It's Edwards in a Landslide

In an amusing moment two days after the election, Robinson was honored by the Prince George's Civic Federation, the activist group she once led. The award? A certificate signed by Johnson, who she said just days earlier had accused her of meddling with county tax revenue in a debate on NewsChannel 8. The award was presented by a top Johnson aide, Floyd Wilson, who was pushed from the County Council after Robinson led a successful effort to introduce term limits for local officials.

"I thought the irony of it was absolutely fantastic," she said.

Robinson said she was pleased that neither man seemed to feel that their political differences with her had to become personal.

"I think Jack was very gracious to do it, and Floyd Wilson was even more gracious to come in and give it to me personally," she said.

Fee Increase to Fight Domestic Violence

The County Council voted last week to raise local marriage fees to provide new funding to fight domestic violence.

In legislation approved Nov. 5, the council agreed to raise the fee from $40 to $65, to generate an estimated $75,000 in new funding each year for programs. The county also receives a portion of the state's $10 fee on marriage licenses.

The bill was sponsored by council member Ingrid Turner (D-Bowie) who said in a statement that the worsening economy will lead to a spike in domestic violence as families struggle to pay bills.

"It is important to get out in front of this issue and take a proactive approach to address it," she said.

School Search Group Also Found Hornsby

The Prince George's County Board of Education chose the Maryland Association of Boards of Education to aid its search for a new superintendent, the organization that found Andre J. Hornsby, the former schools chief who was convicted of wire fraud, evidence tampering and obstruction of justice in July.

School board members have been tight-lipped about the process of finding a replacement for John E. Deasy, who will be stepping down as superintendent at the end of this month and leaving early next year for a job with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. All discussion of the search has taken place in closed session, and the only member who would comment on the issue is the board's chairman, Verjeana M. Jacobs (At Large).

"The board voted to reach out to MABE, which is the state group, but the parameters of their work haven't been chosen yet," Jacobs said Monday night. She said the board would "bear down" on the issue at a meeting scheduled for this afternoon.

MABE, a private nonprofit organization to which all school boards in the state voluntarily belong, is a controversial pick in some circles because during the search for a superintendent in 2003, it included Hornsby in a list of candidates forwarded to the previous, state-appointed school board.