‘Summer hunger gap’ comes with extra challenge of distance in rural counties

The “summer hunger gap” is a challenge throughout the state, as low-income families who rely on schools to help feed their kids during the academic year lose access to those meals during summer break. But it can be an even greater challenge in rural counties, where miles can separate families from the food they need and transportation options are limited.

 

Why Baltimore chose an untested developer for its huge — now failed — Poppleton project

Dan Bythewood Jr. was an ambitious 29-year-old. The son of a wealthy Long Island orthodontist, Bythewood had no background in large-scale development when he and his newly formed real-estate development company sent a proposal to Baltimore in 2003. Give us a big chunk of land in West Baltimore, he wrote, and we will transform it into a glitzy, upscale neighborhood evoking Manhattan. (Photo: Giacomo Bologna/The Baltimore Banner)

Could this parking lot become a new skate park?

To my fellow skaters in Montgomery County, I recently had the exciting opportunity to identify an issue within my neighborhood and work towards resolving it. And let me tell you, it’s a passion project that hits close to home for me — quite literally. I am a long-time resident of Germantown, Maryland. I have a strong personal connection to the Germantown Town Center area, as I utilize it for both leisure and community activities.

Child care is scarce in Maryland, the nation – and the pandemic made matters worse

Halfway through her 12-week maternity leave last summer, Sarah Haddaway didn’t expect the trouble that would accompany her search for child care. After unexpected rejections from one fully booked child care facility after another, the lifelong Western Maryland resident began calling every provider she could find. Almost 11 months later, Haddaway’s son Brooks — who just turned 1 — is on at least seven providers’ waitlists.

Baltimore’s historic Hendler Creamery building: Going, going and soon-to-be gone

The ornamental stone eagle is gone. So are the carved faces on either side of the entrance, the stone basket-weave detailing under the pediment and numerous other architectural flourishes. Stripped-down as they are, the grand north and south-facing facades of the red-brick Hendler Creamery Building are still standing. But not for long.

Archeologists dig deeper into 200-year history of Maryland’s Hammond-Harwood House

A team of archeologists is digging up clues of the past at the historic Hammond-Harwood House in downtown Annapolis to learn more about the life of the residents from 200 years ago. The Hammond-Harwood House on Maryland Avenue was built in 1774 and commissioned by wealthy planter and politician Mathias Hammond. It was purchased in the early 1800s by another wealthy Annapolis family whose descendants lived there for the next 100 years.

Prince George’s County opens first 24/7 mental health care center

Yolanda Gales waited in a hospital ambulance bay last week, watching a 70-year-old woman in handcuffs. The woman had been detained by police and brought to the hospital as part of an emergency petition — a court order mandating she receive an urgent mental health evaluation. Six and a half hours later, the woman still hadn’t received medical attention. And by the time Gales finally left the hospital close to midnight, the woman still sat there, hands cuffed.

Prince George’s Co. police flag scheme involving tech support

Scam artists keep getting more sophisticated, and the sheer number of them and the amount of money they’ve taken continues to spike compared to a year ago. That has Prince George’s County police reminding people about what to watch for, while revealing more about how scammers target victims.In June, a county resident called police embarrassed to admit she had fallen prey to what’s considered a tech scam.

As airport service grows, officials seek federal grants with more expansion in mind

Allegiant flights at Hagerstown Regional Airport have posted a growth of about 38% over last year, according to airport Director Neil Doran, with an expected 45,000 enplanements compared with 33,000 before. But airport officials are preparing for even more growth. In the past few weeks, Doran and Public Works Director Andrew Eshleman have appeared twice before the Board of Washington County Commissioners — first for approval to seek a federal grant to expand the airport’s marketing capabilities, and later for approval to seek another federal grant to adapt the terminal for commercial growth.

Montgomery County electric school bus contract led to millions in wasteful spending, investigation finds

A contract to bring electric school buses to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is costing the system millions, according to an investigation from the Office of the Inspector General. MCPS announced the over-$160-million contract to replace diesel school buses with electric ones in February 2021. The rollout was supposed to include 326 buses over the course of the next four years.