home detention as his case continues to be adjudicated.
November 29 saw an ICE MELT protest with dozens of Greenbelt residents gathering across the street from the U.S. Park Police Greenbelt Station to raise an alarm as the federal U.S. Park Police were accused of aiding ICE.
County School System Changes
In February we reported that the company BusPatrol paid for Prince George’s County Public Schools’ (PGCPS) use of the long-failing bus tracking system, StopFinder. We looked into the contract secured after PGCPS changed everything from bus stops to bell times in its transportation overhaul but continued its use of the app over parents’ and board members’ objections. We reported that BusPatrol also has an ongoing contract with PGCPS to provide cameras for the stop arms on school buses, a contract that in FY 2023 alone netted BusPatrol over $6.6 million and PGCPS only $597,444.77 (see the February 5 issue). Later, a legislative audit in March flagged the contract with BusPatrol for paying the company higher than average fees and for not using a competitive bid process. That audit also highlighted payments to absent Board Member David Murray (since resigned) and inappropriate payments for the legal fees of then Board Member and now County Council Member Shayla Adams-Stafford (see the September 11 issue).
In June, PGCPS reached a separation agreement with former Superintendent Millard House II, who had been in the position for only two years. It followed a surprise vote of no confidence by the Prince George’s County Educators Association (PGCEA), which was in the middle of collective bargaining negotiations. PGCEA said over 75 percent of those participating voted no confidence in the superintendent but did not share the numbers of votes. Critics of the vote claimed few knew of it or participated and believed that it was politically motivated. On June 13, incoming County Executive Aisha Braveboy named Shawn Joseph as Interim Superintendent, the day after House’s resignation, prior to her own swearing in a week later. Joseph himself was ousted from his former superintendent position in Nashville, leading to concern by those surprised by the rapid appointment. The severance package with Superintendent House has not been publicly shared but the News Review was able to report that the salary portion of the payout to House was $733,994.64 (see the July 23 issue).
In the fall of 2025, PGCPS rolled out a new bus tracking system called Chipmunk to replace StopFinder. Greenbelt buses went live with the new app in November.
ICE Activities Concern Residents
In May, Greenbelt was included on a list of sanctuary cities, counties and states that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice said were defying federal immigration laws and endangering Americans. A shorter, updated list, posted October 31 on the Justice Department website, did not include Greenbelt.
The City of Greenbelt has repeatedly assured residents of its commitment to making Greenbelt a community that welcomes diversity. In February, the Greenbelt City Council issued a letter to the community, affirming its commitment to the Community Pledge and the values behind it. In November, the city issued a public statement in response to resident concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Although acknowledging that the city has no authority over federal agencies or federal land, it is “committed to protecting the rights, dignity and well-being of everyone who lives, works and worships in our city.” The city offers guidance and other resources to residents who witness or are affected by immigration enforcement activity.
Both a city ordinance and police general orders state that the Greenbelt Police Department cannot assist in civil immigration actions but may assist in cases that involve crime. It is not known at this time if any Greenbelt residents have been detained or apprehended by ICE.
Retired City Manager Jim Giese Dies
James K. Giese, 93, died on August 4, 2025. He was Greenbelt’s city manager for 28 years, serving from 1962 to 1990. These were turbulent development years that brought major highways, shopping centers and single-family housing throughout the community and threatened the green belt. City construction projects completed under his management included the police station, public works facility, senior housing, recreation centers, the indoor pool, ballfields and playgrounds.
His stoic manner offset a wealth of knowledge of Greenbelt’s history, both political and social, which he enjoyed recalling through stories and writing. He was widely respected by his peers, city employees and residents. After retiring, he joined the staff of the Greenbelt News Review, gave tours of the Greenbelt Museum and was named Outstanding Citizen in 2010.
Goddard Budget Cuts and Equipment Divestment
This year the Trump administration proposed cutting NASA’s budget by 24 percent, to the lowest level since 1961. However, most of those cuts are in the Science Mission Directorate, the primary funding for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), where the president’s budget proposes a 47 percent cut. The proposed cuts to NASA have faced bipartisan opposition in Congress yet GSFC has already seen large loss of staff through
incentivized resignations, retirements and separations.
At the end of August, President Trump took aim at NASA and a handful of other federal agencies’ unions, to nullify them by Executive Order. Goddard’s union, Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association (GESTA), said that even without recognition it can continue to be a union, and plans to continue to support and advise employees, including with filing various claims, requests and grievances; fighting discrimination and defending workers; objecting to management mistakes; and agitating for change.
In September, GSFC began emptying buildings at a rapid pace and divesting equipment, leading to frustration and a sense of chaos among workers there, some of whom were given little notice of moves impacting them or their equipment. In November some staff were recalled to the campus during a federal shutdown to continue emptying buildings and completing moves. GSFC leaders have denied losing capabilities at the campus and claim to be carrying out the “transformation efforts” outlined in the 20-year Master Plan for GSFC that was approved in 2019. The Master Plan calls for many of the aging buildings to be vacated but also for renovations and construction to take place and was to be implemented over 20 years. However, in September, Associate Center Director Raymond J. Rubilotta announced that, “unlike previous large-scale Center reconfigurations, which occurred over a number of years, all planned moves will take place over the next several months and will be completed by March 2026.” Some critics accuse GSFC leadership of complying in advance with a budget projection not approved by Congress.
However, Goddard’s Acting Center Director Cynthia Simmons argued it is necessary to consolidate the campus following a loss of personnel this year. At its height, GSFC had 10,000 civil servants and contractors on its campus but following a “flat budget,” and a big hit from the Deferred Resignation Program, those numbers have dwindled. In December, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen said the Goddard workforce has fallen to around 6,600.
Crime Takes Greenbelt Lives
Crime was in the news too often in 2025.
On October 17, 35-year-old Harold Landon III was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Mariame Toure Sylla, a Greenbelt resident and teacher at Dora Kennedy French Immersion school, who disappeared in Schrom Hills Park on July 29, 2023. After a search, her body was found decapitated and dismembered in a park in Clinton. Landon’s motive for killing her is unknown.
On July 22 police were called to the scene of a shooting in the 9100 block of Edmonston Court. The 18-year-old male victim had been taken to a nearby hospital.
On July 25 in Laurel, officers found 33-year-old William Denard Askew of Greenbelt suffering from gunshot wounds and who later died. On August 29, county police arrested 48-year-old James King IV of Laurel, for Askew’s murder.
A shooting on September 12 near Edmonston Court and Springhill Terrace left Mancel Johnson, 49, injured. After being hospitalized in critical condition, he died on October 5.
In separate incidents on October 4 and 5, Juan Gonzalez, 25, and Carltin Bayong, 14, were fatally shot in the Franklin Park area. Gonzalez was not a Greenbelt resident, but Bayong lived in Greenbelt and was a student at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
On October 28, close to Greenway Center, a juvenile male opened fire and a second juvenile male then discharged his weapon. The two were arrested in connection with the shooting; one also had an outstanding warrant for his involvement in a prior armed robbery.
Save As You Throw Pilot
As the year ends, residents using city trash services are preparing for the rollout of the yearlong Save As You Throw (SAYT) pilot. In this program, residents will pay in part based upon how much trash they put out for collection. In addition to a slightly lower quarterly charge, city customers must either purchase special trash bags or, if they generate higher volumes of trash, purchase a sticker allowing up to 90 gallons per week. The city is also implementing other changes, such as requiring non-GHI residents to call for bulk trash and yard waste pickups as GHI residents have long done, and requiring GHI residents to remove cans from trash closets, sheds or enclosures on collection days. In response to comments from customers, the city has made allowances for those who are physically unable to put out their cans.
The city has stated that the change is necessary to avoid a larger, across-the-board increase caused by the city’s failure to adjust refuse collection charges as costs increased. The SAYT pilot will be evaluated, and if it does not close the gap by reducing the amount of trash generated (and the resultant tipping fees at the county landfill), it will be necessary to implement a larger, across-the-board fee increase.
Council Election and RCV Referendum
For the first time since 1985 an incumbent Greenbelt City Council member, Rodney Roberts, was defeated in the 2025 election.
Thirty-year-old community organizer Frankie Fritz, who was born after Roberts was first elected to council, joined the six re-elected incumbents when they were seated on November 10. This was the first year that noncitizens were allowed to vote in city elections, although only 22 had registered and just eight voted. The participation of 16-year-olds increased to 32, up from just two in the 2023 election. More immediate impact is expected from a referendum this year in which voters approved implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) by a 2 to 1 margin. However, a referendum to increase council terms to four years, up from the current two-year terms, was defeated by a 1.5 to 1 margin.
Heat Returns to Apartments
Parkway Gardens and Crescent Pointe apartment residents on Parkway near Roosevelt Center were without heat from October 2024 through extremely cold weather until early February 2025, affecting all 42 Parkway Gardens apartments and 12 of 42 Crescent Pointe apartments. Three broken boilers prevented turning on central heating when cold weather began. Property managers provided temporary window or portable heating units which brought their own problems, including increasing residents’ electric bills, buildings losing power due to extra loads and fears of fire. In December, city code inspectors issued violation notices, requiring the property manager to provide a permanent solution by January 20 or face fines. In January, property management changed from Pinacle Property Group to Dreyfuss Management, which raised Parkway Gardens residents’ rent. The city issued $14,150 in fines for heat-related code violations before central heating was restored February 5.
Chelsea Wood condominium owners just east of Greenbelt city limits were also without central heat from October until March, due to breaks in pipes carrying hot water from boilers and failing boilers. Their situation highlighted complexities condo owners may face when things go wrong. Although the property is outside Greenbelt city limits, Greenbelt city staff helped by purchasing pipes for later reimbursement. Heat was restored March 4.
