[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6576254,"mediaKeyId","3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c","parentId",3145669,"title","Arts, youth and environmental nonprofits request FY26 grants and project funding","audioSeconds",3789,"startMs",656000,"endMs",4445000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c&start=656&end=4445","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c/thumbnail_656000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6576254/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Arts-youth-and-environmental-nonprofits-request-FY26-grants-and-project-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576254-0d6d5f12b788403a8bf6e74e6fff8ae1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146695&Signature=XnH6086BWcKfhvZpWNYGis984PgOk-85acLNvAg18ciHiHjeE02X9dFdU1Iraw~2uDX4cFTQPh~rli9BY194Pjp22-xTlQNugl-YGVHSbBrMTsjrIpVsJA2CWFSjl~IeLRD43bE6o7HlPdjw5PQJ-2MhLBtaR5iABQ43o7aBm1qur-jhpDgbGrIuVsJLYBElNKRevWHthDhIuyx9gLw045V6PwkM36kbifibs6ILA9xc23VMJJhDtkFpGQ3eyC40BvCQxfuCtQCs4Q5i0DF7ymPul2UkkEmYepbzUlPDT31-3ueysfyFYOtaLtYS2uGjrgYhoepIrsGw4SlRcnxCgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George","date","2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of several local nonprofits and community programs urged the Prince George's County Council on April 28 to preserve or restore non-departmental grants and project-charge funding in the FY26 operating budget.

Jessica Port, volunteer chair of Artworks Now in Hyattsville, asked the council to maintain a $35,000 project charge allocation and a $20,000 non-departmental grant that the organization uses to subsidize free, low-cost and sliding-scale arts programming. “Program fees only cover 40% of our budget,” she said, and that continued county support helps serve more than 2,000 residents in 2025, ages 2 through 92.

Casa Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) representatives asked for continued special appropriations and non-departmental support; CASA said it serves about 200 youth with 41 volunteer advocates and is applying for $150,000 in non-departmental funding for FY26. “We need your resources to continue the vital work to help kids who are in foster care here in Prince George's County,” CASA board chair John Green said.

Ruby Stemley, founder and CEO of Eco Latinos, outlined three climate and workforce programs — Spanish-language sustainable landscaping training, a youth environmental leadership program, and community stewardship projects — and asked the council to continue funding through the stormwater stewardship grant and non-departmental grant programs. Stemley noted Eco Latinos previously received support from the county’s stormwater stewardship grant.

Kit Slack of Streetcar Suburbs Publishing described the Hyattsville Life & Times and affiliated local publications, noting the nonprofit received a $20,000 non-departmental grant in 2023 used to mail news to incorporated-area residents. Slack asked the council to continue that support, saying the nonprofit provides hyperlocal reporting to areas losing traditional newspaper coverage.

Other witnesses — including program directors and volunteer leaders — made brief requests for continued funding for youth training, arts programs, media internships, and community stewardship initiatives. Council members did not vote; the requests will be part of the FY26 budget record.

Provenance: nonprofit and program funding remarks begin with Jessica Port (Artworks Now) at transcript timecode ~00:10:56 and continue through Eco Latinos and other speakers later in the hearing (~01:10:23–01:30:00).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Prince George - County Council - Public Hearing - County Budget & CIP & BD of ED Budget & Constant Yield Rate) - Apr 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple nonprofits and community organizations asked the County Council to continue or restore project charge and non-departmental grant funding in the FY26 budget, including requests from Artworks Now, CASA, Eco Latinos, Streetcar Suburbs Publishing and others.","taxTitle","Prince George's County, Maryland","taxId",3378,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6576257,"Firefighters union presses council for more hires after rise in response times and attrition",165,3271000,3436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c&start=3271&end=3436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c/thumbnail_3271000.jpg","/articles/6576257/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Firefighters-union-presses-council-for-more-hires-after-rise-in-response-times-and-attrition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576257-12d8d0975d8566afe7678628a1e8d3b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146695&Signature=TNHJ5MhkBouM9t-mBpX2Krfp3ULvcqTwHAxTMQ8QvH7J1z2kWlVbi-A2hCNGxXGJrvYQtaI~iLoaJKMkivDzF4gnxFtBCGH-WyIepw4FL12mfeVxjSzaSnbZE9dXHvpvVI4TUr~y4CcZMSSOwJtCw8hjBunNYuhYYHFKwe3bnxltaA~DJPoDV9o0F4gzReISsKwOT1iYv69MI703wHHzamkn1DwLAG~aVVqaxxu2F4E0OuNH9qEvzpxf7CaYmkTEnzO9Ovcl1e8b9LeM6eTNx--R-~p6xQkgCpW~xCT0Vj5mP4FqD9q81c80l3ulMtAJorjV7mFoCX1WUWH8yTFvDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The president of the Prince George's County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association urged the County Council on April 28 to restore or increase firefighter staffing in the FY26 budget to lower response times and reduce mandatory overtime.

Grant Walker, president of the union, told the council that response standards and actual response times diverge locally: “In Prince George's County, it takes roughly 9 and a half minutes for you to get an ambulance or a fire truck. The response standard for a first on scene fire truck is 4 minutes with 4 firefighters.” He said call volume increased roughly 10% from 2019 to 2023 and that response times rose 16% over the same period.

Walker asked the council not to “penalize our firefighters in this budget” and to increase allocated strength so there are enough personnel available for emergency calls and to reduce the abusive reliance on mandatory overtime. He said the council previously approved funding for 50 new personnel in the budget year, but “10 months into this fiscal year, we have hired less than half of those personnel,” and that the department experienced an attrition of 83 personnel in 2024, “50 of those were resignations.”

The union leader framed staffing as both a public-safety and personnel-retention issue: long mandatory overtime harms morale and contributes to resignations, he said, and increased staffing would allow firefighters to complete shifts and “go home to their families.” The council did not act at the hearing; Walker’s comments were entered into the FY26 budget record for later deliberation.

Provenance: Grant Walker’s remarks on staffing and response times (transcript timecode ~00:54:25).","The president of the Prince George's County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association urged the council to increase allocated firefighter strength in the FY26 budget, saying call volumes rose and staffing shortfalls have led to longer response times and mandatory overtime.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6576261,"Residents press council to increase animal shelter funding, call out breed-specific restrictions",285,831000,1116000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c&start=831&end=1116","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c/thumbnail_831000.jpg","/articles/6576261/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Residents-press-council-to-increase-animal-shelter-funding-call-out-breed-specific-restrictions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576261-8f1a406aff379458a68a3ba7e81c50fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146695&Signature=KybA3RJ7IWwOtpBZuUng6W2UZOQDDyna3QZj2Jzt65uZh3rqmMkYLe-SFa2hGrz~GZQMMCCbmsLgAjHnVCLOV1ZBqTDrQmDP6AciHDWcnVY9uDG~aL~xaeb-WhCfYIq1kzaTgCrSjsA8dZTkvFiVqzy~SB-lE2X48uOkBRxYVK-ak8IzY9VRRErIyDPPbhARQzn6sCfAAWvB-CYF9prxdIK9em~Pq2lZBPcVXBiE2wvyU33q151jQQrc2JdvpVPm5rZF0eQFg97WdRt4aYpC5pZwQcDkZG0ZzX26tFvX8tYdUnSMP8dVbY07mGok4FM6IeahJH~BoWdFR6jE2F4WZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and volunteers told the Prince George's County Council on April 28 that the county animal shelter is underfunded, understaffed and struggling with disease control and high turnover.

At the public hearing on the proposed FY26 operating budget, several speakers described deteriorating conditions and asked the council to restore or increase funding for animal services. Leah Schuler, a District 4 homeowner and volunteer, said inadequate funding has led to shortages of medical supplies, cleaning materials and staffing that affect animal care. “The underfunding has a significant impact on staffing levels and medical needs and supplies provided to the animals residing at the facility,” she said.

Julie Marks, who said she volunteers at the shelter and lives in Greenbelt, told the council the FY26 budget proposal includes “a decrease in expenditures for animal services totaling, minus 6.2%,” which she said reflects reassignment of an associate director position. Marks raised imminent adoption or euthanasia deadlines, saying 40 dogs faced a deadline the next day; she said only two of those 40 were spayed or neutered and that 24 of the 40 were listed as terrier mixes. Marks and other speakers linked the county’s breed-specific restrictions (often described in testimony as a “pit bull” designation or ban) to longer shelter stays and lower adoption rates for animals labeled as terrier or pit-bull mixes.

Volunteer Amy Progoski said the shelter’s physical conditions contribute to illness among animals and deter adopters: she asked the council to publicize new shelter hours and to approve funding for HVAC and drain repairs, pest control and additional fenced play yards. “Poor air quality is dangerous for the animals and of course the staff volunteers and the public,” she said; she also asked that the council approve a full-time veterinarian (a personnel action that Progoski said needs council approval).

Multiple witnesses urged the council to adopt nonlethal programs to address animal overpopulation, including trap-neuter-return, low-cost spay/neuter programs, and to reconsider policies that restrict in-county adoptions for dogs labeled as pit-bull or terrier mixes.

Speakers framed these requests as both humane and fiscal: longer shelter stays and higher illness rates increase operating costs, volunteers said. Council members did not vote during the hearing; the testimony will be included in the FY26 budget record.

Provenance: animal-shelter testimony opens with Leah Schuler (transcript timecode ~00:13:51) and continues through multiple volunteers including Julie Marks and Amy Progoski (transcript timecodes ~00:13:51–01:46:28).","Multiple volunteers and shelter advocates told the council the county's proposed FY26 budget reduces animal services spending and described staffing, medical-supply and disease-control shortfalls at the county shelter; several speakers linked adoption barriers to the county's breed-specific rules.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6576265,"Hundreds urge Prince George's County Council to fully restore funding for community TV",7411,277000,7688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c&start=277&end=7688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3145669-37a2995e609f3d570ce6268077b7dc3c/thumbnail_277000.jpg","/articles/6576265/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Hundreds-urge-Prince-Georges-County-Council-to-fully-restore-funding-for-community-TV","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6576265-f7853e89e8229a659c8fae59af967c05/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146695&Signature=pAlEFrVWAYsKGuPLGA79PEc1aZa~dNQeEXVyXRa6g8RoV2JbL2HxpQCAB-naS5B69c4hNdBbrUn~wlQ1jtDW~ITBhgsLN9DrisvDgX-HABrw-1RrHsNrvmvpG9-WOPhv2H-MoJBNrJtlR4b1wNmEKFFfkkp6HvhRfxVAQH11~1bgRwePfzBkd19EQ~iJ3sCC8iHzTtZ44cdB65GIEMUOKTkbCguTehV9GS1eLeu9eISP3r-c1FUxymXTXSklUpmNqdlBe5SISW6VB5hXNvoPz8RR6hX1HPDI0zg6l8-~H4so4gTZYc9gB5LqzuXqIL0FpcVGIm7FewHhlKILDdSFHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents, current and former staff and public officials told the Prince George's County Council on April 28 that the county should restore full funding for Prince George's Community Television (CTV), a public access station based in the county.

At a public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget, speakers described CTV as a training ground for broadcast careers, a source of local news and public information, and “a platform for local voices” that is not duplicated by commercial media. The sheriff, several long-time producers and former employees, and dozens of volunteers and interns spoke during two hours of public comment.

Supporters said CTV provides hands-on training and pipeline opportunities for local students and early-career journalists. Curtis Crutchfield, former news director and longtime CTV staffer, listed former interns who went on to television careers: “Makia Turner… Deja Muriel… Samantha Accundoro… Chris Thomas,” and said CTV “has long trained young people, young, professionals.” Marvin Jackson, a producer at CTV, said the station “has been able to train young people” and called it a resource that “needs to be nurtured and saved.”

Several current CTV staff and recent interns described how the station allowed them to operate cameras, edit and produce programs that led to jobs or internships elsewhere. Jamis Sams, who interned in 2023 and 2024, said CTV “taught me things that no other news station teaches” and that those experiences led to a job offer at his university station. Bryce Parker, a reporter at CTV, said the station “gave me a voice” and urged council members to “save CTV.”

Pat Thornton, president of CTV’s board of directors, framed the station in statutory and franchise terms, saying CTV is part of PEG (public, educational and government access) obligations embedded in cable franchise agreements and arguing the channels serve government transparency and community education. “CTV has been the cornerstone of our community for decades,” she said, urging council members to sustain funding.

Multiple speakers, including long-time station staff like operations director Robert Berry and former staffer Curtis Crutchfield, emphasized the station’s role as an inexpensive workforce-development pipeline that has produced nationally recognized journalists and media professionals. “It really is an investment in this community,” Berry said.

A sheriff's representative also testified in favor of funding, saying the station helps public safety outreach and asking council members to “please, please, anything that you can do in order to assist them with funding.” Martin Mitchell, a longtime CTV volunteer, said, “We must protect and fully fund CTV,” and described the station as an “authentic” local media voice.

Speakers cautioned the council that cuts to CTV would reduce local coverage of county events and services, curtail training opportunities for young people, and leave a gap in community programming. Phil Lewis of the Washington Association of Black Journalists said defunding CTV “will create a news vacuum where anyone… can come in and fill that void with misinformation and disinformation.”

Council members did not vote at the hearing. The testimony will be part of the record the council considers as it finalizes the FY26 budget in the coming weeks.

Provenance: first related public comment began when the sheriff spoke about CTV's role in outreach (transcript timecode ~00:04:37); the last clearly CTV-related public comment in the record was a vice-chair remark endorsing community support (transcript timecode ~02:07:12).","Dozens of residents, former and current staff, and public officials testified at a county budget hearing urging the Prince George's County Council to restore full funding for Prince George's Community Television (CTV), citing its role in local news, training and community outreach. Speakers described CTV as a workforce pipeline and a platform for ","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Arts, youth and environmental nonprofits request FY26 grants and project funding

Firefighters union presses council for more hires after rise in response times and attrition

Residents press council to increase animal shelter funding, call out breed-specific restrictions

Hundreds urge Prince George's County Council to fully restore funding for community TV