Week in Review: Quadruple Stabbing Grabs the Headlines

The event that stands out beyond all others this week was the quadruple stabbing that took place early Tuesday morning. An initial fight brok out inside the Thirsty Turtle, a bar notorious for its alarmingly low-priced drink specials and apparent disinterest in enforcing the legal drinking age. A disagreement began over a barstool, and escalated into an all-out brawl. Turtle personnel ordered all parties involved out of the bar, and the brawl escalated, culminating in Leonardo Ramos, 21, stabbing four people, three of whom are University of Maryland students. 

The Thirsty Turtle is now facing the possibility of losing its liquor license. A hearing with the County Liquor Board was already scheduled for November, after the bar was caught in September serving alcohol to students under 21. University Police Chief David Mitchell, however, wants to schedule an emergency hearing in the coming weeks, and said during a press conference that if he could, he would padlock the bar immediately. However, some students and College Park residents wonder whether closing the bar will actually solve the problem of under age drinking in the city, or simply encourage drinking in even less controlled environments. 

In other news, speed cameras have arrived in College Park. As of Friday, a set of cameras will be monitoring drivers at the intersection of Paint Branch Parkway and the Trolley Trail, with more cameras expected to be rolled out in various places around College Park over the next six months. 

District 2 Board of Education candidates Mark Cook and Peggy Higgins faced off Thursday night at the Greenbelt City Council Chambers, and drivers can expect more backups on Route 1 as the State Highway Administration works to repair the strip near East-West highway.