Tara Prakash is 18 years old and has already performed on the stage at the Kennedy Center. She’s not a musician, but a rising senior at Sidwell Friends School. Prakash was recently named Maryland’s first-ever youth poet laureate. Prakash, who lives in Chevy Chase, said she learned about the honor while on stage at the Kennedy Center in May. Prakash told WTOP, her parents had been informed ahead of time, and kept it secret to surprise her.

It’s all about the gaze. When we look at someone, what do we see? Are we taking in the truth of that person, or is our vision tainted by our own assumptions about what matters about them? If that stranger is not the kind of person we usually consider, why do we claim the authority to write the definitive version of their story?

Clearway Pain Solutions has signed a lease with Padonia Place LP for 10,490 square feet of space at 2405 York Road to elevate occupancy of the three-story medical office building in Timonium to 100%. The pain management medical practice leased 6,400 square feet of space on the ground floor of the 24,800 square foot building and an additional 4,100 square feet of space on the second floor.

University of Maryland coaches and administrators were the highest-paid employees in the state in 2023, mirroring soaring compensation costs across the country. College football and basketball coaches tend to be the highest earners in a state and often make more money than the administrators running public universities, according to higher education compensation experts.

Frederick County’s District 4 delegation in the Maryland General Assembly is hosting a public forum at the end of the month to hear residents’ opinions and concerns on a new planned regional transmission line project. The forum will be held in Linganore High School’s auditorium from 6-9 p.m. on July 31. Representatives from the Maryland Public Service Commission and the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), the company overseeing the project, have been invited to attend and participate in a panel, according to a news release from Del. Jesse Pippy.

When it’s hot outside, sometimes an ice cream cone is the best form of relief. Baltimore has its ice cream heavyweights: I will always say yes to a scoop of salted caramel Old Bay at The Charmery or some honey graham at Taharka Bros. The blueberry soft serve at Bmore Licks (one of dozens of flavors) always reminds me of family trips to Maine.

After months of buildup following the inaugural VidCon Baltimore in 2023, organizers abruptly canceled the event with no warning or reason, leaving fans confused and disappointed. Set to take place from Sept. 26-29 at the Baltimore Convention Center, VidCon was an opportunity to bring the content community together, giving influencers an opportunity to network with each other and brands, as well as interact with fans.

Critical days ahead, President Joe Biden is facing the stark reality that many Democrats at the highest levels want him to consider how stepping aside from the 2024 election to make way for a new nominee atop the ticket could be the party’s best chance of preventing widespread losses in November. Isolated as he battles a COVID infection at his beach house in Delaware, Biden’s already small circle of confidants before his debate fumbling has downsized further.

Baltimore County is violating its own laws when it rehires county employees who have retired and either doesn’t notify the County Council or keeps the employees on the payroll for several years, the county inspector general said in a report released this week. The county has changed its laws three times since 2010 to outline under what terms a retired county employee can return. The County Council passed the most recent law in 2021.

PickleRage Wednesday announced it will open a new indoor pickleball club in Glen Burnie at 851 Cromwell Drive. The 25,550-square-foot facility will include 10 indoor CushionX courts designed for optimal player performance and comfort. The courts will also have excellent visibility and sightlines in a temperature-controlled environment.