Md. school test exclusions raise questions

Monday, November 25th, 2013, 10:19am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - While Maryland public schools scored above national averages on a recent national reading assessment, the state had blocked more than half of English language learners and students with learning disabilities from taking the test.

The Washington Post reports Maryland excluded 62 percent of students in the two categories from the fourth-grade reading test. The state blocked 60 percent of those students from taking the eighth-grade reading test.

Maryland's exclusion rate was more than double that of any other state on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The board overseeing the test has set a goal that states exclude just 15 percent of learning-disabled and English language learners.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Thursday, November 21st, 2013, 11:26pm

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- LOG ON TO http://www.wusa9.com/givejoy to donate a toy or money to children via "Volunteers of America."

Jan Jeffcoat is out on assignment and it's a GREAT assignment! Jan's in Prince George's County helping to kick off our holiday virtual toy drive!

WUSA9 has teamed up with the Volunteers of America Chesapeake on a new one-of-a-kind holiday campaign called "Give Joy" and it gives you a chance to help needy kids and families this holiday season with the click of a button. We're calling it a JOY DRIVE and you can buy a toy, donate or just send a holiday message virtually - from home, from work, from anywhere!

Between now and mid December Jan and the whole team here at wusa 9 will be bringing you stories about the people you can help. If you follow her on Twitter @JanJeffcoat you can get live twitter updates.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Thursday, November 21st, 2013, 7:39pm

OXON HILL, Md. (WUSA9) -- A new H&M store will be opening at the Tanger Outlets at the National Harbor on Friday morning.

H&M, (Hennes & Mauritz) was established in Sweden in 1947. It has 302 stores across the country and is one of the world's largest fashion retailers.

The store opening will take place at 9:00 a.m. and the first 100 shoppers in line will get an H&M t-shirt and a 'Access to Fashion Pass' which will hold a value of anywhere from $10 to $300.

H&M has also partnered with the American Red Cross' Holiday Mail for the Heroes program which provides cards and personal messages to troops during the holiday's. You can find out more information by clicking here.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Wednesday, November 6th, 2013, 6:39am

OXON HILL, Md. (WUSA9) -- Prince George's County Police are looking for 73-year-old Robert Lee Taylor of Southern Avenue in Oxon Hill.

They say he was last seen at the Safeway in the Rivertowne Commons Shopping Center on Tuesday.

Police note that Taylor is suffering from dementia.

Taylor is described as a black male, 5'11", 300 pounds, with a gray mustache and a scar on his left elbow, say police. He was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, gray sweater, blue jeans and black shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Prince George's County Police Department's Regional Investigation Division-Central at 301-390-2160.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Tuesday, October 29th, 2013, 9:50am

OXON HILL, Md. (WUSA9)-- Two of the three suspects in the murder of Jesse Chavez at the Clarion Hotel in Oxon Hill are being held without bond.

Deandre Weems, 20, has been identified as the shooting suspect, according to police. Police say that 23-year-old Kimfrey Williams was the getaway driver and 18-year-old Rinaldo Savon Washington was the lookout. Williams and Washington had bond reviews Monday and were ordered held on no bond status.

All three men are facing first and second degree murder charges, according to police. Police say they also believe they are involved in additional robberies in Prince George's County and D.C.

Police tell us that the weapon and the getaway car from the hotel murder have been recovered.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013, 4:31pm

OXON HILL, Md. (WUSA9) -- Prince George's County detectives now say that the robbery turned murder may not have been the act of one man.

They believe the killer may have had an accomplice and there may have been a second person in the car that drove off.

Investigators are working around the clock on this case that took the life of a hotel restaurant manager. The surveillance video is clear.

A driver pulls into the parking lot of the Clarion Hotel in Oxon Hill Monday night. The gunman is seen walking in, then jumps over the counter, pointing a gun at a 22-year-old pregnant woman, demanding money. She hands over the cash. At the same time 27-year-old Jesse Chavez hears the cries for help from his co-worker. Chavez reaches the gunman as he's running out the door. There's a confrontation and then Chavez is shot in the upper body.

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Submitted by WUSA9 Web Staff

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013, 4:43pm

OXON HILL, Md. (WUSA9) -- Police have released surveillance video of a robbery suspect who shot and killed an employee at the Clarion Hotel in Oxon Hill late Monday night.

The surveillance video below shows the suspect at the hotel.

Police have also identified the employee who was killed as 27-year-old Jesse Alexis Chavez of Fort Washington.

Corporal Maria McKinney, spokeswoman for the Prince George's County Police Department, says officers were responded to a report of a store robbery shortly after 10:00 Monday night in the 6400 block of Oxon Hill Road. Once officers arrived on scene, they found a man, later identified as Chavez, outside the hotel suffering from a gun shot wound to the upper torso. Chavez was pronounced dead at the scene.

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