The goal of the new facility is to help job seekers find employment, as Maryland and Prince George’s County have been hit hard by federal job losses and other blows to the job market.
Leaders from the city of Bowie and Prince George’s County gathered Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to cut the ribbon on a new workforce training center.(WTOP/John Domen)
Leaders from the city of Bowie and Prince George’s County gathered Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to cut the ribbon on a new workforce training center.(WTOP/John Domen)
It’s been several months in the making, and Wednesday morning leaders from the city of Bowie and Prince George’s County gathered at the Kenhill Center — the original city hall — to cut the ribbon on a workforce training center.
The goal of the new facility is to help job seekers find employment. It comes at a time when the state of Maryland, and Prince George’s County in particular, has been hit hard by federal job losses and other blows to the job market.
“We have a computer lab that’s free and open to residents, where you can come and do job searches, work on your resume and do skills assessment,” Kay Starr, with the city of Bowie, said. “There’s also free online skills training provided through Employ Prince George’s and we also are going to offer career coaching and counseling.”
Maryland has seen more job losses due to federal cutbacks than any other state. Prince George’s County has seen its unemployment rate jump from 3.8% in August of 2024 to 4.8% this past August, which is the most up to date number on employment that exists.
“You can learn so many things from the systems that we have in Employ Prince George’s to really be able to thrive in this economy,” said state Sen. Alonzo Washington, who is also the director of strategic partnerships with Employ Prince George’s.
“The opportunities they can tap into is resume building, ensuring they have online training that will be ready for them 24 hours a day, and ensuring that they have access to our technical assistance adviser.”
Employ Prince George’s also offers 14 different certification programs. This workforce training center is the third one to open in the county. Similar facilities can be found in Largo and National Harbor.
Eventually, Washington hopes there will be centers in all 27 of the county’s municipalities.
“Have a jobs and resource lab right in their community, so it’s in walking distance of all the residents that live in their town,” Washington said. “So that they can have an opportunity.”
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Leaders in Prince George’s County, Maryland, think the future of the Six Flags’ site will become much clearer in the coming weeks.
Six Flags America closed for good last weekend, but leaders in Prince George’s County, Maryland, think the future of the land where the amusement park sits will become much clearer in the coming weeks.
“We are really excited about the future of Six Flags,” said Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy during a press conference last week. “Six Flags operates on about 20% of the entire site, which means we really have not seen the full potential, the full economic potential of that site. So we’re working with the ownership of Six Flags now, as they vet those who have bid on that project.”
Braveboy said, “the county has a real interest in seeing quality development that really should be able to generate tens of millions” of dollars.
County Council member Wala Blegay said it’s her understanding that at least 10 bids were submitted by parties interested in taking over the 500-acre site in Bowie. About 400 acres of the land can be developed into what the county said will be another premier entertainment destination.
Blegay, Braveboy and state leaders will be meeting with Six Flags later this month to discuss the top bids they’re considering, the council member told WTOP. She believes a final decision will be made by the park early next year.
“Most people are asking what we want,” Blegay said, when asked to characterize conversations with the different groups that have expressed interest in buying the land. The comparison being made around the county is something akin to the way National Harbor is now.
“When I brought that concept to almost all the bidders, they have been very open to it. No one has been like, ‘no,’” Blegay said.
“What I feel encouraged by is that there’s been no pushback. There’s been more like — some people have to find some partners that are in that industry, more entertainment, because we are looking for be a destination in entertainment.”
Blegay said there’s been lots of demand, but it’s not clear how much the sale could be worth.
And while county residents are worried about a slew of townhouses going up on the site, Blegay said the focus will be about making the site a destination. That doesn’t mean there will be no housing at all, but the park isn’t zoned for it and county leaders have insisted that isn’t where the emphasis will be.
“That’s not the focal point,” Blegay said. “You know, we could talk about that later. What we want to see from the new owners is the entertainment destination idea — moving that forward, and that is the key.
“We could do a destination that might not have housing, might not need housing,” she added. “We want people to understand the main point is destination.”
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Thrill-seekers say goodbye to Six Flags America
After more than 50 years, the Six Flags America amusement park in Bowie, Maryland, will close its gates for the last time on Sunday.
This past May, Six Flags announced that this would be the last season for the amusement park and its water park, Hurricane Harbor.
A storied history
Billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross Perot was one of the early investors involved in what is now Six Flags America.
In July of 1974, the ABC television network’s attractions division opened ‘The Wildlife Preserve’, which was a drive-thru safari. The park did not take off, and in less than two years it was closed. In 1978, the park was sold to Jim Fowler, the host of ‘Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom’, and renamed it ‘Wild Country’. That park also closed after two seasons.
In 1981, the park reopened under the name ‘Wild World’, and over the next decade it would get rid of the animals and add rides, roller coasters and a water park. In 1992, the park would undergo another name change, thanks to its purchase by Premier Parks.
For the next six years, the amusement park was called ‘Adventure World’, until its parent company bought Six Flags. Since then, Six Flags America has been where families from the D.C. area have spent their summers.
The park went through some turmoil in 2005, during then-Washington NFL team owner Dan Snyder’s time as the chairman of its board. Snyder was removed as chairman after Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2010.
Park visitors say goodbye
In the summer of 2024, Six Flags merged with rival amusement park company Cedar Fair, which owns Kings Dominion. D.C.-area thrill-seekers will still be able to get their kicks at that park, which is located in the Richmond, Virginia, area. They can also visit Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, which is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from D.C.
Still, many area adrenaline junkies wanted to enjoy one last day at Six Flags — including Kim Varzi, a D.C. resident who told WTOP she conquered her fear of heights thanks to ‘Superman: Ride of Steel’, a rollercoaster boasting a top speed of 73 mph and a 205-foot drop.
“I had to just tell myself that it was only 30 seconds,” she said. “The first couple of times, I just closed my eyes.”
There were also some first-timers at the park, like Jennifer Rolls. She, along with her husband and daughters, came from Manassas, Virginia, to experience the park before it was too late.
Rolls, who was using crutches due to an Achilles tendon issue, thought it was sad that the park was closing.
Other visitors trekked to the park from outside the Capital Beltway, including William Craig, who traveled with his children from Martinsburg, West Virginia, for one last ride.
He said he’s been to the park more than 100 times, and said it will always mean a lot to him: “For me it’s about the personal memory of when I separated from my ex-wife. … It was a way to bond with my kids.”
Craig’s 14-year-old son, Johnny, said his favorite part of coming to Six Flags America was spending time with his dad.
Chad Reams drove in from York, Pennsylvania, with his wife, son and daughter. As excited as his kids were to ride the coasters, Reams said he was looking forward to shopping. He loaded seven bags of Six Flags merchandise into the trunk of his SUV, telling WTOP that the swag was on sale for 85% off and cost a little over $100.
Rodney Slade came all the way from Greensboro, North Carolina, to make some memories. He said this was only his second time at the park: “Last time I was here, I got sick on a ride,” recalling how he fell asleep on a bench after his turn on ‘The Pirate’s Flight’.
When asked if he was going to try the ride one last time, Rodney said: “The boat will not see me.”
Visitors pass an apt sign quoting Porky the Pig as they leave Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland, before the park closes permanently on Nov. 1. (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)
As people exited Six Flags America for the final time, they walked by a sign quoting Porky Pig that felt quite fitting: “That’s all, folks.”
For generations of people around the D.C. region and beyond, Six Flags America was — as its tagline said — the “Thrill Capital of D.C.”
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A man is accused of driving Dacara Thompson to his home in Bowie, Maryland, killing her in the bedroom and leaving her body in a grassy area where she was later found by police.
Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader participates in a Sept. 5 news conference announcing murder charges in connection to the death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson.
(WTOP/Jose Umana)
WTOP/Jose Umana
A missing person flyer for Dacara Thompson, 19, of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
(Courtesy 7News)
Courtesy 7News
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy participates in Sept. 5 news conference regarding the death of 19-year-old Dacara Thompson.
(WTOP/Jose Umana)
WTOP/Jose Umana
A man has been charged in the killing of a 19-year-old woman from Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose body was found last weekend after she was reported missing in late August.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder in Dacara Thompson’s death, investigators said Friday morning.
Hernandez-Mendez is accused of driving Thompson to his home in Bowie, killing her in the bedroom and leaving her body in a grassy area where she was later found by investigators.
A timeline of events by police
Surveillance footage showed Thompson willingly getting into a black SUV at around 3 a.m. on Aug. 23, police said. The driver, believed to be Hernandez-Mendez, took the young woman to his home in the 12000 block of Kembridge Drive in Bowie.
“We believe everything transpired in the bedroom,” said George Nader, the interim chief of Prince George’s County police. “What is surrounding the two coming together, that’s what we’re still investigating.”
Police believe Hernandez-Mendez brought her body to a spot near Route 50 in Anne Arundel County. That’s where Maryland State Police later found a body, now identified as Thompson, on Sunday, Aug. 31 — about one week after Thompson’s family reported her as missing.
The body was discovered as police followed up on a call about a disabled vehicle, which they believe is unrelated to the killing.
“That area is probably about seven miles away from the murder location, but a good distance away from where she went missing,” Nader said. “So we are thankful that the Maryland State Police had the ability to locate that body based on that call for service.”
State police contacted Prince George’s County police after finding the woman’s body.
County police identified Hernandez-Mendez as a suspect. Detectives got a search warrant for Hernandez-Mendez’s home, where they said they found evidence she was killed in the bedroom.
Hernandez-Mendez is being held without bond. He’s expected to appear at a bond hearing Monday to determine whether he should remain held, according to online court records.
Investigators are looking into whether Thompson and Hernandez-Mendez knew each other before Aug. 23.
During a Friday news conference, it was revealed Hernandez-Mendez was an immigrant without proper legal status in the U.S.
He was arrested by U.S. Park Police last April on a charge of driving under the influence, Braveboy said. He was released while awaiting his trial.
At that time, he was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Nader said an ICE detainer was issued for Hernandez-Mendez on Thursday.
Thompson’s cause of death hasn’t been determined but is expected to be ruled a homicide, police said. Officials did not share details about the manner of her death.
There are no other suspects in her killing at this time, police said.
Police are asking anyone with more information to call Prince George’s County police at 301-516-2512.
A 19-year-old who served her community
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy thanked the community and law enforcement for their efforts to find Thompson.
Thompson had graduated from St. Charles High School in Charles County.
She lived with her father in Lanham.
Thompson was participating in a “Service Year Option,” a program launched by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023. Young adults get placed in a service position that’s an area of interest, with the hope being it helps recent graduates prepare for their future career.
In a statement, Moore called Thompson a “bright light in our state.”
“She yearned to be part of our mission to solve big problems with bold solutions through her passion for the arts,” the governor wrote.
“This is a young woman who dedicated part of her young life to serving others,” Braveboy said. “I want that to ring home to all of you that this is a good, good, good young woman who wanted to do good for her community, and now her community will stand behind her family as we seek justice for her.”
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A Prince George’s County police officer has been indicted by a grand jury after he was accused of hitting an 80-year-old man with his cruiser in the parking lot of a fire station.
A Prince George’s County police officer has been indicted by a grand jury after he was accused of hitting an 80-year-old man with his cruiser in the parking lot of a Bowie, Maryland, fire station.
Officer Dexter Shin is also accused of not reporting what happened and failing to get the victim proper medical attention.
“As an officer, you have an even greater duty to ensure that the person does get aid, and that you stay on scene, and that you report such incidents to the department,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said when announcing the indictment.
According to Braveboy, during the early morning hours of March 3, Officer Shin struck the elderly man as he cut through the parking lot of a fire station in Bowie.
Shin is accused of taking the man to Laurel Regional Medical Center instead of radioing for an ambulance, leaving the man at a locked ambulance bay door. The man would have to make his way into the hospital without the officer’s help.
“We believe that the officer disobeyed the general orders of the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the officer failed to really get medical assistance to the individual who truly needed it,” Braveboy said.
Braveboy also said prosecutors don’t believe the officer hit the man intentionally.
In a news release on the incident, the Prince George’s County Police Department said it suspended the officer and launched an internal investigation once it learned of the collision. The findings of that investigation were then shared with the State’s Attorney’s Office.
“The allegations against this officer are deeply disturbing and do not align with the ethical standards to which we hold our officers and do not represent the hardworking women and men of this agency,” said Chief Malik Aziz in a statement.
“If proven true, I would also advocate he be held accountable to the fullest extent possible in the administrative process,” Aziz said.
Braveboy said while the officer driving the man to the hospital did” show some level of compassion and understanding that the person needed aid,” the fact that the man who had a broken leg was left at a locked door was “very disappointing.”
Shin was indicted on one count of misconduct in office.
When asked for comment, police union president Angelo Consoli told WTOP the union “does not condone” the alleged actions of the officer, calling them “inappropriate” and “out of policy.” Consoli did take issue with this case going to a grand jury, saying this incident should have been handled by the police department’s disciplinary process, and not by the courts.
Consoli did take issue with this case going to a grand jury, saying the incident should have been handled by the police department’s disciplinary process and not by the courts.
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A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition Monday after a home in Bowie, Maryland, caught fire overnight, Prince George’s County Fire officials said.
A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition Monday after a home in Bowie, Maryland, caught fire overnight, Prince George’s County Fire officials said.
Firefighters were called to the scene of a single-family house fire in the 16200 block of Penn Manor Lane in Bowie just after 1 a.m. A woman was inside the building with her two children and all three were taken to the hospital, according to the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department.
The child who was critically injured is a 10-year-old boy, fire department spokesman Alan Doubleday told WTOP.
The second child is unharmed, and the woman is being evaluated, officials said. There was no further information about their identities available.
It’s believed the fire started in an second-floor bedroom and spread into the attic and down to the first floor, Doubleday said. No one was inside the bedroom when the fire began.
The flames were extinguished overnight shortly after fire officials arrived at the house.
Here’s a map of where fire officials said the home is located:
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