A local hardware store will have a new name for the first time since 1845. Clarks Ace Hardware, which owns Ace Hardware shops in Ellicott City and Columbia, has agreed to an acquisition deal with Kansas City’s Westlake Ace Hardware. Clarks has been in the Clark family for seven generations since opening as a farm supply store in Ellicott City more than 175 years ago.

The University of Maryland Medical School is creating a for-profit entity to add a new revenue stream and establish a network of primary care doctors. The for-profit will be an arm of the University of Maryland Faculty Physicians Inc., a group of over 1,200 medical school faculty who offer clinical care across the state. The new business structure will allow the University of Maryland to utilize private financing and new reimbursement structures.

People in Baltimore’s Lauraville and Beverly Hills neighborhoods have long known the sprawling brick building in the 4500 block of Harford Road as The Markley Hotel, though it’s not clear whether it ever hosted overnight guests. A new chapter is starting for the former D. Markley Supply Co. seed and general store and warehouse as a community hub, with student housing for Morgan State University next door.

Four bodies have been recovered, over 1,300 tons of steel have been salvaged, and three temporary channels have opened four weeks after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bridge collapsed after its support column was struck by a malfunctioning cargo ship in the early morning hours of March 26, sending eight construction workers into the Patapsco River below, killing six of them. (Photo: MD Dept. of Transportation Twitter)

Having trouble sleeping at night? Experiencing racing thoughts or night sweats? My friend, you need to look at some birds. Yes, it’s that time of year again, when I tout the virtues of birding to my fellow insecure, overachieving denizens of Baltimore and across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Why birding? Articles from countless esteemed and erudite publications have documented its many benefits to mind and body.

Which places in the country are best for a good life? Opinions may differ and experts offer provocative rankings, but the best barometer of quality of life may be one simple statistic: population growth. People move to communities with opportunities for economic, social and educational well-being; they move out of communities that lack these qualities. By this measure, Maryland’s biggest city is getting a strong vote of no confidence.

Whether Marylanders took time to watch last Friday’s candidate forum between the top two Democratic candidates vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate or have simply been following the news, there’s one element of this matchup between U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks that they’ve already heard plenty about.

After a year of consideration, the Biden administration has imposed strict limits on so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water, requiring utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. The rule will have significant impact on Frederick County’s water systems, because the chemicals have been found in several sources of drinking water here.

 

The ownership group of The Mint Room, which operates three restaurants specializing in traditional delicacies from northern India, has chosen Columbia Palace Plaza in Columbia as the site of its first quick-service restaurant (QSR) concept. The restaurant chain, owned by Prince Anand, has signed a lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) for 2,500 square feet of space within the Giant Food-anchored center and plans to open later this year.

Twenty-four family members related to the six victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse have secured passage to the U.S., according to a news release from two immigrant-focused service organizations. According to CASA and the Esperanza Center, the latter of which is operated by Catholic Charities of Baltimore, 16 family members are currently in the U.S. and eight more are set to arrive this week.