Photo courtesy Bowie State University Athletics
The Bulldogs supported Brighter Bites’ efforts by preparing fresh produce and goods for distribution to local families.
Bowie State Men’s Basketball Gives Back Through Community Service With Brighter Bites
By PRESS OFFICER
Bowie State University Athletics
BOWIE, Md. (Nov.1, 2026)—The Bowie State University men’s basketball team took time away from the court to give back to the community, volunteering with Brighter Bites.
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit organization serving the D.C. metropolitan area that works to improve health and wellness by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The Bulldogs, alongside head coach Bryan Wilson and assistant coach Anthony Carpenter, supported the organization’s efforts by preparing fresh produce and goods for distribution to local families.
Community service is an important part of the Bowie State Athletics experience, providing student-athletes with opportunities to make a positive impact beyond competition. Through initiatives like this, Bulldogs student-athletes can connect with the communities they represent, support families in need, and understand the value of using their platform to serve others.
For the men’s basketball program, the afternoon was about more than volunteering. It was an opportunity to demonstrate teamwork, leadership, and a commitment to making a difference. While success on the court remains a priority, the Bulldogs recognize that representing Bowie State also means being active, engaged members of the community.
Bowie State Athletics is proud to support organizations like Brighter Bites that are working to create healthier communities and provide meaningful resources to local families.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, please visit BSUBulldogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on social media.
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PGCPS and Health Department Join Efforts to Address Illnesses in Schools
Prince George’s County joint task force coordinates response to increased illness-related absences and shares steps to protect students, staff and families
By PRESS OFFICER
PGCPS
CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (Nov. 5, 2026)—Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and the Prince George’s County Health Department (PGCHD) have formed a joint task force to address recent increases in illness-related absences among students and staff at several PGCPS schools and strengthen efforts to prevent the spread of communicable illnesses.
The task force brings together representatives from PGCPS School Health and Communications and PGCHD Environmental Health and Communications. The partners are coordinating their response to current concerns and developing a framework for addressing similar situations in the future.
“It was important for leadership in both organizations to address this issue head-on and create a best practice for how similar issues will be addressed moving forward,” said Dr. Naomi Tomoyasu, Deputy Health Officer for the Prince George’s County Health Department. “With cold and flu season approaching, this collaboration can help protect our school communities for years to come.”
In an October 30 memorandum to employees, PGCPS Superintendent Shawn Joseph, Ed.D., emphasized that influenza-like illness, COVID-19, gastrointestinal illnesses and other communicable diseases can spread quickly in school settings.
The PGCPS Office of School Health is monitoring illness trends and urges employees to help protect students, staff and visitors.
PGCPS and PGCHD encourage school communities to follow these prevention practices:
• Stay home when sick. Employees should follow applicable leave policies and public health guidance. Families should follow school guidance for ill students.
• Seek medical advice when needed. Symptoms to watch include fever, persistent cough, sore throat, runny nose, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, unusual fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. Consult a healthcare provider about evaluation, treatment and when it is safe to return.
• Report suspected illness. PGCPS employees should notify their school nurse of symptoms and when they begin and report unusual clusters of similar symptoms or increased illness-related absences promptly.
• Practice hand and respiratory hygiene. Wash hands with soap and water, cover coughs and sneezes, discard tissues, and avoid sharing cups, utensils and water bottles.
• Cough and sneeze with a tissue or your elbow, dispose of tissues properly, and clean your hands afterward.
• Consider wearing a well-fitting mask when appropriate, particularly when experiencing respiratory symptoms or when public health guidance recommends it.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces. Regularly clean desks, shared equipment, handles and switches using established procedures. Notify custodial staff of areas needing attention; vomiting or diarrhea incidents require appropriate containment and disinfection.
• Support prevention and vaccination. Stay current with recommended vaccinations, including influenza and COVID-19 vaccines as appropriate.
Timely reporting of both student and staff illnesses helps school nurses and the Office of School Health identify possible clusters, assess whether additional precautions are needed and coordinate appropriate follow-up.
PGCPS and PGCHD encourage families and employees to remain alert to symptoms and work together to keep school communities healthy.
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Flippo Construction Earns Fifth Dig Smart Award for Utility Damage Prevention
By PRESS OFFICER
Flippo Construction Company
FORESTVILLE, Md. (Nov. 3, 2026)—Flippo Construction Company has received the Dig Smart Award for the fifth time, earning the 2025–2026 honor from the Miss Utility DC/MD Damage Prevention Committee for their work in Washington, D.C. and their commitment to underground utility damage prevention.
Presented annually to underground utility contractors in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, the Dig Smart Award recognizes excellence in damage prevention. Winners are selected by a panel of industry experts following a review of each nominee’s damage prevention procedures, employee training programs, and enforcement of damage prevention laws.
Flippo’s Risk Manager, Gary McClanahan, accepted the award at the annual Greater Chesapeake Damage Prevention & Training Conference in Ocean City, Md. McClanahan thanked “all of Flippo’s hard-working employee-owners for making this award possible.”
“At Flippo, damage prevention is more than simply following procedures. It requires planning, communication, attention to detail, and a commitment from every employee involved in the excavation process,” said John Morgan, President of Flippo Construction. “Those efforts protect not only our employees and existing infrastructure but also the communities we serve. I am extremely proud of our team's commitment, and it is especially rewarding to see their hard work recognized.”
Flippo Construction Company is a 100% employee-owned underground utility and structural concrete contractor based in Forestville, Maryland, serving Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The company recently celebrated its 55th anniversary.
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Governor Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller and Maryland State House Trust Unveil Monument Honoring Black Revolutionary War Soldiers
By PRESS OFFICER
Office of the Governor
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Nov. 2, 2026)—On Nov. 2, Governor Wes Moore, Chair of the State House Trust Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, and the other members of the Maryland State House Trust unveiled the first major addition to the State House grounds in over a century with a monument honoring more than 150 Black Marylanders who served in the Revolutionary War.
Commissioned by the State House Trust in 2023 in recognition of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the monument cements the legacy of service and selflessness for the soldiers whose existence and contribution have been largely unknown in Maryland’s public history.
“Today, we honor the patriots who sacrificed everything, for the hope of us,” said Gov. Moore. “This statue will remind everyone that the freedoms we enjoy today are built on the backs of the brave Black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. It is also a promise to continue the work of patriotism, inspiring us to build a brighter tomorrow for future generations.”
The unveiling ceremony featured a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing performed by Delegate Malcolm Ruff, followed by remarks from the Maryland State House Trust. Governor Moore was joined by Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Senate President Bill Ferguson and the First Lady Dawn Moore to officially unveil the monument. The sculpture was created by artist Branly Cadet, who was selected by a Monument Advisory Committee following a nationwide call for artists that generated more than 50 proposals.
“These Black patriots risked their lives for freedoms they themselves were denied,” said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. “They fought not just for the America of their time, but for the America that could be. This monument ensures their sacrifices will never be forgotten. And the greatest way to honor their legacy is to continue what they started—widening the circle of freedom and building a more just America for generations to come.”
“In Maryland, we proudly celebrate our rich history and will always honor those who served this country,” said First Lady Dawn Moore. “Thanks to the work of the State House Trust and with our administration’s support, we are carrying forward the legacy of these brave Marylanders and creating a space where the next generation can be inspired by their service to our nation.”
“It has been an honor to work with all the public servants, authors, historians, reenactors, landscape and other design professionals, installers and construction crews to help bring this early American story back to life,” said artist Branly Cadet. “I hope our efforts honor the legacy of the Black Patriots who risked so much for a better future.”
In conjunction with the unveiling, the Maryland State Archives launched a new webpage ( https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/main/html/blackpatriots.html ) with additional information on the service of Black Patriots from Maryland and the monument’s creation.
Approximately 5,000 Black soldiers fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War. Although some were restricted to noncombatant roles, many served in regular infantry units alongside white soldiers. In Maryland, free Black men began enlisting in the summer of 1776. By 1778, enslaved men were permitted to serve as substitutes for white soldiers, and after 1780, enslaved men could enlist of their own accord.
The monument serves as a lasting tribute to these Marylanders, whose service and sacrifice helped write the first pages of our nation’s history, and ensures their stories are remembered by generations to come.
The Maryland Department of General Services managed this project in collaboration with the Maryland State Arts Council (Maryland Commission on Public Art) and the Maryland State Archives (Commission on Artistic Property).
More on the artist: Branly Cadet is a classically trained American sculptor and artist. He renders the human form in realist tradition, but considers himself a modernist who enjoys combining figurative sculpture with modernist strategies including text, abstraction, metaphor, and spatial dynamics. He seeks to create works of art that invite aesthetic, civic, and psychic contemplation. Cadet began studying sculpture at Cornell University and continued his studies in figurative art at the New York Academy of Art, and in France at the Vaugel Sculpture Studio and L’Ecole Albert Defois. Soon after, he won the prestigious James Wilbur Johnston National Figure Sculpture Competition.
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