There are generations of young people who have never experienced Harborplace in its heyday, with lots of shops, eateries and fun places to hang out. They only know what’s left of the downtown waterfront and the mostly vacant green pavilions, slated for redevelopment by developer P. David Bramble and his company, MCB Real Estate. Like teenagers before them, today’s youths still meet friends there, most often during spring, summer and other school breaks.

The Wicomico County Council held an open work session on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of eliminating the position of County Executive. The Council says it wants to put the power in the hands of the people, but supporters of the executive position argue that this move is a power grab. A steady stream of Wicomico County voters on both sides of this issue voiced their opinions on this possible charter amendment at the podium.

The County Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a $981.5 million operating budget for the next fiscal year, with a property tax increase of about 4.7% to help support school construction. The council previously cut $442,120 from Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal. On Tuesday, the council decided that the surplus funds will go toward the Board of Education, which is trying to close a gap in its budget.

 

With a backdrop cleared of a container ship for the first time in eight weeks, Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday thanked the Unified Command and other officials for a quick and decisive response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. But the mission is far from complete, he said. “I will not be satisfied until I can look over this same site and see the Francis Scott Key Bridge standing again. That’s mission completion,” Moore said.

 

In his first campaign ad, a week after securing the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the Maryland primary, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has proclaimed himself an abortion-rights advocate. “Today, with Roe overturned, many have asked what I will do in the United States Senate. I’ll support legislation that makes Roe the law of land in every state, so every woman can make her own choice,” Hogan said in the 30-second ad.

 

A Baltimore jail was without water for nearly 36 hours between May 12 and 13, after the facility’s main sanitation pipe had been clogged with paper waste and sewage, state officials acknowledged Tuesday. The water supply was disrupted again last Thursday. State officials said they were informed about the initial blockage at 11 a.m. that Sunday and the water supply was restored around 10:30 p.m. the next day.

 

Maryland State Schools Superintendent Carey Wright said Tuesday that school leaders must work harder to diversify and boost the state’s teacher workforce. “It’s got to be a conscious effort,” Wright said during a break at the state Board of Education meeting in Baltimore. “Are we really going into our HBCUs? Are we recruiting? What do those techniques look like?”

 

Gov. Wes Moore told University of Maryland students to be prepared to make hard choices and be strong when faced with unexpected challenges in their lives and careers during his keynote speech at the university’s spring commencement Monday evening. In his 15-minute speech at SECU Stadium in College Park, the Maryland governor urged graduating students to choose to be “tough” and step out of their comfort zone when confronting unforeseen challenges of the future.

 

All eyes were on Maryland for the high-stakes Democratic primary, where Angela Alsobrooks secured the Democratic nomination for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat. At the center of this primary was the notion of electability. Conventional understanding of electability is the idea that the most electable people, those likeliest to win, are the candidates with the most money, or who look the most like the ones we’ve always elected. (Photo: Photo by William J. Ford)

 

Residents and advocates said two recent crashes between cars and cyclists in Southeast Baltimore highlight the need for better bike routes, stressing that small changes could make their neighborhoods safer for drivers and pedestrians alike. The nonprofit Friends of Patterson Park, which organizes community events and programming for the iconic Southeast Baltimore green space, wanted last weekend’s group ride to highlight the lack of a safe east-west connection between the park and downtown, said Teddy Walsh, board president for the organization.