State Roundup: Charles County aquifers among those nationwide imperiled; many public school teachers need a 2nd job; covid cases on the rise

NATION’s AQUIFERS — INCLUDING IN MARYLAND — BEING DEPLETED : Many of the aquifers that supply 90 percent of the nation’s water systems, and which have transformed vast stretches of America into some of the world’s most bountiful farmland, are being severely depleted. These declines are threatening irreversible harm to the American economy and society as a whole. In Maryland, almost three-quarters of monitoring wells have seen their water levels drop over the past 40 years, some by more than 100 feet. Charles County, which contains fast-growing suburbs of Washington, has used most of its groundwater for homes and agriculture. And it isn’t coming back anytime soon. Mira Rojanasakul, Christopher Flavelle, Blacki Migliozzi and Eli Murray/The New York Times.

ALMOST HALF OF PUBLIC TEACHERS SAY THEY MUST WORK 2^nd JOB: As half of Maryland’s public school systems began the first day of school Monday, a new poll showed that many educators are working second jobs outside the classroom “to make ends meet.” The poll, conducted by a Democratic polling and research firm on behalf of the Maryland State Education Association, surveyed nearly 2,900 union members of the union in July. The results showed that about 44% of respondents worked a second job in the last year, a one-percentage point decrease from a similar survey four years ago. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

COVID ON THE RISE: The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has more than tripled since late June amid a small resurgence of the coronavirus as health officials prepare to push the latest version of the vaccine this fall. Angela Roberts/The Baltimore Sun.

PRIORITIZATION OF TRANSIT PROJECTS LIKELY TO CHANGE: Growing strains on the state’s ability to pay for transportation projects across Maryland could result in changes to how local projects are prioritized. The Maryland Department of Transportation lays out funding for projects around the state in a rolling six-year plan that is updated annually. A new commission tasked with reimagining how the state prioritizes and pays for projects could recommend changes to a system that is both familiar and not always transparent. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

SPEAKER JONES BACKS ALSOBROOKS FOR U.S. SENATE: House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones endorsed Angela Alsobrooks on Monday as Alsobrooks seeks to fortify her bid to succeed the retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in the 2024 election. “I want to make history. I want to see a Black woman from Maryland in the United States Senate. But most importantly, I want someone who will get it right,” Jones said. Lia Russell/The Baltimore Sun.

• Jones herself made history when she was chosen to be House Speaker, as the first woman and the first Black delegate to hold the position. U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th), Del. Dana Stein (D-Baltimore County), state Sen. Ben Brooks (D-Baltimore County), and Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski (D) were among those who attended the endorsement announcement. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

EPISCOPAL PRIEST RESIGNS AFTER NAME UNREDACTED: An Episcopal priest whose name had been blacked out in the Maryland attorney general’s report on sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore has resigned his position as priest-in-charge of a parish in Western Maryland. Jonathan Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.

FREDERICK SHERIFF JENKINS RETURNS TO WORK AFTER SELF-IMPOSED LEAVE: After about four months on a paid leave of absence while facing federal gun charges, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said on Monday that he is returning to his full duties as sheriff, effective immediately. “The leave of absence was self-imposed and there is no reason not to return to full duty at this point,” Jenkins said in a news release. Clara Niel/The Frederick News Post.

• Jenkins and the owner of a shooting range in the county were indicted by a federal grand jury in April on charges of conspiracy and making false statements in what prosecutors said was a scheme to illegally acquire machine guns. David Andrews/WTOP-FM News.
• The announcement comes a few weeks after Jenkins’ attorneys said in court filings that he “continues to work daily, fulfilling his Constitutional Duty as the elected Sheriff of Frederick County … without his service pistol, at great personal risk to himself” and had resumed work after only “several days of sitting on the side lines.” Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.

ARUNDEL HONORS FIRST AND ONLY BLACK WOMAN COUNCILMEMBER: The Arundel Center North building, which houses government offices and classrooms for Anne Arundel Community College’s Glen Burnie Town Center Campus, was renamed Monday after the late County Council member Sarah Carter. In 1974, Carter became the first — and to date, the only — Black woman to serve on the council. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.

SCHOOL BUS PROBLEMS IN HOWARD COUNTY: Howard County parents learned late Monday evening that the public school system’s new bus contractor will not be able to cover 20 routes for the remainder of the first week of classes, giving families little notice to make alternate arrangements. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.

• The first day of the 2023-24 academic year in Howard County Public Schools began with several bus stops full of nervously excited students and concerned parents waiting for buses that never arrived for morning pickups. Thomas Goodwin Smith/Baltimore Sun Media.

• So many school buses showed up late, or didn’t show up at all, that Howard County schools Superintendent Michael Martirano apologized to families in a Monday morning email. Daniel Zawodny, Liz Bowie and Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.

NEW BA CO SUPER STARTS SCHOOL AT FIRST SCHOOL SHE TAUGHT AT: Myriam Rogers, Baltimore County Public Schools’ newest superintendent, started her first day of the school year Monday at Woodlawn High School, where her education journey with the system began 27 years ago. Sabrina LeBoeuf/The Baltimore Sun.