Bowie News and Views: Bowie Star Editor Ken Sain

This week's episode of Bowie News and Views is now on YouTube in two parts. John Rouse and Burt Oliver chat with editor Ken Sain who is responsible for the Bowie Star as well as the Landover, Lanham, Largo and New Carrollton Gazettes.

Ken Sain talks about the Washington Post's commitment to community news. Community news is a profitable business, and the Post invested over $20 million in a new headquarters in Laurel, $25 million in a new press and millions of dollars in a new content management software package.

Although Bowie residents receive the print edition of the Bowie Star weekly, Sain considers the paper to be a daily news organization with frequent updates to the Gazette website. The website received 1.8 million page views and 300,000 unique visitors last month that Sain attributes to the paper's election coverage. Despite the importance of the web for up-to-date news, the weekly print edition continues to provide the majority of the revenue for the paper.

Sain acknowledged that the launch of Bowie Patch has created competition for real time Bowie news, but Sain said that he doesn't focus on being the first to publish a story. Sain said that it is important for the Bowie Star to stay true to its mission of providing the best and most comprehensive coverage of Bowie. "Our mission is not to be Bowie Patch and get the first story up," Sain declares. That answer may be technically true, but I have no doubt that Sain wants to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage AND get the scoops. The Gazette was the first of the Bowie media outlets to post a story last Saturday morning about the murder outside West Bowie Village Hall, and I have no doubt that the paper responded more quickly than it would have on a past weekend day before Bowie Patch was launched.

Sain revealed that he has had a discussion with Bowie Communications Coordinator Una Cooper about having the local media organizations coach the city to more efficiently provide information to the local media outlets, and Sain suggested that it would be helpful for the city to create a public information officer position.

Click here to see the entire Bowie News and Views YouTube collection, and click here to see the entire set of Bowie cable television YouTube videos.

Early Morning Shooting Leaves One Dead in Bowie

The Bowie Star is reporting an early morning shooting that left one person dead on Old Annapolis Road in Bowie around 5:30am. There aren't a lot of details available at the moment. According to Bowie activist Sandy Short, Old Annapolis Road is closed in front of the liquor store as of 11:30am.

Click here to read the Bowie Star story. I'm sure that it will be updated as details become available.

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

The transition plans for the new City Hall are starting to take place. Click here for the story.

Delegate Hubbard said that he is giving priority to a second high school in Bowie. Click here for the story.

Bowie Police Chief Kathy Perez and the city's Education Committee will update the City Council during a work session on Monday. Click here for the story.

Read more stories in this week's Bowie Star.

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

Recently re-elected Maryland State Senator Doug Peters to focus on balancing the budget. Click here to read the story.

Improved schools and lower crime at the top of Rushern Baker's agenda. Click here to read the story.

Politicians point fingers over funding for new 911 call center in Bowie and other county projects. Click here to read the story.

The deadline for bids to purchase Glenn Dale Hospital property has been extended to October at the request of bidders. Just last week the Washington Post quoted a Maryland National-Capital Park and Planning official saying that he had not received a single call from interested parties, and this week the Bowie Star is quoting the same official saying that there is "substantial interest" in the property. Click here to read the Bowie Star story.

The man shot to death last week in Bowie is identified. Click here to read the story.

Bowie volunteer firefighter Patrick Ivey undergoing surgeries after being burned in an Upper Marlboro house fire. Click here to read the story.

The following Bowie related stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• Park and Planning extends deadline for Glenn Dale Hospital bids
• Man dies after being shot, dropped off at Bowie fire station
• Bowie firefighters helping one of their own recover from burns
• Peters to make budget a priority in second term
• Baker focuses on building on ‘clean slate'
• Alsobrooks wins state's attorney election by landslide
• Prince George's County voters claim names missing from ballots at DuVal
• Drought watch declared for Washington region
• Election isn't quite over for top sheriff contenders
• Bowie church to stage show to help Liberian school
• Dental hygienist organizes walk in Glenn Dale to raise funds for cleft palate cases
• Community Notebook
• Police Blotter (Bowie is in District 2)

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

The Bowie Star covered the 23A House of Delegates race, including fund raising details. Click here to read the story.

Local women are helping Sudanese refugees living in Egypt become self sufficient. Click here to read the story.

Lake Arbor and Marlborough golf clubs to reopen. Click here to read the story.


The following Bowie related stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• District 23A candidates raking in campaign cash
• Bowie-area residents work out deal to keep trees
• Lanham woman, Bowie church help Sudanese refugees
• Mitchellville golf course planning a comeback
• Senior rehab program to continue
• Bowie OKs request to help pay for leadership course
• Judge halts circulation of ‘fake' voting ballot
• Community Notebook
• County police blotters (Bowie is in District 2)

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

Guns have been involved in two robberies in Bowie during the last week, including a robbery at a Bank of America ATM. Click here to read the story.

A long term dispute between self proclaimed Bowie city activist Richard Dahms and City officials reached the attention of the Bowie Star after City Manager David Deutsch dropped a criminal complaint against Dahms. I have heard Richard Dahms described as a "street angel, house devil" who some people find to be very nice in person, but he publishes a hate filled Web site and frequently sends ridiculous rambling e-mails to local media and elected officials. One of those e-mails contained an alleged threat to cut off Deutsch's nuts. Advertisements for Dahms Web site have recently appeared on Facebook. Click here to read the Bowie Star story, and click here to read the ramblings of the Bowie city mad man. His words speak for themselves.

The last concert of Bowie's Sunset Concert Series takes place this coming Sunday at Allen Pond. Click here to read about the concert and see other community notes.


The following Bowie related stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• Guns involved in two robberies in past week
• Bowie city manager drops complaint against resident
• High Bridge residents oppose BGE cutting, trimming their trees
• Builder of Bowie's Longleaf neighborhood fined $500k+ for consumer protection law violations
• Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe moves to new location in Old Bowie
• Early voting starts Friday at the Bowie Library
• District 23 Senate candidates outline their differences leading up to primary
• Shoppers Food & Pharmacy fined $2.5 million for bribing official
• County school board chairwoman running for re-election
• Community Notebook
• County police reports (Bowie is in District 2)

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

A Landover man has been charged with six area bank robberies including two in Bowie, but he apparently did not steal enough to make bond. Click here to read the story.

Arson suspected in Bowie car fire. Click here to read the story.

The number of police officers on the serial murderer task force has doubled as motives considered in 2008 Bowie murder. Click here to read the story.

The Star covers opening day at High Bridge Elementary School. Click here to read the story.

The Star digs up more details on the new Shoppers Food & Pharmacy headquarters in Bowie. Click here for the story.

A program of Indian music and dance to be held Friday at the Bowie Center for Performing Arts. Click here for the story.

A reenactment of the 1781 Comte de Rochambeau's march through Bowie to take place this Saturday at Belair Mansion. Click here for this story and other community notes.

The Star profiles District 23 Senate candidate Mike Anderson. Click here for the story.


The following Bowie related stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• Landover man arrested in six county bank robberies
• High Bridge students return with high hopes
• Community Notebook
  
• Shoppers to move corporate office to Bowie
• Children's nonprofit brings south Asian culture to Bowie
• Youth advocate makes last-minute move to run for District 23 Senate
• Just Middle dedicates statue of school's namesake
• Police say Bowie car fire may have been arson
• Police beef up task force to probe possible serial killer cases
• County police blotters (Bowie is in District 2)
• Delegate plans to continue push for Prince George's law school
• Dist. 24 delegate candidates outline their differences

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

The Bowie Star is reporting that 80 to 85 percent of homeowners in the Prince George's County residential assessment area 2 will see a drop in the assessed values of their homes when notifications go out in the coming months. Area 2 includes eastern sections of Prince George's County, including Bowie. Click here to see the Prince George's County assessment areas. Click here to read the story. I'm not sure I agree with the headline that property values are expected to drop. I think the values have already dropped, and the assessments will be catching up.

Bowie lobbyist Darrell Carrington is running against Doug Peters for Maryland's Distrist 23 Senate seat. Although you won't read this in the Bowie Star article, some people think this is more political maneuvering by Doug Peters. Click here to read the Bowie Star report.

The Bowie Chamber of Commerce will host a candidates' forum on August 25th for the District 23 Senate race and the District 23A and 23B House of Delegates races. Click here to read the story.

Bowie City Planner Joe Meinert is profiled for this decrepit map of the month exhibits at Bowie City Hall. Click here to read the story.

A Bowie man was arrested in Howard County and charged with human trafficking after allegedly attempting to convince an undercover police officer to work for him as a prostitute. Click here to read the story.

A Bowie man appears to have committed suicide in prison after being arrested for sex offenses. Click here to read the story.

The City of Bowie and BGE assess the success of the Bowie Electric Reliability program. Click here to read the story.


The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• Property values expected to drop in Bowie
• Officials say Bowie-area man killed self in Jessup prison
• Planning Bowie's future starts with decrepit maps
• Bowie Chamber of Commerce schedules candidates' forums
• Fairwood man charged with human trafficking
• Armed robber takes cash, smokes from 7-Eleven and DUI Arrests
• Bowie lobbyist running for Senate Dist. 23
• Bowie, BGE meet with regulators over trees
• Bowie Area Leaders study up on health care reform
• Schools to open with new cell phone policy
• Mitchellville residents calling for HOA elections after alleged bylaw violations
• County Council District 6 candidates outline differences
• County police blotters (Bowie is in District 2)

Weekly News from the Bowie Star

Residents of several Bowie neighborhoods will be included in a six week pilot program aimed at reducing trash and increasing recycling. Click here for more details.

Are you a senior citizen eligible to receive up to $20,000 in "green" upgrades to your Bowie home? Click here for more details.

After covering Bowie area troubles on the Maryland School Assessment tests last week, the Bowie Star reports on the area's bright spots. Whitehall Elementary School ranked first in the county on the math portion of the test. Perhaps the kids were helping their parents calculate student capacity numbers at the school. Other area schools ranking high on the test include Heather Hills, Tulip Grove and Rockledge elementary schools. Click here to read more details.

Have you contributed to the $440,000 in fines levied in the City of Bowie speed camera program? Twenty citations are linked to one car, and more cameras are planned. Click here for more details.

Some guy named Doug Peters is running for re-election for the Maryland Senate District 23 seat. Ever hear of him? Click here for more details.


The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:

• Bowie offers large carts to encourage recycling
• Bowie rolls over $608K to green housing program
• Counselor calls for more clinics in Dist. 23A
• NAACP schedules three additional candidate forums
• Several Bowie elementary schools finish among county's best
• Son's illness inspires Bowie mother to help others
• Bowie speed cameras cite 11,000 tickets in less than three months
• Bowie councilmember's request for funds starts vigorous debate
• New Lake Arbor Elementary principal to focus on classroom success (former Whitehall assistant principal).
  
• Leslie Johnson running for County Council District 6 seat
• Peters running for re-election for Senate Dist. 23
• O'Malley banking on Prince George's support
• County police blotters (Bowie is in District 2)
• Unity in wake of ‘serial killer' case
• West Laurel girl finds strength in swimming
• Hot, dry summer is taking toll on farmers
• Upper Marlboro school makes final touches
• No foul play suspected in Laurel death