A massive new hospital planned on the Eastern Shore is now one step closer to reality after clearing a major regulatory hurdle. The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s rate application request for a new medical center in Easton was approved by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission on Wednesday. The approval is the final step for the University of Maryland Medical System, the hospital’s owner, as it prepares to start site preparation work at 10000 Longwoods Road later this month.

A local artificial intelligence company is banking on the surging demand for infrastructure improvements nationwide to continue its impressive growth.  Columbia-based company Rekor Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: REKR) creates machine learning technology that allows its customers to monitor traffic, capture vehicle descriptions and collect real-time roadway data. Rekor saw its revenue jump from $19.9 million in 2022 to $34.9 million in 2023 — a 75% bump.

JPMorgan Chase on Friday posted second-quarter profit and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations as investment banking fees surged 52% from a year earlier. Here’s what the company reported: Earnings: $4.26 per share adjusted vs. $4.19 estimate of analysts surveyed by LSEG. Revenue: $50.99 billion vs. $49.87 billion estimate. The bank said earnings jumped 25% from the year-earlier period to $18.15 billion, or $6.12 per share. Excluding items related to the bank’s stake in Visa, profit was $4.26 per share.

Gov. Wes Moore announced Wednesday the launch of a $20 million initiative to address child poverty in Maryland. The Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments and Households, or ENOUGH, initiative will develop solutions to an issue the Moore administration highlighted as critical last session. “By moving in partnership with local leaders and village elders, Maryland is writing a new chapter in our work to end child poverty,” Moore said in a Wednesday news release.

In a new letter, Rep. Kweisi Mfume is asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate uncovered coal trains in Baltimore City, saying his residents are tired of breathing in polluted air. This comes after several environmental groups nationwide filed a petition last year asking for more federal regulation of uncovered coal trains. Some neighbors in Curtis Bay tell me the smell and amount of dust in the air can be unbearable at times, causing some people to change their daily activities.

There have been photos and renderings of what the rail cars on the new Purple Line light rail system will look like, but on Thursday, Maryland transportation officials gave a sneak peek of what commuters can look forward to when the much-awaited line that connects Montgomery and Prince George’s counties finally opens. The new rail car was unveiled in Prince George’s County. The 142-foot-long vehicle is currently the longest of its kind in the U.S. and holds 430 passengers.

The Frederick County Board of Education on Wednesday voted 4-3 to create a work group to explore options to modify school start times, which may include the possibility of switching which grade levels start first. The work group will be set by Jan. 1, 2025, and will be tasked with creating a plan wherein no FCPS school starts before 8 a.m. by the 2029-30 school year. Currently, most of FCPS high schools start at 7:30 a.m., middle schools start at 8 a.m. and elementary schools start at 9 a.m.

School may be out for the summer, but Baltimore County police say the middle of July is the perfect time to activate additional speed cameras at five school zones across the county. “Just because we are out of the regular school season doesn’t necessarily mean that school activities are not taking place. They have summer school, they have other summer activities, and then you’re going to have fall sports starting to practice at these locations,” Detective Trae Corbin of the Baltimore County Police said.

Most of us don’t get too excited about a C-plus grade on a report card regardless of who brings it home. As every teacher knows, it signifies a “satisfactory” performance while a “B” is seen as “good” and an “A” is excellent. Yet this week’s announcement that the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay has earned a C-plus from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science provides a reason for optimism.

A library in Annapolis recently added a driving simulator, helping people learn to navigate the roads before they actually get there. The driving simulator offers multiple educational courses. It can help rookie drivers and experienced drivers who want to test their reaction times. Gabby Norton lobbied for it. “I figured it would be a really, really good way to let people practice and get that simulated training before they even get experience in a dangerous situation and feel empowered to get on the roads,” Norton said.