$100 MILLION IN GRANTS TO IMPROVE MARYLAND PARKS: Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced the release of more than $100 million in grant funds for 15 counties to improve and restore parks and recreation facilities that will help conserve lands and promote outdoor activities across the state. The highest amount will go to Wicomico County at $482,311 for improvements to basketball and tennis courts across several parks in the county and to add additional playground equipment at Adkins Mill Park. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
YOUGH GROUP TO MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 20 YEARS: A group charged with responsibilities that involve protection of the Wild Youghiogheny River in Garrett County will assemble for the first time in nearly two decades. The Youghiogheny River Advisory Board will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday at 203 S. Fourth St. in Oakland to review the Swallow Falls Bridge Replacement Project. The meeting will be live streamed on Garrett County’s Facebook page. Teresa McMinn/The Cumberland Times-News.
MTA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS ON RED LINE PROPOSAL: The Maryland Transportation Administration is holding five open house meetings this week at community spaces along parts of the proposed Red Line corridor. The sessions will provide transit users and community members the opportunity to provide MTA with comments and feedback about all things Red Line. David Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
ECONOMICS, STRESS OF HEALTH CARE HIT MARYLAND FAMILIES: In the United States, health concerns that land someone in the hospital or require multiple visits to the doctor can be a taxing experience on emotional, logistical and financial fronts. But for about 17% of Marylanders facing medical debt, these struggles get compounded, leading to additional stressors that can further impact health outcomes, particularly for Black families and patients, according to economic policy organizations. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BROWN VOWS TO FIGHT ATTEMPTS TO END RACIAL EQUITY POLICIES: Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) vowed to fight attempts to end the racial equity and inclusion policies used by private corporations. “Let me be clear: diversity is not a threat — it’s an asset,” Brown said in response to a threat of legal action by 13 Republican attorneys general. “Diversity initiatives address longstanding disparities that continue to persist in our society, while also enriching business, sparking innovation, and fostering greater understanding among individuals from various backgrounds and experiences.” Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
UM-EASTERN SHORE AMONG LAND-GRANT HBCUs TO SHARE RESEARCH FUNDS: The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday announced $33 million in funding to support research and education projects at 19 historically Black colleges and universities designated as land-grant institutions, including the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Ariana Figueroa/Maryland Matters.
HOGAN ADDRESSES SOME ISSUES WITH ‘NO LABELS:’ The bipartisan organization No Labels is considering a third-party presidential ticket. That’s sparked concern among Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans that a moderate ticket could peel votes from Joe Biden and put Donald Trump back in the White House. Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor of Maryland who’s now a national co-chair of No Labels, discusses the issues. Geoff Bennett/PBS News Hour.
NEW COO OF BA CO SCHOOLS HAS BEEN MET WITH CONTROVERSY: Baltimore County Public Schools has a new Chief Operating Officer, earning more than a quarter million dollars a year. His name is familiar to some parents who are upset and confused about the decision. Dr. Jess Grim, in 2021, was the director of the Department of Transportation for Baltimore County Schools, when it became embroiled in a scandal. Chris Papst/WBFF-TV News.
POLS GATHER FOR OPENING OF GREEK RESTAURANT: Several high-profile officials, such as Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott arrived at the opening of a new Greek restaurant in Baltimore city. Some, like Sarbanes, have Greek family heritage. Sunny Nagpaul/The Baltimore Banner.
AFTER SHOOTINGS, B’MORE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO UPDATE EVENT POLICIES: After a mass shooting left two dead earlier this month during the annual Brooklyn Day party on a development run by the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, the city’s public housing authority that manages properties serving low-income residents says it’s looking to update policies on how it manages event authorization, like block parties. As of now, there are few readily available written policies. Emily Hofstaedter /WYPR-FM.
B’MORE POLICE EVIDENCE SEIZURES HAS FAMILIES QUESTIONING WHY: One mother’s frustration over the seemingly wide latitude police have to seize personal items as evidence at a crime scene or in the hospital is well documented in Baltimore. A collection of civil rights attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit against the city in 2021 over how the police seize personal items as evidence and provide no clear way to get them back. That lawsuit is currently in settlement talks. Ben Conarck/The Baltimore Banner.
FEDERAL COURT WARNS OF ‘JURY DUTY FINES’ SCAM: The federal court for the District of Maryland is warning citizens not to fall for false jury service claims from scam callers. Officials said these callers are impersonating court administrators, U.S. Marshals and state and federal law enforcement officers who claim victims will be hauled off to jail if they don’t pay a fine for missing jury duty. Ivy Lyons/WTOP-FM.
