TAKING A TOLL: LAWMAKERS TACKLING TRANSIT NEEDS SEE POLITICAL LANDMINES AHEAD: Maryland officials at the center of conversations about how the state will pay for its underfunded transportation needs said Wednesday they will likely soon need to make politically unpopular decisions — including, potentially, higher tolls and shifting some taxing responsibilities from the state to new regional authorities. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
PROPOSED KEY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WOULD TOWER OVER FELLED SPAN: A proposed two-towered, cable-stayed Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement would vertically dwarf the felled span and have slightly more space between its main piers, the first public rendering of what a new bridge could look like shows. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
FREDERICK, AS STATEWIDE, SEES MORE CANNABIS-RELATED VISITS TO THE ER: The number of cannabis-related emergency department visits in Frederick County has been increasing, reflecting an increase in visits across the state, according to recently released Maryland Department of Health data. Gabrielle Lewis/The Frederick News-Post.
MARYLAND AMONG WORST STATES FOR YOUTH IMPRISONMENT: Maryland is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to the number of prison inmates who began their time behind bars for crimes they committed as children, according to a report set to be released Wednesday. With 6% of its overall prison population incarcerated for crimes they committed as minors, Maryland trailed only Louisiana, Wisconsin and South Carolina, according to the report. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
AUDIT: HOUSING DEPT FAILED TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE OF LOAN RECIPIENTS: Developers who received state government loans to provide low-income multifamily housing had tenants who exceeded the age and income limits, according to a Nov. 14 audit of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The audit, conducted by the Office of Legislative Audits for the Maryland General Assembly, disclosed that the housing department did not effectively monitor loan recipients to ensure they were in compliance with the terms of the agreement. Todd Karpovich/The Baltimore Sun.
BPW OKs WIND FIRM’s INDUSTRIAL PIER IN W. OCEAN CITY: Maryland’s Board of Public Works approved US Wind’s Tidal Wetlands License Application on Wednesday to build an industrial pier in West Ocean City, a move strongly opposed by many of the resort town’s residents. The application, proposed by Baltimore wind company US Wind, requested to expand a 353-foot long pier used by local fishers. The permit is part of the company’s plan to build offshore wind turbines and bring renewable energy to Maryland. Sofia Appolonio of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.
BA CO MEASURES CRIME TRENDS TO STUDY GUNSHOT DETECTORS: Baltimore County statisticians plan on comparing Essex to Dundalk and Lansdowne to Towson to determine if a controversial gunshot detection system and other new policing technologies are successfully bringing down criminal activity. County officials are required to submit their final analysis to the federal government because the pilot surveillance projects are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
***Maryland Reporter is happy to join with the Community Foundation of Howard County in honoring our long-time colleague and friend Jean Moon, our friends at HoCoPoLitSo (the Howard County Poetry & Literature Society that Jean co-founded 50 years ago), and major local philanthropists Greg and Roberta Kahlert and their Kahlert Foundation at the Community Foundation’s Annual Dinner and Celebration of Philanthropy on Dec. 10 at Turf Valley. Individual tickets are sold out, but sponsorships are still available. Contact Dan Flynn via [email protected].***
WITH SETTLEMENT, NEW PLANS FOR STATE CENTER CAN EMERGE: The 20-year legal battle over a stalled redevelopment project of state government office buildings in West Baltimore, known as State Center, came to a close on Wednesday with a $58.5 million settlement between Maryland and the developer originally tasked with completing the project. Katie Shepherd/The Washington Post.
- Officials described the settlement as a chance to take a fresh approach to redeveloping the strategically located 25-acre property and putting to rest a controversy over a stalled project that has vexed four governors. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
1 IN 5 BALTIMORE COUNTY VOTERS SPLIT TICKETS DURING ELECTIONS: About 1 in 5 Baltimore County voters cast ballots for candidates from different parties for president and U.S. Senate this election cycle, putting back into play what some experts thought was a fading voting practice — ticket splitting — a University of Maryland, Baltimore County survey of voters found. Daniel Nguyen/The Baltimore Banner.
GLENARD MIDDLETON, AFSCME LEADER, DIES AT 76: Glenard S. Middleton Sr., a labor leader who was an advocate for blue-collar workers and headed the public service union AFSCME, died of diabetic complications Nov. 7 at a Baltimore assisted living home. He was 76. “He and I have been friends since childhood. Glen loved his family, cherished his friends and didn’t suffer fools lightly. He constantly defied the limits of others’ expectations and gave us an example of perseverance that made us all the better for having known him,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
