The years-long effort in Maryland to cut waste-to-energy plants from a state green energy incentive program picked up a powerful ally last week. In a statement posted to social media, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said he plans to introduce legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session that would remove waste incineration from Maryland’s renewable portfolio standard, which determines what energy sources the state can count to meet certain clean energy mandates.

Baltimore County’s population has quadrupled since the 1950s, with residents drawn to the suburbs ringing the city for the well-paying technology jobs in Hunt Valley, the waterfront views in Essex, the music shops in Catonsville and the restaurants in Towson. The problem is, getting from one of those places to the other requires sitting in horrible traffic, which has worsened since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26. Some of the roads, particularly in the Dundalk area, have large potholes.

The University of Maryland Medical System broke ground on a new $540 million hospital on the Eastern Shore Monday after years of work and development. At a time when many hospitals in rural areas are closing down due to financial struggles, UMMS is going in the opposite direction with the creation of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton. The new hospital replaces an outdated facility nearby and is the result of a long development process, said Kenneth Kozel, CEO and president at UM Shore Regional Health.