Week in Review: Cops and Schools and Parks

Another week down in 2011. Here is the news if you missed it.

, a Montgomery County grand jury cleared the three Takoma Park Police officers involved in the shooting of a man during the  Jan. 28.

Acting Lieutenant Tyrone Collington, Corporal Thomas Black and Private First Class David Quante will be returning to duty immediately, Takoma Park Police Chief Ronald Ricucci said.

The shooting happened when  Carlos Rudolfo Espinoza Arcia of the 5400 block of Sargent Road held up the bank and took a female hostage.

, Washington Adventist University students will soon get a chance to study away from the Takoma Park campus, without leaving their university.

Last week, the trustees of Washington Adventist University voted to work toward an agreement with Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts to establish a branch of WAU at Atlantic Union College. This comes a year after the New England Association of Schools and Colleges announced the discontinuation of AUC’s 65-year accreditation as of July 31, 2011.

According to president of WAU, Weymouth Spence, talks have been in the works since late 2010. This comes after 30 percent growth in enrollment between 2008 and 2010 at WAU, which he attributes to the change from a college to university status.

, the renovation of the 30-year-old Takoma-Piney Branch Park is on schedule and is expected to be completed by Spring 2012. When complete it will feature sculptures by an internationally recognized artist, said a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Department of Parks, which is rejuvenating the recreation area.

The Takoma-Piney Branch Park—which is on Grant Avenue adjacent to Piney Branch Elementary School—“is badly in need of refurbishment,” said the county parks department, which is overseeing the renovation of the 17.4-acre park. The project was approved and adopted in the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan, and the Montgomery County Council approved funding for the park’s renovation.