CTV News 9/12/24

just ahead on CTV News the County School System breaks ground on a new school today plus the Maryland Corps and service year option welcomes their second class it's been interesting to be able to see all the positions that I'm allowed to look into the experiences that I'm able to have those stories and more on CTV News starting now [Music] good evening this is CTV news for September 12th I'm Mariah galad and I'm Cera Jones thanks for joining us speaker Mike Johnson delayed a vote Wednesday on a temporary spending Bill meant to prevent a government shutdown in 3 weeks the baill which would fund federal agencies for 6 months also includes a new requirement for voter registration proof of citizenship Johnson facing opposition from both parties isn't backing down on linking these issues and even as the school year is underway Prince George's County Public Schools is leading the charge on the future of Education a number of County leaders broke ground on a new school in New Carolton this morning one of eight buildings going up as part of phase two of the blueprint schools plan the Robert Frost Elementary school is being reimagined as a k througha Academy with state-of-the-art resources bringing the half-century old school into the modern era PGCPS superintendent Millard house says students deserve to be in spaces that reflect the technology of today students need to be a part of what it is that they're going to see beyond education beyond their uh their K12 experience and it's important uh that they see you know throughout this construction uh project uh that the community cares about about them uh that the community wants to see them prepared with all the tools that would be necessary for them to move into the Millennium of uh of of technology and understanding what it is uh to be successful we are really showing that we are invested in making sure that our kids are going to be leaders in the future they're going to be civically engaged they're going to be engaged in understanding why they need to care for their Earth and why it's important and um I'm I'm just thrilled that we're going to be having the state-ofthe-art school here work on the school is expected to be complete in summer 2027 civil rights groups are urging the University of Maryland College Park to reverse its decision to ban student L Pro Palestinian demonstrations on October 7th the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel and of the war on Gaza the Council of American Islamic relations sent a letter to the school warning them that action will be taken quote a legal clash with the First Amendment the school will lose the university system says it will restrict October 7th demonstrations from any organizations across all institution car's attorney says this violates students constitutional rights the First Amendment doesn't allow the government to to be a censor and campus officials here are deciding to act as dictatorial censors on one day only on October 7th and and the First Amendment just doesn't allow that ever not on October 7th not on October 6th not on October 8th no legal action has been taken at this time car says they hope the school will reverse course on its own well the first counting and certification of elector votes at the capital since the January 6th Insurrection in 2021 will come with significantly increased security next year the Department of Homeland Security has designated the January 6 2025 count as a national special security event that means it will have a level of security similar to events like the state of the union and presidential inaugurations this is in an effort to avoid a repeat of the chaos nearly 4 years ago when a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters storm the capital to try and stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's Victory the 53rd annual legislative conference kicked off yesterday the Conference held by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is leading public policy Gathering focused on issues impacting African-Americans this year's theme from Vision to Victory amplifying black voices is especially important to attendees following Tuesday's debate with KLA Harris and alum iio the caucus at the top of the democratic ticket attendees are elated and Governor West Moore said there is a lot more to be done when it comes to racial inequities racism is expensive bigotry is expensive and if we truly want to have an economic system that benefits everybody we need to create an economic system that allows for the racial wealth Gap to become history Prince George's police are investigating a shooting involving a buy police officer this morning the officer pulled over a motorist stranded near colington road in route 50 at 8:00 a.m. When approaching the vehicle the officer opened fire thankfully no one was injured but an uninvolved vehicle passing by was struck the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation meantime a Montgomery County teenager faces attempted murder charges following a shooting near Northwest High School back in March the suspect is 16-year-old Jaden oang police say the the teen was in a stolen Hyundai on the 19,000 block of Archdale Road in Germantown back on March 13th a 15-year-old male student got off of a school bus when the suspect got out of the stolen car and chased the victim oing fired a gun at the other team teager but he was not hit police arrested the suspect on September 6th just off campus near Northwest High School officers also recovered a loaded gun that he allegedly tossed just before he was arrested the suspect is being held without bond a Prince George's man accused of stealing 50 firearms from a Virginia store was sentenced yesterday according to court documents 22-year-old Cedric minger of Brandy Wine is involved in breaking into a federal Firearms licensing minger and three others traveled to Virginia and brought the Firearms to the district to offer them up for sale one firearm was recovered from a student at an elementary school minger pleaded guilty on June 20th and was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison the Maryland Department of service and Civic Innovation launches its second cohort of Maryland core service year option members the Maryland core service your option offers job training mentorship and access to resources like personal finance and career guidance all all while earning at least $15 an hour when completed members receive 6,000 for tuition or as a cash stien 600 members gathered at the University of Maryland on 911 for a day of service and Remembrance the program was first introduced to me by my mother and looking into it I lik all the opportunities that they had so I wanted to look deep into it I'm hoping to have like a new experience in a different field that I'm not accustomed to I'm hoping to be able to take it into my career path moving forward and to just have fun and members should be at least 18 years old to serve that just looks like such a great experience at that young age I love that abut all right you're watching CTV News I'm Mariah galad and I'm CA Jones coming up keeping the county streets clean has held big results plus you don't have to spend a penny to get your teeth clean those stories and more after the break stay with us the climate that we're operating under has everyone on the defensive you see a person and you automatically put them in a box and say well this is what this person should be like all of this ostracizing people what are we afraid of we're called to love one another it can't be I reject you as a person this country's been through so much it's people has been through so much why can't we fix this do we have issues we have to deal with yes we do but we're not going to be able to deal with them if we're fighting and yelling at each other and not listening yeah she has an accent oh God she dressed funny but we're talking the same thing we're all concerned about our children concerned about the world we live in a lot of people wouldn't even think we should be here talking to each other but I'm sorry I disagree [Music] welcome back Prince George's County just launched its first ever residential street sweeping campaign the initiative began just after Labor Day and plans to improve the cleanliness of Prince George's as a whole we spoke to the director of the County's Department of Public Works and transportation about the impact the program is already having on the county the sweeping program we just looked has been running for about 9 days and in those N9 days those our machines have picked up 30 tons of roadside liver so we we are really confident and happy with this program we really think it's going to do really great things for Prince George's County and um help to keep the county clean and um be in alignment with the county Executives PR priority for the environment and and a wholesome Community Johnson also says that this initiative will not only improve the cleanliness of our streets but will have a residual impact on the water as well we have some welcome news for small business owners a recent report shows that wage growth is slowing for some Industries employers have had to balance offering competitive wages to ret to retain quality employees and managing overall expenses with inflation on the mind of many owners their biggest expense Still Remains employee labor cost even with the slow down the National Small Business jobs index has indicated modest employment growth closer to pre-pandemic levels and the Hispanic chamber of commerce Prince George's County is celebrating their one-year anniversary just ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month HC is celebrating one year of strengthening and supporting the his the Hispanic community in the county it means a lot um it's a little over a year uh just to the different events that have occurred throughout the year but um we are really excited uh we are here to help small businesses interns um at local colleges as well as um high school students we're also here to help create more um work workers in the pipeline for our County we want to build more entrepreneurs for our County Hispanic Heritage Month starts this Sunday the 15th and hcc's anniversary celebration is tonight at 5:30 well did you floss your teeth correctly with free dentistry day coming this Saturday tent dental care in Fort Washington is giving new meaning to your dentist visit they will be offering free fillings cleanings and checkups to everyone who comes to their health and wellness event this will be a first come first serve so you don't need to bring insurance if you don't even have it shamia Daniels The Practice manager says their goal is to fill your appointment with some good old TLC I think ultimately Dental affects your overall well-being um and a lot of people don't understand that and the fear that I think pop culture has cultivated around Dentistry has made it hard for people to see beyond all of that scary stuff um so what we really want to help people understand is that you know Dental concerns are not going to go away um but what you need to do is to make sure that you're taking that time coming in for your routine Dental checkups so then we don't have that scary more you know major stuff coming up later for more details on the event call 30123 3944 and in business new Campbell's Soup Co is breaking up with the soup that has made it so iconic but the breakup will just be in the name only for fans of the brand you will will still be able to enjoy the Campbell soup that you love but at an annual meeting of investors the company announced that it will like to be known simply as Campbell's Co the company is breaking away from tradition after operating as a food seller for the past Century and a half and has been operating as Campbell Soup since 1922 in other business news Starbucks new CEO wants to make improvements to service and experience at the coffee giant Brian nickel the chairman and CEO says the company needs to focus on bettering the customer experience at its store particularly during the morning Rush nickel wants to make the storees gathering places like they used to be the CEO who used to be at the helm of Chipotle says Starbucks needs to make sure Baristas have the tools and enough time to prepare drinks for customers and with great power comes great responsibility and with Jaden Daniels being named the starting quarterback of the Washington commanders he gets to take part in a special NFL tradition Daniels and the other 31 starting NFL quarterbacks will have their signed helmets auctioned off and the proceeds will help support pediatric cancer research and treatment this initiative was started by Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Star whose family is still carrying the tradition after his passing in 2019 and if you would like to get in on the bidding you still have time bidding closes on on Sunday September 15th how cool is that I know that's so sweet I'm really glad that it goes to a good cause and they're carrying on that Legacy absolutely H how great and still to come on CTV News discover the local ties of the Underground Railroad and we have a strong lineup in sports stay with us we'll be right back some nights we slept in our car I went to school hungry I'd wash up in a gas station bathroom before school through it all I never lost sight whatever it takes I'm going to make a difference I am going to college I'm going to college I am going to college perseverance in the face of adversity is what the Horatio Alger Association is all about and funding dreams is what they do Freedom mutual respect and equality of opportunity that's that's my American Dream to Pioneer Innovative healthc Care Solutions to start my own software company to create a sustainable energy company people say the odds are against you and I'm like what odds find out more at Horatio al.org my dad is definitely my hero he saved a lot of people what I love about serving my my country is putting this uniform on every single day this uniform reflects my solemn duty to protect America's freedoms but that has meant giving up a lot at home while I'm away fighting for my country my family is left behind to fight loneliness school and job changes and tight budgets for over 160 years the armed services YMCA has made it our duty to protect our service members and their families who have already sacrificed so much we make sure military families have support emergency help food and much more the armed services YMCA has helped me and my family through a lot of tough times they've changed my life today I'm a better husband father and Soldier their duty is to our country our duty is to make sure no military family is Left Behind learn more at as ymca.org welcome back you might not know this but September has been chosen as a month to recognize the underground railro because it was the month that Frederick Douglas and Harriet tutman escaped from slavery flee North a forgotten hero and the fight for freedom in slavery's Borderland is a new book that focuses on the underground railroad routes in DC and Prince George's County and joining us in the studio today is the author Scott Shane thank you so much for being here with us Mr Shane so your book takes place in a historical time around a historical landmark tell us about those characters and where they came from so the main character in this book uh was born right here in Prince George's County in Bladensburg in 1801 his name is Thomas Smallwood and he is really um in in my view uh an American hero on a level with Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas but very few people know what he did and that's basically why I wrote this book he uh he with a little of bit of an assist uh so first of all uh he was born into slavery he purchased his freedom uh by the age of 30 he became a shoe maker he opened a business in Southeast DC uh near the Navy yard and then he began in 1842 organizing basically Mass escapes from slavery by the wagon load so he would uh organize a group uh in the in the middle of the night they'd slip out of wherever they were enslaved uh 10 15 18 sometimes as many as 20 men women and children would be packed into a wagon they would throw a tarp over or disguise it in some way and they'd take off for the North and he kept this going for uh you know for for month after month after month as the police began to kind of uh catch on and close in and as if that wasn't enough supporting his family uh with his shoe making business and organizing these very dangerous escapes he decided he was a completely self-educated man he'd never gone to school but he had read everything and he was quite a writer so he decided he wanted to write about these escapes and this is really what sets him apart from just about everybody involved in the Underground Railroad he wrote newspaper dispatches about the escapes naming the slaveholders using their real names uh naming those escaped from them and basically mocking the slaveholders and celebrating the people escaping and he would send these off uh every couple weeks uh to a little paper in Albany New York which was on the route North and uh one you know probably the most uh exciting discovery that I made in researching this book is that it was Thomas Smallwood in these newspaper dispatches who first gave the name Underground Railroad to escapes from from slavery that had always been kind of a mystery and uh so he appointed himself General agent of all the branches of the National Underground Railroad but for him it was really just uh one more way to mock the slaveholders to attack the institution of slavery and uh you know he is a remarkable character so I wanted to know what led you to writing about the ties between the Underground Railroad and this region specifically well it's funny my um my interest in this subject or my knowledge of subject dates back to the 90s um I live in Baltimore and I was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun and I came across the fact that for many years in the 19th century slave Traders were operating around balor's Inner Harbor we think of that as as a kind of beautiful tourist spot uh but back between about 1810 and the Civil War slave Traders were were buying and selling human beings and shipping them often uh by water South to New Orleans and uh I I wrote about that at the time but I always wanted to return to that subject but uh my research into the slave trade which is in the book led me to this particular guy Thomas Smallwood I looked around like as I learned more about him and read his work for this newspaper I looked around to find well who's written about about Thomas mwood and basically the answer was nobody so uh so he became the Center of this book and uh in the center of of this story and and you know he's he should be recognized certainly in his native uh PG County uh so uh I hope he will you know I I grew up here in Maryland why do you think so many people here in Maryland don't know about Smallwood you know part of it is that the Underground Railroad was a was a covert operation what he was doing was extremely dangerous and if he were caught it could easily lead to his death uh or really at best a long prison term he eventually had to make his own uh flight North and he ended up in Canada he had earn a living uh he he uh he operated a a a saw manufacturing uh plant and you know he uh he just sort of faded into the woodwork he wasn't uh he wasn't able to write uh other than a short Memoir and uh you know he just kind of went off people's radar I think and I just wanted to mention real quickly that you have an event going on tonight correct it is at marad House Museum uh which is a historic house located on a former slave plantation tobacco Plantation uh right here in Prince George's County uh so I'm really glad to be talking about it to folks who live uh you know not far from from where this man came from yeah that's really exciting for those people I'm sure thank you so much for being here today my pleasure thanks for having me thank you and again tonight's event is being held at the marata house registration is recommended if you want to join online for more information give them a call at 31- 464 5291 and still ahead on CTV News Simon bugs brings us our Thursday Sports Page stay right [Music] [Music] there my 15-year-old son Ethan and I had a fun and relaxing morning we returned home and Ethan walked to his best friend's house an hour later I heard the ambulance Scream by the street carrying my beautiful boy Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun he had zero chance of survival the Father the gun owner he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoe box how do you feel that has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have David would you give any advice first thing you do is not keep your ammunition with your weapons and that your weapons need to be locked at all [Music] times first time that I went to see him a lot of stuff came into my mind cuz uh I wasn't prepared at all I know the first three months of his life were really important and I wanted to be there all the time for him first time he was like Daddy Daddy that's was one of his first words he grew up so quick he just surprised me every day he's really smart I really think he can be an astronaut president but I'm must support him for wherever he wants to be he want to be a photographer musician whatever as a father I guess you don't focus on you I put his first that's what a dad does [Music] what's going on sports fans the moment you've been finally waiting for is here now the buy the buy High School soccer Squad have established themselves as one of the best teams in the county the Bulldog seem to always rack up wins as they hardly ever go a season without winning double digion games and just two seasons ago the team took home the State title a winning coach is very much apparent with this apparent with this program and head coach France Dean touched on what goes what goes into his team having so much success I cannot take all the credit I came in on the great Tage of the Great Richard Kirkland um I have not had a losing season yet but as part of the the buoy culture um we have a great athletic director in Miss Brandt who ensures our students are not just athletes but student athletes first um our principal Mr CER uh ensures that this building is making making sure nothing but great kids are coming out of it and then when you add that to what the coaches bring to the team on the field uh it's it's a special formula that makes us very successful and sticking with with soccer there are so many exciting High School matchups taking place today Oxen Hill will take the field against cmit South Gwen Park will look to defend home turf versus Crossland and finally Largo will be on the road taking on saratz all games began at 445 now commanders Fang are definitely going to want to tune in this Sunday as the team will play their first NFC East opponent the burgundy and goal will be taking the field against the New York Giants to open up conference play conference games can be so entertaining as there can be an extra brand of physicality and motivation to beat your Rivals and head coach de Dan Quinn is looking forward to the upcoming matchup there's a lot that goes into the division because um you'll know both teams know each other better um when you're playing the first game usually the um you know the matchups who's new who's different you know what's been the same and what would be played different the second time what new wrinkles can you expect but uh I would say man like to be a part of this um like what a cool honor like this is a strong Division and has been for uh you know a history of of ball so it's uh it's really cool to be a part of it and so to have uh you know be a part of this game you know with Washington New York man we're fired up kickoff is at 1:00 I can't wait meanwhile the tur lacrosse Squad will have a new member joining them in 2026 as three star Prospect Luke gal has been committed has committed to playing for the team gal is a Faceoff specialist and currently attends Westmore Central in Chester New Jersey and this past season for the schools team gal recorded 23 goals eight assists and scooped up 34 ground balls and finally great news Mystics fan the team put out another one yesterday Washington routed the Chicago Sky 89 to 51 the mystics will take the court again against the Atlanta Dream tomorrow at 7:30 and that is your Thursday Sports Page all right thank you so much Simon I'm definitely excited for that Commander's Giants looking forward to it all right now let's sorry now let's take a look at our 3-day weather forecast tonight partly cloudy skies with a low of 62 tomorrow mostly cloudy skies with a high of 80 and a low of 62 moving on to a nice weekend with bright and sunny skies Saturday with a high of 84 and Sunday with a high of 82 and that wraps up CTV news for now thanks so much for joining us we'll see you again tomorrow good night good night everybody [Music] a