‘AGING WORKFORCE’ IN HEALTHCARE PRESENTS CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES: A recent report from the Maryland comptroller says that older workers are a “defining feature” to Maryland’s healthcare system. 11% of Maryland’s healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are 65 or older, compared to 6% nationwide, according to the recent “Maryland Industry Analysis: Healthcare and the Economy” report from Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s (D) office. Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.
NEW CASH ROUNDING LAW LETS BUSINESSES ADJUST CHANGE: Maryland has a new law on the books that impacts cash payments at checkout.The emergency bill gives businesses the option of rounding up or down the amount of change to the nearest nickel. David Collins/WBAL 11.
DONORS TIED TO $70M COUNTY PROJECT GAVE $41K TO HO CO EXECUTIVE CANDIDATE: Before a single wall has gone up at The Source, a new community center planned in Columbia, $12 million in public money has been spent. Now members of the nonprofit developing the project have maxed out donations to Vanessa Atterbeary, who leads the Howard County executive field in fundraising and holds an endorsement from Gov. Wes Moore. Kiersten Hacker and April Santana/The Baltimore Sun.
HARRY DUNN, OTHERS, SUE TRUMP OVER $1.77B ‘TAXPAYER-FUNDED SLUSH FUND’: Retired U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges said in a complaint in federal court that Jan. 6 rioters, nearly all of whom received a pardon from President Donald Trump on his first day back in office last year, could benefit from the fund and use the money to organize more violent activity. Jacob Fischler/Maryland Matters.
MD, DC, RANK AMONG NATION’S LEADERS IN ACADEMIC RECOVERY: Students across Maryland and the Washington, D.C. region are showing some of the strongest post-COVID pandemic academic recovery in the country, according to a new national education report released this month. John Gonzalez/7News WJLA.
SCOTT SHELLENBERGER, SARAH DAVID AND LAUREN LIPSCOMB SQUARE OFF IN A FORUM: For an hour, the candidates sparred over increasingly relevant issues in a county of 856,000 residents; among them, juvenile crime, the manner in which the office prosecutes sexual assaults, the lack of available data about prosecutions, and turnover in the office. The three are running in the June 23 Democratic primary. No Republicans are running in the race. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
MOUNTAIN BRANCH OWNER CONTINUES PUSH FOR DATA CENTER PROJECT: As Harford County moves to ban data centers, Bill Vasilakopoulos, the owner of Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, said he is still holding out hope that he can partner with Harford County to ensure his planned “AI Infrastructure Campus” gets built. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
NEIGHBORS PUSH BACK ON DATA CENTERS AT BALTIMORE COUNTY PLANNING MEETING: Baltimore County residents packed the Jefferson Building in Towson Thursday night to share their thoughts on data center development with the county’s Planning Board, as the county weighs what rules should govern where and how data centers can be built. Taylor Epps/WMAR 2.
FRIEDSON SPENDING BIG ON ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN MO CO EXECUTIVE RACE: Democrat Andrew Friedson is spending big in his bid for Montgomery County executive, reporting nearly $1 million for advertising buys among his expenditures in the latest round of campaign finance reports that were due Tuesday. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
PENSION BOARD SEEKS PUBLIC TRUSTEES: The Board of Trustees for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) is seeking two trustees, one each from Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Public Trustees serve a three-year term, from July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029. The Board holds fiduciary oversight of the ERS for the sole benefit of members and beneficiaries. County residents interested in serving must submit a statement of qualifications and resume, by 5:00 p.m. on May 27, 2026 to [email protected]. For more information, contact [email protected] or (301) 454-1415 or visit us at ers.mncppc.org.
FIRST AND ONLY HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION’S CAUTIOUS NEXT STEPS: In 2021, Montgomery College was named the first, and only, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Maryland, a federal designation for colleges with a Latino enrollment of at least 25%. The designation sparked an internal push for ways to improve the Hispanic student experience at the school, and potential access to federal grants to do so. Rosanne Skirble/Maryland Matters.
FARM GRANTS PATH FOR SECOND CHANCES: The program is a partnership between the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. It brings men from a nearby correctional facility to care for horses retired from racing due to injury or health concerns. Wambui Kamau/WYPR.
FIGHT IS BREWING ALREADY BETWEEN HO CO AND INSPECTOR GENERAL: Whistleblowers and tipsters have submitted 61 complaints to Howard County’s new inspector general, Kelly Madigan, but the watchdog said she faces hurdles to accessing the records she needs to investigate. The County Council approved a bill in 2024 giving the inspector “the right to obtain full and unrestricted access to all records and files.” Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
ANNAPOLIS MAYOR GETS FLAK FROM CITY COUNCIL FOR CHANGES TO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING: A small slice of the Annapolis city budget general fund is assigned for one-time uses. In the past, that’s included traffic studies, support for after-school programs, funding for a food pantry, and facility improvements around the city. Mayor Jared Littmann has appropriated nearly 100% of the $1.8 million assigned for one-time use, leaving just $24 unappropriated. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
