Maryland approves funding for First Amendment memorial honoring Capital Gazette after construction hiccup

Construction for the Guardians of the 1st Amendment Memorial, slated to be completed in June, is back on track after poor building conditions on the site required an additional $200,000 in construction work. The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $300,000 grant Wednesday to partially fund the memorial at Newman Park in Annapolis. The original cost was budgeted for the grant amount, but soggy, unstable soil required the removal of dirt and rock, hauling in new soil and installing steel helical piles — a type of foundation anchor that screws into the earth. The project will now cost roughly half a million dollars.