Safe Havens, Affordable Homes, and Lucky Stops! 🍀

Happy Tuesday Laurel! 👋

The extreme winter weather continues to impact our community, but it's also bringing out the best in Laurel. From ensuring our most vulnerable neighbors have warm shelter to advancing policies that make homeownership more accessible, this week's news shows our community taking care of its own. Plus, we've got another lucky lottery winner and some exciting college connections for our Laurel High students!

Let's dive in! 👇

As dangerous wind chills plunged the region below zero last week, Greater Laurel residents experiencing homelessness or lacking adequate home heating had access to critical warming centers and emergency shelters. The extreme cold triggered CODE BLUE alerts across Prince George's County, activating protocols designed to protect the community's most vulnerable residents.

Prince George's County opened warming centers throughout the region, with locations accessible via an interactive map at the County's emergency services website. Residents could call 211 to find the nearest warming center or emergency shelter. The CODE BLUE activation meant that emergency shelters expanded their capacity and stayed open longer to ensure anyone seeking warmth had a place to go. The County's emergency response system coordinated with local agencies and community organizations to conduct outreach, ensuring homeless residents knew about available shelter options.

The extreme cold presented serious health risks, with dangerously low wind chills capable of causing frostbite and hypothermia within minutes of exposure. The National Weather Service issued EXTREME COLD WARNINGS when wind chills dropped around or lower than 10 degrees below zero. During these conditions, residents were urged to wear appropriate clothing including hats, face masks, and gloves, and to check on elderly family, friends, and neighbors. The City of Laurel and surrounding jurisdictions worked around the clock to provide resources and safe havens until temperatures returned to safer levels.

According to Streetcar Suburbs News, the Laurel City Council unanimously approved an updated affordable housing ordinance last week that will require developers to make homeownership more accessible for middle-income families. The new rule applies to any builder developing 20 or more houses or condominiums within city limits.

Under the updated ordinance, developers must now offer at least 8% of those homes at a price no higher than 70% of market value. For example, a house that would typically sell for $500,000 would be available for $350,000. These reduced-price homes are available to buyers earning no more than 80% of the Area Median Income, which currently stands at $131,120 for a family of four. "We're setting the standards in Prince George County," said Mayor Keith Sydnor as he voted to support the measure, "not only looking out for renters, we're also looking out for people buying homes."

The rule is an update of a 2018 ordinance and includes several key changes. It clarifies the 70% price requirement, reduces the threshold from 50 homes to 20 homes, and allows slightly higher-income buyers to qualify (80% of AMI versus the previous 60%). Laurel is the only city in Prince George's County with its own zoning authority, giving it unique ability to set development requirements. About 438 homes are currently planned within City limits through various builders, though some council members questioned how many would be subject to the new requirements since projects were planned before the rule changed. The only public commenter at hearings was an attorney representing Pulte Homes, developer of Corridor Center, who spoke in favor of the updated ordinance.

Lightning has struck twice in Laurel! Another Greater Laurel resident is $100,000 richer after making a last-minute decision to buy a lottery ticket. The Montgomery County truck driver was heading home from work when he stopped at a traffic light near the 7-Eleven at 605 7th Street in Laurel. "I wasn't going to stop, but when the light was green, I turned. I guess it was the winning stop," he told Maryland Lottery officials on February 6 when claiming his prize.

The winner had a $10 Lottery voucher in his pocket and used it to purchase a single $10 scratch-off ticket on the game 50X the Cash. He scratched it immediately in his car and was initially confused by what he saw. "I never saw a multiplier before," he said, "I thought maybe I'd won $500." But when he scratched under the 10X spot, he discovered $10,000—making his total prize $100,000 thanks to the multiplier.

Aside from his wife, he hasn't told anyone about the win yet. His plans for the money include ordinary financial housekeeping, but also something fun: "We're going to take a vacation somewhere nice. Somewhere it's not snowing!" The 7-Eleven where he bought the ticket receives a $1,000 bonus. This is the second of nine $100,000 top prizes to be claimed on 50X the Cash, with seven still remaining along with nine $50,000 prizes and tens of thousands of other prizes ranging from $10 to $10,000.

Snow and ice removal efforts continue across the City of Laurel as the Department of Public Works works to restore streets to full access. The City conducted targeted snow removal operations on select streets throughout the week, asking residents to temporarily relocate vehicles to allow crews to clear snow and ice fully and safely.

Operations took place from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on designated streets including Main Street, Seventh Street, Fourth Street, and Montgomery Street. "While the storm has passed, the City's work continues to ensure streets are fully cleared and safe for residents and visitors," said Mayor Keith R. Sydnor. Vehicles left on the street during clearing operations may have experienced limited access and could have snow accumulation around them once work was completed.

The Department of Public Works also identified several institutions and apartment complexes that plowed private parking lots into City-maintained streets, sometimes leaving roadways impassable due to large walls of snow and ice. City crews are working to address these issues and restore proper traffic flow. Residents with questions about snow removal operations can visit cityoflaurel.org/397/Snow-Removal or contact the Department of Public Works at 301-725-0088. Roadways with State Highway numbers are maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration, and issues on State roads should be reported to 410-841-1002.

Our community photo spotlight continues! Each edition, we feature a photo from a Laurel resident that captures the beauty and spirit of our town.

This week's fun photo comes from Laurel resident Josie Lohman, who captured this icy snowman at American Legion Post 60. Even in the bitter cold, our community finds ways to celebrate winter!

Want to be featured? Email your photos to [email protected] with the subject line "Show Us Your Laurel" and you might appear in an upcoming edition!

Looking for something to do this week? Here are some great events happening in our area:

WCL Fundraiser @ Olive on Main 📅 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM 📍 Olive on Main, 504 Main St, Laurel, MD 20707 Support a great cause while enjoying delicious food!

Paper Assets Aren't Enough: Real Estate as a Retirement Strategy 📅 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 Keller Williams Realty Centre, 8825 Stanford Blvd #300, Columbia, MD 21045

Threads of Heritage: African Print Fabrics & The Stories They Carry 📅 6:00 PM 📍 Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD 20763

VALENTINE HAUNTED HOUSE: Love is Blind 📅 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM 📍 Laurel's House of Horror, 935 Fairlawn Ave, Laurel, MD 20707 A spooky twist on Valentine's Day!

Adoption Event @ Whole Health Veterinary Care 📅 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM 📍 Whole Health Veterinary Care, 8693 Cherry Ln, Laurel, MD 20708 Find your perfect furry Valentine!

La Palapa Too Valentine's Day Fiesta 📅 8:00 PM 📍 La Palapa Too, 7500 Montpelier Rd, Laurel, MD 20708 Celebrate Valentine's Day with great food and atmosphere!

A Jazzy R&B Affair 📅 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM 📍 Maryland Jockey Club, Rt. 198 & Racetrack Rd, Laurel, MD 20725

Live Music @ Restaurant 198 (Mike Walls) 📍 Restaurant 198, 15540 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866

Annual Black History Month Exhibition: Public Reception 📅 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM 📍 Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd, Laurel, MD 20708

An Evening of Jazz, Rock & Pop w/DIY Jazz and South Hill Revival 📅 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM 📍 Carroll Baldwin Hall, 9035 Baltimore St, Savage, MD 20763

Free Friday Indoor Movie: Elio (2025) 📅 7:00 PM 📍 Partnership Hall, 811 5th St, Laurel, MD 20707

By The Way, Meet Vera Stark 📅 8:00 PM 📍 Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St, Laurel, MD 20707

Teen Trip: Snowtubing Adventure 📅 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM 📍 Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, 301 8th St, Laurel, MD 20707 Departs from Robert J. DiPietro Community Center.

Women's Month Meetup: Ladies Night Out 📅 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 The Mansion at Laurel, 13910 Laurel Lakes Ave, Laurel, MD 20707

Adult Trip: Rod-N-Reel Resort (21+) 📅 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 📍 Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, 301 8th St, Laurel, MD 20707 Departs from Robert J. DiPietro Community Center. 21+ only.

The Gold Rush @ North Laurel Community Center 📅 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM 📍 North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd, Laurel, MD 20723

Acoustic Jam Presents: A St. Patrick's Day Musical 📅 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM 📍 North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd, Laurel, MD 20723

Teen Trip: "The Wizard of Oz" @ Atholton High School 📅 6:00 PM 📍 Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, 301 8th St, Laurel, MD 20707 Departs from Robert J. DiPietro Community Center.

Adult Trip: MGM Resort (21+) 📅 12:00 PM 📍 Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, 301 8th St, Laurel, MD 20707 Departs from Robert J. DiPietro Community Center.

Eggstravaganza 📅 12:00 PM 📍 Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry Ave, Laurel, MD 20707

That's all for this week! Stay safe on those slippery roads, support your neighbors, and let's keep celebrating everything that makes Laurel amazing.

See you next week!

— Mike Mondy
Founder, I❤️LAUREL

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