MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS VARY ON CELL PHONE POLICIES: Prince George’s and Maryland’s 23 other school districts have various cell phone policies, but phones must be turned off during instructional time. While some states have started moving toward statewide policies on cell phones, Maryland is not there. Some districts this year allow middle and high school students to use them at lunch or during “instructional” time at the discretion of an administrator or teacher. Other districts allow high schoolers to use them in transition between various classes. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: IT’s BACK TO SCHOOL FOR HOMELESS STUDENTS TOO: Two brothers with big dreams were among the more than 15,500 children identified as homeless in Maryland’s public schools last school year, 1.7% of the student body. Together with their parents, they lived in Anne Arundel County, one of the state’s wealthiest jurisdictions, showing homelessness can happen anywhere. Tom Ferraro/Maryland Matters.
HOUSING ADVOCATES LOOK TOWARD YIMBY MOVEMENT: The YIMBY movement is having a moment, and Maryland’s housing advocates are very here for it. Shorthand for “yes in my backyard” — a cheeky response to the better-known NIMBY movement — the pro-housing YIMBY lobby is swooning over national attention in recent weeks. Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are pledging to bring home costs down if they win the White House this November. Top Maryland Democrats have taken up the call to action. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
$10M FEDERAL GRANT TO AID MARYLAND UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES: Maryland will be the first state to receive funding under the federal Small Business Opportunity Program, a $10 million grant the state and federal officials said will help grow underserved small businesses in the Maryland region. Gov Wes Moore (D) said Monday that the program could have far reaching benefits. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
DEL. MUNOZ TO STEP DOWN IN JANUARY: Del. Rachel Muñoz, a Republican representing Pasadena and portions of northeastern Anne Arundel County, will step down from the legislature at the start of next year. In a Sept. 4 letter to Gov. Wes Moore, Muñoz said she will resign Jan. 1, 2025, to “spend more time with my young family.” Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
CARROLL SEES UPTICK IN COVID DEATHS: Carroll County has seen an uptick in COVID-19 related deaths over the last month, according to data from the state health department, and officials are advising residents to update their vaccinations. Sherry Greenfield/The Carroll County Times.
STATE SEN. READY WARNS CARROLL RESIDENTS ABOUT ‘PREDATORY’ LAND BUYING: Carroll residents living along the path of the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project transmission line have been contacted by an unknown entity requesting to buy their land, which state Sen. Justin Ready described as predatory, considering the implications of the proposed project. Thomas Goodwin Smith/The Carroll County Times.
TWO NEW MEMBERS OF MARYLAND PORT COMMISSION NAMED: Gov. Wes Moore has appointed John Brewer Jr. and Adam Neuman as the newest members of the Maryland Port Commission. They join commissioners Karenthia Barber, David Richardson, Sandy Roberts and Scott Webb in their goal to improve the competitive position of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore within the international maritime industry. Mark Smith/Business Monthly.
CURTIS BAY COMMUNITY IRATE OVER CSX COAL DUST PROBLEMS: Curtis Bay residents, taking a visitor on a tour to explain the impacts of industry on their far South Baltimore community, got a chance to illustrate the issue dramatically when a coal dust storm billowed up right before their eyes. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
***BREWSTER BOOK EVENT: U.S. Sen. Daniel Brewster lived a life full of inspiring highs and debilitating lows. On Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m., join John Frece, author of Self-Destruction: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster, in conversation with Gerry Brewster, former delegate and son of the late senator, moderated by historian Charles Mitchell at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore. Explore the senator’s life and career like his run in the 1964 presidential primary election and his fight for civil rights. A book signing and light reception will follow. You must register here. Read the book review in Maryland Reporter.***
MURDER VICTIM’s MOM TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON IMMIGRATION: Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, who was killed on the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail last year, is scheduled to testify before Congress on Tuesday on the topic of immigration policy, according to the family’s attorney. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
GANG MEMBER SUSPECTED IN ABERDEEN MURDER ALLOWED TO ENROLL IN SCHOOL: A grieving mother has a powerful warning for Maryland parents after her daughter was murdered and the suspected killer was allowed to attend a public school. On the day Kayla died, Aberdeen Police quickly identified Walter Martinez — 16-year-old MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was in United States illegally — as a primary suspect. When police sent out Martinez’s DNA, it took six months to process. In the meantime, Martinez was allowed to enroll as a student and was attending Edgewood High School in Harford County. Chris Papst/WBFF-TV News.
PRINCE GEORGE’S AFRICAN COMMUNITY GROWING: Prince George’s County has long been known as an enclave for middle-class African Americans, a place of cul-de-sac neighborhoods and golf courses that is Maryland’s second-most-populous county. As the area becomes more diverse, a new population is on the rise: African immigrants. That community in Prince George’s has grown from about 41,200 residents in 2010 to about 71,335 residents today, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Lateshia Beachum and Keith L. Alexander/The Washington Post.
THURMONT COMMISSIONER TO GET JURY TRIAL ON SEX ABUSE CHARGES: Thurmont Commissioner Robert Lookingbill has rejected a possible plea deal on sex abuse charges and wants a jury trial, according to his attorney. The trial is scheduled to begin in November. Lookingbill faces three charges — sex abuse of a minor, third-degree sex offense and second-degree assault — stemming from a March 1 incident on a school bus he was driving, according to court records. Cameron Adams/The Frederick News Post.
