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Community Corner

🌱 Laurel Man Guilty Of Conspiracy + Late Poet's 'Body' In Museum

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Alexis Goring, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Good day, neighbors! Alexis Goring here with the latest Laurel Daily.

First, today's weather:

Windy with periods of rain. High: 61 Low: 53.

Here are the top five stories today in Laurel:

  1. The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour beginning January 1, 2022. M-NCPPC decided to implement the increase now, instead of increasing rates of pay over the next four years, as recommended by the State of Maryland. The new pay rates will impact 2,841 seasonal employees in Prince George's Parks and Recreation Department. (Press Release Desk)
  2. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron recently announced that a U.S. Naval Intelligence software engineer who was making and distributing illegal steroids from his Laurel home has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. According to Barron, Justin Ryan Best also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to his guilty plea, Best ran an illegal steroid manufacturing business from his home from 2013 through April. (Baltimore Sun)
  3. Maryland organizations are preparing to administer COVID-19 vaccination shots for younger children. The COVID-19 vaccine will be available for elementary school-aged children. Dr. Monique Soileau-Burke, with The Pediatric Center in Columbia, said there are contingency plans to prepare to administer Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of patients once the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives the final approval which could happen as soon as next week. (WBAL TV Baltimore)
  4. Edgar Allan Poe's "body" and casket will lie in state at the Laurel Museum beginning today and running through Nov. 28. The re-enactment of the dark day when the poet was laid to rest is a Poe Baltimore interactive art installation. Visitors can also pay respects at a special candlelight vigil. (Facebook)
  5. On Wednesday, the Department of Public Works will offer a special FREE pickup to collect your Halloween jack o' lanterns, pumpkins and gourds! Carved, whole, or painted pumpkins (water-based paint only) and gourds are acceptable for this pickup. Remember to remove all candles, fake web and plastic decorations. Pumpkins and gourds should be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. (City of Laurel)

Today's Laurel Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Laurel!

Today in Laurel:

  • St. Nicholas Fall Bazaar — This event will start from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and continue on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. This event will feature Treasure Trove (gently used gifts), Pages from the Past (books, CDs, videos sale), homemade crafts, basket theme raffle, wine timbola, and food to go. Outside seating is available. Masks are required. For more information, contact Pat at this number: 301-776-4645. (2:00 p.m.)
  • Kids Halloween Costume Contest — This event will take place at Tall Oaks Apartment Homes, 3515 Leslie Way in Laurel. (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
  • Take-Away Treat Spooktacular — Grab your costume and a bag for goodies and head down to the Robert J. DiPietro Community Center for our new and improved Take-Away Treat Spooktacular. Enter our decked-out Halloween Hall and take treats to go! We do ask that you wear a mask and limit your time inside so we can accommodate everyone joining us for this event. Bring a bag to carry your treats. (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
  • Laurel Dutch Country Farmers Market — Open on 9701 Fort Meade Road (8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
  • Movie Night — Get your tickets for outdoor Movie Night. Monsters Inc. will be showing tonight. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will start at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are FREE, but limited to the first 200 people, so register ASAP! (5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Laurel Patch Notebook

  • City of Laurel: Our Savior Lutheran Church is hosting their family-friendly Trunk or Treat event once again, happening on Sunday starting at 5:00 p.m. in the front parking lot. A lot of trunks will be filled with treats. Seize this opportunity to meet some new people and show off your costumes! (Facebook)
  • City of Laurel: A scholarship opportunity is available for Prince George's County students interested in STEM careers. Nov. 7 is the deadline to apply! (Facebook)
  • Laurel City OEM: COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT since Oct. 28 until Oct. 30. Heavy rain expected through late Friday. Some heavy rainfall can cause waters to rise and result in the closing of some roads. Protect flood-prone property. (Twitter)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Events:

  • Autumn Festival at The Mandala School (October 30)
  • Autumn Festival Saturday October 30th at the Mandala School (October 30)
  • Verbal Beginnings Trunk Or Treat! (October 30)
  • Save 15 Percent On Boo-tiful Flowers This Halloween! (October 31)
  • 5 Key Construction Contract Provisions - November Breakfast Bar Speaker Series (November 4)
  • [Webinar] Is Solar Right For Me? (November 4)
  • [Webinar] Is Solar Right For Me? (November 6)
  • Add your event

Housing:

Job listings:

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update! If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. 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? I'm all ears. You can reach me at alexiswritesforpatch@gmail.com.

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

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