On the morning of April 8, David Smith sat in a downtown tower his lawyers had tried to keep him out of. It was there, in a law office on Saint Paul Street, that an attorney for Baltimore City Public Schools would finally get to question Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group and owner of The Baltimore Sun, about his involvement in a lawsuit against the school system.

The Maryland Department of Health and Baltimore County are seeking a new county health officer, two months after they said the former health officer was “no longer” in his role. According to a job description that the state published last month for the dual role of county health officer and director of the county Department of Health & Human Services, the position pays between $172,519 and $331,705 a year. Seventeen people have applied so far, according to state health department spokesperson Chase Cook.

Officials of the troubled Parkway Theatre unveiled an ambitious plan Tuesday night that will include reinventing the 1915 movie palace as an incubator for emerging filmmakers and for the gaming industry — a plan made possible in part by a seven-figure gift from the Johns Hopkins University. Scot Spencer, chairman of the board of directors told more than 300 people in the Parkway’s audience that the university has “completely forgiven” a $1.7 million bridge loan it made to the institution in 2017 that was scheduled to come due June 30.

The Frederick County Board of Education is considering another round of changes to the Frederick County Public Schools budget that could eliminate the remaining $6 million deficit for fiscal year 2025. The school system is proposing to resolve the budget deficit — which has already come down roughly $47 million — through measures such as further increasing sports and facilities usage fees and removing funding for a planned upgrade of the online Individualized Education Program (IEP) system.

Metro says free shuttle buses traveling in special bus-only lanes through parts of Montgomery County, Maryland, will help riders affected by the shutdown of five Red Line stations starting Saturday. The Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen and Silver Spring stations will be closed from Saturday through Aug. 31. The Takoma station will be closed from Saturday through June 29.

A shout out to Gov. Wes Moore who on Thursday made a tough call on legislation about which most Marylanders are likely unaware. He vetoed House Bill 1258, a measure sponsored by Del. Elizabeth Embry, a Baltimore Democrat, that would have created a website to carry legal notices required to settle estates and trusts. Under current state law, when someone dies, the local register of wills must publish an advertisement in a local newspaper so potential claims by creditors or unknown heirs can be filed against the estate.

On behalf of the dedicated people on the city of Frederick’s Charter Review Committee, I am writing to express our frustration about the delay and disjointed “management” of our report and recommendations from the time it was delivered to our elected leadership on Dec. 1, 2023, to the present. More importantly, perhaps, it is truly disheartening to have certain of our elected officials criticize us in public meetings for purportedly “doing a disservice to the process” by failing to appear and make presentations to explain our intent as to some of our recommendations.

Imagine, if you will, a ferry leaving City Dock in Annapolis. Now another right behind it. One is a small electric-powered boat making the short trip across Spa Creek to Eastport, where the people on board can walk or bike around what was once a waterman’s village and is now home to a museum, places to eat, marinas and millionaires.

Prince George’s County has long been considered the poor step-sibling of the Washington area’s more affluent and business-savvy counties. But that image is starting to change as the county becomes an increasingly attractive location for new companies, including many that are developing innovative products and services.

 

On the lot next to Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, residents are moving into two new “luxury-style” apartment buildings, complete with energy-efficient appliances, large windows and walk-in closets. The two buildings have risen out of the ashes of the past. In 2022, the old affordable housing complex — a 58-unit structure formerly known as Roslyn Rise — was torn down to make way for the next chapter.