As economic pressures mount, hair salon workers feel the squeeze

For years, Laurel salon owner Glenn Nelson said he’d look at his schedule every Monday and see at least 22 to 24 clients already booked for the week. Over the past year, he said, Mondays have begun with just eight to 10 appointments. “I think people are afraid to spend,” he said. As federal layoffs…

Crime

You decide: State’s attorney for Prince George’s County

See our full voter guide here, with information on other races and how to vote. A video of a state’s attorney candidate forum by PGCTV is available here. This summer, Prince George’s County voters in the Democratic primary will decide who will be the county’s lead prosecutor, called a state’s attorney.  The Prince George’s County…

Laurel police to receive pay bump under new contract

Larger paychecks are on their way to officers in the Laurel Police Department after the city agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that will also introduce a higher starting salary for officers. Under the new contract, officers will get a pay bump of 8% starting July 1. The contract will also increase entry-level salaries…

History

Laurel’s Juneteenth celebration honors history while building community

As more than a thousand people gathered at Emancipation Park to celebrate Juneteenth, Laurel resident Leon Bookman thought about the Alabama he remembers from the 1990s. After moving there from New York as a teenager, Bookman said he was shocked by the open racial tension he encountered, memories that resurfaced as he celebrated Juneteenth with…

Food

Viral coffee brand launches new cafe in Laurel

A Middle Eastern-inspired coffee franchise that has drawn hundreds of thousands of views on social media has opened a new store in Laurel. Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. opened May 15 in the Laurel Park shopping center along Van Dusen Road, serving coffee made with 100% Yemeni beans along with traditional Middle Eastern sweets such as…

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