STATE NARROWS OPTIONS FOR BAY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT: Maryland officials have narrowed the options for a proposed future replacement to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The current two bridge structures aren’t enough to handle existing and future traffic demands to cross the Bay, according to documents from the Maryland Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the state’s tolled facilities like the Bay Bridge. So they initiated a lengthy process back in 2017 with the Federal Highway Administration to determine what to do. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
- The Maryland Transportation Authority is considering six options for the new spans, all of which would include adding more lanes, as well as improvements to bus service. The new crossings could be slightly north or south of the current structure, or one span could be between the existing spans. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
- Maryland is considering plans to replace the aging Chesapeake Bay Bridge. And the state is seeking the public’s input on the best ways to move forward with the potential projects. While this could be a decade or more away, county leaders from Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s encourage residents to give their input. Caroline Foreback/WJZ-TV News.
WILL TRUMP EPA SLASH BAY CLEANUP FUNDS THIS TIME AROUND? The last time Donald Trump was president, his administration tried to slash federal funding for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup to zero. The former president’s appointments to top regulatory jobs also drew the ire of environmental advocates: His first head of the Environmental Protection Agency was a close ally of the oil and gas industry who openly denied climate change science. His successor was a former lobbyist for coal companies. Exactly how Trump plans to direct environmental policy this time around isn’t clear. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
PUBLIC WEIGHS IN AGAINST TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT: The battle over a controversial power line is being waged this week at public hearings in Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. It pits experts in the energy business who say it’s a question of demand against landowners who say their livelihoods are threatened by the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
- In October, PSEG unveiled the proposed route for the controversial 70-mile power transmission line. Taking into account some 5,300 public comments, PSEG stated it adjusted the alignment transmission line through parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. Cristina Mendez/WJZ-TV News.
ATTY GEN BROWN SAYS HE’LL PROTECT RIGHTS DURING 2nd TRUMP TERM: Attorney General Anthony Brown wants to reassure people after the presidential election: Their rights and freedoms would be protected. Following the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president, Brown said his office would create a team to respond to any actions or policies from the federal government that could harm Marylanders. Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.
LAWMAKERS GRILL GLOBAL CAMPUS OFFICIALS OVER SPENDING: Lawmakers grilled University of Maryland Global Campus officials Wednesday over the school’s use of no-bid contracts for university-spawned businesses and the effectiveness of $500 million in advertising contracts. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
B’MORE SCHOOLS SETTLE SINCLAIR-FINANCED SUIT: Baltimore City Public Schools settled on Wednesday a long-running lawsuit brought by a Republican operative and financed by Sinclair Inc. executive and Baltimore Sun owner David Smith. The settlement doesn’t involve the exchange of money and required the lone remaining plaintiff to acknowledge the school system hadn’t broken any laws, violated any rules and that its policies around truancy are sufficient. In return, the school system agreed to share data beyond what is legally required about student attendance. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
PROSECUTORS SAY ATTORNEY SHOOK DOWN UMMS: Medical malpractice attorney Stephen Snyder and prosecutors disagree on two key points: Snyder said he sought the consultant payment at the urging of his client, and that he conferred with attorneys to ensure the agreement was ethical. Prosecutors say those attorneys were kept in the dark about key aspects of what Snyder was seeking, and that Snyder was acting counter to the client’s hopes that the University of Maryland Medical System would be exposed and reformed. Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
PG COUNCILMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TO STEALING FROM HIS CAMPAIGN: Jamel “Mel” Franklin, a former Prince George’s County Council member described as a once-rising political star who was a sought-after candidate for county executive, could spend the next year in jail after pleading guilty Wednesday to stealing from his own campaign account. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
