STATE SCHOOL BOARD STILL WORKING ON CHOUDHURY EXIT AGREEMENT: Maryland State Board of Education leaders say they have not finalized an agreement with embattled State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury on when his tenure will end. Earlier this month, Choudhury abruptly withdrew from consideration for another four-year contract leading the Maryland State Department of Education amid widespread criticism. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
- At a Tuesday board meeting, State Board of Education President Clarence Crawford announced that the department will be creating two groups to facilitate the transition and to search for Choudhury’s eventual replacement, with the hope of announcing the final selection by next summer. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
PRINCE GEORGE’S SCHOOLS SHOW BIG IMPROVEMENT IN ENGLISH TESTS: More than half of the 50 Maryland schools showing the greatest improvement on the state’s English language arts test are in Prince George’s County. Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
- Twenty-two schools with students in grades 3, 4 and 5 recorded at least 90% proficient on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program tests students took during the 2002-23 school year. The latest data are from tests taken by students in grades 3 through 8 in English language arts and math. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
FIVE CATHOLIC OFFICIALS NAMES REMAIN HIDDEN IN LESS-REDACTED REPORT: Following months of litigation that has played out under seal, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General on Tuesday released a new, less-redacted version of its 450-page report detailing decades of allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.
- The names of five high-ranking Catholic officials who helped enable and cover-up abuse, according to the report, are still redacted along with the name of one alleged abuser. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Sun.
MO CO OFFICIALS: ROADS DAMAGED DURING PURPLE LINE CONSTRUCTION: While the Purple Line light rail is expected to be completed around 2027, Montgomery County officials say they don’t want to wait that long for repairs to the roads damaged by the project. Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass (D-At-large) urged action to help drivers and pedestrians safely commute past and around construction of the 16.2-mile light-rail transit line that stretches from Bethesda to New Carrollton. Alison Bennett/MoCo 360.
POLITICAL NOTES; LEWIS TO STEP DOWN, AGAIN; SO MANY HOGANS: Yvette Lewis, an effervescent former opera singer with an array of political connections who has served twice as chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, is planning to step down for a second time at the end of next week. Patrick N. Hogan, the former state delegate from Frederick County, is heading off to the land of contract lobbying at an Annapolis firm headed by another former state lawmaker with an all too familiar name, former Montgomery County state Sen. Patrick “PJ” Hogan. Josh Kurtz and Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
JUDGE SAYS ‘NO’ TO RETURNING GUNS TO SHERIFF JENKINS: A federal judge on Tuesday denied Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins’ request to get his firearms back. Jenkins, who in April pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring and making false statements to acquire machine guns, had already asked a magistrate judge for a change to his pretrial release conditions in July. Jillian Atelsek/The Frederick News Post.
MO CO COUNCIL BILL TAKES AIM AT PREVENTING GUN SUICIDES: A new piece of legislation that would require firearms retailers to provide suicide prevention literature at point of sales was introduced in the Montgomery County Council Tuesday in Rockville. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.
HARFORD OFFICIALS CONCERNED OVER AUDITOR’s LIMITED ACCESS TO DATA: Harford County officials have raised concerns over the county auditor’s access to county financial records being temporarily restricted. Chrystal Brooks, the auditor for Harford County, said her access to the county’s financial system was “essentially revoked” starting late Monday, Sept. 11. But Matt Button, the county’s public information officer, said Brooks was “never denied access to county information.” Jason Fontelieu/The Aegis.
CRISFIELD, A POLITICAL CENTER ONCE A YEAR, AT A TIPPING POINT: Once a year, Maryland’s political elite, and thousands of everyday people from all over the mid-Atlantic, gather in Crisfield to eat crabs and drink beer. The J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake, held at a marina parking lot near the center of town, is a must-stop for most state political leaders. What would these political leaders see if they looked around Crisfield? For natural splendor, Crisfield is one of the most beautiful places in Maryland. Situated on a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, the town has stirring views and spectacular sunset. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
BIDEN ADDRESSES ECONOMICS AT PG COMMUNITY COLLEGE: President Joe Biden spoke on the state of the country’s economy while visiting students at Prince George’s Community College on Sept. 14. While Republican lawmakers wrangled over the appropriations process recently, Biden reached outside Capitol Hill’s fiscal fight and spoke to community college students, faculty and staff less than 20 miles from the White House. Biden discussed his economic vision, branded as “Bidenomics,” by the media. Deborah Bailey/The Afro.
NEW NAVAL VESSEL TO BEAR TUBMAN’s NAME: The legacy of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman is getting bolstered again with the announcement she will be the namesake for a future U.S. Navy vessel. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced Sunday, Sept. 17, that a future John Lewis-class oiler, T-AO 205-class, will bear Tubman’s name. The announcement took place during an Emancipation Celebration at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Md. Kristian Jaime/The Salisbury Daily Times
O’s LEGEND BROOKS ROBINSON DIES AT 86: Orioles legend Brooks Robinson, a Hall of Famer whose on-field prowess led the Orioles to a pair of World Series championships and whose off-field charm made him a beloved figure for generations of Baltimoreans, has died, the club announced Tuesday evening. He was 86. Jon Meoli/The Baltimore Banner.
- Through much of baseball’s golden age, Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was a poster boy for the national pastime, a symbol of Americana whose visage was even captured in a 1971 Norman Rockwell painting. Mike Klingaman/The Baltimore Sun.
- The Orioles held a moment of silence before their game against the Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Also before the game, fans gathered around the 9-foot bronze statue of Robinson inside Camden Yards. David Ginsburg/The Associated Press.
