ED Doctor Near Prince George's County, MD

Prince George's County grapples with lingering snow and ice, as residents struggle to clear paths and await plowing.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — The continuing cold this weekend, and the possible melt and refreeze next week is only going to make it harder to dig out of the snowcrete.

Nearly a week after a winter storm, many are still trying to clear off their cars and driveways in Prince George's County, and some are still waiting for their street to be cleared.

As of Friday night, the roads in Prince George's County are more than 90% passable, though that’s not much comfort if it's your street that hasn't been plowed. The county is now reallocating resources and taking more measures to melt the ice and snow.

"This is the worst, because this ice is crazy,” said a Prince George’s County resident, chipping away at the snow in front of his mailbox. "They didn't pass my mail today, so I'm just trying to make a way so they can get to the mail box."

Prince George's County Public Works and Transportation workers started their 13th twelve-hour shift clearing snow.

"We're not 100% passable, and until then we're going to keep working hard for Prince Georgians,” said Deputy Director Oluseyi Olugbenle.

She said on Friday alone, they used a specialized salt mix and 20,000 gallons of brine across the county to help break up the ice before the plow trucks go through. They have also brought in more resources.

"We had to reallocate our heavy equipment from north and central county into south county, where we were still seeing a lot of those issues in the Temple Hills and Clinton area,” Olugbenle said.

She explained that crews are listening to residents about where help is needed. After days of work, they were finally able to clear the streets in the Bennington Court area.

“We first sent plow trucks, plow trucks didn't do anything. Then we sent heavy equipment last night, pretreated last night, and still. Then today we finally got to seeing the asphalt on the ground."

She said residents on roads that still need treatment can call 311 for support.

Prince George’s County residents face frustration as snow and ice cleanup remains, leaving some neighborhoods untouched.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Nearly a week after a snow and ice storm hit Prince George’s County, cleanup efforts are still uneven, with some neighborhoods cleared and others reporting they have yet to see a snowplow.

County leaders say crews have made progress on major roads and in some residential areas, but thick ice and the volume of requests have slowed operations. In Upper Marlboro, residents said neighborhood streets remained untouched days after the storm.

“We’re seeing progress in some areas — but other roads, not so much,” said Prince George’s County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha as crews continued work Saturday.

Throughout the day, county crews shoveled driveways, cleared cars and worked on smaller residential streets. State and county officials were also out checking on residents, particularly seniors and those with medical needs.

Much of the effort is tied to the county’s Silver Shovel program, which provides snow removal assistance to residents 70 and older. Officials said the initial request list included about 4,000 households, prompting the county to temporarily pause new requests.

“They’re doing as many as possible because we know there are a lot in need,” Oriadha said.

Maryland Delegate Tiffany Alston said crews have prioritized vulnerable residents who rely on caregivers.

“We’ve been able to help 90-year-olds dig out so that their providers can get to them,” Alston said. “They may not be going out, but what about the people that have to come in and provide medical care to them?”

Some residents said the program is now working but got off to a rocky start.

“It’s working very well right now, but it was a rough start,” said Vanessa Dixon, a longtime Capitol Heights resident. She said many of her neighbors struggled to sign up because they are not comfortable with technology.

County officials acknowledged that not all residents who needed help were initially on the list.

“There were some that weren’t on the list but were on the street with the equipment, trying to help as many people as possible,” Oriadha said.

Cleanup has also been complicated by ice, which officials say has damaged equipment and slowed progress.

“This is not a traditional snowstorm but an ice storm,” Oriadha said. “There’s a lot of learning. Bobcats have been broken while people are out here working.”

Other residents said they are still waiting for help.

“I’m not happy with the county at all,” said Gasimu Umaru, who lives in Upper Marlboro. He said no plows or salt trucks have come down his street since the storm.

“We’ve been stuck in the house since the snow,” Umaru said. “We have not been able to go to the main road.”

Umaru said he called the county’s 311 service repeatedly, spending hours on hold, and was told that some services do not operate on weekends. He said he has had to order water and other essentials to his home.

“I know they’re busy, I know they have a lot to do,” Umaru said. “But just consider — no matter what — there are certain areas, just come by once.”

County leaders said they understand residents’ frustration and that full cleanup will take time.

“We might hit 50 or 60 percent capacity of being done,” Oriadha said. “There’s a reality that there are people who haven’t been hit yet, and they’re waiting for 100 percent so they can get out of their homes.”

Crews are expected to continue working into the night as cleanup efforts continue across the county.

The Prince George’s County Council unanimously appointed a new member to the District 6 seat left vacant after Wala Blegay was appointed last month to fill an at-large seat.

Longtime county resident Danielle Hunter will serve in the District 6 seat through Dec. 7.

She previously worked inside County Executive Aisha Braveboy's office as the director of appointments for the county's board and commissions.

“I’m really excited about this position. It gives me the opportunity to continue to do what I’ve already done and already have been doing for a very long time. I just haven’t been on the forefront of it,” Hunter told News4.

Hunter and her family have lived in Prince George's County, Maryland, for more than 20 years, and they've been in the District 6 area of the county for the past seven years, she said.

She said safety, education and health care are her top priorities, and she wants to get a better understanding of the council's budget constraints.

“It is an opportunity for me to really push what the constituents are looking for,” Hunter said. “And address and be a part of a lot of the solutions, voice my concerns.”

Prince George's County, Maryland, news updates, events and information

In December, the council unanimously voted to appoint Wala Blegay to an at-large seat, a move some criticized because multiple people from outside the council applied for the position.

“Everyone is considered. The reality is that there are a lot of great candidates,” Council Chair Krystal Oriadha said. “Everyone will have the chance in six months to vote for the person that they feel represents them the best, and I hope that the members that we choose to represent and stand on the council do a great job."

Hunter said her focus will be on learning and serving the residents of District 6 until her appointment ends in early December. She plans to run for the seat in the hopes of serving a full term in the position.

“We need to continue to work together. We need to filter out a lot of the negativity that's sometimes bestowed upon Prince George’s County. We need to collectively hear each other and keep a positive dialogue,” she said.

SoBe has operated in the community for 12 years, becoming a familiar space for families, friends, and neighbors to connect.

LANHAM, Md. — After more than a decade serving as a gathering place for food, fellowship, and community, SoBe Restaurant and Lounge in Prince George’s County is preparing to close its doors.

The popular Lanham restaurant will shut down Sunday night, owner Anthony Simpson confirmed in an exclusive interview with WUSA9.

“It’s bittersweet,” Simpson said. “Sad for the community a little bit — we tried to anchor the community and of course the way that we do in serving good food and environment for people to come out.”

SoBe has operated in the community for 12 years, becoming a familiar space for families, friends, and neighbors to connect. Simpson said the decision to close ultimately came down to a lease dispute with the landlord.

“It’s a lease situation where the landlords decided to go in a different direction,” Simpson said. “They were asking for a personal guarantee, and after reviewing the documents and realizing that it was not a good business decision or personal decision for my family.”

Simpson said the new lease terms would have left his family financially responsible for years to come.

Despite the closure, Simpson said he remains proud of what SoBe represented and the memories created inside its walls.

“We’ve had so many great memories from so many people — all the way to 100-year-old birthday parties,” he said. “Everybody knows it was a safe place to come to. We took pride in our food, which my wife put together the menu.”

Prince George’s County At-Large Councilmember Wala Blegay said SoBe has long been a staple in the community.

“People said we need places to go and eat, we need places to go and gather, and this is one of the places that we had that had no issues,” Blegay said.

Blegay said she was surprised by the announcement, noting she had attended a fundraiser at the restaurant just last week.

“I feel like I grew up in this space,” she said.

The closure also underscores broader challenges facing Prince George’s County, where leaders have been working to retain and attract local businesses. Blegay said county officials are actively focused on restaurant development and economic growth.

“We’re really looking for more people who want to operate restaurants,” she said, adding that the county’s economic development corporation is prioritizing those efforts.

As for Simpson, he hopes his journey serves as an inspiration, particularly for young people in the community.

“For young boys and girls to look at me as a minority, a Black man in this community, and know that they too — it’s possible,” he said.

Simpson said he has received multiple offers to continue the business in some form and hinted that SoBe's legacy could live on through his son.

“It’ll probably be turned over to my son and his vision for the future, so SoBe could possibly survive this,” he said.

WUSA9 reached out to the landlord for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Before closing, SoBe will host several final events, beginning Friday night, through Sunday, as the Simpson family prepares to say goodbye and thank the community for more than a decade of support.

Compared with other Metro stations around the D.C. region, the area surrounding the Capitol Heights Metro station is unremarkable at best.

“Four acres of asphalt — a parking lot that just sits empty,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said, describing the stop on Central Avenue, which sits right on the Maryland side of the D.C. line.

But in the future, state, local and transit leaders said it will be radically different.

Local leaders announced Tuesday that Atlantic Pacific Companies will lead the redevelopment of the land surrounding the Metro station.

It’s one of a long list of projects tied to Prince George’s County’s efforts to revamp what’s known as the Blue Line Corridor, which runs near and along Central Avenue from the D.C. line to just outside the Capital Beltway.

“This station is the heartbeat of the Blue Line Corridor,” Moore said.

The state is investing $17 million into this redevelopment project, with plans for more than 300 affordable housing units and about 10,000 square feet of new retail space when it’s completed. For this particular project, the rents will be priced for those who make 60% or less of the area median income.

During the announcement, Moore also touted his support for three bills that lawmakers will consider when they return to Annapolis next week. One would see over 300 acres of state-owned land that sits adjacent to transit stations in Maryland be made available for further redevelopment. Moore said that could lead to more than 7,000 new housing units and nearly $1.5 billion in new tax revenues.

Another bill the governor announced his support for is called the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Starter and Silver Homes Act. That bill would supersede local zoning laws and make it easier to build smaller, less-expensive starter homes and townhomes.

Built on smaller housing lots, the new homes could be up to 30% less expensive than the homes being built now, according to Jake Day, Maryland’s secretary of housing and community development.

A third bill backed by the governor aims to ensure regulatory certainty during the construction approval process.