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Community Corner

Latino-Owned Businesses​ Booming + Sweet Frog Animal Dance Party

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Alexis Goring, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Thursday, neighbors! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

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First, today's weather:

Rain in the morning and afternoon. High: 71 Low: 53.

Here are the top three stories today in Laurel:

  1. It could be a few more months before people will see the first sports books in Maryland that accept bets. During these months, there will be a pondering and establishment of rules that'll govern the industry to prevent any concern or crime from affecting the community. Lawmakers have approved the legalization. However, regulators are still ensuring the goodness and benefits to gain from this new law of the state. Governor Larry Hogan approved the sports betting law back in May. He mentioned that getting it completely done is impossible before the football season. (The Southern Maryland Chronicle)
  2. The 2021 Hispanic Business Owner Spotlight examined how Hispanic small business owners navigated the pandemic. According to the report and Bank of America, 99% of Hispanic entrepreneurs say the pandemic created added stress around running their business. Eighty-one percent of these business owners expect revenue to increase over the next 12 months. The United States Census data said that in 2018, Hispanic-owned businesses made up about 5.8% of all businesses and employed approximately 3 million people. According to Census numbers, there are over 100,000 Latino-owned businesses in Maryland. (WJLA)
  3. The Maryland General Assembly's redistricting commission held its first public hearing in Prince George's County on Monday night. Residents urged commission members to keep communities whole in their proposed maps. Ashanti Martinez spoke on behalf CASA, which is an organization that fights for immigrant rights. Martinez said District 47B is the state's only majority-Latino subdistrict, and urged commission members to maintain the district's boundaries in their maps. (WTOP)

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Today in Laurel:

  • Volleyball @ Central - CMIT Academy North - High Public Charter (6:30 p.m.)
  • Book Discussion: The Book of Delights, the 2021 One Maryland, One Book Selection (7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
  • Laurel Dutch Country Farmers Market — Open on 9701 Fort Meade Road (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
  • Ready 2 Read Storytime for Ages 3 to 5 — Join us for an outdoor storytime in front of the library to enjoy books, songs and rhymes! Physical distancing is required. Outdoor programs will be canceled in the case of inclement weather, they will not be transferred indoors. Please be advised that the status, location, or format of this event may change based on COVID-19 pandemic conditions. (10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)
  • Laurel Park Racing (1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
  • Sweet Frog Animal Dance Party — Join Girl Scouts for leaps and bounds while making new friends at Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt's Animal Dance Party! Learn how Girl Scouts can supercharge your girl's life. (6:00 p.m.)

Laurel Patch Notebook

  • Prince George's County Police: This week is Child Passenger Safety Week and the Office of Community First conducted a pop-up child safety seat inspection in #Hyattsville today. For more information on child safety seat installation and sizing recommendations for your child, please visit Safekids.org. #PGPD #community#safetyfirst (Instagram)
  • Laurel Police Department: MISSING CHILD: 11-year-old Raven Smith. Last seen 9/19/21 at 11:40 p.m. in the 10200 block of Windsor Oaks Way in Lanham. She is 5'10" and 150 lbs. Last seen wearing a black shirt with an anime character on it, black shorts and tie-dye rainbow colored Crocs. Please call this number, 301-695-4481, to contact Prince George's County Police with any information. (Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you soon! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Alexis Goring

About me: My name is Alexis A. Goring. I'm a Bowie area resident with a pulse for people, news and feature stories! I've worked as a freelance writer/editor/proofreader in the media industry for 15 years. I'm also a published author, experienced blogger, and founder of Writer at Heart Editorial Services. Visit my website for more details about me and my work. Here's the link: https://alexisagoring.jimdofree.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Laurel Daily? You can contact me at Laurel@Patch.com.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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